A lot has changed since the Chicago Blackhawks bested the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, but now the two teams find themselves in somewhat similar circumstances.
At least, they do if you look at it strictly from the perspective of the 2017-18 season. Both the Blackhawks (5-5-2) and Philadelphia Flyers (6-5-1) are hanging in there in their respective conferences, yet each team likely identifies plenty of areas for improvement.
Even with the Blackhawks’ and Flyers’ issues, there is still plenty of firepower on hand. To start off Wednesday’s doubleheader of NBCSN games, we get to see the powerful Claude Giroux - Sean Couturier - Jakub Voracek line (along with a power play featuring Wayne Simmonds) square off against Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and the rest of Chicago’s big names.
It should be a fun one, and a useful barometer for two prominent NHL teams. You can also watch online and via the NBC Sports App.
For a full preview of both NBCSN games (tonight also features the Sharks and Predators), check out this post.
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.