Having a 2 AM-conversation with Franklin Steele on Twitter, I had to amend my take as to why the Chicago Blackhawks weren't able to defend their Stanley Cup championship. As a Red Wings fan, I would argue that a team needs Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Mnatsakanov-sized motivation to repeat, and I would point out that the Blackhawks played until June 24th of 2013--and sometimes forget that 90% of the players who didn't make the Conference Final are already beginning their summertime workouts to prepare physically and mentally for the next season.
Chicago played so very late into the lockout-marred 2013 season that the mental and physical challenges the speedy Hawks faced had to feel insurmountable, and then Franklin reminded me that on top of having perhaps nine weeks to re-focus, TEN Blackhawks participated in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
Even as a Wings fan, I have to applaud the hell out of the Hawks for getting to Game 7 of the Western Conference Final given the challenges they faced.
ESPN's Craig Custance penned an Insider-only entry as to what the Blackhawks need to do to "reload for 2014-2015," and while I'm sure that you'd argue point 1 of 3, inking Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to contract extensions ahead of the pair qualifying for unrestricted free agency next summer, is job #1, I'd suggest that Custance's second point may matter more than the guaranteed first occurring:
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