Chicago Blackhawks: Best of the Canadian teams to end trip
The Chicago Blackhawks are closing out their Canadian road trip against the high flying Toronto Maple Leafs in what promises to be pure entertainment.
The Chicago Blackhawks close out their Canadian road trip against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs and the Hawks have had so many entertaining games over the last few seasons. There is a lot of offensive firepower on each of these two teams with little defensive structure. They both have a lot of elite forwards and good goaltending. Hopefully, this game is one of those entertaining games that the Blackhawks come out on top of.
The Leafs might have the deepest group of forwards in the National Hockey League. Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander are the big four upfront. They are usually graced by Morgan Rielly on the back end but he is out long term with an injury. With all of these elite forwards, it is pivotal to play a good structure and keep them contained.
They are also able to whip it around on the power play pretty good so staying out of the box is key. Auston Matthews has one of the best shots in the world and it shows with his 34 goals. Those 34 goals only trail Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak for first in the NHL. The Hawks need to pressure him at even strength and on the power play which is extremely difficult.
The Leafs might be Canada’s best chance at ending their Stanley Cup drought amongst their seven franchises. They are tied with the Calgary Flames for the most points amongst those teams with a game in hand. They fired their coach, Mike Babcock, earlier this season after a lackluster start. Since then, they have been one of the best teams in the NHL. If they can keep it up, they will stroll into the playoffs with ease.
The problem with the Leafs is they are not that good defensively. They are a team that enjoys winning games 5-4 or worse. Everyone knows that they can score lots of goals but they need to be better at keeping them out themselves. That could play right into the hands of the Blackhawks. If guys like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are allowed to do their thing in this one, they should have a chance to win the game.
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This is a game that fans of both teams should be looking forward to. It has a lot of star power to be showcased which is never a bad thing. For a Saturday night, this is a perfect game. Then the Blackhawks are going to come home and play two games at the United Center before the All-Star Break and mandatory bye week. It would be awesome for them to take six points out of six on this trip!