The Blackhawks only have no more games before ChristmasVincent Pariseon December 21, 2021 at 12:00 pm

Chicago’s game tonight against the Florida Panthers has been canceled due to COVID-19 complications. It would have been a chance for the Hawks to play well against one of the best teams in the National Hockey League but it will have to be played at a later date.

Of course, the NHL as a whole has been dealing with some serious COVID-19 issues recently as many games have been canceled to keep everyone safe. At first, the NHL and NHLPA have decided to keep playing but canceled any games between Canadian and American teams leading into Christmas. Now, they are all canceled through the holiday.

The Chicago Blackhawks have one more game before the Christmas break.

For the Hawks, that also cancels the Thursday night game against those same Dallas Stars that they played in their most recent game on Saturday night. It would have been a challenge but they will have the next three days off after that for the holiday break as well. When they return, they will face the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 28th.

That game against the Dallas Stars, unlike the last one, would be played on home ice. The Hawks saw firsthand how Dallas plays and can be dangerous at all times. Right when something went well for the Hawks, the Stars seemed to take the momentum back right away. It is a great team loaded with skill and outstanding leadership.

After all of this, the Hawks still sit ten points out of playoff position. They aren’t going to make up that ground overnight but they can slowly but surely chip away once they return from this little pause in the action.

When they get back, taking two points without conceding one is incredibly important for the Hawks. If they are able to get good goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury, they should be able to have a fighting chance in any game that they play. Hopefully, they are able to enjoy the holidays safely.