Chicago Blackhawks (24-24-8) at Vegas Golden Knights (36-15-4)
9:00PM Central
RADIO: WGN 720
PROJECTED GOALIES:
Chicago:
Jeff Glass (3-5-3, 3.24 GAA, .899 Save%)
Vegas:
Marc-Andre Fleury (16-6-2, 2.07 GAA, .932 Save%)
PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS:
Chicago:
Saad-Toews-Duclair
Schmaltz-Anisimov-Kane
Bouma-Wingels-DeBrincat
Jurco-Kampf-Hinostroza
Keith-Oesterle
Gustafsson-Seabrook
Dahlstrom-Murphy
Vegas:
Smith-Karlsson-Marchessault
Perron-Haula-Neal
Lindberg-Eakin-Tuch
Carpenter-Bellemare-Leipsic
Mcnabb-Schmidt
Engelland-Theodore
Miller-Hunt
STATISTICAL COMPARISIONS:
Power Play:
Chicago 15.4% (29th)
Vegas 20.9% (13th)
Penalty Kill:
Chicago 82.5% (9th)
Vegas 82.0% (12th)
Corsi FOR % (5-on-5):
Chicago 53.5% (2nd)
Vegas 51.9% (7th)
Faceoffs:
Chicago 49.5% (18th)
Vegas 49.1% (22nd)
SUMMARY:
Riding a fresh six-game losing streak, the Blackhawks head to Las Vegas for the second of a back to back against arguably the best team in the Western Conference. This also marks the final game of a three-game road trip that has the Hawks playing progressively worse hockey each night.
The Golden Knights are 3-3 this month, most recently losing to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. The Blackhawks are 0-2 against the expansion team, giving up a combined nine goals in the two losses.
With the Blackhawks playing their worst hockey of the season, it is hard to imagine they can go to Vegas and keep up with the speedy Golden Knights in the second game of a back to back. They couldn’t even keep up with the last place Coyotes in Arizona last night! But, that is why they play the game, and the Hawks should, key word should, come out with the most urgency we have seen all season.
I’d expect to see Jeff Glass in net for the Hawks, as Anton Forsberg did not look good last night against Arizona. I would also look for a similar lineup to what was seen in their previous game.
We’ll recap tonight or tomorrow AM. Join the conversation below!
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