San Jose Sharks v Chicago Blackhawks Live

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Given the fact that the Sharks were the undisputed favorites to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, it is certainly surprising that the team around Joe Thornton dropped two straight at home to open the Western Conference Finals. Thus, Dany Heatley and the San Jose Sharks will try to bounce back when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday at 7 p.m. GMT.

In contrast, things could hardly look any better for the Hawks as they are just two wins away from their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 1991. Especially at the defensive end of the ice Patrick Kane and company have been phenomenal versus San Jose's dynamic offense as they held the Sharks to just three goals in the first two games. Even more surprising is their ability to close out contested games on the road versus a veteran team like the Sharks, after all, Chicago's roster is built around a young and fairly inexperienced core.

In contrast, the Sharks are under considerable pressure to get their act together to avoid another disappointing playoff elimination down the stretch. Having posted the best record in the Western Conference in two consecutive seasons, the franchise's front-office would evidently like to see the team's success also translating into post-season play. Most importantly, San Jose's offensive lines will have to do a better job of putting pressure on Chicago's defense as the Sharks were too passive thus far. Taking everything into consideration, the Blackhawks might have an advantage playing in front of their home crowd with a 2-0 series lead, yet they will have to bring their A-game to prevent San Jose from stealing one on the road.

You can watch all games of the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks right here on www.watchlivenhl.com, the home of NHL live streaming.

Posted: 23th December 2009

Leading the Western Conference after nearly three months of play, the Sharks’ front-office is very content with the way the team around Dany Heatley performed thus far. Hoping to secure another win, San Jose will take on the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Wednesday at 1 a.m. GMT.

Albeit most experts expected the Hawks to make it to the post-season, very few thought that Patrick Kane and company could possible be in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference. Yet, Chicago posted an outstanding 21-8-3 record and is currently holding on to the second place, trailing the Sharks by just two points. Without any doubts, much of coach Joel Quenneville’s squad’s success can be attributed to the exceptional defense in this year’s NHL campaign. In fact, the Hawks are the best defensive team in the league and held their opponents to just 2.1 goals per contest. Likewise, Chicago was able to score when needed and closed out contested games more often than not. After eleven weeks of play, Patrick Kane leads the Blackhawks with 10 goals and 23 assists for a total of 33 points.

Much like Chicago, San Jose performed very well thus far and had no problems integrating All-Star Dany Heatley who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators during the off-season. Like in recent years, the Sharks relied to a large extent on their dynamic offense to win games rather than shutting down opposing offensive lines. More specifically, San Jose scored no less than 115 goals in just 35 games, led by the performance of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley. So far, Heatley, Marleau and Thornton combined for 51 goals and 122 points and will most likely make an appearance at the 2009-10 NHL All-Star game. That said, the Sharks did not play particularly bad at the other end either as they allowed 2.6 goals per contest. Taking everything into consideration, the encounter between San Jose and Chicago still seems to be anyone’s game. Both teams are right at the top of the Western Conference and will most likely be on a fairly level playing field on Wednesday night. Although the Hawks might not have the offensive firing power of the Sharks, they should be able to stay within striking distance due to their efficient defense.

You can watch all games of the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks right here on www.watchlivenhl.com, the home of NHL live streaming.