The Blackhawks continue their seven game home stand tonight against the red hot Winnipeg Jets. The Jets are 4-1-1 coming into the game tonight despite low expectations across the league.
The Blackhawks are 1-0 since the return of Connor Bedard on Wednesday and they hope to keep the points coming on home ice.
Frank Nazar is returning from his two game suspension tonight, and it looks as though for the first time this season the Blackhawks may have a fully healthy lineup.
No go for Bo
Well, almost a full lineup. Jeff Blashill announced after practice today that Bowen Byram is day-to-day with an upper body injury. No details were given beyond that. Ethan Del Mastro will slot in tonight. Notably, Kevin Korchinski gets passed on once again.
Spencer Knight gets his third consecutive start tonight, he is 2-3-0 so far this season with a 3.64 goals against average and a .885 save percentage.
Blackhawks projected lines:
Kantserov – Bedard – Kane
Bertuzzi – Frondell – Teravainen
Moore – Nazar – Donato
Smith – Greene – Greenway
Del Mastro – Levshunov
Vlasic – Cole
Kaiser – Rinzel
The top six stays the same despite the return of Frank Nazar. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
I like this decision a lot, keep together what is working, and use Nazar to try to help solve the one line that is still an issue. That third line has been struggling all season no matter what combination of players are there. Nazar adds some depth and stability to that line.
Powerplay
For the first time all season, the Blackhawks powerplay was actually dangerous when Bedard returned. They were snapping the puck around, the entries were cleaner, and everyone was a threat. They went one for two on Wednesday, and they were inches away from going two for two. Patrick Kane rang one off the crossbar on the second attempt of the game.
Without Byram tonight, it looks as though Teuvo Teravainen will take his place at the point. The Blackhawks haven’t played with a five-forward powerplay since the end of last season. Spoiler alert, it didn’t go well.
Jets projected lines:
Connor – Scheifele – Perfetti
Niederreiter – Björck – Vilardi
Rosen – Lowry – Iafallo
Namestnikov-Barron-Koepke
Ferraro – Pionk
Samberg – DeMelo
Fleury – St. Ivany
Stuart Skinner gets the start.