The Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks hope to develop back into Western Conference powerhouses soon. This home opener will be entertaining.
The Chicago Blackhawks' home portion of the season is about to begin. They will get things going at the United Center with the San Jose Sharks in town.
This game would have the hype of being the two most recent teams to select first overall, but an injury keeps it from being a story. Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard is good to go but reigning Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini is going to be out.
San Jose does have other reasons to be excited about this game. The NCAA’s leading scorer from last season, Will Smith, will play for the Sharks and is looking for his first career NHL goal (and point).
Outside of Smith, other exciting players like William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund are sure to bring fans out of their seats. With a veteran like Tyler Toffolo joining the team and already making an impact, this Sharks group is exciting to watch again.
Now, after a 1-2-1 road trip, the Hawks have a chance to come find success on home ice and bring some excitement themselves. Connor Bedard is fire to start the season with five points. Seth Jones and Teurvo Teravainen share the team lead with five points as well.
Bringing it home to the United Center fans is something that people have been excited about since the end of last year. Everything about this team revolves around the future and fans will get it right in front of their eyes for the first time this season.
With the way that the draft has shaken out over the last handful of years, San Jose and Chicago are both hoping for many deep playoff runs down the line. That may mean some head-to-head postseason battles in the coming years.
The fact that these two teams are facing off to open the home schedule for Chicago makes it extra exciting. The league will be getting a glimpse of what may lie ahead in the Western Conference.
Fans attending the game will have tons of activities to participate in around the United Center. The Blackhawks put out a schedule of things that can be done/seen.
The Blackhawks will start Petr Mrazek in the net for the home opener. He has been very good to start the year and hopes to keep that magic alive at home.
We will also see Nick Foligno make his home debut as Blackhawks captain. He'll get some power play time with Bedard, Tervainen, Jones, and Tyler Bertuzzi. That group has been great so far and is looking to continue making their impact.
This home opener against the Sharks will kick off a four-game home stand for them following that four-game road trip. Now is the time to get that home cooking started.