The Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues meet in NHL action from the Enterprise Center on Saturday night. Who comes out on top in this Central division matchup? Let’s dive in and find out with our Blackhawks vs. Blues Prediction.
Chicago Blackhawks Team Preview
The Chicago Blackhawks come into this one looking to rebound from a 5-2 loss to Montreal last time out. Connor Bedard leads the Blackhawks with 29 points including a team-high 12 goals along with a team-high 17 assists while Philipp Kurashev has 17 points with 6 goals and 11 assists. Jason Dickinson has 15 points with 10 goals and 5 assists and Nick Foligno also has 15 points with 6 goals and 9 assists. Petr Mrazek has gone 8-11 with a 3.09 GAA and an .907 save percentage in goal for the Blackhawks while Arvid Soderblom is 2-10-1 with a 4.00 GAA and an .872 save percentage this season. The Blackhawks will play against the Jets and Stars after this one.
Chicago Blackhawks Team Facts
- The Blackhawks have lost 19 of their last 21 games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The Blackhawks have covered the puck line in 13 of their last 14 games at Enterprise Center following a loss.
- The Blackhawks have lost the third period in seven of their last eight night games at Enterprise Center.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in nine of the Blackhawks’ last 10 games against Central Division opponents.
St. Louis Blues Team Preview
The St. Louis Blues come into this game looking to build on a 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers in their last matchup. Robert Thomas leads the Blues in scoring with 35 points including team-highs of 12 goals and 23 assists while Pavel Buchnevich has 26 points split between 12 goals and 14 assists. Jordan Kyrou has 23 points with 7 goals and 16 assists while Brayden Schenn has 16 points with 8 goals and 8 assists and Kevin Hayes has 17 points with 9 goals and 8 assists as well this season. Jordan Binnington’s gone 10-10-1 with a 3.20 GAA and a .904 save percentage between the pipes for St. Louis while Joel Hofer is 6-5-1 with a 2.91 GAA and a .904 save percentage this season.
St. Louis Blues Team Facts
- The underdogs have won six of the Blues’ last seven games.
- The Blues have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last four games as home favorites against Central Division opponents.
- The favorites have won the third period in seven of the last eight games between the Blackhawks and Blues at Enterprise Center.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Blues’ last 11 games against Central Division opponents.
Blackhawks vs. Blues Prediction
I’m on the Blues -1.5 here. The Blues aren’t my favorite team to back for much of anything, especially on the puck line, but they’re the better team by a fair margin here, and maybe it’s a fade of the Chicago Blackhawks more than anything else at this point. The Blackhawks have been getting crushed more often than not lately, and I think this instance is no different for a Chicago team that couldn’t be getting the break at a better time. Give me St. Louis -1.5 here.
