Despite slipping to third place in the rugged Central Division, the Blackhawks are in position to win the Cup for the fourth time in seven seasons because Crawford was having a Vezina Trophy-caliber season before sustaining an upper-body injury that's sidelined him since March 14. They remain a top contender because of Patrick Kane, the front-runner for the Hart Trophy, and Artemi Panarin, who leads the Calder Trophy race. They've also dominated at United Center (24-11-3) and are tied with the Anaheim Ducks for the NHL lead in goals-against at home (75).
If you're concerned about the Blackhawks' slide down the stretch, look no further than last season when they were 11-10-1 after the All-Star break before winning the Cup. The road to a repeat will be the most challenging yet, but Chicago has the pieces in place to make another run to the Final even if they have to get through the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings or Ducks in the first round.
Here are five reasons the Blackhawks clinched:
1. Patrick Kane
Kane is one goal from scoring 40 for the first time in the NHL.
"It's a great number," coach Joel Quenneville told the Blackhawks website March 22. "We're talking how tough it is to score now. It used to be 50 was the number. Now you get 40, there's a very select few never attaining a goal like that. It's a great number, it's very difficult, and he's had a great year."
Kane is running away in the Art Ross Trophy race. He's set NHL career highs with 55 assists and 94 points while earning at least a point in 59 of Chicago's 76 games. His 26-game point streak from Oct. 17 to Dec. 13 set a record for the Blackhawks and U.S.-born players.