The set-up: The 21-15-6 Chicago Blackhawks will welcome the 22-17-4 Minnesota Wild to the United Center for the opener of the team's six-game homestand. Patrick Kaner registered a career-high five points in Chicago's 8-2 triumph at Ottawa on Tuesday, meaning the Blackhawks have a chance for their first three-game winning streak since mid-December when they face off tonight against the Wild. Chicago had a five-game winning streak from Dec. 8-17. Minnesota comes in having dropped two straight after Tuesday's 3-2 overtime defeat at home to Calgary. The Wild did erase a two-goal deficit in the third period to collect one point in the standings but are winless in their past two games after winning four of the previous five contests. Along with Chicago, they are one of a half-dozen teams separated by a couple points in a crowded Western Conference playoff race.

Minnesota: Mikael Granlund (12 goals and 32 points) notched a goal and an assist in last night's loss. Nino Niederreiter, who sits third on the team with 13 goals (but has only six assists), is back on the shelf with a nagging ankle injury that sidelined him two previous times this season (he's expected to miss at least one week). Eric Staal leads the team in goals and is one shy of reaching the 20-goal plateau for the 11th time in 14 seasons (19 goals and 37 points). Minnesota will likely turn to Devan Dubnyk in net, after he rested Tuesday against the Flames in the first game of a back-to-back set. Dubnyk is 15-9-2 with a 2.72 GAA and .916 save percentage this season and he is 11-8-0 with a 2.90 GAA and .915 save percentage in 22 career appearances against Chicago.

Chicago: The Blackhawks have surged recently despite the absences of No. 1 goaltender Corey Crawford and veteran center Artem Anisimov, both of whom have upper-body injuries. Minus Crawford, the Blackhawks have split time between goaltenders Anton Forsberg and Jeff Glass. Forsberg started Tuesday in Ottawa and made 25 saves to improve to 3-5-3 on the season. In his only career start against Minnesota, he stopped 29 of 31 shots but drew the loss. Glass, a 32-year-old rookie, has yet to face Minnesota in his brief NHL career. He has a 2-1-1 record with a 3.51 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in his first four starts. It wasn't just Kane (18 goals & 45 points) last night for Chicago. Nick Schmaltz (12 goals & 31 points) recorded two tallies and an assist, extending his goal-scoring streak to four games in the process, while captain Jonathan Toews (14 goals & 312 points) also scored twice as 12 of the Blackhawks' 18 skaters landed on the scoresheet.

The pick: Both teams will play on short rest after each played last night. "It seems that every team is up there, and it's very close, and one win or one loss takes teams in or out of the playoffs," Wild captain Mikko Koivu said to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "That's the way it's going to be all the way to the end. That's why every game is critical." This is the fourth meeting of the regular season between the division rivals. The Wild won the first game 5-2 on Oct. 12 at the United Center. The Blackhawks responded with a 2-0 win on Nov. 4 at the Xcel Energy Center and a 4-1 win on Dec. 17 back at the United Center. Chicago is 11-6-2 at home this season. Minnesota is 8-13-1 on the road.Is Chicago ready for its first three-game winning streak since mid-December? I think so. The Blackhawks have scored four-plus goals in four consecutive games and five of their past six, including that 8-2 shellacking of the Ottawa Senators last night. Make Chicago a 10* play.