NEWSLETTER
After the one-off game against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, a 3-0 loss, the Chicago Blackhawks have three two-game sets ahead of them against teams that they are currently ahead of in the Central Division standings. The next nine games for the Blackhawks come against the teams fighting for fourth-place in the Division. It begins tonight against the Dallas Stars. Chicago holds a 3-1-0 record against the Stars this season, but haven’t faced them in a month (March 9th and 11th).
Broadcast Info
Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH, BSSW+, ESPN+
Radio: WGN 720 AM / TUDN 1200 AM
Expected Lineups
Blackhawks (17-17-5, 39 pts)
DeBrincat – Dach – Kane
Kubalík – Kurashev – Hagel
Janmark – Suter – Strome
Hinostroza – Kämpf – Carpenter
Keith – Boqvist
de Haan – Kalynuk
Zadorov – Murphy
Lankinen
Subban
Stars (13-13-10, 36 pts)
Robertson – Hintz – Pavelski
Benn – Dowling – Gurianov
Cogliano – Gardner – Comeau
Caamano – Kero – Dellandrea
Lindell – Klingberg
Oleksiak – Heiskanen
Sekera – Pysyk
Khudobin
Oettinger
Injury Report
Blackhawks:
Brent Seabrook (LTIR – Retirement)
Zack Smith (LTIR – Back)
Andrew Shaw (LTIR – Concussion)
Alex Nylander (LTIR – Knee)
Jonathan Toews (LTIR – Illness)
Stars:
Radek Faksa (Day-to-day – Upper Body)
Jason Dickinson (Day-to-day – Lower Body)
Thomas Harley (Day-to-day – Lower Body)
Joel Hanley (Day-to-day – Lower Body)
Joel Kiviranta (Day-to-day – Lower Body)
Alexander Radulov (IR – Lower body)
Ben Bishop (LTIR – Knee Surgery)
Stephen Johns (LTIR – Head Injury)
Tyler Seguin (Indefinite – Hip Surgery)
What To Watch For
• Vinnie Hinostroza makes his second debut with the Blackhawks in his career tonight. A former 2012 Draft Pick by the Blackhawks, Hinostroza was reacquired from the Florida Panthers earlier this weekend after playing just nine games with the Panthers this season. Prior to signing with the Panthers this offseason, Hinostroza had 61 points in 140 games with the Arizona Coyotes during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. He is in the lineup in place of Matthew Highmore from the lineup from Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators.
• Patrick Kane remains the teams leader in points, but has not been as prolific a goal-scorer as he was earlier in the season. Kane has found the back of the net just twice since February 28th, when he scored his 400th career goal. Kane has not scored against two of the seven Central Division teams this season: the Predators and the Stars. He has four assists in four games against Dallas this season, with 29 goals and 65 points in 55 career games against the Stars. Kane’s 29 career markers against Dallas are his most against any NHL opponent.
• Chicago has been incredibly disciplined in their last stretch of games, taking just ten penalties in their last five matchups, including their six-penalty night against the Florida Panthers on March 25th. The Blackhawks have taken the fewest penalties in the NHL in that stretch of time, and have killed off nine of those ten, allowing a powerplay goal against to the Predators in their last time out. The Blackhawks are 10-for-11 on the penalty-kill against the Stars this season, whose powerplay ranks sixth in the NHL at a 25.0% success rate.
Get Caught Up …
Kevin Lankinen will start tonight vs. Dallas.
Vinnie Hinostroza is in. Matthew Highmore will be out. #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) April 6, 2021
ROSTER MOVES: Forward Vinnie Hinostroza has been removed from the non-roster list and added to the active roster.
Forward Lucas Wallmark was re-assigned to the taxi squad. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/GydYrqg4La
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 6, 2021
Ryan Carpenter on his takeaways from this 2021 all-intra-division NHL season: "If you start to slide, it affects you that much more. If you go on a win streak, can go up the standings quick. You seem to control your destiny more. All these games matter that much more."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 6, 2021
#GoStars assistant John Stevens said his preference is to not reveal the starting goalie.
Forward Radek Faksa is a game-time decision (upper body) after not playing Sunday. Defenseman Joel Hanley (lower body) skated on his own, but needs a "few more days."
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) April 6, 2021
