Winter Classic 2017: Blackhawks vs. Blues, Jersey Photos, Ticket Info and More
The Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues will command hockey's outdoor stage at Busch Stadium on Monday, if the weather cooperates.
The St. Louis weather forecast for Monday looks dreary and rainy, and that would put a damper on the NHL's annual showcase regular-season event.
If it rains long and hard enough throughout the event, which scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, the league might have to delay or postpone the game. Weather.com is forecasting scattered thunderstorms, and that could clearly have an impact on the start time of the game.
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No matter what time the game is played, this should be an intense battle between Central Division rivals who always manage to get up for each other and demonstrate their desire to win by playing with more than just a bit of nastiness.
The Blackhawks sit in first place in the division with a 23-11-5 record, and they have performed fairly well on the road, compiling a 10-7-1 mark. The Blues are third in the division, at 19-13-5, and they have been a dominant team at home, boasting a 14-3-4 record.
No team in the Western Conference has won more home games than the Blues. While playing outdoors, at the home of baseball's St. Louis Cardinals, is not the same as playing at the Scottrade Center, they should have a large and supportive crowd rooting for them in this game.
The Blues defeated the Blackhawks in the divisional playoffs last season, taking an intense seven-game battle. Chicago has won two of the three meetings this season, with one of the victories coming in overtime.
The Blackhawks have played in four previous outdoor games, and have a record of 1-3-0. That includes a 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild last season.
Team captain Jonathan Toews says Chicago is in need of a win to hold off division challengers.
“Last year against Minnesota, we weren’t too happy with that effort," Toews told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. "You just look at the last number of outdoor games that we’ve played. Our record hasn’t been that great. We can look at it that way and add to the fact that they’re big points for us within our division, with St. Louis and Minnesota really close to us."
Patrick Kane led the NHL in scoring last year, but he finds himself the No. 2 scorer on the Blackhawks this season. He has scored 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points, which is one point behind Artemi Panarin, who has 15 goals and 23 assists for 38.
Toews has been slowed by injuries this season and has just 18 points in 30 games. Artem Anisimov has 29 points, while stellar defenseman Duncan Keith leads all Chicago blueliners with 25 points.
Corey Crawford figures to be in net for the Blackhawks, and he has a 2.28 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage.
The Blues are led by sharpshooter Vladimir Tarasenko, who has scored 16 goals and 23 assists in 37 games this season. Tarasenko is known for his ability to fire his nasty shot from anywhere in the offensive zone, and he is capable of surprising Crawford with his quick release.
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been doing a solid job from the blue line, and he has scored eight goals and 16 assists. Young stars Robby Fabbri and Jaden Schwartz have scored 23 and 21 points respectively.
Jake Allen figures to start in goal for the Blues. He has not been as effective as Crawford has been for the Blackhawks. Allen has a 2.67 GAA and a .903 save percentage, and head coach Ken Hitchcock pulled the netminder from his most recent game after he gave up three goals on 14 shots.
The difference in goal could be the decisive factor in what could be a weather-affected Winter Classic.
Tickets to the Winter Classic are available through ScoreBig.com.
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