Chicago Blackhawks: Why October Matters This Year More Than Ever

The Chicago Blackhawks no longer have the privilege of coasting through the regular season only to turn it on when the playoff race rolls around. This year, their performance early on matters now more than ever. Here’s why.

This year, the Chicago Blackhawks are going to be playing meaningful hockey far earlier than we anticipated.

Why October Matters

Elliotte Friedman, a reporter for Sportsnet and an NHL network insider, reported that of the 54 teams who have been 4+ points out of a playoff spot on November 1st since the 2005-06 season (just before the Kane and Toews era), only seven of these teams have made the playoffs.

That’s it.

In over a decade of hockey, only seven teams have been able to…