The Chicago Blackhawks take their two-game winning streak home with them tonight as they host the Montreal Canadiens, who have lost ten of their last 11 games (1-8-2) dating back to December 1, and have lost four-straight. Montreal is last in the NHL with 18 points in 35 games played, a 7-24-4 record. The last time the Blackhawks played the least-place team in the NHL was on January 6 in Arizona, a 6-4 loss to the Coyotes.
Moral of the story: there are no easy games with these Blackhawks. Although, the Blackhawks are 13-2-2 in their last 17 games against the Canadiens with wins in their last three meetings, including Marc-André Fleury’s 500th win, a 2-0 shutout on December 9.
Tonight is also Andrew Shaw Legacy Night, celebrating the career of the two-time Stanley Cup Champion. Shaw played the majority of his career with Chicago, 362 of his 544 NHL games, but the other 182 were played with the Canadiens, so it’s fitting that his special night be a matchup between the two Original Six teams.
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 (13-18-5)
Hagel – Reichel – Kane
DeBrincat – Toews – Kubalík
Kurashev – Borgström – Connolly
Khaira – Carpenter – Entwistle
de Haan – Murphy
Stillman – Galvas
Gustafsson – C. Jones
Fleury
Canadiens (7-24-4)
Hoffman – Suzuki – Evans
Drouin – Dvorak – Pitlick
Lehkonen – Poehling – Caufield
Armia – Dauphin – Pezzetta
Chiarot – Savard
Kulak – Petry
Romanov – Schueneman
Montembeault
Injury Report
Blackhawks:
Tyler Johnson (Three Months – Neck Surgery)
Dylan Strome (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Kirby Dach (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Seth Jones (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Jake McCabe (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Reese Johnson (IR – Broken Clavicle)
Canadiens:
Jake Allen (Day-to-Day – Lower Body)
Kale Clague (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Alex Belzile (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Jesse Ylonen (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Rafael Harvey-Pinard (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Brendan Gallagher (Day-to-Day – Lower Body)
Mathieu Perreault (Day-to-Day – Lower Body)
Tyler Toffoli (Indefinitely- Hand)
Josh Anderson (Day-to-Day – Upper Body)
What To Watch For
• Tonight is the NHL debut for rookie Lukas Reichel with the Blackhawks. The 2020 first-round pick by Chicago has played 20 games this season with the AHL Rockford IceHogs and leads the team in goals (11) and points (20) in his time there. Reichel’s stay with the Blackhawks this year will likely be short to avoid using-up the first year of his entry-level deal.
• Marc-André Fleury will be making his fifth-straight start for Chicago tonight. He is 2-1-1 in his previous four starts with a .895 save-percentage. Over his last 10 starts since December 2, Fleury is 6-2-2 with a .904 save-percentage, a 2.84 GAA, and a shutout on December 9 against these same Montreal Canadiens.
• Chicago’s penalty-kill ranks 27th in the NHL this season at a 75.2% kill-rate. Since Derek King took over as interim head coach on November 6, the Blackhawks are 31st in the NHL with a 67.7% kill-rate. But, over the past two games, Chicago has only yielded two powerplays against them, one in each game, and have killed-off both of them. It’s progress.
Get Caught Up
Lukas Reichel says this is a dream come true to play in the NHL. He also said he’s onboard with the Blackhawks’ developmental plan for him.
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) January 13, 2022
Lukas Reichel’s reaction when he saw his name on the same line as his favorite player Patrick Kane: “I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s awesome.’” #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 13, 2022
Patrick Kane on Lukas Reichel: "Seems like he has that ability to play with a lot of speed up the middle, which I’ve always enjoyed in my career. Has the ability to make a lot of plays, too. Looking forward to the opportunity of playing with him, trying to help him along."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) January 12, 2022
We asked teammates, friends and coaches for their favorite stories about Andrew Shaw. They didn’t disappoint. Reporting with @MarkLazerus. https://t.co/58uotwyhhP
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) January 13, 2022
Some pretty strong word about Andrew Shaw from Brandon Hagel. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/hzw5mY2Hwv
— Joe Brand (@Joe_Brand1) January 13, 2022
What Is Going On With Patrick Kane?https://t.co/iOTP97xLFh pic.twitter.com/mWOMiILbBt
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 13, 2022
For those who care, which seems to be a LOT of people, tonight's Blackhawks-Canadiens game will be back to the original broadcast duos on TV & Radio. Pat Foley & Eddie Olczyk have the call on @NBCSBlackhawks & John Wideman & Troy Murray will be on @WGNRadioSports#Blackhawks
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) January 13, 2022