San Jose at Chicago

A pair of strong teams meet in Chicago. The underdog San Jose has a fine team with good balance, 8th in the NHL defensively with a winning record both home and away.  They've allowed five goals their last three games. The Sharks are 9-3 in their last 12 against a team with a winning record and a 59-23 in their last 82 games playing on no days rest, showcasing their depth. After a hot start Chicago has settled in to playing close to .500 hockey at 9-8 over their last 17 games. They've lost two of their last three home games as -170 and -150 chalk and needed a shootout to beat the Islanders, 5-4, as a -230 favorite. This is not a strong defensive team, 20th in goals against and ranked 27th in penalty killing. The Blackhawks are 2-5 in their last seven games as a home favorite of -110 to -150 and the Sharks are 4-1 in the last five meetings. Play on San Jose.