Potential Pitfall Games in October for the Chicago Blackhawks

When the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2013, they set the tone for their success with a brilliant, record-setting start.

The Blackhawks did not suffer a regulation defeat through their first 24 games of the season, earning at least one point in each of those games.

That getaway told the rest of the league that the Blackhawks were a force to be reckoned with, and they ultimately proved their championship timber.

While nobody expects a similar streak this time around, a good start is essential toward proving their dominance again. Most top teams do very well in the first couple of months of the season, and head coach Joel Quenneville does not want to see his team have to rally after a poor start.

Here's a look at four crucial games in the opening month of the season that could represent pitfalls for the Blackhawks.

At Dallas Stars, Oct. 9

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The Dallas Stars were one of the most improved teams in the league last year under head coach Lindy Ruff, and they should be able to continue to get better this year.

Young star Tyler Seguin (37 goals, 47 assists, 84 points in 2013-14) is a sharpshooter who could approach 45 goals this season, and he works very well with linemates Jamie Benn and Ales Hemsky.

The Stars have added Jason Spezza from the Ottawa Senators, and he will center the No. 2 line with Erik Cole and Valeri Nichushkin. As a result, the Stars have the ability to get high-level scoring from both of their top lines.

After making the playoffs last year and giving a decent account of themselves before they bowed out against the Anaheim Ducks, they want to show they belong with the top teams in the Western Conference.

What better way to prove it than by beating the Blackhawks at home in the opening game of the season?

Quenneville's team will have to play its best game in order to come out of Dallas with the win.

Vs. Philadelphia Flyers, Oct. 21

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This is the last of a four-game homestand for the Blackhawks.

Their first four home games are against the Buffalo Sabres, the Calgary Flames, the Nashville Predators and the Philadelphia Flyers. They will be favored to win each of those games, but this one represents the most difficult challenge.

The Flyers got off to a terrible start last year and fired head coach Peter Laviolette, but they eventually rallied under Craig Berube and made the playoffs. The Flyers are a high-scoring team featuring explosive center Claude Giroux (28-58-86 in 2013-14) and Wayne Simmonds (29-31-60, 15 power play goals).

The Flyers appear to be vulnerable on defense and in goal, but if they can score early, they can dictate the pace of the game. They have the potential to get the jump on the Blackhawks and steal a game at the United Center.

The Flyers remain an aggressive team, and they are not averse to fighting and making life uncomfortable for a skill-driven team like the Blackhawks.

Since Chicago has an opportunity to start the season by winning its first four home games—they are significantly stronger on paper than each of their first four opponents—they don't want to let an opportunity for two points slip away.

At St. Louis Blues, Oct. 25

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The Central Division should be very competitive once again this season, and the St. Louis Blues have as good a chance as any team to come away with the division title.

The Blues were a dominant team until slumping in the final weeks of the 2013-14 season, and they were shattered by the Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs. St. Louis won the first two games of the series before the Blackhawks rebounded to win the next four.

The Blues have struggled to win in the postseason in recent years, and this has given the team a nasty edge in the regular season. While they cannot prove how good they really are until the postseason comes along, they tend to leave it all on the ice in nearly all of their key regular-season games.

There's nothing that would get their season off to a better start than registering a one-sided beating of the Blackhawks. The Blues added the explosive Paul Stastny (25-35-60 with Colorado last year) to a group that already included David Backes, T.J. Oshie, Alexander Steen, Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.

That group combines skill and nastiness, and that should give head coach Ken Hitchcock's team the ability to come through when the game is on the line.

They are bound to come out of the locker room at full speed, and a good start by the Blackhawks is necessary if they want to avoid a blowout loss in St. Louis.

Vs. Anaheim Ducks, Oct. 28

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The Anaheim Ducks were the best team in the Western Conference during the regular season last year, but they flamed out in the conference semifinal round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Ducks were defeated by their local rivals in seven games, just like the Blackhawks. These two teams appear to be very similar on paper as the Ducks have a sensational one-two punch of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, much like the Blackhawks have their one-two punch of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

The Ducks (267 goals scored) and the Blackhawks (266 goals scored) were the NHL's two highest-scoring teams in the regular season last year, so don't be surprised if these two teams light up the scoreboard. 

The pressure will be on the Blackhawks to beat a strong Western Conference rival at the United Center. Top teams always find a way to establish themselves at home. 

If the Blackhawks drop this game, it could lead to self-doubt in the locker room that could linger well into the season.