After an exciting opening game of this best-of-seven Round 1 series, the Blues host the Blackhawks for Game 2 Friday night in St. Louis as part of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
St. Louis took a 1-0 series lead in exciting fashion with a thrilling overtime victory on Wednesday in Game 1. David Backes' centering feed hit off Blackhawks' defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and found its way into the net to give the Blues the victory.
The two powerhouse offenses combined for 53 shots on goal, yet only one found its way past a goaltender. Corey Crawford made 17 saves in the loss, while Brian Elliott stood on his head, notching his first-career postseason shutout while making 35 saves.
Game 1 was very physical as the Blues were credited with 41 hits, and they plan to bring the physicality to Game 2.
"Yeah, we're going to need it," coach Ken Hitchcock said via NHL.com. "We've got to be more physical for us on the fore-check. We're reading too much rather than getting in on it. I think it's an area that's part of our game."
The Blackhawks will get a big boost when Duncan Keith returns after missing Game 1 to serve a suspension for hitting Wild forward Charlie Coyle in the face with his stick down the stretch of the season.
"He's such a big part of our team and he's definitely missed when he's not in the lineup," defenseman Brent Seabrook, who played 30:35 in Game 1, told NHL.com. "Playing 30 minutes, speaking for myself, I've done it a lot of times in the playoffs in big games. I like playing those kind of minutes and being counted on, but having Duncan back definitely can alleviate that pressure in some areas."
Game Preview & Live Stream
Details: Blackhawks at Blues Game 2
Venue: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Mo.
Time: 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT).
Radio: Chicago (WGN 720); St. Louis (KMOX 1120).
Series: Blues lead 2-1.
Prediction: Our predictions for this series can be found here.
Betting Odds: The latest betting odds can be found here.
Watch Online: This game can be live streamed for free here.
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