NEWSLETTER
In what was supposed to be the first game of a two-game set on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes has turned into a one-game trip for the Chicago Blackhawks. On Friday morning, the NHL announced that the Saturday tilt between the Blackhawks and Hurricanes would be postponed and that the Hurricanes would instead play the Tamp Bay Lightning.
The Saturday matchup between Chicago and Carolina will be rescheduled at a later date, with Friday night’s game being played as scheduled. None of it being COVID-related.
One-Timers
•  The Blackhawks now have three days off between playing the Hurricanes on Friday night and their Tuesday night game against the Blue Jackets in Columbus. It’s the first time they will have a three-day layoff between games this season with the only other previously scheduled three-day break coming April 18-20.
•  Chicago is 1-0-1 this season against the Hurricanes, having played them twice at the United Center just over two weeks ago. The Blackhawks are 5-1-0 since last playing the Hurricanes and are 7-1-1 in their last nine games. Since starting the season 0-3-1, the Blackhawks are 9-2-3 over their past 14 games and find themselves one point ahead of the Hurricanes in the Central Division standings, but behind them based on points percentage.
•  Alex DeBrincat is averaging a career-high 20:10 minutes per game this season. He is second on the Blackhawks with 17 points this season, leading the team in goals with nine. DeBrincat has notched six multi-point games this season in just 14 games played.
Puck Drops and Broadcast Info
•  Friday, February 19 at 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH, FS-CR, NHLN
Radio: WGN 720 AM / TUDN 1200-AM
Expected Lineups
Blackhawks (9-5-4, 22 pts)
DeBrincat – Suter – Kane
Hagel – Strome – KubalÃk
Janmark – Söderberg – Kurashev
Carpenter – Kämpf
Keith – Mitchell
de Haan – Carlsson
Zadorov – Beaudin
Boqvist
Lankinen
Subban
Hurricanes (10-3-1, 21 pts)
McGinn – Aho – Teravainen
Niederreiter – Trocheck – Necas
Svechnikov – Staal – Foegele
Martinook – Paquette – Fast
Slavin – Hamilton
Gardiner – Pesce
Skjei – Bean
Reimer
Nedeljkovic
Tale of the Tape
Powerplay
Blackhawks: 32.7% (3rd)
Hurricanes: 28.3% (8th)
Penalty-Kill
Blackhawks: 82.1% (12th)
Hurricanes: 80.4% (13th)
Faceoffs
Blackhawks: 47.2% (25th)
Hurricanes: 54.4% (2nd)
Goals Per Game
Blackhawks: 2.89 (17th)
Hurricanes: 3.57 (3rd)
Goals Against Per Game
Blackhawks: 2.72 (14th)
Hurricanes: 2.86 (17th)
Top Scorer
Blackhawks: Patrick Kane – 7 goals, 16 assists, 23 points
Hurricanes: Jordan Staal – 7 goals, 8 assists, 15 points
Injury Report
Blackhawks:
Brent Seabrook (IR – Lower Back)
Zack Smith (IR – Back)
Andrew Shaw (IR – Concussion)
Kirby Dach (LTIR – Wrist)
Alex Nylander (LTIR – Knee)
Jonathan Toews (LTIR – Illness)
Connor Murphy (Day-to-day – Hip)
Hurricanes:Â
Petr Mrazek (Day-to-day – Thumb)
Max McCormick (IR – Upper Body)
Keep An Eye Out For
Brandon Hagel Will Score. He will. Brandon Hagel is going to score his first NHL goal. Very soon. How about tonight?
Hagel — still searching for his first NHL goal — said he asked DeBrincat after practice recently for some tips.
"He's a pure goal-scorer, he knows how to score. I asked him what he thought of some situations."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 19, 2021
Carolina Big Guns. Jordan Staal, Vincent Trocheck, and Andrei Svechnikov are all riding multi-game point streaks heading into this game against the Blackhawks. Staal has six points over his last four games, Trocheck has seven points in his last five games, and Svechnikov has an assist in each of his last four games. Svechnikov also has eight points in his last nine games played.
