You have to go all the way back to 1998 to find the last time a team repeated as champion in the NHL. Certainly, the addition of a salary cap has made it harder for a single team to dominate and create a dynasty, but you also have to take into account the sheer physicality of the regular season and the playoffs combined. Few teams escape that gauntlet unscathed, with injuries and exhaustion almost always playing some role. With all of that in mind, it was always going to be tough for the Chicago Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup in back to back years, but it has become even tougher now, as they find themselves 3-1 down in their 7-game first round series against the St. Louis Blues. Every game now is an elimination game, and it all begins on Thursday night, when the Blues have a chance to eliminate the champions on home ice. This should be a pretty tense affair, and you can wager on it at our MyBookie.ag pro hockey betting odds page.
