Duncan Keith to play 1,000th career game as Blackhawks host Blues

Duncan Keith will play in his 1,000th career NHL game when the Blackhawks host the Blues on Saturday night at the United Center.

The Blackhawks will host a pregame ceremony for Keith, who has played his entire career with the organization since being drafted in the second round in 2002. The 35-year-old has won three Stanley Cups (2010, ’13, ’15), two Norris trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman (’10, ’14) and the 2015 Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Keith ranks sixth all-time in franchise history in games played. Bob Murray (1,008) is next on the list, while teammate Brent Seabrook (1,009) ranks fourth. Both Seabrook and Keith are expected to move into second and third all-time, respectively, this season. Stan Mikita (1,396) and Bobby Hull (1,036) hold the top two spots.

Chicago enters Saturday’s game with back-to-back overtime losses to Toronto and at Minnesota. The Blackhawks look to bounce back after Thursday night’s 4-3 loss to the Wild when they held the lead with 30 seconds left in the third period only to see Cam Ward surrender the tying goal with 23 seconds remaining and another in overtime.

Ward will make his fifth consecutive start Saturday night as backup goaltender Anton Forsberg waits on the bench.

In order to provide a jolt to the offense, coach Joel Quenneville as demoted winger Brandon Saad from the second line down to the fourth line with Marcus Kruger and David Kampf. Alexandre Fortin, who made his NHL debut Thursday, moved up to the second line with Nick Schmaltz and Patrick Kane.

Schmaltz will play against his older brother, Jordan, for the first time in his NHL career. Jordan was on the Blues’ roster for three of the four games between the teams last season. He was injured for two games and a healthy scratch in the third. He was also a healthy scratch for Chicago’s 5-4 overtime victory last week. The Schmaltz brothers were both first-round picks and played two seasons together at the University of North Dakota.

Meanwhile, the Blue are riding high after their first win of the season — a 5-3 victory over the Flames — on Thursday thanks to David Perron’s hat trick and three assists from Brayden Schenn.

On Saturday, St. Louis might be without forward Jaden Schwartz, who suffered a lower-body injury in the win.

The Blackhawks hold a 1-0 lead in the season series after Jonathan Toews’ lifted Chicago to a 5-4 overtime victory Oct. 6 in St. Louis. Chicago was 0-2 last season against the Blues at the United Center.

Lineups

Blackhawks

Blues

How to watch

Start time: 7:30 p.m. Central

Location: United Center, Chicago

TV: NBC Sports Chicago