NEWSLETTER
Only two games remain for the Blackhawks before the NHL All-Star break, tonight and Wednesday night. For tonight, the Blackhawks host the Vancouver Canucks, a team five points ahead of them in the Western Conference standings and the first team directly ahead of them based on point-percentages. If you still think that Chicago can claw their way back into playoff contention, these are the games they need to win. The Canucks come into Chicago having lost four of their last five games, but three of those four losses came in overtime or the shootout. Chicago has earned points in seven of their last ten games, but have lost five of their last six games.
Broadcast Info
Puck Drop: 6:30 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH, ESPN+ (out-of-market)
Radio: WGN 720 AM, TUDN 1200 AM (Spanish)
Expected Lineups
Blackhawks (16-21-7)
Hagel – Strome – Kane
DeBrincat – Dach – Kurashev
Kubalík – Lafferty – Connolly
Borgström – Carpenter – Entwistle
McCabe – S. Jones
de Haan – Murphy
C. Jones – Gustafsson
Fleury
Canucks (19-19-6)
Podkolzin – Miller – Boeser
Pettersson – Horvat – Garland
Motte – Lammikko – Highmore
Hoglander – Dickinson – Chiasson
Ekman-Larsson – Myers
Hughes – Schenn
Hunt – Juulsen
Halak
Injury Report
Blackhawks:
Tyler Johnson (Three Months – Neck Surgery)
Kevin Lankinen (Day-to-Day – Hand)
Jonathan Toews (Day-to-Day – Concussion Protocol)
Riley Stillman (IR – Upper Body)
Reese Johnson (IR – Broken Clavicle)
Jujhar Khaira (IR – Back Spasms)
Canucks:
Guillaume Brisebois – (Day-to-Day – Undisclosed)
Tanner Pearson (Day-to-Day – COVID Protocol)
Tucker Poolman (Day-to-Day – Illness)
Travis Hamonic (Indefinitely- Lower Body)
What To Watch For
• Dylan Strome has been on fire for the Blackhawks in recent weeks. Over his past two games, he has three goals and three assists. Over his past 11 games since January 1, he has 11 points and has moved into sixth on the team in scoring with 18 points in 31 games. He has also improved at the faceoff dot, winning 55.7% of his draws this season which is second on the team behind Jonathan Toews. Since January 1, Strome ranks third in the NHL out of 61 players to take at east 135 faceoffs with a 61.5% win-rate.
• Marc-André Fleury will be making his 11th start for Chicago in their last 12 games played. Fleury is 5-4-2 in those 11 games with a .903 save-percentage and a 2.93 GAA. While earlier this month, Fleury was the hot-hand in net for Chicago, he has allowed four or more goals in three of his last four starts, including four against the Minnesota Wild on January 21 before getting pulled in the second period, the second time he has been pulled from a game this season.
• J.T. Miller has been on a tear for the Canucks recently with 15 points in his last 12 games. Miller paces the Canucks this season with 44 points in 42 games. He had a four-game point-streak, in which he recorded eight points, snapped on Saturday night against the Calgary Flames.
Get Caught Up
Those quotes were from practice Saturday.
And what is King doing tonight vs. Vancouver?
He's starting Brandon Hagel.— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) January 31, 2022
Patrick Kane: "We want to be a 2nd-period team. It's a longer change and hopefully you can keep possession and make them have bad changes, get odd-man rushes. But it seems like, a lot of games, other teams have been doing that to us."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 31, 2022
"Obviously you see what these top teams have and that shows you what we're missing. … I mean there's some work to do. Whoever comes in here (as GM) is gonna have a job. It's gonna be some work."
Derek King when asked where #Blackhawks are compared to Minnesota, Colorado, etc.— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) January 31, 2022
United Center Announces Plan to Build New Sportsbook in Partnership With FanDuelhttps://t.co/sx2SulcR7B
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 31, 2022
