Blackhawks clinch playoff spot

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It's disingenuous to say that playoff seeding doesn't matter at all to the Blackhawks. Just because they've won the Stanley Cup and reached overtime of Game 7 of the conference final as a third-place team each of the past two seasons doesn't mean they don't want home-ice advantage, that it wouldn't make life easier.

And you can be sure the last thing the Hawks want is to slip into fourth place and open up the playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings or Anaheim Ducks.

It's just that the Hawks don't freak out about these things.

• This report was produced in partnership with the Chicago Sun-Times. For related coverage, check chicago.suntimes.com.