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 "Our objective is to make the playoffs, finish as high as we can,
win the division," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. The Canucks
have helped the Blackhawks' division title chances by rallying for a
5-4 shootout victory at Nashville on Tuesday after routing Central
runner-up St. Louis 4-1 on Monday in the opener of a four-game road
trip. Vancouver has won five straight away from home and holds a
four-point lead over Calgary for second place in the Pacific
Division with five games to play. The schedule favors the Canucks,
who finish the season with home games against Arizona and Edmonton -
the two worst teams in the Western Conference.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, RSN Pacific (Vancouver), CSN Chicago
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (45-27-5): Vancouver capped a 10-4-2 March by
erase an early two-goal deficit in Nashville and has seen its
offense produce at least four goals in six of the last 10 contests.
A power play that converted in only three of 14 games in February
has come alive down the stretch, going 7-for-17 over the last seven
games (5-1-1) to help the Canucks fend off challenges from Calgary
and Los Angeles. Radim Vrbata, who leads the team with 31 games, has
five multi-point contests in the last seven to move with two of
matching his career-high total of 62.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (46-24-6): Patrick Kane, sidelined since
suffering a fractured collarbone on Feb. 24, skated with the team on
Wednesday for the first time since his injury and called it "a
pretty good step," but the star forward has not even reached the
halfway point of his projected recovery. “I still think the
timetable is at the 12-week mark," Kane said. "It’s kind of like a
patient time right now because you think you feel good, but you’re
still a little ways away.” Chicago has surrendered five power-play
goals in 12 chances over the last six games.
[to top of second column] |
OVERTIME
1. Blackhawks G Corey Crawford is 5-3-3 with a 2.43 goals-against
average versus Vancouver.
2. The Canucks are seeking their first six-game road winning streak
since ripping off nine straight in March 2011.
3. Chicago has lost four of six to Vancouver, including a 5-4
overtime defeat at home on Feb. 11.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Canucks 3
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