NHL Picks: Blackhawks reclaim first place in Central with win over Blues – CBSSports.com
Welcome to NHL Picks where CBSSports.com hockey writers Chris Peters and Adam Gretz make their predictions for all of the day’s games.
Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN
For teams battling for playoff position, every game is big this time of year, but there will be few bigger this week than the one between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues Wednesday night. In the extremely tight race for first place in the Central Division, only two points separate the two clubs that will play Wednesday, with Chicago trailing the Dallas Stars by one point for first place.
These interdivisional games are always going to loom large in the race with the chance not only to gain points, but to take points away from one of the nearby competitors. Then you throw in the rivalry element to this particular matchup and you’ve got yourself a pretty tense environment.
The Blackhawks have won two of the three games in the series this year and there will be one more meeting between the two clubs after Wednesday’s tilt. That one will be in Chicago, so there should be an emphasis on getting points on home ice for the Blues.
St. Louis is dealing with key injuries to top all-around forward Alexander Steen and goalie Brian Elliott. They’ll miss Steen’s two-way presence in this one even though they’ve been weathering the storm without him. Meanwhile, Chicago is getting healthy with Marian Hossa likely to play Wednesday night after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. They’ll wait until after the morning skate to confirm him for the lineup though.
If Hossa is back, he is expected to play with regular center Jonathan Toews and new addition Andrew Ladd. After a revolving door of left wings on that line, Ladd is expected to bring stability and he’s already putting up points since being traded over from the Winnipeg Jets.
Goaltending, as always, should be a big factor in this one as Vezina Trophy candidate Corey Crawford is set to square off against Jake Allen, who has won his last three starts while making 30 or more saves. Crawford shut out the Blues in his last start against them and currently owns a .929 save percentage, which is tops among the NHL’s primary starting goalies.
The top offensive performers for both teams should also factor into the game prominently. Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko has three goals and an assist in the season series to date, while Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane has collected four of his league-leading 89 points against the Blues this season.
This is going to be a tight, physical contest, like most of the games in this series have been. The Blues should be well rested, considering they’ve played just one game in the last week, while Chicago has been pretty busy. Despite the rest factor, Chicago should have an advantage on the depth side assuming Hossa suits up. That little boost to the lineup goes a long way toward making the Blackhawks’ top six that much scarier offensively. Look for another classic battle between these two great rivals. Pick: Blackhawks 4, Blues 3
The Blackhawks and Blues have a lot to play for Wednesday. (USATSI)
The rest of Wednesday’s picks
New York Islanders 3 Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Nashville Predators 4, Calgary Flames 2
Arizona Coyotes 3, Vancouver Canucks 2
Anaheim Ducks 3, Colorado Avalanche 2
Washington Capitals 4, Los Angeles Kings 2
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