is the chicago blackhawks in the stanley cup playoffs
Chicago Blackhawks The Blackhawks opened the 2017–18 season with a resounding 10–1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.[114] The Blackhawks were four games above .500 with an 18–14–6 record at the end of December 2017, and only four points out of a playoff spot.[115] However, goaltender Corey Crawford missed much of 2018 due to an upper-body injury.[116] Inconsistent defense and goaltending, coupled with limited offense resulted in the team falling to the bottom of the Central Division.[117][118] The Blackhawks were eliminated from playoff contention on March 20, 2018, marking the first time in nine years that the team failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.[118] The team finished the season with a 33–39–10 record and 76 points in the standings.[119]
Stanley Cup playoffs The Stanley Cup playoffs consists of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Each series is played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with home-ice advantage hosts games one, two, five, and seven, while their opponent hosts games three, four, and six. Games five, six, and seven are only played if needed.