Maple Leafs Vs. Blackhawks Preview: Chicago Hosts Toronto

The Chicago Blackhawks are hoping to finish off what's been a maddeningly inconsistent February by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night. The Blackhawks are currently riding a three-game losing streak, but the Maple Leafs have actually struggled even more of late.

Since Feb. 6, Toronto has won just one game, a 4-3 overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers. The Maple Leafs have lost the other nine games that they've played since that date, plummeting in the standings as a result. Chicago has had similar issues this month, including a nine-game losing streak that began in late January, but the Blackhawks at least rolled off four straight wins at one point in the month.

The Blackhawks have struggled on offense without captain Jonathan Toews, scoring just twice in their past three games, all losses. Toews has missed the past four games with what appears to be a concussion, and the expectation is that he'll be forced to sit out against Toronto. Generally one of the NHL's top scoring teams, Chicago needs to get its mojo back on offense as the playoffs near.

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