With only four points seperating the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks as they come out of the Christmas break, one can expect a close encounter between these two excellent sides. The Canucks are on 15-17-5 while the Blackhawks are on 17-13-5 so the former team hold a slight advantage. Still, both teams will be looking forward to improve their positions in the Western Conference league standings today night. Vancouver have home advantage and are the favourites but Chicago are certainly a tought puck to crack.
And at only two games below .500 nearly half-way through the season, most Canucks fans have to be pleasantly surprised with their team’s success. At present, they’re only five points out of the final Wildcard spot in the West, and have Calder Trophy candidate, Brock Boeser, playing out of his skin and scoring regularly. The rookie has proven to be among the league’s best shooters, averaging a point per game through 34 contests (20 goals, 14 assists). Once again you’ve got to look for him to lead the Canucks once again against a veteran Blackhawks club who however come with plenty of experience all round.
The Chicago team, though only one point back of the Anaheim Ducks for the final Wildcard spot in the West, expects to be in the playoffs this season. The Blackhawks are in one of the most competitive divisions in the NHL this season, and they’ve struggled against their division foes losing a few points across the way. Now in the midst of a mini two-game losing streak, Chicago enters Thursday’s contest in need of a win against a team that they should beat. Don’t miss the drama of this Western Conference showdown.
To add to the attractiveness of the game, Thursday night’s matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Vancouver Canucks pits two of the league’s most dangerous scorers against one another. The Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane has once again set a point per game pace through 35 games (15 goals, 20 assists) to lead his team in both categories. He will certainly be a formidable thorn in the Canuck’s side and has to be controlled quite well.
The Canucks’ Brock Boeser, in his first year in the league, has proven that he belongs in the NHL. The 20-year-old is averaging a point per game (20 goals, 14 assists), and ranks fifth in the league in goals
scored. These two snipers should entertain fans of both teams with their slick hands and deadly shots.
Summing up, both the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks will look to reverse recent trends and get back in the winning column. Chicago is currently on a two-game losing streak, while Vancouver is 2-7-1 in its last 10 games. Don’t miss the action of this Western Conference battle; puck drops at 10 PM Eastern.
