NEWSLETTER
For the final time this regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators will square-off with Central Division playoff positioning on the line. Although the Blackhawks got the monkey off their back after getting their first win of the season against the Predators on Wednesday night, they needed a dramatic come from behind effort in the final 10 minutes of the third period, plus overtime, to do it. Chicago will need to limit mistakes and build off the momentum of the big win on Wednesday night to pull out another two big points tonight if they are going to keep pace in the Divisional playoff chase. Chicago remains three points behind Nashville and one point behind the Dallas Stars in the standings. Chicago holds one game in-hand of the Predators, while the Stars hold two games in-hand of the Blackhawks.
Broadcast Info
Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH+, BSSO, ESPN+
Radio: WGN 720 AM / TUDN 1200 AM
Expected Lineups
Blackhawks (22-20-5, 49 pts)
DeBrincat – Dach – Hagel
Hinostroza – Suter – Kane
Kubalík – Kurashev
Connolly – Kämpf – Carpenter
Keith – Boqvist
Kalynuk – Murphy
Stillman – Zadorov
Beaudin
Subban
Lankinen
Predators (25-21-2, 52 pts)
Tolvanen – Johansen – Arvidsson
Järnkrok – Granlund – Kunin
Cousins – Haula – Duchene
Trenin – Sissons – Jeannot
Josi – Benning
Ekholm – Ellis
Harpur – Gudbranson
Saros
Rinne
Injury Report
Blackhawks:
Calvin de Haan (Day-to-day – Hip)
Brent Seabrook (LTIR – Retirement)
Zack Smith (LTIR – Back)
Andrew Shaw (LTIR – Concussion)
Alex Nylander (LTIR – Knee)
Jonathan Toews (LTIR – Illness)
Predators:
Filip Forsberg (Week-to-week – Upper Body)
Brad Richardson (Day-to-day – Lower Body)
Mark Borowiecki (Week-to-week – Upper Body)
Luca Sbisa (Day-to-day – Upper Body)
Alexandre Carrier (Week-to-week – Lower Body)
Mathieu Olivier (Week-to-week – Lower Body)
Dante Fabbro (Week-to-week – Upper Body)
What To Watch For
• Malcolm Subban gets the start again for the Blackhawks tonight. He will be making back-to-back starts for the first time since February 25th and 27th against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. Subban has a .935 save-percentage in his last four appearances for the Blackhawks with a 2-1-0 record and is 1-1-1 with a .915 save-percentage and a 2.96 GAA against Nashville this season.
• The Predators have earned at least a point in 16 of their last 19 games against the Blackhawks (13-3-3) and have held Chicago to two or fewer goals 16 times in that span. Luke Kunin shares the Predators lead in points against the Blackhawks this season with Mikael Granlund, both posting seven points in seven games.
• Chicago is 4-2-0 in their last six games since April 10th. Over that span, they are 3-for-25 on the powerplay but are a perfect 15-for-15 on the penalty-kill. In fact, since March 25th, Chicago ranks third in the NHL on the penalty-kill with a 90.0% kill-rate. Their 30 times short-handed over that span is also tied for the fourth-fewest in the NHL.
• Oooh, the rare fourth note in pregamin’! Since joining the Blackhawks earlier in the month, forward Vinnie Hinostroza has seven points, all at even-strength, in eight games with Chicago. He tallied his first goal of the season in Wednesday night’s win and his two-point effort was his second multi-point effort in his last three games. He has five points over that same span of time.
Get Caught Up …
Malcolm Subban will start in goal tonight vs. Nashville.#Blackhawks will go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen again. Nicolas Beaudin in for Calvin de Haan (hip).
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) April 23, 2021
With Calvin de Haan out, the Blackhawks will have one of their youngest defenseman groups of the season tonite. The seven defensemen are Adam Boqvist (20), Nicolas Beaudin (21), Riley Stillman (23), Wyatt Kalynuk (24), Nikita Zadorov (26), Connor Murphy (28) & Duncan Keith (37).
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) April 23, 2021
Colliton on starting Subban again: "Subban has done well and so he deserves a chance to go back. A little break for Lankinen is probably not a bad thing. But at this point, he’s chomping at the bit to go in and that's good, we like that."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 23, 2021
#Preds lineup notes at #Blackhawks
Starting goalie: Juuse Saros will make his seventh straight start in net.
No lineup changes for the skaters.
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) April 23, 2021
