The Chicago Blackhawks are starting to heat up as they are playing their best hockey by far this season. Out of the gate the Blackhawks started off slowly. In the last ten contests, Blackhawks have upped the ante and are 6-2-2. This includes a shutout yesterday by Cory Crawford against the Dallas Stars. It’s the Blackhawks’ first shut out of the season. In the last ten games it’s been some great goal-tending by the tandem of net-minders the Blackhawks have on their roster. Everyone knows Cory Crawford as he has helped bring a few cups to the Windy City. The off-season move the Blackhawks made in signing goalie Robin Lehner is paying off. The last 15 games, the Blackhawks’ tandem net-minders have had a .939 save percentage. Robin Lehner has a .938 save percentage that is tops in the league.

Robin Lehner is a veteran guy and has played in the league for many years. He started his career with the Senators. Then bounced around in New York with the Sabres and last season with the Islanders. In his lone season with the Islanders, he had a career year. He won some awards last year where he went 25-13-5 in 46 games with a .930 save percentage. He’s 28 years old, and he’s a big guy at 6’4″ weighing in at 240. For a big man, he is very agile. With an aging veteran defensemen with no trade clauses. With a starting goalie being haunted by concussions, the Blackhawks needed another goalie. To land another starter in Robin Lehner could be the savvy move to help this team get back into the playoffs.

Cory Crawford is a legend in Chicago for what he has done so far in his career wearing the Indian head. He probably never has to buy a drink again in Chicago. Over the last few seasons we have seen less and less of Cory Crawford due to concussions. The Blackhawks never had a quality back up goalie to do well in long stretches when Crawford was sidelined. During those stretches the team would go into a funk. They would dig a hole on the ice so big it freezes up and they could not get themselves out. It meant MIA in the playoffs each season. In 2012-13 Corey Crawford and the late Ray Emery teamed up behind the net and it was a great year for the Blackhawks. Ray Emery backing up Cory started off 10-0 in first ten starts. Then in 2014-15, Cory again had a solid back up in Lemont native, Scott Darling. That year the Blackhawks played poorly in the start of the playoffs and Scott Darling came to the rescue to save them in a big playoff series with a few key starts where he absolutely shut down the opponent.

Imagine the Blackhawks were thinking if Cory Crawford suffers more concussions this season then the team would have a starter to replace a starter was the big key in signing Robin Lehner.  What if Cory Crawford stays healthy all season? If Cory Crawford stays healthy all year, this signing will pay off more. With two good goalies both playing well, you can keep them fresh. If one gets hotter than the other, you can ride the hotter hand. It’s been pretty much even with playing time so far. Cory Crawford has gone 5-5-2 in the net. While Robin Lehner has gone 5-4-1 so far. The Blackhawks need good goal tending because the defense has aged and they are waiting on some of these young guys to step. Mistakes will happen. Good goal keeping can erase many of them.

We know the Blackhawks can score goals. That will help as both goalies don’t feel like they have shut out the opponent. Plus not just throw in the towel on a bad night because the team might come back in that game. This tandem should be the X-factor in getting this back in the playoffs. From there they might just need one of them to be the hotter hand. Look at St.Louis last year, they rode their rookie goalie all the way to the cup. If they are both hot, then rotate them every other game. Play the numbers battle on what each goalie did versus that opponent during the season. Either way the gatemaster better be expecting the Blackhawks when the playoffs begin.