United Center Showdown: Chicago Blackhawks Face Off Against Columbus Blue Jackets

As the Chicago Blackhawks prepare to welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets to the United Center, fans can anticipate an intense matchup. The Blackhawks have been experiencing a challenging stretch, with their recent games highlighting areas that need improvement.

In their last encounter against the Nashville Predators at home, the Blackhawks fell short with a final score of 4-2. Despite matching their opponents in faceoff wins and delivering more hits, they struggled to convert shots into goals, achieving only a 5 percent shooting success rate. Their powerplay opportunities remained uncapitalized upon as well.

The game prior was even more demanding for Chicago as they faced off against the New York Rangers. The Rangers dominated by putting seven points on the board compared to just one from the Blackhawks. This game exposed defensive vulnerabilities for Chicago, with a save percentage of only 73 percent and an inability to suppress New York's aggressive offense.

However, looking back at their away game against Minnesota Wild offers some positive takeaways despite another loss (4-1). The Blackhawks showed strength in faceoffs with over 60 percent won and capitalized on powerplay opportunities by scoring once out of five chances.

Fans should watch closely how Chicago addresses these inconsistencies in defense and capitalization on scoring chances when they hit the ice at United Center. With home advantage potentially playing a role in boosting team morale and performance, it's crucial for them to leverage every opportunity if they wish to snap this losing streak.

The upcoming game is scheduled for December 24th at 1:30 AM UTC at United Center in Chicago. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+, Hulu or NBCS-CHI channel number 665.