Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets meet in NHL Central division battle
The Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets will play this weekend. Both of these teams are over the .500 mark on the season, but it look as if the Blackhawks will be the only one of the two teams to qualify for the playoffs.
Chicago, the defending Stanley Cup champion, opened the season at 5-1 betting odds to repeat but is now down to 18-1 in NHL Betting.
The Blackhawks are currently in position to grab the final playoff spot and they are seen as a very dangerous team. While they have not been as consistent as they would have hoped to be, they are a very strong team all around.
The Blackhawks are 4th in the league in goals per game, averaging 3.1 goals each contest. They are also a solid defensive team, allowing just 2.7 goals per game to their opponents. The key to the offense of the Blackhawks has been their power play. They are the 2nd best team in the NHL on the power play and they convert 24 percent of the time.
The Blue Jackets have a solid record, but they are very mediocre in every category. Despite winning more games than they have lost, they surrender 3 goals a game while they only score 2.6 goals per game. The Blackhawks should be able to put this team away. The Blackhawks really need to win games like this if they hope to hold onto the final playoff spot.
The Blue Jackets will need a stellar performance or they will fall further down the standings after this game. The game will be held in Columbus on Friday, April 1st at 7 pm Eastern Time.
