In this Friday edition of Hawks Headlines, we take a look at several different angles from folks previewing the Chicago Blackhawks’ upcoming series against the Minnesota Wild, as well as a discussion on which of the eight remaining teams in the playoffs fans of eliminated teams should root for.
-We start out with Nina Falcone, who wrote an interesting piece about how the Wild are going to be trying to reverse the narrative that was written during last year’s series between the two teams. [CSN Chicago]
-Sam Fels and the crew over at Real Fans Program have been saying that the Colorado Avalanche would eventually show their true colors, and after a bit of well-deserved crowing about that correct argument, they go about the business of showing why they think that the Blackhawks should be able to take down the Wild without much fuss. [Committed Indian]
-It almost should go without saying, but the Blackhawks aren’t taking this series against the Wild for granted, and Scott Powers has more on that story. [ESPN Chicago]
-What exactly is driving the Wild as the team prepares for their rematch with the Blackhawks? Depth and persistence, among other things. [Daily Herald]
-In an age where there seems to be a battle between those hockey fans and writers that prefer traditional ways of measuring performance to those who are seeking out new ways of improving fans’ understanding of the game, the Blackhawks seem to come down on the latter side of the argument. Just don’t ask them what their formula is. [Chicago Sun-Times]
-If there is one player to keep an eye on for the Blackhawks as they prepare to take on the Wild, newly minted second line center Ben Smith could be that guy. [Chicago Tribune]
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-Finally, we turn to Sean McIndoe, who wrote an interesting piece in which he dissected which of the eight remaining playoff teams fans should jump on the bandwagon of. Needless to say, the Blackhawks didn’t rank too highly on the list. [Grantland]
