NEWSLETTER
The meat-grinder month of March for the Chicago Blackhawks continues tonight, as they head up I-75 to Tampa to take on the Lightning for the sixth time this season.
We knew the month would be a difficult one for the Blackhawks, and it has been. March started with the Blackhawks hosting the Lightning and going 1-1-1 in a three-game set. Not bad. But since then, Chicago is just 1-3-0 and 2-4-1 for the month. Speaking of records, the Blackhawks are 1-3-1 against the Lightning this season, being outscored 22-11 in five meetings. Chicago still is in a playoff spot in the Central Division, sitting in fourth based on points (33) and points percentage (.550), while the Lightning are tied for first-place with the Florida Panthers in both points (42) and points percentage (.750).
Broadcast Info
Puck Drop: 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH, SUN, ESPN+
Radio: WGN 720 AM / TUDN 1200 AM
Expected Lineups
Blackhawks (14-11-5, 33 pts)
DeBrincat – Suter – Kane
Kubalík – Kämpf – Hagel
Janmark – Söderberg – Kurashev
Highmore – Wallmark – Carpenter
(Dylan Strome skates in warmups)
Keith – Boqvist
Zadorov – Murphy
Mitchell – de Haan
Lankinen
Subban
Lightning (20-6-2, 42 pts)
Palat – Point – Cirelli
Killorn – Gourde – Stamkos
Goodrow – Johnson – Coleman
Maroon – Colton – Joseph
Hedman – Rutta
McDonagh – Cernak
Sergachev – Foote
Vasilevskiy
McElhinney
Injury Report
Blackhawks:
Brent Seabrook (LTIR – Retirement)
Zack Smith (LTIR – Back)
Andrew Shaw (LTIR – Concussion)
Kirby Dach (LTIR – Wrist)
Alex Nylander (LTIR – Knee)
Jonathan Toews (LTIR – Illness)
Dylan Strome (IR – Concussion)
Lightning:
Nikita Kucherov (LTIR – Hip Surgery)
Anders Nilsson (LTIR – Concussion)
Marián Gáborík (LTIR – Indefinite)
Mitchell Stephens (LTIR – Indefinite)
Betting Odds
The Blackhawks are +1.5 point underdogs against the Lightning tonight, and find themselves at +205 on the moneyline according to the DraftKings Illinois Sportsbook. You can go right here to sign up and make a bet.
[bet-promo id=”166783″ ]
What To Watch For
• Five Blackhawks players come into tonight’s contest on three-game point streaks. Brandon Hagel (two goals, one assist), David Kämpf (three assists), Patrick Kane (one goal, three assists) , Dominik Kubalík (one goal, two assists) and Duncan Keith (one goal, two assists) all have contributed in the last three games for Chicago. Kane leads the team in scoring with 42 points this season, ranking third in the NHL as he, Connor McDavid (56), and Leon Draisaitl (49) are the only three players to reach the 40-point mark so far this season.
• Andrei Vasilevskiy is 4-0-0 in four starts against the Blackhawks this season, allowing just eight total goals on 122 combined shots. He has won 15 of his last 17 starts (15-2-0), including winning his last nine starts in-a-row. But it hasn’t been all daisies as Vasilevskiy has allowed three goals in each of his last four starts and has a .885 save percentage over that span.
• A pair of “Alex’s” have been the nemesis for each team against one another this season. Alex DeBrincat paces the Blackhawks with four goals and an assist against the Lightning this season, sharing the team lead in points vs. Tampa Bay. While Alex Killorn is on a four-game goal streak against the Blackhawks and has recorded a point in all five games (four goals, four assists) this season to lead the Lightning for scoring against Chicago.
Get Caught Up …
Dylan Strome is on the ice for pregame warmups.
Looks like he could be returning tonight after 11-game absence because of concussion. #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 18, 2021
Jeremy Colliton: "This is great for our team to be tested here and it’s going to make us better once we come through it and once we battle through it. You’ve got to welcome adversity. If — when, WHEN we do respond and improve, that improvement can carry us right through the end."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) March 17, 2021
Jeremy Colliton said Kirby Dach (wrist) is “closer than we thought" to returning, but still no timetable on when that could be. #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 18, 2021
Jeremy Colliton says "we're hoping" Dylan Strome can get in one of these two Tampa games.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) March 18, 2021
Andrei Vasilevskiy starting tonight for #tblightning. Going for 10th win in row. https://t.co/frQGQxDL5y
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) March 18, 2021
Ian Mitchell: "I'm just thankful I got another opportunity right away to get back in the lineup. Hopefully, I can kind of roll with it now and get a chance to redeem myself with two big games against Tampa." #Blackhawks (2/2)
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) March 17, 2021
