The Chicago Blackhawks look to end their current six-game road trip on a positive note, as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning later this afternoon.
Chicago enters the game 2-5-1 in the month of March, having lost five of their last six games in regulation. Chicago is 1-4-1 against the Lightning this season, being outscored 26-14 in the process. The Blackhawks still are in a playoff spot in the Central Division with 33 points and a .550 points percentage. Tampa Bay tops the Division with 44 points and a .759 points percentage, Tampa Bay is also tied with the Washington Capitals for the most points in the NHL.
Broadcast Info
Puck Drop: 3:00 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH, SUN
Radio: WGN 720 AM / TUDN 1200 AM
Expected Lineups
Blackhawks (14-12-5, 33 pts)
DeBrincat – Suter – Kane
Kubalík – Kämpf – Hagel
Janmark – Carpenter – Strome
Wallmark – Söderberg – Kurashev
de Haan – Boqvist
Keith – Murphy
Mitchell – Zadorov
Subban
Lankinen
Lightning (21-6-2, 44 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)
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 +215 on the moneyline according to the DraftKings Illinois Sportsbook. You can go right here to sign up and make a bet.
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What To Watch For
• With a goal and an assist against the Lightning on Thursday, Mattias Janmark recorded his fifth multi-point game of the season and second against the Lightning. The goal on Thursday was his 10th of the year, marking the first time he has scored double-digit goals in a season since he tallied a career-high 19 during the 2017-18 season. Janmark has three goals and six points in his last six games.
• Andrei Vasilevskiy likely gets the start again for the Lightning this afternoon. He is undefeated this season against the Blackhawks (5-0-0) and has a .930 save percentage against Chicago this season. Vasilevskiy is on a 10-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s action. The only goalie other than Vasilevskiy to have three 10-game winning streaks in his career is Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur.
• Chicago and Tampa Bay got chippy in Thursday night’s contest. The Lightning were looking to get a bit of revenge on Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy for his high-hit on Erik Cernak earlier in the month. Murphy did not answer the challenges to fight on Thursday night, following orders from the Blackhawks coaching staff not to engage. Murphy and head coach Jeremy Colliton made it clear that the fight would be unwarranted and that Murphy means too much to the Blackhawks to be sitting for a five-minute fighting major. We’ll see if Tampa Bay’s frustrations continue this afternoon.
Get Caught Up …
Colliton after Blackhawks practice today:
"We expect to be in the race. We expect to be playing in huge games here, right down to the wire. And we expect to get ourselves in a playoff series."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 19, 2021
Jeremy Colliton not releasing lineup until game time. Blackhawks vs. Tampa Bay at 1:30 p.m.
I'm guessing he goes with Malcolm Subban (4-3-1, .907, 3.04 GAA) in net.
Goals allowed last six starts:
6 to Dallas
3 to Tampa Bay
5 to Detroit
0 to Columbus
2 to Detroit
1 to Dallas— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) March 20, 2021
Carpenter: "When adversity happens, sometimes it feels like games are harder to win… But adversity is good for a team and hopefully we get out of it sooner than later."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 19, 2021
Jeremy Colliton is very upset about the Lightning trying to provoke Connor Murphy into a fight for his 3/7 hit on Erik Cernak.
"If Hedman finishes a hard check on Murph, I don't think [Tampa is] going to love if we've got guys chasing him around the ice."
His full comments: pic.twitter.com/yUly40qDS0
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 20, 2021