Roll up, roll up, ladies and gents, for the epic faceoff in the hockey world: the San Jose Sharks up against the Chicago Blackhawks. Let's get into this like a hockey puck into a fight, shall we?
Now, the Blackhawks have Petr Mrazek mindin' t'net with 92.0 save% this season, not to forget about Arvid Soderblom, who also emphatically served as a goalie last season with an 87.9% save average. Even on the Sharks' side, the zealous Mackenzie Blackwood shows off his skills with a magnificent last season saving 1243 shots at an average of 89.9 percent, and Vitek Vanecek isn't far behind.
Trying to keep this iceberg cool, then let's scoff some words about the lads running around the rink. Blackhawks' forward Teuvo Teravainen with 3 goals and 2 assists so far this season, gives the impression of a true champ. Connor Bedard, this wily rascal, has also been illuminating the rink with 4 assists. Then you have the Sharks, Tyler Toffoli and Macklin Celebrini, just managing to pitch in a few goals and some assists for their team.
Scanning the history books, our friends, the Blackhawks, have had the Sharks for dinner on many an occasion. There is a conspicuous trend of the Blackhawks winning their encounters with the Sharks.
Mulling over the recent results and the regular season record, it's like comparing a Siberian tiger to a goldfish in a game of fetch. The Sharks are languishing with a 0-2-1 record, while the Blackhawks are toddling along with a modest 1-1-2.
Since we are heading to the Windy City, given the Blackhawks home advantage and their historical command over their matches with the Sharks, it's looking fairly black and white.
Albert’s Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks by 2