There's still plenty of hockey left in the regular season before a winner is crowned in the Central Division. But Sunday's game between the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center has a chance to be one that goes a long ways toward deciding an eventual champion.
The Wild begins the day three points ahead of the Blackhawks with one game in hand. Chicago, however, has momentum in the season series, having won each of the past two meetings -- both at Xcel Energy Center.
These two teams couldn't be more evenly matched, with both clubs at or near the top of most Western Conference statistical measures.
Minnesota won the only game in Chicago, a 3-2 decision on Jan. 15. Chicago won in overtime in the first meeting in Minnesota on Feb. 8 and a 5-3 win (with an empty netter) just 13 days later.
Sunday's game marks the final game of the regular season between the rivals.
"We know it's going to be a tough one. They've been playing some great hockey," said Wild forward Zach Parise. "We know it's going to be a good game, a tough game and we're excited for the challenge."
The game Sunday could also set the table for a potential postseason meeting down the line. If it happens, it would be the fourth time in the past five years the clubs would play in the playoffs.
But that's still quite a ways off. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau has stressed a week-by-week approach all season, and that means trying to earn a winning week with a victory against the Blackhawks.
"When you play Chicago, you want to win the game. That's the only impression I want to leave," Boudreau said. "They're gonna play with the same tenacity they've played against us in the first three. It's not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination."
