The Chicago Blackhawks won’t be repeating as Stanley Cup champions.
It’s a difficult feat regardless of the circumstances. No one has done it in the salary cap era. The Blackhawks came close in 2014, but fell a game and a series short.
This season’s Blackhawks couldn’t make it past the first round. They were ejected from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the St. Louis Blues, 3-2, in Game 7 of the first round on Monday.
There are plenty of reasons for why the Blackhawks failed in their quest to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Let’s start with these ones.