With the massive success of the Winter Classic the NHL has started the Coor Light Stadium Series this year and a few more teams will get to play outdoors in addition to the traditional January 1st game. One of the games that will be played outdoors this year will be the Pittsburgh Penguins traveling to Chicago to face the defending champion Blackhawks. The game will be played at Soldier Field where the NFL’s Chicago Bears play. These teams have the best record in each conference and this could be a potential Stanley Cup Final preview. What to expect? Find out here.
When the Penguins have the Puck:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have arguably one of the best offenses in the entire NHL. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are going to look to continue their great seasons as the duo sit at the top of the NHL scoring table. The Penguins are going to hope to have a lot of key players back before the game with several key players out due to injury. Players such as Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin, Kris Letang, Rob Scuderi, and Malkin are all hurt right now yet they keep finding ways to win with their rookies. The key for the Penguins this game is to give the puck to their super stars Crosby and Malkin and hope they can make some amazing plays. James Neal will also make an impact for the Penguins to so watch out for him in the offensive zone.
When the Blackhawks have the Puck:
The Chicago Blackhawks also have one of the best offenses in the NHL. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have been amazing this year most notably Kane who is having a Hart Trophy caliber season trailing only Sidney Crosby for the Art Ross Trophy lead. Kane is going to have to lead the way along with Toews if they are going to win this game. They are arguably the best two-way tandem in the NHL and are the main reason Chicago is the highest scoring team in the NHL. Patrick Sharp, Andrew Shaw and Marian Hossa are key contributors and can be a force for the Hawks as well. The key for Chicago to win this game is to keep sustained pressure on Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. If they can do that, there is no doubt they will win this game.
Goaltending:
The goaltending for this game is going to be VERY important. Pittsburgh’s Fleury is going to have to be incredibly sharp if he is to lead this team to victory. So far this season he’s been nothing short of outstanding, leading the NHL in wins with 19 adding a microscopic GAA of 1.98. If he can stop Chicago’s powerhouse offense, that will go a long way for the Penguins.
On the other side of the ice is Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford who’s having a pretty good season as well as he is 17-6-3. Currently sidelined with a groin injury, Crawford will have plenty of time to be ready for the March 1st tilt. He’ll also need to bring his “A” game to shut down the Penguins super stars or it’s going to be a long day for him.
This looks to be one of the best NHL games of the season for sure. It won’t happen until after the Olympic break, but tickets for the game sold out in less than 24 hours after being released. With the regular season winding down, this matchup definitely looks like it could be a Stanley Cup preview. With all the star power on the ice at Soldier Field, make sure you tune in to this game.