Chicago has had another disappointing season this season, the Hawks have long since lost their playoff chances and are in the penultimate place in the overall Western Conference table. The defence regularly makes mistakes (254 missed pucks, one of the highest rates in the NHL), especially when playing against fast opponents. Nevertheless, the home arena can add motivation to the Hawks, and they will look to show their characteristic fighting game.
New Jersey has a good chance at the playoffs, the team is in 3rd place in the Metropolitan Division, but the Devils have only 1 win in the last 5 games, so the gap between Islanders and New Jersey has shrunk to 7 points, a situation that needs to be rectified urgently.
Taking into account the current conditions of both teams, the match promises to be productive and entertaining, although New Jersey is not distinguished by high performance this season. ‘Hawks’ will try to impose the fight in physical terms, and “devils” will try to use their speed and technique to crack the already weak defence of Chicago.
Prediction: at least 5 goals to be scored. We recommend the "Over 5" bet, odds 1.46
