The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks will try to stave off elimination for a second time tonight, Thursday April 21st, when they visit the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena for Game 5 of the Western Conference quarterfinals. NHL oddsmakers have the Canucks as -210 moneyline home favourites over the Blackhawks (+175) with the over/under set at 5.5 goals. Be sure to check the Blackhawks vs Canucks NHL Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
Chicago (1-3) got on board with a7-2 blowout victory in Tuesday's Game 4 at Chicago's United Center. Dave Bolland was the hero for Chicago in Game 4, notching a goal and three assists in his first action since suffering a concussion on March 9. Bolland's performance marked a career-high for points in a playoff game. "We had to do anything we could to get a point, score a goal, make a big hit, something to get you going," said Bolland about Chicago's mindset from the opening seconds. "They came out flat, and we did a good job of coming on from the start tonight." Patrick Sharp tallied twice, while Michael Frolik, Duncan Keith, Bryan Bickell and Brian Campbell also scored for Chicago, which could have been the first club since the 2003 Detroit Red Wings to be swept in the first round following a Stanley Cup title, but fought back to return the series to Vancouver. Corey Crawford stopped 21-of-23 shots for the win. "We've improved every single game and we still haven't played our best," said Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville. "There are some very good things that happened, but now we have some momentum in our game, we played well on the road all year. It's a proud bunch."
Vancouver (3-1) goal scorers Sami Salo and Daniel Sedin provided the offense in Game 4 for the Canucks, who were looking for their first series sweep since taking out St. Louis in the opening round two years ago. Roberto Luongo was yanked early in the third after giving up six goals on 28 shots. Cory Schneider finished the game yielding one goal on seven chances. "We gotta keep our composure, not get too high or too low," Luongo said of the blowout loss. "We'll have to forget about this one, and at least we don't have to sit on it for another five months before we get to play them again." Vancouver is 2-0 on home ice in this series, taking the opener by a 2-0 score and notching a 4-3 win in Game 2. The Presidents' Trophy winners had a 27-9-5 record as the host during the regular season. Chicago and Vancouver have met two other times in the postseason in addition to their 2009 and 2010 semifinal bouts, and the Blackhawks own a 3-1 edge all- time against the Canucks in the playoffs.
Recent Trends to Consider:
Over is 6-1-1 in the last 8 meetings in Vancouver.
Home team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Over is 3-1-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Underdog is 20-9 in the last 29 meetings.
Blackhawks are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings.
Canucks are 4-0 in their last 4 games as a favorite of -151 to -200.
Canucks are 6-1 in their last 7 vs. Central.
Canucks are 6-1 in their last 7 Conference Quarterfinals games.
Blackhawks are 0-4 in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog of +151 to +200.
Blackhawks are 0-4 in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Blackhawks vs Canucks
When: Thursday, April 21, 10:00 PM ET
Pick: Canucks -210
Point-Spreads.com recommends you check out NHL Point Spreads before Blackhawks vs Canucks game.
The Bottom Line: The Canucks are unbeatable on home ice. Book your tee times now Chicago. Be sure to check Blackhawks vs Canucks Hockey Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
