Chicago Blackhawks rule the NHL

Undeniably, the Chicago Blackhawks are the best team in the NHL. With one regulation loss this year as of last night, the team of Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, Keith, etc are an unstoppable force. Even more, they have almost clinched a playoff spot at this point (read: this early!) in the season. To make it into the Western Conference playoffs last year, 95 points were needed. Two years ago: 97 points. Three years ago: 95... in 82 games.

This year in 48 games, it's anticipated that teams will need 56 points to make it into the playoffs (at the 8th seed position).

As of March 9, the Blackhawks have 45 points in 25 games (over half the season) and obviously sit in first place. This means that they will only need to win 6 games, anytime in the remainder of the season (which is 20 games) to clinch a playoff birth.

To top it all off, in 2009-2010, Chicago were crowned Stanley Cup Champions. 

Enough about the on-ice PR gold mine. The team has also had some great PR success off the ice:

• Blackhawks Charities: Have raised over $9-million to support programs and institutions throughout Illinois that work towards creating a better tomorrow for the youth of today. A recent example is the bid for a Marian Hossa 1,000th Game Jersey.
• Hossa's Heroes:

The team's only blemish in the last few years was bad tempered Patrick Kane. 2009, the summer before they won the Cup, Kane was charged for assaulting a Buffalo cabbie after the driver was unable to return Kane and his brother change of $0.20. Yep, 20 cents. Both men were charged with felony robbery and misdemeanour counts of theft of services and criminal mischief. Although this was a hot topic at the time, their PR team handled this beautifully and Kane's on-ice performance and eventual Stanley Cup winning goal erased the nightmare.

Chicago Blackhawks will win the Stanley Cup - you heard it here first.