One Goal: Win in The Playoffs

"One Goal: To Win in the Playoffs," should be the Chicago Blackhawks new slogan, considering they are in prime position to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2001-2002 campaign.

With young guns Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in the lead, the Blackhawks are poised to make a run to the playoffs, and possibly (and hopefully), a run in the playoffs.

With great forwards, and sound defense, the Hawks are a force in the Western Conference.

The biggest strength of this young team are their talented forwards. Toews and Kane lead the pack with 29 and 24 goals respectively. The young pair look to forge ahead with this team on their back.

The first two lines of the Hawks are as good as anyone in the league with Kane, Toews, and Sharp on line one, and Bolland, Havlat, and Versteeg on line two. Line one has 76 goals this season, while line two is no slouch with 57 goals on the season.

The defense is not to be overshadowed either. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are doing their fair share of scoring as well. The two have combined for 14 goals between them in the 2008-2009 campaign.

The achilles heal of this young gun Blackhawks team is definitely their goaltending. Huet and Khabibulin have only been mediocre, in my opinion, for most of the year.

Yeah, they will have the occasional good game, but from the Hawks hockey I've watched, neither have had great games.

As a note, if the Hawks win 5-4, I still do not consider that to be a good game by the goalie. It shouldn't, allowing four goals on a regular basis is not championship caliber play.

To have a deep run in the playoffs the Hawks have to do a few things. Score lots of goals, and play GREAT defense. Nothing the Hawks are not capable of doing.

No one in the west is going to give the Hawks trouble except San Jose and Detroit, who are number one and two respectively in the conference. Calgary could, but the Hawks have played fairly well against the Flames.

San Jose and Detroit both can outskate the Hawks, and just downright outplay them. Chicago is 5-3-3 verse the top three teams, and are not a team to be taken lightly.

I predict the Hawks will exit the 2009 playoffs in the Western Conference Semi-Finals, or the Western Conference Finals. Chicago is not Stanley Cup material yet. They are almost there, but just not yet.

They have some work to do, but in the future, maybe even next year, they could be hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.