2010-2011 Chicago Blackhawks Season Preview, Part I: October 2010

The NHL released the 2010-2011 schedule shortly after the completion of the Stanley Cup Finals, making it a short wait for hockey fans.

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup this past season and are poised to make another run at the Cup providing that they can overcome their schedule next season.

In a six part series, we will analyze all six months of the Blackhawks schedule.  We will look at each opponent, what their record was in 2009-2010, and how much better (or worse) they will be during the upcoming season.  Finally, we will predict how many games the Hawks will win depending on their current personnel and state of the team.

The first month we will look at is October 2010.

The Hawks kick off their new season with a game at Colorado versus the Avalanche.  The Avalanche made the playoffs and are looking like a better team in 2010-2011.  

The Blackhawks played Colorado four times during the 2009-2010 season earning a 3-1 record and should be able to beat them to start out the season on the right foot.

The Blackhawks play the Detroit Red Wings in the month of October (their second game and just one time during the month) as well.  During last season, the Hawks split six games with the Red Wings (3-3), and both teams traditionally play each other very tough, so any game between the Hawks and the Red Wings is a good one. 

The Blackhawks will play the Buffalo Sabres twice during the first month of the season.  Last year, the Blackhawks played just one game against the Sabres, a game that they didn’t win.  Can they beat them this season?  We shall find out, but the Sabres have improved and could present a challenge for the Blackhawks. 

Chicago will face the Nashville Predators, a 2009-2010 playoff opponent in their drive towards the Stanley Cup.  Not including the postseason, the Blackhawks split the six games they played against the Predators in 2009.  They play them once in the month of October.

The Columbus Blue Jackets play the Blackhawks twice during the month of October.  Last year’s record against the Blue Jackets was 3-2, but Columbus promises to be a much tougher opponent this season thanks to some offseason moves.  The Blackhawks may have a tougher time with the Blue Jackets next season.

The Blues play the Blackhawks twice in the month of October as well.  In 2009-2010, the Blackhawks edged the Blues three games to two last year and will battle them once again this year several times.  The Blues and the Hawks always play good competitive games and getting over the “Blues” can get the Blackhawks back towards winning the Stanley Cup.

The Canucks and the Blackhawks will face each other once during the first month of the new NHL season.  In 2009, Chicago beat Vancouver just once in the regular season (on their way to a one and three record against them) and will have to contend with this team again in 2010-2011.  The Canucks are returning a lot of the same guys that they had last season, so they will continue to be a difficult matchup for Blackhawks this coming season.

The Los Angeles Kings will come to the United Center in October to play one game against the Blackhawks.  Last season, the Blackhawks went 3-1 against the Kings and should be able to do well against them again in the 2010-2011 season.  Look for them to beat the Kings in their October contest.

Chicago will also host the Edmonton Oilers once in October.  During the 2009-2010 season, Chicago went 4-0 against the Oilers last season and despite the fact this team made some strides during the offseason, the Blackhawks should be able to beat them again this year.

Finally, to close out the month of October, the Blackhawks will play the Minnesota Wild.  The Hawks went 2-1 against the Wild last year and should have similar success against them this coming season.

For all those interested, here is a look at the Blackhawks schedule in October of 2010:

October 7th at Colorado
October 9th versus Detroit
October 11th at Buffalo
October 13th versus Nashville
October 15th at Columbus
October 16th versus Buffalo
October 18th versus St. Louis
October 20th versus Vancouver
October 22nd at St. Louis
October 23 versus Columbus
October 27 versus Los Angeles
October 29th versus Edmonton
October 30th at Minnesota