The Chicago Blackhawks began the second-to-last week of the regular season with a date in Columbus – a site where they had scored 13 times in their previous two meetings. Needing practically every point available, Chicago put forth a lifeless effort in a disappointing 4-0 loss. It was the type of loss typical for an inconsistent, young team, yet atypical of a team challenging for the postseason. The Blackhawks have spent nearly the last two months trying to prove they are the latter rather than the former.

After the Columbus loss, the Blackhawks had a couple days to dwell on their fading, yet still remotely possible playoff aspirations before facing a St. Louis team they had defeated in Chicago six days prior. Following that overtime victory, Blackhawks head coach Denis Savard publicly complained to the media about perceived cheap shots after the whistle to Chicago's young players.

The rematch on Saturday night figured to be a physical affair, and neither team disappointed. There were two fights in barely the first five minutes and a match penalty to Duncan Keith just before the final whistle. In between, the Blackhawks nearly squandered a 4-0 lead in the third period but managed to hold on for a 4-3 victory.

The next evening featured a rematch against a rested Columbus team at the United Center. The Blackhawks had to win the game to continue entertaining the possibility of the playoffs, but all did not look well early in the second period when Chicago fell behind 3-1. It took two second-period power-play goals, the second and third such goals of the game – a feat not accomplished by Chicago since scoring four power-play goals in Toronto on October 20th – for the Blackhawks to tie the score heading into the third period.

Chicago had the momentum and it seemed like they were destined to secure the two points they desperately needed until Columbus’ Derek MacKenzie scored just under four minutes into the third period. The Blackhawks turned up the pressure but couldn’t solve goaltender Fredrik Norrena until the seldom-used Yanic Perreault tapped in a Cam Barker rebound at the 13:42 mark of the third period.

Perreault's goal not only tied the game but also increased the intensity, momentum, and desire of his youthful, inexperienced teammates. The Blackhawks did all they could to win the game before going to a shootout, including killing off a late third-period penalty, but 65 minutes proved not enough.

With the entire season on the line, it was Patrick Kane – the first overall pick of the past draft and second youngest player in the league – who was called upon to shoot first for the Blackhawks in the shootout. Employing his now-patented backhand move, Kane scored the only shootout goal to lead his teammates to victory. It was Kane’s seventh shootout goal – tied for most in the NHL with San Jose’s Joe Pavelski – but most importantly, it was the type of big-game performance necessary to possibly graduate from a young, inexperienced team into a possible playoff team.

The Week Ahead

The Chicago Blackhawks enter this last week of the regular season playing game number 80 on Wednesday night at home against Detroit. A grueling, six-month long, 82-game schedule now is truncated into three intra-division games along with the hopeful, helping hand of other teams. If destiny is feeling an affinity to Chicago's cause, the Blackhawks will need to defeat Detroit on Wednesday, then current eighth-seeded Nashville in Chicago on Friday before ending the season in Detroit for a Sunday matinee televised nationally on NBC.

Three Chicago wins, two Nashville losses, and at least one Vancouver loss are necessary for the Blackhawks to emerge into the final postseason spot. The odds may be stacked, but the fact any odds even exist is a testament to the strength of the team’s youthful talent and determination rather than its inexperience and inconsistency.