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A couple of swings and misses<\/a> isn\u2019t how I wanted to return to Deadspin<\/i>, but there\u2019s still a full weekend ahead and a rare two-bet excursion to ride through Saturday.<\/p>\n From the late slate tonight, we\u2019re focusing on a matchup between two Western Conference bottom-feeders.<\/p>\n The Chicago Blackhawks, of course, are once again anchored near the cellar for the fourth straight season. Opposing them will be the Anaheim Ducks, who aren\u2019t as low in the standings but are still outside a playoff spot and in danger of missing the postseason for a seventh consecutive year.<\/p>\n Offense has been the biggest issue for both sides, as the Ducks are scoring the fewest goals per game in the league with 2.55. Chicago, meanwhile, is barely ahead of them, averaging just 2.66. Stout goaltending could keep things tight tonight.<\/p>\n Neither starting goalie has been confirmed yet, but after Petr Mrazek was tagged for five goals Wednesday night \u2014 his second consecutive outing with that result \u2014 we can anticipate Arvid Soderblom as the starting netminder.<\/p>\n While the Hawks are enduring yet another disappointing campaign, Soderblom has been one of the few bright spots. The 25-year-old Swede is having his best season to date, posting career-best marks in goals-against average (3.02) and save percentage (.906).<\/p>\n Soderblom\u2019s play appears to have also propelled him past Mrazek for the starting job. His 7-15-5 record may not shine, but like with starting pitchers in baseball, a win-loss record isn\u2019t always indicative of performance<\/a>. Blackhawks goalies are facing more shots per game (31.71) than all but one other team (San Jose Sharks).<\/p>\n Despite this, a matchup with the NHL\u2019s lowest-scoring team can help mitigate that tendency. Plus, we\u2019ll have the guy we\u2019d want behind the pipes in Soderblom.<\/p>\n Allowing a lot of shots and generating very little offense is obviously not a recipe for success. We\u2019ll depend on that latter habit, as Chicago averages the fewest shots per game in the NHL (24.8).<\/p>\n There are definitely some talented skaters within the Blackhawks offense \u2014 like Connor Bedard, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ryan Donato \u2014 but lack of depth outside of them really puts a cap on the team\u2019s collective scoring.<\/p>\n No matter who\u2019s in net for the Ducks, it\u2019ll be someone reliable. Lukas Dostal had a very strong first half of the season, earning borderline All-Star consideration \u2014 had the game been played this year. John Gibson is a consistently strong veteran.<\/p>\n