from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

Few people picked the Chicago Blackhawks to repeat as Stanley Cup champions this season, but would you pick against them now?

I picked the Anaheim Ducks, as did many others. Hey, I'm human. My Chicago pick worked out a bit better last season, but given that the NHL hasn't had a repeat Cup champ since the 1997 and 1998 Detroit Red Wings, people tend to be weary of repeat efforts, the toll a Cup run takes on a team and the short summer teams get after a Cup run. It's just very difficult to do, especially in a case like this in which the Hawks turned over a third of their roster for salary cap reasons. Hey, it's what they do.

Can we agree Stan Bowman will win GM of the Year? He brings in all these young guys -- notably outbidding 20-plus teams to get Artemi Panerin from Russia last May -- and after spending the first half of the season finding cohesiveness and chemistry the Hawks are now going to run away with the Central Division after winning their 12th straight game Tuesday night, a 4-1 decision over the Nashville Predators?

Can they repeat? It won't be easy, because you know the Los Angeles Kings are going to do their thing in the Western Conference, too, but I'm sure many people will be revisiting their Cup picks and get back on the Chicago bandwagon before the playoffs begin in April.

continue for more on the Blackhawks from the ESPN hockey guys...