Chicago at Columbus

A pair of stumbling teams meet in Columbus, but only one is any good. First place Chicago looks to stop a three-game slide and they have been great in bounce-back situations as they are 17-8 in their last 25 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. It helps to face teams with weaknesses and the Blackhawks are 10-4 in their last 14 vs. a team with a losing record. Columbus is awful – No. 26 in goals scored, No. 30 in goals against (3.7 per game), No. 29 in the power play and No. 28 in penalty killing. That's bad across the board! That's why the Blue Jackets are 16-42 in their last 58 overall and 22-64 in their last 86 vs. a team with a winning record. In the role of home dog, they are terrible at 7-28 in their last 35 games as a home underdog. When these teams meet it's been all Chicago, with the Blackhawks 6-1 in the last seven meetings in Columbus. Throw in the fact that home ice has meant little in this series (the road team is 6-2 in the last eight meetings) and there's only one team to back in this one. Play on Chicago.