With each team suffering from a raft of injuries, the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues have had unimpressive ends to their regular season schedules. Nevertheless, this first round match-up between top contenders is still a must-watch series. Can the Blues soldier on despite a depleted roster, or will the Blackhawks overcome St. Louis and continue their bid for a rare back-to-back Stanley Cup championship feat?
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]
Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues Betting Preview
Series Schedule & Results
Game 1 – Thursday, April 17, 8:00 PM ET – Scottrade Center, Missouri
Game 2 – Saturday, April 19, 3:00 PM ET – Scottrade Center, Missouri
Game 3 – Monday, April 21, 8:30 PM ET, United Center, Chicago
Game 4 – Wednesday, April 23, 9:30 PM ET, United Center, Chicago
Game 5 (if necessary) – Friday, April, 8:00 PM ET, Scottrade Center, Missouri
Game 6 (if necessary) – Sunday, April 27, 3:00 PM ET, United Center, Chicago
Game 7 (if necessary) – Tuesday, April 29, TBA, Scottrade Center, Missouri
Despite a debilitating stretch near the end of the regular season, the St. Louis Blues will still be enjoying home-ice advantage in their first round series against the defending champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blues crashed out of contention for the league’s best win-loss record after losing all of their last six games.
It’s easy to see why the Blues have been faltering. St. Louis has been hampered by injuries to key players. They’ve missed the services of David Backes, TJ Oshie, Patrik, Berglund and Alex Pietrangelo down the stretch. Backes and Oshie are reportedly ready to go for the series against the Blackhawks, but Berglund and Pietrangelo’s status remain uncertain.
With Backes (27 goals) and Oshie (21 goals) back, the Blues’ scoring could pick up again. Over the last five games, St. Louis has seen a drastic decline in its scoring production. During that stretch, the Blues averaged a league-worst 1.0 goal per game, a big drop off from their season average of 3.0 goals a game – no. 6 in the league.
On defense, coach Ken Hitchcock would have the luxury of using Brian Elliott and former Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller to man the net. The Blues are the third best in the NHL in scoring defense with 2.3 goals allowed per game.
The Blues, who own the home-ice advantage in the series, are 3-0 in their last three visits of Chicago. They are also 6-0 under in their last six at Scottrade Center.
Betting on the Chicago Blackhawks
[sc:NHL240 ]Like the Blues, the Chicago Blackhawks have also dealt with health issues. Thankfully for them, coach Joel Quenneville has announced that two of their injured stars, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are now ready to play in the postseason.
The pair of Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa was effective in picking up the slack on offense while the two stars were out. Sharp leads the team with 34 goals, followed by Hossa, who has 30.
The defending champions weren’t in their sharpest form as they finished the regular season with back-to-back losses. However, the return of Kane and Toews to the lineup will clearly be a big boost for the Blackhawks’ chances for a Stanley Cup repeat. Combined, both players have scored 57 goals this season for Chicago.
The Blackhawks are the second-best scoring team in the NHL with a season average of 3.2 goals per game. Though they are behind St. Louis in their regular season series, 3-2-0, the Blackhawks have outscored the Blues, 17-14.
The Blackhawks are 2-0 in their last two games against St. Louis.
Writer’s Prediction
Chicago will draw first blood, as the Blackhawks’ offense will overpower the Blues just like in their last two meetings. However, this series will be a seesaw affair, so expect the series to go full seven games with Chicago using its experience to outlast the Blues and advance to the second round. Who are you going to bet on?
