The San Jose Sharks (0-1-2) are gearing up to face the Chicago Blackhawks (1-2-1) at the United Center on Thursday. San Jose, having lost its first three games of the season, is in for a challenging match. Last night, they narrowly lost to Dallas in a shootout 3-2. They will be missing key players like Thomas Bordeleau, Macklin Celebrini, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and Logan Couture. With an average goal maker of 2.0, San Jose’s offense is clearly struggling, and their defense is allowing 36 shots per game, the most in the NHL. However, goalie Mackenzie Blackwood has been a standout performer, blocking a significant number of goals. Despite their current form, there’s potential for a turnaround in San Jose’s performance.
Their last game was a 3-1 loss to the Cavalry Flames. In their first four games, Chicago has only won one. They score an average of 2.7 goals per game and are second in the NHL with a 42.9% success rate on the power play. Three goals put Teuvo Teravainen in first place on the team. Even though Chicago tries to score, their defense lets them score 33.3 goals per game, which ranks them 32nd. Petr Mrazek is a goalie with a GAA of 2.71 and a save percentage of.910.
Based on their recent form and stats, picking the Chicago Blackhawks to win is the best choice. They have shown consistent improvement in their performance, winning one out of their first four games. They should take advantage of San Jose’s problems to win at home.