Could the sticky Edmonton Oilers make it three for three against the Stanley Cup Holders The Chicago Blackhawks? Stranger things have happened, but it’s the way these teams’ seasons are going that stops me betting the house on Chicago….Anything can happen!

Chicago lifted the Stanley Cup last season and were expect to add good to good, but they rebounded badly and only managed two wins in their first four games, then managed just seven wins (one OT and one SO) in all of October.

The true Blackhawk low point of October was when the struggling Oilers turned up in Chicago and trounced them 7-4!

November started badly for the Blackhawks as they had back to back losses against the Rangers and the Devils, before they got a win against the Atlanta Thrashers, then came the re-match with the Oilers on Madison Street. 

The last time these teams met (7th November) most analysts (including me) expected a Chicago win and we were WRONG!

Chicago got off to the best possible start as former Oiler Fernando Pisani opened the scoring that  night in Chicago, but former Blackhawk Nikolai Khaninulin got the last laugh, as the Russian aka The Nyet Minder backstopped the Oilers to a 2-1 win.

Chicago got 24 saves from backup Corey Crawford in his fourth start and fifth game of the season. But for the fifth time in their six home setbacks, the Blackhawks lost the game in the third.

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville attributed the blame to that tricky final period and unreliable home ice, “I think that's our sore spot this year: The inability to close teams out and win at home.” Wise words!

It was a pair of third-period goals in 14-seconds, from Kurtis Foster and Sam Gagner for Edmonton, which gave the club a perfect start to their five-game road trip.

It was no comfort to the Hawks that Edmonton failed to match that performance during the rest of their tour and lost all four of their remaining away games. Their road trip ending 1-3-1, letting in a total of 25 goals in those four games; 7-1, 6-2, 4-3, and 8-2 respectively, (the team are 4-9-3 overall), and sit in 15th place in the NHL's Western Conference.

In their last game the Oilers managed to keep up with the New York Rangers for the first 25 minutes of the Sunday matinee, but were soon overwhelmed and New York scored seven straight goals to seal an inspiring 8-2 win.

Now Chicago start a six game, 11 day road trip!

After the second Edmonton defeat Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell said, “Losing two games to these guys in our own building is not a good thing. It's unacceptable. We've got to get a little mad in the locker room and go out there and win some more battles."

Since the 7th the Hawks have managed one shoot out loss (3-4 against the Predators) and a 3-2 OT win against the Anaheim Ducks, so expect the real bounce back to come at Edmonton.

It’s what the Blackhawks want, to humble the Oilers on their home territory, and more importantly it’s what they need.

Losing a third time to the Oilers simply isn’t acceptable for the Cup Holders.

However….when two unpredictable teams meet, expect the unexpected.

NHL betting odds are not out yet for this game, but bookmark the page and come back as we will have live lines from top sportsbooks below.

Best betting tip of the day, take a coin out your pocket assign one side “Blackhawks Revenge” and the other “Oilers make it three” and toss it.

I just have….

NHL Free Pick:  Blackhawks revenge, 4-1.