After an unforeseen first-round sweep at the hands of the Nashville Predators, word on the street is that the sky is falling in Chicago.
Who could've seen that coming, certainly not the entire ESPN panel ... and yours truly, who not only predicted a first-round win by the Blackhawks, but a Stanley Cup victory.
Instead, the NHL's most successful dynasty of the last decade was ousted in four games and - for the second straight year - in the opening round.
With that considered, it's not all that surprising that many are starting to feel that the Blackhawks' heyday is in the rear-view mirror. And with three Stanley Cups in six years from 2010-2015, it's most likely true.
However, to think that the Blackhawks will plummet from the top of the league standings is an outrageous assertion, and here is why:
The numbers back it up
What shouldn't be forgotten is that the Blackhawks had the third-best record in the league this season, behind just the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets.
They paced the Western Conference standings and, against all 29 opponents, had a points percentage of under .500 against just six. In fact, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were the only teams not to lose to the Blackhawks this season.
In terms of goal scoring, the Blackhawks finished with the ninth-most tallies - averaging 2.93 goals per game - while boasting six 20-goal scorers, the most of any team.
Then there's the goaltending, which has been no slouch either. This season, the Blackhawks allowed the 11th-fewest goals against per game, but had the fifth-best team save percentage.
Corey Crawford and Scott Darling are not a bad tandem.
Sweep by Preds more of an anomaly
More important than the other reasons not to discredit the Blackhawks is the simple fact that their failed postseason appears to be more of a one-off than anything.
During the regular season, the Blackhawks were dominant against the Predators, going 4-1-0 and outscoring them 20-13, including three games where the Blackhawks scored five.
This isn't to take anything away form the Predators, but it's clear the Blackhawks got the better of Pekka Rinne during the regular season.
Factor in that the Predators had only won three playoff series' in their previous 18 seasons, and it's also quite clear that history wasn't on the Blackhawks side this time around.
Just look at that roster
In the end, the clearest reason why the Blackhawks will still be a team to be feared is their ridiculous roster.
They are still very much the envy of the league with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane - the league's MVP last season - Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Artemi Panarin, Marian Hossa ... the list goes on.
This roster has proven itself time and again that there's no quit and that they are among the best in the league - hell, they did as much during the regular season.
Not many predicted this fate for the Blackhawks, and it's easy to see why. However, despite their loss, the Blackhawks remain a lethal franchise and they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)
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