Ready for Hockey Season?!...

According to ABC7News, the Blackhawks still have the same cast of stars from that championship run, with captain Jonathan Toews, Kane and Marian Hossa, but salary-cap issues forced management to part with key pieces of the supporting cast. And they haven't quite found that same sort of mix.

The Blackhawks dropped nine in a row they regrouped to finish fourth in the Central Division with the fifth-most points in the Western Conference (101), but the margin for error this time is as thin as a skate blade. The lockout reduced the season to 48 games and the condensed scheduled means the stakes are higher each time they hit the ice, staring with Saturday's opener at Los Angeles. Faceoff against the Kings is at 2 p.m. CST.

"A 48-game season, you go through those lulls, you could be out of a playoff spot," Kane said. "You've got to count on everybody in the lineup. You've got to have good depth. Special teams have to be good."