Record: 32-11-4, 68 pts Conference Rank: 1st Division Rank: 1st Top Scorer: Patrick Kane (19 goals, 33 assists, 52 points) Top Goalie: Cristobal Huet (21 wins, 2.10 GAA) Midseason Grade: A+
The young guns that carried the Blackhawks to the Western Conference Finals last year have only gotten better. Even with big offseason pickup Marian Hossa, the Hawks were one of the top teams in the league. Adding one of the best two way players in the game to an already lethal group of scorers has been the stuff of nightmares for everyone else in the West.
One of the big question marks was whether or not Cristobal Huet could handle the duties of being a starting goalie on a Stanley Cup contender. Huey has answered all his critics with a stellar first half, and has yet to lose 10 games in regulation this season. Of course, it helps that two of the team’s top defensemen, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, are Canadian Olympians and are among the league leaders in plus/minus.
The fact that the Hawks have the least goals in the West is impressive, but combine it with their conference-leading 155 goals for, and you have a team that will be thinking about nothing but the Stanley Cup come April. They got close last year, but this year might be just a bit sweeter for Chicago.