Chicago Blackhawks Fans, Please...Don't Despair—Yet

I've been a Chicago sports fan my entire life, lending the majority of my devotion to our beloved Chicago Blackhawks. Even at 19 years of age, it starts to get tough, frustrating, tiring, and begins to feel hopeless. With the post season meltdown of the Cubs fresh in many Hawks fans' memories, we have watched the first 16 games of the '08-'09 NHL season with hope and excitement. We hope that Toews will stay free of injuries and continue his dominance as one of the premier young centers in the game. We cheer for each goal Calder Memorial Trophy winner Patrick Kane scores, and we cringe at the sight of every hit Martin Havlat takes, hoping each shift won't be his last of the season. And surely some of us shed a tear when Denis Savard, our pride and joy, was removed from duty as head coach.   But, now that the first two months of the season have come and passed, we look back at the beginning that was and wonder what it all means. I think I can sum it up in three words: Consistency ... (link)