With the NHL regular-season coming close to an end, there are still plenty of playoff spots up for grabs in both conferences. With the new alignment and playoff rules, there will be eight teams from each conference involved. Right now, Dallas is one-point out of the final spot in the West. Chicago, on the other hand, is still in the hunt for the top spot in the West. We will put our money on the host Blackhawks Tuesday night.
Chicago closing in on 100-point season
The Blackhawks can pull to within one point of 100 with a win tonight over the visiting Stars. Chicago comes into this game following a loss to the Nashville Predators on Sunday by a score of 2-0. It was only the second time this season the Blackhawks have been shut out. They have scored the highest amount of goals in the league, despite some recent offensive struggles. In 12 of their last 20 games, Chicago has scored just two goals or fewer.
Stars looking to extend brief win-streak to three games
With two straight wins under their belt, the Stars will look for a third straight when they travel to Chicago on Tuesday night. A win tonight would help them leapfrog the Phoenix Coyotes for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Their two straight wins have followed an 0-3-1 stretch that saw them drop in the standings. Dallas has not appeared in the playoffs since 2008. The Stars have lost three straight road games, being outscored 16-5 during that stretch.
In what comes as no surprise, the Blackhawks are favored over at SportsBetting.ag on Tuesday night when they host the Stars in Chicago. With a money line of -200, we will drop 15 percent of our bankroll on the Blackhawks and the ML tonight as they take down the Stars en route to a higher seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
