Soaring Blackhawks Host Erratic Rangers
Patrick Sharp, the West’s leading goal-scorer, will look to lead the Blackhawks to victory Wednesday.
Looking to top the Western Conference standings, the Chicago Blackhawks host the New York Rangers at the United Center Wednesday night.
Face-off in the Windy City is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
Chicago (29-7-9, 67pts) has been on a tear of late, losing just one of its last 14 games in regulation.
This streak has seen the Blackhawks move to within two points of the Western Conference-leading Anaheim Ducks. A win on Wednesday will leave the two teams tied on 69 points.
Much of Chicago’s success has come from its league-best offense. The Blackhawks are first in the NHL with 3.6 goals per game and fourth in power play percentage (24.3%).
Center Patrick Kane is second in the league with 54 points, behind only the surging Sidney Crosby (65 points). With 25 goals, winger Patrick Sharp trails only Alex Ovechkin (31) on the scorers chart. Meanwhile, defenseman Duncan Keith leads the team with 39 assists, finding himself behind only Joe Thornton (43) and Crosby (41).
Unsurprisingly, all three had reason to celebrate Tuesday as they were among 10 Blackhawks players to be selected to the 2014 Winter Olympics, to be played in Sochi, Russia, next month.
One player not selected to represent his country was goaltender Corey Crawford.
Crawford has played well since returning from a lower-back injury that sidelined him for the better part of a month, but he won’t be donning the Canadian sweater one month from now.
He will be in goal Wednesday night where he’ll look to improve on his 17-6-5 record, and back-to-back losses outside of regulation.
While there’s plenty to celebrate in Chicago, the Rangers (21-20-3, 45pts) have had an erratic season so far.
Alain Vigneault’s side has strung together three consecutive victories just twice this season to go alongside a three-game and a four-game losing streak. Outside of those trends, the Rangers have flip-flopped wins all over the place.
Still, the side takes to the ice in Chicago with a 5-2-1 record in its last eight outings, although just 1-1-1 over the past three games.
Unlike the Blackhawks, the Rangers have struggled offensively, recording just 2.4 goals per game (24th in the league). Only four players have recorded 10 or more goals, with Chris Kreider leading the side with 11. Mats Zuccarello is the team leader with 20 assists and 30 points.
Still, the Manhattan side ranks in the top eight in both power play (20.7%) and penalty kill (85.0%) percentage, which means the team is a long way from being done for the year, something that is supported by the current Eastern Conference standings.
The Rangers currently sit in 10th place in the standings but a win on Wednesday would see the side leapfrog the Washington Capitals into third-place in the Metropolitan Division, which come April 13 will equate to an automatic playoff berth.
Of course, defeating the red-hot Blackhawks will be a tall order.
New York Rangers vs. Chicago Blackhawks odds for 01/08/2014
Chicago (-205) opened as the moneyline favorite over New York (+186) when lines were released earlier today.
The Blackhawks have certainly gotten the better of this matchup in recent years. The Rangers have just one win in their last six visits to the United Center and are 8-13-2 in their last 23 games against the Blackhawks.
However, the Rangers have turned into a road threat of late. After starting the year with nine straight road games, a stretch in which the team went 3-6-0, the side has won 10 of its last 14 games away from Madison Square Garden. In fact, on the season, the Rangers have been much better on their travels.
The Rangers (-160) are expected to cover the 1.5-goal spread, which favors Chicago. With seven of the last 11 Ranger games being decided by one goal – four in overtime or a shootout – that certainly looks like a good call.
The over/under opened at 5.5 with the under looking like the smart bet.
The total has gone under in six of the last nine games between the sides, and four of the last five they’ve played at the United Center.
The New York Rangers will host the Chicago Blackhawks at Madison Square Garden on February 27 to conclude the season head-to-head.
Winter Olympics 2014, Sochi, Russia
The NHL will take a hiatus from February 9 to allow its players to participate in the XXII Olympic Winter Games.
The men’s ice hockey tournament commences on February 12 with the group stage. The Gold medal game is scheduled for February 23, with the Bronze medal game played a day earlier.
Participating nations in the men’s tournament are as follows:
Group A: Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, U.S.A
Group B: Austria, Canada, Finland, Norway
Group C: Czech Republic, Latvia, Sweden, Switzerland
With Tuesday’s announcement of rosters, Olympic Hockey odds are currently being tweaked but will be available shortly here.
The NHL season will resume on February 26.
For a full list of today’s NHL odds, click here.
For updated NHL futures odds, click here.
For a selection of NHL team prop bets, click here.
For a selection of NHL player prop bets, click here.
