Blues-Blackhawks Comes Down to Chance Quality at Five-on-Five
Chicago returns home searching for rhythm in net; St. Louis seeks steadier execution under Jim Montgomery.
Both teams have been chasing games at even strength, and this one likely turns on who cuts off the Grade-A looks first. The Blackhawks have been giving up chances worth about 4.04 expected goals against per game — expected goals means how many a team’s chances are typically worth — while the Blues aren’t far behind at 3.46. That’s the early red flag: if neither side tightens, this could tilt on whichever goalie settles first.
Chicago’s crease could go to Spencer Knight or Arvid Soderblom, and the skaters in front — Patrick Kane, Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, plus youngsters Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore — need to manufacture more sustained looks after an 0-3-0 start. St. Louis brings a mixed bag: a road shutout followed by a heavy defeat, with Jim Montgomery pushing for cleaner five-man defense and secondary scoring.
Standings angle: St. Louis sits fifth in the Central with 2 points, while Chicago opens at home from the conference cellar, still searching for its first points of the season.
