NEWSLETTER
The Blackhawks come into tonight’s contest having lost their last five games in-a-row, with three of those losses coming in overtime. Chicago is experiencing it’s first real losing streak under interim head coach Derek King, but come into Arizona tonight against the Coyotes, the NHL’s worst team.
While the Blackhawks’ offense has been deficient this season, averaging just 2.24 goals per game (30th in the NHL), the Coyotes have been worse, averaging just 2.06 goals per game (last in the NHL). But don’t be so sure of betting the under tonight, Arizona is 1-1-1 in their last three games since December 17, which includes a 6-5 overtime win over the Ducks and an 8-7 shootout loss against the Sharks.
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Broadcast Info
Puck Drop: 8:00 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH, ESPN+ (out-of-market)
Radio: WGN 720 AM, TUDN 1200 AM (Spanish)
Expected Lineups
Blackhawks (11-17-5)
Hagel – Borgström – Kane
DeBrincat – Toews – Kubalík
Kurashev – Dach – Entwistle
Carpenter – Strome – Khaira
McCabe – S. Jones
de Haan – Murphy
C. Jones – Stillman
Fleury
Coyotes (6-22-3)
Keller – Hayton – Schmaltz
Crouse – Larsson – Kessel
Roussel – O’Brien – Eriksson
Ladd – Boyd – Fischer
Gostisbehere – Mayo
Moser – Stralman
Capobianco – Lyubushkin
Vejmelka
Injury Report
Blackhawks:
Tyler Johnson (Three Months – Neck Surgery)
Kevin Lankinen (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Reese Johnson (IR – Broken Clavicle)
Coyotes:
Matias Maccelli (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Jay Beagle (Day-to-Day – Lower Body)
Jakob Chychurn (Day-to-Day – Upper Body)
Ryan Dzingel (Day-to-Day – Upper Body)
What To Watch For
• The Blackhawks hold the worst penalty-killing record in the NHL since Derek King took over as interim head coach with a 67.2% kill-rate. In 12 games since December 1, they have allowed 15 powerplay goals, the most in the NHL. Tonight they’ll face a Coyotes powerplay that is 21st in the NHL since December 1, converting on four of their last 22 opportunities.
• Chicago defeated Arizona back on November 12 in a 2-1 overtime win. Patrick Kane notched assists on both Blackhawks goals that night, registering his 17th multi-point game against Arizona in his career. Kane leads the Blackhawks this season with 28 points in 29 games, but is on-pace for one of his lowest goal totals in a full season in his career. His seven goals in 29 games gives him a .241 goals per game pace, which over 82 games would be a 19.7-goal season, roughly 20 goals, let’s say. Kane’s lowest goal output in a full NHL season was 21 in his rookie year and only last year (in 56 games) has he failed to reach the 20-goal mark.
• Jonathan Toews has 19 points in his last 16 games against the Coyotes, 44 points in 41 games in his career. After a slow start to the season, where it took him 25 games to score his first goal, he has four goals and an assist in his last eight games, including a goal on Tuesday night against the Avalanche. While Kane is on a career-low goal output, Toews is on a career-low points output. With 14 points in 33 games this season, Toews is on pace for 34.7 points, let’s call it 35. It would be a career-low in a full season, with the previous low-mark for Toews in an 82-game NHL season being 52 points in 2017-18.
Get Caught Up
Marc-Andre Fleury will start in goal tonight vs. Arizona. #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 6, 2022
It Begins: Blackhawks Trade Alex Nylander to the Penguinshttps://t.co/LJy1NvLXiM pic.twitter.com/qrCJwrPE3q
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 5, 2022
Sam Lafferty is with the Blackhawks here in Arizona but won’t be playing tonight, King said.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 6, 2022
Karel Vejmelka is the first goalie off the ice for @ArizonaCoyotes this morning.
He’s coming off a 46-save, 3-1 loss to @NHLJets on Tuesday. He and former @NHLBlackhawks goalie Anton Forsberg (OTT) only NHL goalies with with multiple 46svs+ games this season.
— Joseph Zakrzewski (@JoeyZRadio) January 6, 2022
