Can the Chicago Blackhawks Stop the Red-Hot Florida Panthers Offense?

The Chicago Blackhawks will head to the FLA Live Arena on Thursday evening to square off against the Florida Panthers in an Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference showdown. This will be the second and final game between these teams, as the Panthers picked up a 5-2 road victory back on February 20. Chicago is seventh in the Central Division (24-32-10, 58 points), while Florida is currently atop the Atlantic Division (44-15-6, 94 points).  

This seems to be a very one-sided game on paper, so it will be interesting to see how they perform here. Let’s look at the Blackhawks and the Panthers to determine the best bet we can make for this matchup. 

Game Preview: Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Panthers March 31

Right winger Patrick Kane has been playing exceptionally well for Chicago this season as he is sixth in the sport in assists and tied for 12th in the NHL in points as he has scored 78 points (21 goals, 57 assists) this season while adding nine points in his last four games. 

As an offensive unit, they are scoring 2.65 goals on 28.7 shot attempts per game. Goalie Kevin Lankinen has been struggling in the net for the Blackhawks this season as he is 4-8-5 with 3.50 goals allowed per game and an .889 save percentage. Defensively they are not doing much better as they are giving up 3.44 goals on 32.4 shots so far. 

The Panthers have been an incredible unit offensively as they are averaging 4.05 goals on 37 shots this season. Left winger Jonathan Huberdeau has been doing incredibly well as he is leading the sport in assists and is fourth in the NHL in points as he has posted 89 points (21 goals, 68 assists) while putting up an additional five points in his previous three games. 

As a team, Florida is allowing 2.84 goals on 30.8 shot attempts this season. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been doing decently well inside the net for Florida as he has a 31-6-3 record with a .916 save percentage and 2.57 goals allowed per game. 

Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Panthers Betting Prediction

Even though the difference this season is on the offensive side, the defense is where they split in their previous few games. Chicago is allowing four goals per game in their last four games, while Florida has given up just two goals per game on average in their previous three games played. 

Offensively, the Panthers are a beast as they are scoring nine goals when down a man this season, while the Blackhawks have only scored twice while having a man inside of the penalty box. All in all, expect the Florida Panthers to be able to dominate this game once again and cover the puck line inside of the FLA Live Arena.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.