(OddsShark.com) –The Chicago Blackhawks are a middling 6-6 in their past dozen games, but travel to Minnesota on Sunday for their NHL Stadium Series matchup with the Wild at a strong 9/2 on the odds to win the Stanley Cup again at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Chicago enters Sunday afternoon’s Blackhawks vs. Wild matchup at TCF Bank Stadium riding a two-game winning streak following a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday, and have found the back of the net a total of 12 times during the brief win streak, which started with a 7-2 rout of the last-place Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday.
The club has rebounded after dropping three straight on home ice to San Jose, Dallas, and Anaheim, and briefly falling out of top spot in the Western Conference standings.
The defending Cup champs have been in a seesaw battle in the standings with the Stars for much of the campaign, and head into the weekend holding a one-point lead over Dallas for top spot. However, the Stars hold two games in hand on Chicago, and can reclaim first place with a win that halts their two-game slide when they host the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
The Minnesota Wild, meanwhile, return home after sweeping a three-game road swing through western Canada, tallying five goals per game in victories over Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. The Wild’s hot streak could not have come at a better time after the club endured a brutal 1-13 stretch that ultimately cost head coach Mike Yeo his job.
Despite their recent woes, Minnesota remains in striking distance of a playoff spot, just two points back of the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche, who head into the weekend deadlocked at 64 points and in control of the two Western Conference Wild Card berths.
While the Wild’s current win streak is welcome, the club must still overcome an eight-game losing streak at home which has featured seven defeats by a single goal. Minnesota has also suffered letdowns following their past three multi-game road trips, losing one-goal decisions in each of their first games back on home ice after winning three straight.
The Wild have enjoyed success against Chicago during the regular season, claiming victory in their past four meetings according to the OddsShark NHL Database, but were swept by the Blackhawks in the second round of the playoffs last spring.