Warning: mysqli_query(): (HY000/1030): Got error 28 from storage engine in /home/sportsun/public_html/wp-includes/wp-db.php on line 1942

Columbus Blue Jackets (28-23-6) @ Chicago Blackhawks (29-22-6)

Time: 8:30 pm EST

Our Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks 5-3

Expert Picks: Available Here!

Preview: Two teams from the Central Division of the Western Conference will battle it out at the United Center on Friday evening.

The Columbus Blue Jackets with their 62 points will tangle with the Blackhawks and their 64 points. Both teams are fighting for one of the final postseason spots in the Western Conference. The Blue Jackets are coming off a tough 4-3 shoot-out loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night. Columbus is led by left wing Rick Nash. Nash has scored 27 goals and dished out 25 assists on the season. The Blue Jackets as a team rank 21st in the league, scoring 2.6 goals per game.

Chicago comes into the game without their head coach Joel Quenneville remains in the hospital with gastrointestinal bleeding. The Blackhawks after winning the Stanley Cup last season have struggled to find consistency from their team. Chicago ranks fourth in the NHL in goals, as they are scoring 3.1 per game. The Blackhawks leading man on offense has been Jonathan Toews, with 31 assists and 19 goals.

My Betting Predictions: Chicago finds a way to win at home and moves a step closer to the postseason berth. Blackhawks 5-3.