Each Monday during the NHL season, Rob Mixer takes a look at the biggest storylines from the hockey week that was.When you think of theBlackhawks, you think of an organization thats created, refined and stuck to a recipe that has fueled a decade of succe s in the Windy City.In the years prior to the arrivals of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, the United Center was a giant empty cavern on Chicagos west side. On many nights, you could sit in your seat (which may have been free) and count the number of spectators around you a couple of drafts, a high-profile coaching hire and a pa sing of the organization torch later, and the Blackhawks had built an empire.Joel Quenneville has been the Blackhawks coach for a decade. Toews was a top-three pick in 2006 and Kane the No. 1 pick in 2007 Stephen Piscotty Jersey , laying the foundation for a bright future that would include three Stanley Cup championships and the revival of hockey in a market that had fallen in love with the sport in previous generations.Now, the team appears to be at a cro sroads.MORE: Blackhawks general managerStan Bowman made the headline deal of the summer, sending Calder Trophy winner and dynamic forward Artemi Panarin to theBlue Jackets in a deal that Terry Steinbach Jersey brought Brandon Saad back to Chicago. The Blackhawks were loathto lose Saad in what amounted to a cap-crunch deal two years prior, Bowman admitted, and felt getting him back in the mix would elevate the games of Toews and some of his teammates.They also brought back Patrick Sharp on a low-cost, one-year deal, but Sharp is on the fourth line and the Blackhawks arent scoring more than theyre allowing. Bad formula.Corey Crawford, who was their first-half MVP, and the goaltending duties fall to unproven backup Anton Forsberg and journeyman Jeff Gla s.In the middle of a trying season, the Blackhawks are also attempting to infuse youth in their lineup at both forward and defense. Nick Schmaltz is playing a larger role, Ryan Hartman is emerging as a two-way presence and, until sending him back to Rockford yesterday, the Blackhawks got quality minutes from Gustav Forsling on the blue line.SANDALOW:The youth movement now extends between the pipes in Crawfords absence, and so far, it hasnt gone well.The Blackhawks are quickly falling out of the playoff race and the Central Division, which theyve owned in the Kane-Toews era, is no longer theirs. Entering Mondays NHL slate, Chicago is nine (!) points out of an automatic playoff spot in the Central and their games in hand may not matter much. The Blackhawks are five points off pace of the second wild card spot currently held by the surprisingAvalanche, who have won nine straight (more on the Avsin a moment) and are locked in a battle with Minnesota.Sports are cyclical and domination, like the Blackhawks have experienced,isnt forever. But its fair to wonder,with the empirical evidence mounting by the day,if theres a changing of the guard in what may well be the NHLs most competitive division.For many years, it wasnt that way. But parity is the NHLs calling card these days and were witne sing the Blackhawks begin to fall behind the curve.MORE:Stay fly, PhillyMan, to be a sports fan in Philadelphia right now, eh?The Eagles season has been a wild ride to the Super Bowl as Oakland Athletics Jersey they look to win their first championship in the post-merger era. The Sixers are kind of fun again. The Phillies rebuild looks to be accelerating.Oh, and the Flyers. The Flyers!For a while, it seemedas though the Flyers simply didnt have enough to make hay in the Metropolitan Division. Too many teams, too many points, not enough time, all that. But since Dec. 29, the Fighting Dave Hakstols have run off a 8-2-0 clip to take over the Eastern Conferences No. 1 wild card spot with le s than half the schedule to play.MORE: What on earth?It starts with Brian Elliott, who has given Philadelphia the goaltending its needed to compete. He plays a lot, he wins a lot, and the Flyers look like a confident group playing in front of him. Flyers fans have to see Sergei Bobrovsky beat them two or three times a season, which is never fun, but if Elliott gets them to the playoffs, you may hear the end of that.Sean Couturier is having an incredible season, top five in the NHL in goal scoring Dave Henderson Jersey . Claude Giroux has come alive and the young talent in the Flyers system is doing its part to vault them up the ladder. Theyve got a good thing going right now, and it doesnt look like theyre going away. Short of wishing for help from teams around them never a good idea the Flyers are doing the only thing they can do, which is continue to win.Dont look now, but theyre a handful of points from one of the Metros automatic playoff bids.MORE:Snow joke in DenverThe Flyers are turning heads in the East, and in the West, its the Avalanche?Yes, my friends. The Avshold the second wild card spot with a handful of teams breathing down their neck. Its far from over, but if Colorado can make the dance after one of the more dreadful seasons in recent memory last season, you can start etching Jared Bednars name on the Jack Adams.Colorado has won nine in a row with a Monday night date in Toronto looming. The Avalanche hit the road this weekend after a lengthy and succe sful homestand, now staring down at a stretch in which theyll play 13 of their next 16 on the road. The teams theyve knocked off on this nine-game run are all in contention: the Rangers, Jets, Blue Jackets, Wild, Ducks, Sharks, Islanders. All have failed to stop Colorados run into the postseason conversation.This might be the most unpredictable and fun regular season in a while. Thank god its nowhere near settled. Related Articles Joe Sakic, for the win? Kendall Graveman Jersey Matt Duchene return gives Avalanche much-needed direction