Scouting the Enemy: Anaheim Ducks vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Feb 5, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Brandon Saad (20) battles for the puck with Anaheim Ducks left wing Matt Beleskey (39) during the second period at the Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The Anaheim Ducks conclude their three-game homestand at Honda Center today with a visit from one of the Western Conference powerhouses, the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are widely considered one of the elite teams in the NHL, as they have won two Stanley Cups in the past five seasons and are poised to make another run at hockey’s ultimate hardware. The Blackhawks currently sit in third place in the Central Division with 27 points, but they have won six of their previous eight games and have gone 3-1-0 on the first four games of their current six-game road trip. This game will be another early test for the Ducks, who are out to prove that they, too, are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

The Blackhawks are a team that is constantly shown on national media (evidenced by their league-high 20 games on national TV, as opposed to seven for the Ducks). In order to dig even deeper into their team, I asked some questions to Keith Schultz, the editor at Blackhawk Up, which is the site that covers the Chicago Blackhawks at the FanSided network. Here, Keith gives insight on Chicago’s perennially underrated superstar, how the team has stayed in the upper echelon in the NHL despite salary cap issues, and how Chicago’s perceived weakness isn’t really a weakness at all.