The Top 5 New Year's Resolutions for the Chicago Blackhawks

There was a lot of bluster throughout the offseason about the Chicago Blackhawks being ticked off about their seventh-game loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Final, and that the team would use that bitterness to light the fuse for another championship run in 2014-15.

After an indifferent start to the season, the Blackhawks have been in championship form through the majority of November and December. As they prepare for their outdoor venture against the Washington Capitals at Nationals Park Thursday, the Blackhawks have reeled off a 13-2-1 mark in their last 16 games.

They appear to have all the weapons needed to make a championship run and bring home their third Stanley Cup in the last six years.

As the calendar moves from 2014 to 2015, here are some New Year's resolutions that would help the championship-driven Blackhawks play to the peak of their ability.

5. A 40-Goal Season for Patrick Kane

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Patrick Kane is one of the most dangerous players in the NHL. His career has been a thrilling one, highlighted by the Stanley Cup-winning goal in the 2010 playoffs versus the Philadelphia Flyers, the series-winning overtime goals against the Kings (2013) and the Minnesota Wild (2014) and huge goals against the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.

Kane's ability to stick-handle in traffic allows him to create scoring opportunities where none seem to exist, and he also has the shot and moves to cause big problems for opposing goaltenders.

Despite his elite talent level, Kane has not distinguished himself with his regular-season goal totals. He reached the 30-goal mark in his third season in 2009-10, and he has not hit that level since. 

However, Kane is on pace to blow by that mark this year as he has scored 18 goals in his first 37 games. If he continues to score at his current level and stay healthy for 82 games, he will approach the 40-goal mark by the end of the season.

While Kane has certainly proven himself at the most important times of the year, scoring 40 goals in a season would polish his resume and help him stake a legitimate claim to a first- or second-team All-Star position.

4. Improvement in the Second Half from Brandon Saad

Andrew Nelles/Associated Press

The list of superstars on the Blackhawks roster is long and distinguished: Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith are the team's best players.

The Blackhawks also have plenty of young talent on the roster and in their minor league system that could eventually reach the superstar level, and Brandon Saad may be the best on that list.

Many expected Saad to become a star in 2014-15, if not a superstar to rank with the players listed above. Saad scored 19 goals and 28 assists last year, his second year in the lineup, and his explosive speed in the offensive zone and power going to the net gives him the ability to score consistently.

Saad, 22, has hit a bit of a stall this season. While many observers expected him to score 25 to 30 goals this season, he has found the back of the net just eight times as the season nears the halfway point, and that's a disappointment.

There's still plenty of time for Saad to turn his season around and get back on track. If the Blackhawks are going to remain major factors this season, they need some consistent production from their secondary players.

Saad needs to shake off his slow start if he is going to remain a potential star in Chicago.

3. Big Reward for Ben Smith

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Ben Smith appears to be a minor role player on the Blackhawks roster. 

He kills penalties, and he plays on the fourth line. He averages 14 minutes, six seconds of ice time per game, and he has scored five goals and four assists while playing in all 37 games.

Smith is not much of a scorer, and the numbers indicate that he's not an important player in the grand scheme of things. However, the numbers don't begin to tell the story with Smith.

He did not earn a spot on the Blackhawks roster because the team expects him to score 25 goals a year. He is on the team because he is a smart and driven defensive player. The best indication of how much he means to the team can be seen in the final two to three minutes of any game the Blackhawks are protecting a one- or two-goal lead.

That's when Joel Quenneville taps Smith on the shoulder and sends him onto the ice. His effort and talent at stopping opponents cannot be overlooked. He also is a superb penalty killer, and he's a big reason why the Blackhawks are killing 90.5 percent of the opponents' power plays and are the best team in the league in that category.

It's time for Smith to get a bit more recognition for his accomplishments. He is not going to score a lot of goals, but a hot second half means he could approach the 15-goal mark and that might get him the league-wide respect he deserves.

2. Corey Crawford Must Stay on Track

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

The 2013-14 season was a difficult season for Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford. He regularly would allow at least one stoppable goal per game, and he simply was not at his best most nights.

While the Blackhawks' offensive skills and ability to fill the net allowed them to overcome Crawford's less-than-impressive play, improvement from their No. 1 goaltender was high on the priority list at the start of the season.

Crawford has been nothing but resilient throughout his career, and he has been on top of his game through the majority of the season. He has a 14-6-2 record with a 2.08 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.

Crawford recently came back from a lower-body injury suffered in early December when he lost his footing while attending a concert in Chicago. Since coming back from that injury, Crawford has allowed 11 goals in four games.

He needs to return to the form he was displaying in his first 18 games when his GAA was under 2.00 per game.

If he can do that, the Blackhawks have an excellent chance of playing dominating hockey the rest of the season.

1. Get the Break in the Stanley Cup Playoffs That Eluded Them Last Year

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Blackhawks did a lot of things well during last season's playoff run, and they were a game away from getting back to the Stanley Cup Final and facing the New York Rangers for the league championship.

However, after coming back from a 3-1 deficit to force a seventh game against the Kings in the Western Conference Final, they could not score the winning goal in overtime. Alec Martinez wristed a long shot from the blue line that got past a screened Crawford, and that punched the Kings' ticket.

That was the difference between those two teams last year, and there may not be much difference between the Blackhawks, Kings or Anaheim Ducks this season.

This year, the Blackhawks need to get the break that allows them to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. 

While luck may have a lot to do with it, it's not the full story. They need their best players—Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp and Keith—to dig just a little deeper when the game is on the line.

That's what it will take to get back to the Stanley Cup Final and give the Blackhawks a chance to win their third Stanley Cup in the last six seasons.