SCOUTING THE FIRST-ROUND OPPONENT

No. 1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. No. 8 Wild

Records: Blackhawks 36-7-5; Wild 26-19-3.

Head-to-head record: Wild was 1-2 (shootout win) and was outscored 8-5.

Blackhawks' top scorers: Patrick Kane 23 goals, 55 points in 47 games, Jonathan Toews 23 goals, 48 points in 47 games; Marian Hossa 17 goals, 31 points in 40 games.

Wild's top scorers: Zach Parise 18 goals, 38 points in 48 games, Mikko Koivu 11 goals, 37 points in 48 games, Jason Pominville 14 goals, 34 points in 47 games (between Buffalo and Minnesota).

Top goalies: Corey Crawford, Blackhawks, 19-5-5, 1.94 goals against average, .926 save percentage, three shutouts. Niklas Backstrom, Wild, 24-15-3, 2.48 goals against average, .909 save percentage, two shutouts.

Comment: The President's Trophy-winning Blackhawks, who opened the season on a 24-game point streak, have scored the most goals in the Western Conference, given up the fewest goals in the NHL and have a league-best plus-53 goal differential. Their only blemish is a power play in the bottom half of the NHL. They're equally good home and away, going 18-4-2 on the road and are 18-3-3 at United Center.

MICHAEL RUSSO