Series Overview – Chicago Blackhawks vs Colorado Avalanche

This is one of the more intriguing matchups in the Western Conference: the Cinderella-story Blackhawks versus the star-studded Avalanche. Chicago, who entered the season with modest expectations, has shocked the hockey world by finishing 3rd in the West with 52 wins. Meanwhile, Colorado brings elite firepower, boasting perhaps the most dangerous top 4 forwards in the league.

With both teams splitting the regular-season series (2-2), and the last game going to a shootout, this series is shaping up to be a high-octane, tightly contested battle.

Offense

Chicago Blackhawks
The Hawks have a very balanced top six led by Bo Horvat (43-55-98), who’s playing like a true franchise cornerstone. Horvat finished just outside the top 5 in league scoring. Their scoring depth is solid, if not flashy, and every top-6 forward put up respectable numbers. They don’t have the overwhelming star power of Colorado, but they have chemistry and consistent production across multiple lines. Another addition this season who has done wonders for the Blackhawks is Jonathan Marchessault (39-44-83). Rounding out the top six is Jordan Kyrou (31-29-60), Alex Killorn (26-34-60), Sean Couturier (16-39-55) and Nick Foligno (24-26-50).

Colorado Avalanche
Colorado’s top four is arguably the best in the league. With four players around or over 90 points, the Avalanche are built to overwhelm opponents with their first two lines. No team scored more consistently at the top than Colorado. The one concern is a steep drop-off after Alex Newhook (29-36-65) and some inconsistency from players like Roope Hintz (23-22-55). While these two players should play an important role in this series, it’s the top of the lineup which should do the bulk of the damage. Players such as Nathan MacKinnon (35-62-97), Sebastian Aho (41-52-93), Valeri Nichushkin (42-50-92) and Mikko Rantanen (36-45-81) will need to be shutdown for the Hawks to win this series.

Advantage: Colorado Avalanche

Defense

Chicago Blackhawks
This is Chicago’s biggest strength. They boast elite puck-movers in Darnell Nurse (12-51-63) and Quinn Hughes (12-46-58) and get strong transition play from Jaccob Slavin (4-46-50) and Jake Walman (10-21-31). This is a mobile, offensively capable group that can contain top lines while also generating offense from the back end. Late season addition Brayden McNabb (7-24-31) should also help shore up the back-end.

Colorado Avalanche
Colorado’s D-core is skilled and experienced but slightly less dynamic than Chicago’s. Erik Karlsson (15-43-58) is still dangerous offensively, but his defensive play has shown signs of age. Marc-Eduoard Vlasic (10-33-43) had a surprisingly productive season, but the Avalanche might struggle to contain speedier teams. Justin Faulk (3-48-51) is a great two-way defensemen who should log a lot of minutes. After these three though, a lot of question marks are raised as to why the Avalanche didn’t make a deadline move to improve. Joshua Brown (7-14-21) was brought in, but is hardly the answer.

Advantage: Chicago Blackhawks

Goaltending

Chicago Blackhawks
Sergei Bobrovsky (45-19-6, 2.59, .916%) has quietly had one of his better seasons in years, ranking among the best in save percentage and workload. He’s a proven playoff goalie who can steal games and is one of the most experienced netminders in the field. If his workload ends up being a concern, Connor Ingram (7-3-2, 2.44, .919%) should be able to step in for the odd game and not look out of place.

Colorado Avalanche
Stuart Skinner (37-16-5, 2.82, .909%) was reliable but not elite. His backup Ilya Samsonov (13-10-1, 2.57, .911%) was solid in limited starts, but neither has the same playoff pedigree or consistency as Bobrovsky. If this series becomes a goaltending duel, Colorado may end up on the short-end of the stick.

Advantage: Chicago Blackhawks

By The Numbers

Chicago Blackhawks
Special teams are likely to be pivotal. Chicago’s structured defense may give them the edge on the Penalty Kill, where the team finished 3^rd best in the league. While Colorado’s power play—given their offensive tools—could turn the tide if it clicks, finishing 8^th best in the league. While Chicago’s Power Play wasn’t bad, it ranked 9^th best in the league. These two teams split the season series with 2 wins a piece. The last win by Chicago came in a shootout. Goal differential wise, Chicago finished 10^th overall with a +52.

Colorado Avalanche
Colorado will need their offensive stars to continue their momentum into the playoffs. Their top 4 cannot be matched, so they’ll need to show up when it matters. Colorado finished ahead of Chicago in goal differential, ranking 4^th best in the league with a +74. The Power Play didn’t quite perform as you would expect, finishing 8^th overall in the league. The Penalty Kill did finish in the top 10, but isn’t quite as strong as Chicago’s. On paper, this is Chicago’s series to lose.

Predictions
The Blackhawks continue their storybook season with a gritty, structured, and clutch performance. Bobrovsky’s goaltending and their strong defense help them weather Colorado’s offensive storms, and Horvat delivers big-time moments when it matters most. I am taking the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.