The Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins are playing live on the NHL Network schedule on Thursday and the game starts at 7 pm ET from TD Garden as the Original Six matchup goes down and it comes as the Hawks are playing some great hockey and now they come into Beantown to face the B's.
The Blackhawks had a strong season last year and lost in the west finals and now they come into this game after a win against the Devils in overtime. The team is in first place in the central division this season and they have 39 points with a 19-8-1 record. The team plays against the Bruins and then they will have a matchup with the Islanders next. Back over the past few years that would be easy, but the Isles have been one of the best teams in the league and will be a tough out at the Coliseum.
The Blackhawks have been as consistent as anyone this season and they come in ranked in the top 10 across numerous categories. The team is first in penalty kill percentage and second in goals against and they have done that mostly without Corey Crawford in net. The team has played very well overall and they are ranked sixth in goals per game this year as week. Patrick Kane is leading the team in scoring and Marian Hossa is first in assists for the team.
Boston comes in with Patrice Bergeron in the lead in points and he is also tops in assists, while Brad Marchand is tops in goals for the team. Antti Niemi has performed very well for the Blackhawks this season and the team is also happy to have back Patrick Sharp as he had been out a month with an injury.
The Bruins come into the game after a win against the Coyotes and they will next play the Senators on the schedule. The team has 31 points on the season and they are fifth in the Atlantic division with a 15-12-1 record. The team is ranked 20th in scoring and 14th in goals against and they have been inconsistent to start the season. The Bruins are hoping to get into a groove here and a win against a tough Blackhawks team would be a good start.
The Blackhawks have now won seven games in a row and they have won 10 of the last 11 and they are playing as well as anyone in the league. Crawford has not started a game this month and the team has been fine and now they face off against the Bruins and the Isles before coming home against the Flames and they also play the Wild in that stretch at the United Center.
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