Chicago Blackhawks: Breaking down stretch before trade deadline
Wednesday, Detroit Red Wings
The Chicago Blackhawks begin their final stretch before the trade deadline against their oldest rival. The hated Detroit Red Wings will host the Blackhawks and the game will be broadcasted on national television. This one is a very big game for the Blackhawks because depending on the outcome of some other NHL games, this could be a game that puts them in a playoff position.
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The Red Wings are not the Red Wings of a few years ago. There is no more Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg in their lineup anymore. They have one of the lowest point totals in the entire National Hockey League. They have a pretty bright future but they are not in it this year. This is a game that Chicago should be able to win.
Detroit does, however, have some players that can burn you. Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, and Gustav Nyquist are all players that can lead Detroit to a win on any given night. The Blackhawks will have to keep their eye on a young fast team in order to beat them. They can’t overlook the team because of guys like that.
The Blackhawks used both Cam Ward and Collin Delia in their game against Ottawa on Monday, so it is unclear who will get the nod in Detroit. It was a wild game in which 15 goals were scored so the Blackhawks are going to need to tighten that up while still scoring some goals if they plan on beating Detroit because you cannot expect to win games like that.
These games are always intense regardless of where either team sits in the standings. Both teams will give their very best and Detroit would love nothing more than to put a damper on the Blackhawks chances of reaching a spot in the postseason.