The reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks visit the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET. Listen to the live radio broadcast HERE or watch the live stream HERE.
Chicago is 1-0-1 after two games. Chicago and St. Louis have a growing rivalry, marked by intensity and hard hits. The Blackhawks and their explosive offense are expecting a physical game from the Blues, according to ESPN.
"We know they're going to try and bring that physical element to the game," said Patrick Kane, via ESPN. "That's fine with us, we'll play that way and try to capitalize on power plays and scoring chances, whatever it may be."
Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell added: "We feel they're our new rivalry now with Detroit leaving the division. It's going to be a like a playoff atmosphere for sure because they're physical and a hard team to play against in their building."
With the realignment of the Central division, the games between Chicago and St. Louis are even more significant.
"You're looking at St. Louis thinking this could be a very important game the way things set up over the course of the season," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. "I'm sure they're excited about playing us as well."
St. Louis goes into Wednesday's match looking for their third straight win. The Blues may not have household names on their roster, but the team has proven they can slug it out with some of the best teams in the NHL.
"We knew all along that we probably don't have that superstar talent, but we're a grinding team that's solid throughout," Blues winger Brenden Morrow said. "Anyone can be the hero any given night."
