The NHL's Top 10 Sweaters

It's playoff time in the National Hockey League and the best teams are on display, but not only are the teams great, but the sweaters are too. Hockey gives us the most unique uniforms in sports. When else is it okay to pair a sweater with shorts? The simple answer: never. But in hockey it works and there are some fantastic tops in the game.

Here are the top 10 sweaters in the NHL this season with a little bonus at the end...

1. Chicago Blackhawks (Red)
The bright red color. The primary logo on the front. The secondary logo on the shoulders. The triple-stripe look. This one has it all and it's the best in the game. Chicago's red top looks fantastic and their logo has remained virtually the same throughout time. It's an easy one on the eyes and it's a clear number one.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs (Blue)
The classic to end all classics. Toronto is the center of hockey and the Maple Leafs don't have to change what's been working for a very long time. Toronto unveiled a new logo before the 2016-17 season and it has more of a classic feel. The simple blue-and-white two color scheme keeps it clean and the in year one of the new jersey the Leafs are back in the playoffs.

3. Montreal Canadiens (Red)
The Canadiens wear some absolute beauties and with the added laces it's even better. Lace are always a good call in hockey and adding them along with the iconic logo and the bold blue stripe across the chest makes this one a winner.

4. New York Rangers (Blue)
This is a timeless classic that should never change. It's often imitated with the diagonal word mark, but make no mistake: this is the original and the best. 3-D numbers are also unique. The red, white and blue is impossible to hate and seeing these in the Garden is something special.

5. Boston Bruins (Black)
The triple-stripe style and the laces are a gorgeous combination for this Original Six sweater. Boston's logo has been around forever and the white and black outline around the numbers on the back gives the font a little extra pop.

6. Detroit Red Wings (Red)
There's not much going on here, but there doesn't have to be. The Red Wings are another team that only use two colors, but the classic logo with the bright red from head to toe is something every hockey fan recognizes right away. There have been plenty of wins in the red sweaters.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (Black)
Perhaps this is a bit high for some, but the Penguins have a sweet logo. It's a Penguin playing hockey! The stripes of white and gold pop just like the Boston Bruins' and the return to the classic gold was the right decision for this franchise.

8. Calgary Flames (Red)
The return to the red and yellow throwbacks has the Flames looking good once again. Black never really worked with their sweaters, but once it was taken out the Flames moved up considerably. The flaming "C" logo is outstanding as well.

9. Edmonton Oilers (Blue)
A great logo and a dynamite color scheme make the Oilers' blue sweater one of the game's best. The logo is what really stands out, but the bright orange also makes these pop out on the ice. Thankfully, they are back in the postseason this year.

10. New York Islanders (Blue)
These are very close to the Oilers, and like Edmonton, New York has a great logo that plays off their name perfectly (despite playing in Brooklyn now). The blue and orange looks great on the ice and when the Islanders are playing the game looks great.

Bonus: St. Louis Blues (Winter Classic)
St. Louis, please listen to this: make the Winter Classic uniforms the full-time uniforms! The lighter shade of blue and the absence of navy in the sweater makes these absolutely beautiful. St. Louis donned them multiple times throughout the season and if they went to them full-time there would be no complaints.

There are plenty of others that look great. The Washington Capitals' alternate red and the Philadelphia Flyers' orange come to mind. The uniqueness of the uniform style and the timeless classics hockey has make each game a sight to see when it comes to the uniforms.

When In Doubt, The Central Still Belongs to the Blackhawks

The winds of change seemed to blow through the Midwest last season as Brent Seabrook's slapshot
caromed off not one, but two posts in Game 7 of the NHL Western Conference First Round against the St. Louis Blues. The shot, which would have tied the game with just 1:30 left in regulation, narrowly missed and the Blues closed the series in dramatic fashion.

The mighty Chicago Blackhawks, owners of three Stanley Cups since 2010, had fallen. Not only had they fallen, they bowed out early to a Central Division opponent. Since the NHL realigned in 2014 and adopted its current playoff format, the Blackhawks were 4-0 in playoff series against Central Division opponents until last year's loss.

The analysts had been trying to hype up the story for years - that the Blues, Wild or Predators were ready to unseat the Blackhawks. When the Blues won, the media only heightened that chatter, highlighting the physical youthfulness of the Blues against the tired legs of the Blackhawks, a franchise that had finally lost a step due to years of success both for Chicago and Olympic teams.

Those winds of change have been silenced as the Blackhawks, perhaps rejuvenated from a longer offseason, marched to a Western Conference-best 50 wins this season. Now it's time once again, to see if someone can dethrone Chicago.

Nashville will have the first crack. The Predators have come close before, but have yet to defeat Chicago in the playoffs with Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane running the show. The offseason trade for P.K. Subban was a change for Nashville as they try to advance past the second round for the first time in program history. First though, they have to beat a Blackhawks team that has been so deep and well-rounded that there's no telling who will do the scoring night-in, night-out. If the past tells us anything it's that Chicago may just go win the Stanley Cup again. The past two times they played Nashville in the first round (2010, 2015) they won it all.

The Blues have looked incredible at times this season and they have been especially sharp since firing Ken Hitchcock in favor of Mike Yeo. Yeo was fired by the Wild at the end of last season and that makes the matchup between St. Louis and Minnesota extra enticing. There's no doubt Minnesota would like another crack at Chicago, while St. Louis would love to prove that last year's series win and this year's Winter Classic third-period demolition of Chicago were no fluke.

While all three Central Division playoff opponents have their strengths, no team can boast the talent and experience Chicago has. Three banners from this decade hang in the United Center and the front office in Chicago has found a way to retool the team around the core year after year.

The Blackhawks may have left the playoff party earlier than usual last season, but that doesn't mean the times have changed. In fact, it may mean this year they are stronger than ever.
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Central Division Playoff Schedule
April 13 Nashville Predators 8:00 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
April 15 Nashville Predators 8:00 p.m. Chicago Blackhawks United Center
April 17 Chicago Blackhawks 9:30 p.m. Nashville Predators         Bridgestone Arena
April 20 Chicago Blackhawks TBD Nashville Predators         Bridgestone Arena
April 22 Nashville Predators TBD Chicago Blackhawks United Center
April 24 Chicago Blackhawks TBD Nashville Predators         Bridgestone Arena
April 26 Nashville Predators TBD Chicago Blackhawks United Center

April 12 St. Louis Blues 9:30 p.m. Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
April 14 St. Louis Blues 8:00 p.m. Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
April 16 Minnesota Wild 3:00 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
April 19 Minnesota Wild 9:30 p.m. St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
April 22 St. Louis Blues TBD Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center
April 24 Minnesota Wild TBD St. Louis Blues Scottrade Center
April 26 St. Louis Blues TBD Minnesota Wild Xcel Energy Center

Red Wings-Blackhawks Rivalry As We Know It Comes to a Fitting End

In professional sports there are so many rivalries that come about and fascinate fans for a few years. However, as players get traded and teams experience roster overturn, most professional rivalries die out. There are those that stand the test of time, but they are few and far between. It's hard to find two teams that can keep the passion and intensity no matter who is on the team and what the records are. In the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings have stood the test of time and, with changes afoot, are closing out the conference rivalry in perfect fashion.

Both franchises were founded before the 1926-27 season and they played their first game that season. Detroit won that first meeting at the Chicago Coliseum 1-0 87 years ago and the two teams have met more times in the regular season than any other franchises. Counting postseason games played, only the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens have taken the ice against each other more times.

Detroit owns the all-time series record at 434-356-85, but in the playoffs the Blackhawks have the advantage at 40-36. The Western Conference semi-final series this season is the 16th time the two teams have met in a postseason series and Chicago has won eight of the series so far. The Blackhawks dominated the regular season meetings this year, winning all four of their meetings, but heading into Game 3 of the semi-finals the series is tied at one.

With NHL realignment on the horizon, Detroit will move to the Eastern Conference and the Blackhawks-Red Wings rivalry will see changes. No longer will the teams play each other four times during the regular season, but instead will play a home-and-home series each year. For fans of both teams, it's a sigh of relief that they will still be able to preserve the rivalry at each arena. And then there's the new possibility of the two squaring off in the Stanley Cup Finals. That's something that hasn't happened since 1961 and couldn't happen because of the two being in the same conference.

Detroit has won 11 Stanley Cup titles while Chicago has captured four, but both teams have hoisted the Cup recently. The Red Wings won it all in 2008 and two years later the Blackhawks snapped a 49-year-old drought when they won it. The game of hockey is that much better when both teams are playing well and the league has been blessed to have both very successful in recent years.

With the changes coming, the playoff series is the perfect ending to the rivalry as we know it. Although Chicago won all four games in the regular season, three of the games went into a shootout. It's the rivalry at it's best and it may be the last time the two teams meet in the playoffs for quite some time. That said, we can hope it lasts the full seven games, but no matter what it should be a great series.

Hockey in America has struggled at times and the NHL's constant work stoppages have affected the league in a negative way multiple times. It's not out-of-bounds to say that these two teams have played a large role in saving hockey. Lockouts turn away fans, but it was hard to ignore the Blackhawks winning streak at the beginning of the season and it's hard to ignore the intense series that is taking place right now. It's what the game needs.

However, the meetings won't be as regular starting next season and the playoff series against each other will be rare. Yet, the most exciting part about it all is that the next time the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks meet in the playoffs they will be competing for Lord Stanley's Cup. The stakes won't get any higher and the rivalry won't be any greater than that.

Blackhawks Streaked At Right Time

Kane and Toews have dominated the lockout-shortened season...

Remember that incredible Chicago Blackhawks streak that kicked off the NHL season? Odds are it's in the back of your mind or you completely forgot about it and that's understandable. After all, streaking seems to be the thing to do in the sports world this year. The Hawks went 24 games without a regulation loss to begin this shortened NHL season before falling to Colorado on March 8th. Now, that streak is in the rear view mirror and the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks are the fresh streaks that highlight the late night sports shows. The Blackhawks may not be the hot topic, but that may not be a bad thing when it's all said and done.

Streaks are an odd thing in sports. There are streaks every day for every team, but they are never noticed until they hit double digits. Hockey is played every day all across North America, but is hardly noticed by the greater American public. That's the harsh truth. However, the Blackhawks streak instantly put the sport near the top of the Sportscenter lineup and people started to notice the game. That's good news -- until the streak became larger than life. Look at any historical streak and that's how it goes. It becomes so big that it dominates every game. It's like a dark shadow looming over the ice and it consumes every discussion and topic around the team. It adds extra attention to a team that may not always be good for them.

What starts as fun can become an annoying distraction. The Blackhawks made their history and can now focus solely on the season with minimal distractions. The Ducks (12-game streak without regulation loss) and the Penguins (10-game win streak) are playing their best hockey dangerously close to the playoffs and may suffer from streak hangover a little too close to the playoffs for fans' liking. It's true that hot teams usually perform well in the playoffs, but it's much different when a team is consumed by a distracting streak.

...and it may just mean another victory parade with the Cup.

Chicago streaked at the right time and it will pay off in the end. They are still first in the league and are second in the league in both goals per game and goals against average. The Hawks have just three games remaining against top four seed in the West and 50 percent of their remaining schedule is against Western Conference top eight seeds as of now. That's not exactly a walk in the park and the reality is that Chicago will come back down to earth after such a hot start.

Perhaps a lull in their play could be expected, but then that begs the question: when will they pick it back up? Check the schedule -- right before the playoffs. That's good news if your a Hawks fan. The other good news is that they are playing hockey that almost ensures they will be a one or two seed. Since the NHL expanded in the 1967-68 season 33 of the 43 Stanley Cup champions have been a top two seed. The Hawks themselves were a two seed back in 2010 when they hoisted the Cup.

I don't want to pretend that I'm a hockey expert because that couldn't be further from the truth. However, I think streaks and the surrounding distractions are similar no matter what the sport is. Chicago will enter the playoffs far removed from their historic streak and it will almost be so far in the rear view mirror that it won't garner unattainable expectations. That allows the club to go out and just play the game, and if you haven't noticed, they are pretty darn good at the game. So, while the streak may be over, consider the Blackhawks still the most feared team in the NHL.

The Struggles of the Windy City

A few years back, Sportscenter did a contest in the summer to see which city in the United States was "Titletown". It was created to see which city had enjoyed the most success and, being from a town fifty miles south of Chicago, I naturally began to wonder if Chicago could contend. They have all the major sports and then some yet when I looked at it, not many titles have come to the Windy City. Here's a run-down of Chicago sports and the struggles they have experienced.

Chicago Cubs: I'll start here since I'm a die-hard Cubs fan. Anybody who even knows the slightest little thing about sports would have to know that it's been 100+ years since the Cubs have won the World Series. They have had chances but they were few and far between. The last chance they had was in 2008 when they were embarrassed by the Dodgers. But before the Cubs were swept by LA, there was the infamous year of 2003. The Cubs looked so promising; they were up 3-2 on the Florida Marlins and in game six it all came crashing down when Moises Alou ran over to that left field wall in foul territory. You know the rest, Steve Bartman became Chicago's Most Wanted and is said to have cost the Cubs not only the game but the series. Many forget that Alex Gonzalez made an error on the next play, though. The Cubs are quite a special case, but it's no secret that they haven't helped Chicago win a title in quite some time.

Chicago White Sox: Yes, I know they won in 2005, but the Sox are not much better off than the Cubs. People continually point out the Cubs' failure to win in over 100 years when they forget to include the fact that it had been 88 years since the South Siders had brought home a trophy. The Sox have won three World Series titles which, between the two Chicago baseball teams, gives the city only five World Series trophies. I'd say that's much less than impressive.

Chicago Bears: The past two years the theme for the Bears appeared to be "Start hot, cave late". Last year's season was plagued with injuries for the Bears with Jay Cutler and Matt Forte having to be sidelined during the season. They finished with an 8-8 record and did not enjoy any playoff ball. This year, the Bears started off 8-1 and finished 10-6. Not exactly the record of a Super Bowl contender. Again, the Bears did not make the playoffs. Throw this in with the Super Bowl loss in 2006 and Chicago's 1985 Bears are the only NFL champions Chicago has had in the Super Bowl era.

Chicago Blackhawks: The Hawks are two years removed from their last Stanley Cup victory and the fourth in franchise history. Four is a decent amount but when you take into consideration that it was nearly 40 years since they last won it makes the Hawks just fit right in with the rest of Chicago's teams. We'll see what the Blackhawks can do with the shortened season this year.

Chicago Bulls: I was born in '94, so I wasn't old enough to enjoy the Jordan days. But six titles in eight years? Wow. I wouldn't hesitate to say that if Jordan hadn't retired then they could have hoisted up eight straight banners. It's a new millenium now, though, and the Bulls have struggled. The Baby Bulls back in '03 were nothing short of a disappointment and, though they put up a tremendous and respectable fight against the Celtics in '08, the Bulls were ousted in the first round. Fast forward to 2011 and the year the Bulls looked like title contenders, yet fell to the Heat in five games. With that in mind, the Bulls fought to earn the best record in the league in 2012, yet fell short in the first round to the 8th-seeded 76ers. Derrick Rose exited game one early with a torn ACL and later in the series Joakim Noah suffered a sprained ankle. Without two very key starters, the Bulls' chances at a title were very slim to none.

I don't mean to come across as negative, it had just simply occurred to me that there haven't been many parades in downtown Chicago. In fact, since the new millenium started, there have only been two (White Sox and Blackhawks). Other cities have had numerous parades such as LA, San Antonio, and New York. Chicago has always seemed to have teams that could contend, but something seems to always go wrong. I would hate to see the city of Chicago continue to struggle to win the big one, in any sport that is.