NEWSLETTER
At this point in the week, just getting to puck drop and playing the game will be a win for both the Blackhawks and Predators. Tonight’s contest is the second of back-to-back games for Nashville, coming off a win over the Avalanche last night. It is the first of back-to-back games for the Blackhawks as they will play the Predators tonight and then travel to Dallas to play the Stars tomorrow night. That is, unless COVID has anything to say about it like it has all week.
Broadcast Info
Puck Drop: 7:30 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH, ESPN+ (Out-of-market)
Radio: WGN 720 AM, TUDN 1200 AM (Spanish)
Expected Lineups
Blackhawks (11-15-2)
DeBrincat – Strome – Kane
Hagel – Toews – Entwistle
Kubalík- Dach – Kurashev
Gabriel – Slavin – Carpenter
McCabe – S. Jones
C. Jones – Murphy
Stillman – Gustafsson
Fleury
Predators (18-10-1)
Forsberg – Sissons – Jeannot
Tolvanen – Novak – Kunin
Trenin – Glass – Olivier
Myers – Smith – Grimaldi
Josi – Fabbro
Ekholm – Carrier
Borowiecki – Benning
Saros
Injury Report
Blackhawks:
Jujhar Khaira (IR – Concussion Protocol)
Tyler Johnson (Three Months – Neck Surgery)
Henrik Borgström (Day-to-Day – Non-COVID Illness)
Calvin de Haan (Day-to-Day – Non-COVID Illness)
Reese Johnson (IR – Broken Clavicle)
Predators:
Matt Duchene (Day-to-Day – Upper Body)
Ryan Johansen (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Matt Luff (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Ben Harpur (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Mikael Granlund (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Phillip Tomasino (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Michael McCarron (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Nick Cousins (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
What To Watch For
• Just look at the COVID list for the Predators above here. They are shorthanded. The Blackhawks (knock on wood) have a near-full roster and have been able to avoid the recent COVID spike in the NHL. The goal tonight, outside of winning, is to come away as healthy as possible.
• Chicago comes into tonight with a 10-6-0 record since Derek King took over, but have alternated wins and losses over their last 13 contests, having a 7-6-0 record in that time. They won their last game, an overtime thriller over the Washington Capitals, so tonight looks to be the trend-breaker for Chicago. But Nashville has momentum on their side, having won six-straight and eight of their last ten heading into tonight.
• Marc-André Fleury starts for the Blackhawks tonight. He is 8-3-0 over his last 11 starts with Chicago, including two shutouts. He has a .935 save-percentage and a 2.06 GAA in those 11 starts.
Get Caught Up
Calvin de Haan is sick with, presumably, the non-Covid illness that's been going through the room and is not on the ice for the skate.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) December 17, 2021
Seth Jones on Covid: "Everyone’s just gotta be careful with wha’s going on around the league right now. And Nashville’s got a few cases and hopefully that doesn’t spread through who they’re playing. Just take it day by day and see what happens."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) December 17, 2021
Kurtis Gabriel, who will make his Chicago debut tonight: “Just so excited for this opportunity. Another Original Six team. You want to go where you're wanted and where you have an opportunity and that's here right now, so I couldn't be happier.” #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/pYL1Jxswto
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 17, 2021
New on @TheAthleticNHL with @Peter_Baugh:
‘Not fair to players’: Inside a frustrating night as the Avalanche and Predators play through their COVID-19 outbreakshttps://t.co/0EPCfsVGpr
— Adam Vingan (@AdamVingan) December 17, 2021
