Chicago Blackhawks: Colorado Avalanche are back at the United Center

A team the Chicago Blackhawks have had major trouble with is back at the United Center to try and keep the Blackhawks down.

The Chicago Blackhawks are on a bit of a high after winning their most recent game against the Minnesota Wild. Patrick Kane had a hat trick to lead them to victory in that game. Before that, they were on a multi-game losing streak which had people think either the coach or GM would be on the hot seat. You cannot say the Blackhawks are out of their rut just because of their win over the Wild. The Colorado Avalanche is coming back to the United Center to try and keep them down.

The Avalanche are one of the very best teams in the National Hockey League. They are right there with the St. Louis Blues for the Central Division and Western Conference lead. They are led by one of the best players in the world, Nathan MacKinnon. He is right behind Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby for the best player in the world. He is very fast and explosive which allows his wingers Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog to form one of the best lines in the National Hockey League.

They have a strong forward group beyond those big three. Their depth is led by center Nazem Kadri. He was acquired over the summer to be their second-line center. They also have a good defense which is led by the rookie Cale Makar. Luckily for the Blackhawks, they won’t have to face Makar due to injury. He didn’t make the trip for Colorado which is a big break for the Blackhawks. He can be lethal on the power play and at even strength.

This is a big test for the Chicago Blackhawks following a pretty fun home win against the Wild. The key is, as always, keeping Nathan MacKinnon and friends at bay. You really can’t stop him, you can only try to contain him as much as possible. Another key would be getting strong play from their top guns. If Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have big games then the Blackhawks will have a chance to win as always. Colorado is a much better team but that doesn’t mean the Blackhawks have a zero percent chance to win, they need to play a strong team game to give themselves a shot.

The Blackhawks vs the Avalanche has always been a fun matchup no matter where each team was in the standings. When the Blackhawks were near the top of the league during most of the 2010s, the Avalanche wasn’t very good and it is the opposite right now but they have both always had lots of talent. This is a nationally televised game for a reason, it has some marquee players to boast.