NHL Picks: Kings won't be able to slow down Blackhawks' offense – CBSSports.com
Welcome to the NHL Daily Picks where hockey writers Adam Gretz and Chris Peters make their selections for all of the day’s games.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m. ET
For the first 10 games of the 2015-16 season the Chicago Blackhawks did not look like the Chicago Blackhawks. At least not offensively. They scored just 20 goals, were shut out or limited to a single five times, and were struggling to play like the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Whether it was a team with a lot of new faces struggling to figure each other out, or simply an early season slump, they weren’t filling the net and were relying on Corey Crawford and their defense to win.
That is no longer the case.
In the 13 games that have followed the Blackhawks offense has emerged from its early season slump and scored 45 goals. Five different players have at least 10 points during that stretch, including Artem Anisimov (13), Artemi Panarin (12), Brent Seabrook (12), and Jonathan Toews (10). Patrick Kane is leading the way with 23 over the past 13 games and carries an 18-game point streak into Saturday night. The last time he was held without a point was all the way back on Oct. 15 against the Washington Capitals … the fifth game of the season.
With that offensive surge the Blackhawks are starting to work their way back up the Western Conference standings and are starting to look like a serious contender once again.
On Saturday they take that offense into Los Angeles for a matchup with the other team that has dominated the NHL over the past six years. Between the two clubs, the Blackhawks and Kings have won five of the past six Stanley Cups and have met in the Western Conference Final twice in the past three years. The Kings enter play on Saturday on top of a very weak Pacific Division, and defense is once again the name of their game (second in the NHL in goals against). It’s the second of three meetings between the two teams this season, with the Blackhawks winning the first meeting just as they started to break out of their early season scoring slump. They will continue that strong play on Saturday night. Pick: Blackhawks 4, Kings 3
The rest of Saturday’s scores
New York Rangers 3, Philadelphia Flyers 2
Washington Capitals 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Montreal Canadiens 2, New Jersey Devils 1
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, New York Islanders 3
Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Edmonton Oilers 3
St. Louis Blues 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
Nashville Predators 4, Buffalo Sabres 2
Dallas Stars 4, Minnesota Wild 1
Winnipeg Jets 5, Colorado Avalanche 4
Arizona Coyotes 3, Ottawa Senators 1
San Jose Sharks 2, Calgary Flames 0
Artemi Panarin is one of the key players in the Blackhawks’ offense. (USATSI)
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