Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The Chicago Blackhawks return home following a successful road trip during which they collected a respectable haul of six points out of a possible ten. They now face the Detroit Red Wings, who snapped a three-game losing streak over the weekend in a match against the Buffalo Sabres (2:1).
Chicago Blackhawks
Connor Bedard's start to his second season hasn't been as dazzling as many had hoped. The Blackhawks' main hope for the coming years and one of the world's most talented hockey players has scored only two goals and provided three assists in his last eight games. In five of those, he left the ice without scoring any points. His new teammates are also inconsistent: Teuvo Teräväinen, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Ilya Mikheyev have amassed a total of just 14 points.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings' offence isn't much better, particularly in even-strength situations. The Red Wings have managed just 15 goals in the "5 on 5" format over 11 games, ranking 30th in the league. However, they will have a reliable goaltender on the ice. It's confirmed that Cam Talbot will be starting. He has a save percentage of 92.3% with a goals-against average of 2.73, and in the recent game against the Buffalo Sabres, he stopped 31 out of 32 shots (96.9%).
Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings Prediction
Neither the Chicago Blackhawks nor the Detroit Red Wings have the offensive firepower to engage in a high-scoring, end-to-end game. The Red Wings' threat is generally limited to power plays, while the Blackhawks lack the talent to beat a strong goaltender. We’re going for a total under.
