Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
#4: Washington Capitals Vs. Blackhawks
On February 28th, the Caps travel to Chicago to take on the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks on NBC at 12:30 PM. This will be the second time that the 2015 Winter Classic participants will be facing off in the 2015-2016 season, as they will also square off at the Verizon Center on October 15th. This is an intriguing match up because these two teams played two very close games in 2014-2015, as the Caps won both of the games between the two by a combined two goals.
Barry Trotz and Joel Quenneville are two of the best head coaches in the NHL. Whenever those two square off against each other, it’s a chess match. The smartest man usually wins. Though that has been Q in the past, last season, Trotz got the best of Quenneville twice. Coach Q will surely be out for revenge.
Another reason to get hyped for this match up is because of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane taking on Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. They are four of the best forwards in the NHL. They’ll see quite a bit of each other next season as Trotz and Quenneville both like to match their best lines against their opponent’s best lines.
Chicago sure will look different when the Washington Capitals play them in February. The following players won’t be there.
Despite that, I think the Caps and Hawks will play each other close.
Next: #3: First Round Rematch