After being off since their defeat to the New York Islanders on Saturday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning (15-3-2) will be back in action tonight when they host the Chicago Blackhawks at AMALIE Arena for a nationally televised contest.
We are all aware of how well the Bolts are playing 20 games into the 2017-18 season. Even though the St. Louis Blues surpassed them last night for the most points in the National Hockey League, Tampa is still regarded as the top team in the business right now.
But, how about tonight's opponent?
The Blackhawks are at a bit of a crossroads as they appear to have fallen from the powerhouse status we are used to but are not as terrible as some people make them seem.
At 10-8-2, Chicago currently sits fifth place in the Central Division and are on a two-game winning streak. They are four points out of a divisional playoff spot and one point behind a wild card spot, though it is still incredibly early. In addition, the Blackhawks have performed pretty consistently whether at home or on the road, having a 5-4-1 record in each setting.
Looking at the numbers, Chicago has been a prime example of a "middle of the road" type team. They find themselves in the middle of the pack offensively ranking 12th among teams in goals per game, averaging 3.05. The Blackhawks have been stronger on the opposite side of the ice, according to the numbers, allowing only 2.65 goals a game. However, this is mostly attributed to the stellar play of Corey Crawford in net.
The power play has been quite awful to this point. Chicago ranks 26th in the NHL, converting on only 16.1% of the team's opportunities. On the other hand, the penalty kill has been quite strong, preventing the opposition from scoring on a man-advantage 84.9% of the time.
This is not the frightening Blackhawks team we have grown accustomed to over the years. Still, they have necessary star power to get the job done on any given night. The Lightning should not take them lightly, especially if they want to prevent a losing streak from occurring.
Puck drop is currently scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
Sidenote
I would like to get back to doing the mailbag post on Sundays where I answer your Tampa Bay Lightning questions. If you have a question for the mailbag, contact me via Twitter at @JohnPGove. If you do not have a Twitter, I can be contacted via email at [email protected]. However, I'd prefer contact through Twitter if possible.
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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