It’ll be a long week in Chicago.



With only two more games left on the West Coast, the Blackhawks are in cruise control, just waiting for the end of the season to come and hoping no one sustains an injury prior to the playoffs.



The math is mostly done. The Blackhawks are most likely to draw the Nashville Predators in the first round, though some less likely and other long shot possibilities do still exist:



Whether it is the Predators or the Calgary Flames, the Blackhawks’ bracket is already determined based on the team’s division win.



*image courtesy of NHL.com.



If the Blackhawks get out of the first round, they’ll likely draw the free-falling Minnesota Wild or the St. Louis Blues. Either team could be dangerous – the Wild are still good, after all and the Blues have talent. But the path the Blackhawks will follow isn’t the most treacherous route to a Conference Final.



But before fans in Chicago...