Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild Preview, Scores and Predictions

The Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Minnesota Wild in round two of the NHL Playoffs. Chicago eliminated Minnesota in last year’s playoffs, but the two teams are hardly the same as they were just a year ago. Minnesota heads into the series with more experience and a significant upgrade in net, with Devan Dubnyk having been acquired from the Arizona Coyotes. This year, they’re hoping to take the next step to finally advance past Chicago after being eliminated by them in the two previous seasons. Chicago has had their own struggles this year, with Patrick Kane missing several weeks due to a broken collar bone, the rest of the roster struggled to score. Defensively, the Blackhawks have been inconsistent and goaltending has unexpectedly been a mess in the playoffs thus far. Bet on the Wild vs. Blackhawks series here.

Minnesota Wild:
What a difference a good goalie makes. Dubnyk went 2-0 against the Blackhawks this year, allowing just one goal on 57 shots. Dubnyk could be the different maker in the series as Chicago hasn’t quite found it’s groove offensively in the postseason. On offense, Zach Parise poses the biggest threat having his best year as a member of the +113 underdogs Wild. Coming off a great series against the Blues in round one, Parise getting his opportunities on the struggling Chicago goaltending duo of Corey Crawford and Scott Darling is the best case scenario for Minnesota. The Wild have momentum coming into this series after piling up wins at the end of the regular season and beating the higher seeded St. Louis Blues.

Chicago Blackhawks:
While Kane has managed to pick up where he left off before being injured, he’s historically struggled against the Wild. He’ll need to get hot against an even hotter goalie in order to be an effective presence in round two. Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa both need to step up their production in hopes of rattling Dubnyk. Defensively, the -140 favored Blackhawks have been less than stellar. Michal Rozsival has been a liability for Chicago and no one has been able to pick up the slack. In net, Corey Crawford, who had a great regular season suddenly had a meltdown in the first round against Nashville, while Scott Darling was inconsistent at best in relief. The Blackhawks will need their offensive stars to shine or else they’re in trouble against a hungry Minnesota squad.

Prediction:
The third time could be the charm for the Minnesota Wild. This series will be a psychological test for Chicago as eliminating a team for the third straight year is no easy task. The two teams are very familiar with each other, making the match up that much more of a toss up. If Minnesota can take advantage of a suddenly shaky goaltending situation in Chicago’s net and put pressure on the struggling Blackhawks defense, they could pull off the upset. Chicago will need to do its best to stay out of their defensive zone and control puck possessions. This will be a close and very good series to watch, but it just might be the Wild’s year.

Pick: Minnesota in 7.