The Western Conference Semifinals matchup between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings will stage Game 6 of this best-of-seven series this Monday night at Joe Louis Arena with the Red Wings holding the 3-2 edge. The game is set to get underway at 8 p.m. (ET), and it will be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network.

Chicago lived to fight another day with a convincing 4-1 victory this past Saturday in Game 5 as a -172 home favorite. This was after it fell behind three games to one in this series. The total was a “push” on a closing line of five. The total has stayed “under” or ended as a push in the first five games of this series.

The Red Wings lost Game 1 of this series by the same 4-1 score as +175 road underdogs, but went on to reel off three straight victories by a combined score of 9-2 as an underdog in every game. The total has stayed under or ended as a push in 10 of Detroit’s 12 games in the postseason.

Blackhawks at Red Wings Betting Storylines

The Blackhawks came into this Central Division showdown as heavy favorites to advance to the conference finals, but they have had their hands full for much of the way. The momentum may have finally swung back into their favor with this past Saturday’s win after being frustrated at every turn in the previous three games. With the scored tied at one midway through the second period, Andrew Shaw notched the eventual game-winning goal to give Chicago the 2-1 edge. Jonathan Toews made it 3-1 with less than five minutes to play in the second, and Shaw scored his second goal of the game around seven minutes into the third.

This is what you would expect from the second-highest scoring team in the NHL this season, but even more important was the play of Corey Crawford in goal. He has not always been at his best in this series, but he returned to form just in time to turn away 25 of the 26 shots he faced. In 10 postseason games, Crawford has a goals-against average of 1.66 and a .938 save percentage.

Detroit has to be happy with the way it dominated Games 2 through 4 in this series, but it also knows that it still needs one more victory over its bitter rival to earn a spot in the Western Conference Finals. That will be a much harder task on the road in a Game 7, so the pressure to end this series Monday night on its home ice continues to mount. Center’s Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are a big reason that the Red Wings built that 3-1 series lead in the first place, but other than Zetterberg’s assist on their only goal of the night in Game 5, they were pretty much shut down in that loss. They will need to quickly regain that form on Monday that led to a combined six goals and 13 assists in these playoffs.

Another huge part of a winning equation will be the play of Jimmie Howard in goal. He has gone the distance for Detroit in its first 12 playoff games and comes into this clash with a GAA of 2.36 and a .927 save percentage. He was brilliant in goal in the Red Wings three-game tear in this series but less than stellar in both 4-1 losses. Whichever version shows up in Game 6 will go a long way towards determining the ultimate outcome.

Blackhawks at Red Wings NHL Game 6 Betting Odds and Trends

Chicago comes into this Game 6 showdown listed as a -135 road favorite on BetOnline’s opening money line with the Red Wings listed as +123 home underdogs. The “over/under” for this contest has been set at 5.

The Blackhawks are 36-15 in their last 51 games following a win but just 1-4 in their last five games on the road. The total has stayed under in eight of their last 11 games playing on one day’s rest.

The Red Wings are 15-5 in their last 20 games playing on one day’s rest and 5-1 in their last six games after scoring two or less goals in their previous outing. The total has stayed under in seven of their last 11 home games.

Head-to-head in this matchup, the home team is 5-1 in the last six meetings, and the total has stayed under in 15 of the last 21 games played in Detroit. Chicago has a 7-3 edge in the last 10 meetings overall.

Blackhawks at Red Wings Picks and Game 6 Predictions

Look for the Blackhawks to come out firing in this showdown as their best chance to win this game is to get on the scoreboard first. Given the past trends in this series, the best play could be the under on the total line, but if playing a side stick with Chicago to get that all important first goal that ultimately leads to a win on Monday night.

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