NEWSLETTER
Usually you get excited for Original Six matchups in the NHL. The history between the clubs and usually the aesthetics are very pleasing. While both the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens check those two boxes, they are currently two of the bottom-dwelling teams in the NHL. Both teams rank in the bottom-third in points in the standings, goals per game, and powerplay conversion rates. Safe to say, it might be a tough game to watch tonight, but at least the Blackhawks seem to have the favorable matchup. Most notably, Marc-André Fleury, a native of Quebec, goes for his 500th win tonight. He has a chance to join fellow Québécois goaltenders Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur last the only goalies to reach the 500-win mark in NHL history.
Broadcast Info
Puck Drop: 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH, ESPN+ (Out-of-market)
Radio: WGN 720 AM, TUDN 1200 AM (Spanish)
Expected Lineups
Blackhawks (9-14-2)
Hagel – Toews – Kane
Kubalík – Dach – Kurashev
DeBrincat – Borgström – R. Johnson
Carpenter – Slavin – Hardman
de Haan- S. Jones
McCabe – Murphy
Stillman – Gustafsson
Fleury
Canadiens (6-18-3)
Hoffman – Suzuki – Drouin
Lehkonen – Poehling – Evans
Perreault – Dauphin – Caufield
Pezzetta – Paquette – Ylonen
Chiarot – Savard
Romanov – Wideman
Kulak – Clague
Allen
Montembeault
Injury Report
Blackhawks:
Jujhar Khaira (IR – Concussion Protocol)
Tyler Johnson (Three Months – Neck Surgery)
Canadiens:
Christian Dvorak (Day-to-Day – Lower Body)
Tyler Toffoli (Day-to-Day – Upper Body)
Joel Armia (Day-to-Day – Undisclosed)
Jeff Petry (Day-to-Day – Upper Body)
Sami Niku (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Brendan Gallagher (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Josh Anderson (Day-to-Day – Upper Body)
What To Watch For
• Marc-André Fleury goes for win No. 500 in his native Quebec tonight. He missed out on getting his 500th win at home after the loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night, but has won six of his last nine starts for the Blackhawks.
• The Blackhawks have had a ton of success in recent years over the Canadiens, having gone 12-2-2 over their last 16 contests. Tonight’s game will be in Montreal, where the Blackhawks have won their last six games over the Canadiens, with points in their last eight trips to the Bell Centre.
• Be prepared for another low-scoring affair tonight as the Blackhawks and Canadiens are two of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL this season. Chicago ranks 30th in the NHL with 2.12 goals per game this season, while Montreal is 29th with a 2.26 goals per game mark. Montreal has scored three or more goals just four times over their last 12 games and hold a 2-8-2 record over that stretch. The Blackhawks are averaging just 2.08 goals per game since Derek King took over and are 8-5-0 in that time.
Get Caught Up
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in goal tonight vs. Montreal. He’s going for win No. 500 in his hometown.
Dylan Strome will be a healthy scratch. Philipp Kurashev is in. Connor Murphy and Jake McCabe will also return to the lineup. #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 9, 2021
Dylan Strome Will Be Scratched Again Tonight (… What More Do The Blackhawks Want From Him?)https://t.co/uJCgSPaSXn
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) December 9, 2021
Derek King on Dylan Strome: "He's going to have to change his game a little bit to play."
Full quote: pic.twitter.com/MPYjKnLvK8
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) December 9, 2021
Derek King on Seth Jones: "He’s by far been our most consistent, probably our best player on the ice… Watching him, you can see why they brought him here. I don’t know why somebody would let him go, a player like that, but I'm glad he’s with us."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) December 9, 2021
