It’s Wednesday Night Rivalry in the NHL and we couldn’t ask for a better matchup. The league features a heated Original Six showdown between defending Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the New York Rangers. Chicago should still be bitter after the Rangers’ 3-2 win to open the season spoiled their Stanley Cup-banner raising ceremony.
The Rangers are coming in hot having won five of their last six. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks recently ended a three-game losing streak with a big 7-2 victory over the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs. The Blackhawks and Rangers will certainly put up an entertaining hockey game Wednesday night. But they’re not the only teams in action. Check out our complete preview for the Canadiens vs. Avalanche.
Line: Chicago Blackhawks (EVEN) at New York Rangers (-120); total 5.0 – view all NHL lines
Betting on the Chicago Blackhawks (37-18-5)
Chicago won’t have one of their key players for this matchup. Marian Hossa is due to miss at least the next two weeks due to an injured leg. Despite his absence the Blackhawks had no trouble in their first game without the veteran, blowing out Toronto 7-2 to end a three-game losing rut.
Patrick Kane, the league’s leading scorer, tied a career high with four points (one goal and three assists) against Toronto. He had an assist in Chicago’s 3-2 season-opening loss against the Rangers. Expect him to have a big game against the Blackhawks Original Six rivals considering he’s been playing out of his mind in February. He has nine points (four goals and five assists) in seven games this February.
It won’t be all Kane, though. Jonathan Toews has been one of the team’s best playmakers with 41 points this season. He has three assists in his last three games. Meanwhile, Artemi Panarin could also lend a hand with 54 points (second on the team).
The duo of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook on the blue line should also be great. The two combine for 54 assists this season. It’ll be interesting to see how they can feed their forwards the puck, especially with the Rangers’ own defenseman Ryan McDonagh possibly slowed down by an injury.
The Blackhawks will need their offense to be at its best. Corey Crawford has struggled against the Rangers in his career, going 1-4 in five career meetings. He hasn’t been sharp either, allowing eight goals in losing his last three games.
Betting on the New York Rangers (32-18-6)
While Crawford has struggled to string together wins against the Rangers, New York’s Henrik Lundqvist has been a brick wall against Chicago. The former Vezina Trophy winner is 6-1-2 with a 1.98 GAA in nine games against the Blackhawks, including a 3-0 slate in games held in Madison Square Garden. Lundqvist has also been pretty solid recently; he’s on a personal five game win streak with a 1.18 GAA.
The Rangers’ offense has also delivered regularly. They’ve scored three or more goals in five of their last six games. Most recently, they dropped three goals at Philadelphia on Sunday. Derek Stepan scored twice in the third period to win the game.
The Rangers have a dangerous cast of players who could all have good days. Derick Brassard had a goal and an assist on Sunday; J.T. Miller has four goals in February; and Mats Zuccarello has four points in his last two games alone. They may even get better should the Rangers welcome defenseman Ryan McDonagh back on the ice.
McDonagh has missed the past three games due to a concussion. But he can’t start slow should he play in this game. The Rangers may be shorthanded on defense with Dan Boyle’s status unclear due to a flue, while Marc Staal might be out due to the birth of his child.
The Rangers are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games at home.
Writer’s Prediction
The Rangers (-120) sweep their season series with Chicago with a tight 3-2 victory.
