Washington Capitals (45-14-9) @ Chicago Blackhawks (44-17-5)
12:30 PM ET, Sunday, March 14, 2010
The United Center, Chicago, Illinois on NBC
The number one team in the Eastern Conference meets the number two team in the Western Conference on National Television on Sunday afternoon. This matchup is a juicy as they come and should showcase all that is good about the NHL.
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- The Chicago Blackhawks rank 4th on offense, and average 3.2 goals per game. The Blackhawks are 19.2% on the power play and have 46 power play goals.
- The Washington Capitals rank 1st on offense, and average 3.9 goals per game. The Capitals are 25.9% on the power play and have 69 power play goals.
- The Blackhawks average 3.3 goals per game at home, and give up 2.3 goals against on defense.
- The Capitals average 3.8 goals per game on the road, and give up 3.0 goals against on defense.
Washington Capitals: +105
The Washington Capitals have been playing the worst hockey of the season so far and yet they already clinched the Southwest Division. After three straight wins post-Olympic break, the Caps have dropped two of their last three games and won the other in overtime against a pretty bad Carolina team. A win against Chicago on Sunday will surely give them back a little confidence and end the slump that even the best of teams goes through during a long NHL season. The most surprising part of the slump is that it has taken place on home ice where the Caps had been 26-3-2 and goaltender Seymon Varlamov was 8-0-2. Now the Capitals hit the road for four straight games starting in Chicago.
Washington’s poorish play has coincided with Alex Ovechkin’s inability to score goals. He has only scored twice since the Olympic break even though he has been racking up the assists. The rest of the team has been just fine and will break out of their slump for sure – just not against a hot Chicago team on Sunday afternoon.
Chicago Blackhawks: -125
The Chicago Blackhawks have been rather inconsistent since the Olympic break but are still unquestionably in the elite class of NHL teams. They play today against the Philadelphia Flyers and the outcome of that game is not known yet.
The Blackhawks poses arguably the fastest team in the league and they are able to bring an energy that most team are not able to match on a nightly basis. Their defense is fast, their forwards are fast, and their game plan is predicated on this fact. Quick passes, solid forechecking and constant pressure are the ways that the Hawks have gained and maintained their third place overall standing in the NHL. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and are an incredible 26-7-2 on home ice. Antti Niemi figures to get the start in net for the Hawks as Coach Joe Quenville wants to give both goalies a shot at being “the man” going forward. This shouldn’t really matter as Chicago is the second stingiest team in the NHL at giving up goals.
Sunday’s game is as marquee as they come. It is difficult to say who will be favoured at this time, but Chicago probably has the edge based on their home record and their recent play. One thing is certain and that is – you have to be on top of your game to beat the Hawks at home. Washington is not and therefore Chicago should win this game.
Pick: Chicago Blackhawks
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