The Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks face off in Game one of the Western Conference quarterfinals on Tuesday evening.
Many questioned who would start in goal for Chicago, but an injury announcement Monday afternoon ruled out the appearance of Ray Emery. It seems that Corey Crawford will be tasked with leading the NHL's top team through the first few games of the playoffs. Centerman David Bolland was also ruled out of Game one.
The Blackhawks come in as one of the favorites to win the cup. With their youth it is often difficult to remember that this team is only three years removed from winning the Stanley Cup. Nine players that won the Cup in 2010 remain on this club, but the Blackhawks proved throughout the year that they are filled with the depth to make another deep run. "A bunch of us in here were fortunate enough to be on that team a couple years ago that won," said forward Patrick Sharp. "The older you get, the less important these regular-season numbers mean to you. It's all about playoff success and winning championships."
The Minnesota Wild are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The team got off to a decent start but ended the year on a 5-8-1 run; the team suffered a 1-0 loss to the Blackhawks in that span and went 1-2- against Chicago.
Prediction: Chicago gives its fans a defiant playoff debut and wins 4-1 against an overwhelmed Minnesota squad.
Start Time: 8 PM EST
TV: NBC Sports Network
Read the Recap HERE.
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