Sports fans are in for a treat later tonight as the NHL has served up a pair of exciting matchups that will definitely thrill hockey lovers all over. First off, the New Jersey Devils and the Chicago Blackhawks look to end their respective losing ruts when they square off at United Center.
Later on, the Vancouver Canucks entertain the Boston Bruins. Who will emerge victorious in these two inter-conference clashes? Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two important games and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of the slam dunk and 3-point contests as NBA All-Star Weekend draws ever closer.
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New Jersey Devils vs. Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 PM ET)
Chicago’s struggles continued on Wednesday night as it suffered a gut-wrenching 5-4 overtime defeat to the Vancouver Canucks. It was the Blackhawks’ second consecutive defeat and their fourth loss in their last six outings.
[sc:NHL240 ]The main reason behind the Blackhawks’ recent slump is their poor performance on the defensive end. In their last two defeats, the Blackhawks have allowed a total of eight goals. That’s surprising considering Chicago is second in the league in defense this season, allowing just 2.3 goals per game.
They will look to recover their good defensive form when they take on the struggling New Jersey Devils later tonight. The Devils stumbled to their second straight loss with a stinging 2-1 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers. New Jersey is sixth in the Metropolitan Division with just 51 points.
The Blackhawks are 3-2 in their last five games with the Devils at United Center.
The Vancouver Canucks returned to winning ways with a thrilling 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Daniel Sedin starred for the Canucks as he scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime to give Vancouver its third victory in their last five assignments.
They will look to grab back-to-back wins for the first time in more than three weeks when they take on the Boston Bruins later tonight. The Bruins are struggling for form, having lost three of their last four games including their 5-3 loss Tuesday night to the Dallas Stars.
The Canucks are 4-1 in their last five meetings with the Bruins at Rogers Arena.
