Blackhawks still searching for first win against Golden Knights

What’s the one thing every active NHL team aside from the Golden Knights and the Blackhawks have done?

Beat the Golden Knights.

Chicago looks to end its five-game losing streak and pick up its first points against the Golden Knights on Thursday when they visit T-Mobile Arena. It’ll be a tough task for the Blackhawks, who meet a Vegas team that has won six of its last seven games.

The Blackhawks dropped their fifth straight game with a 4-2 loss to the Ducks on Wednesday in Anaheim. Chicago allowed the first goal for the eighth consecutive game and trailed 2-0 at the first intermission, but tied it with two second-period goals by Erik Gustafsson and Alex DeBrincat. Anaheim’s Ondrej Kase tallied the game-winner in the third for the Ducks fifth straight win.

The Golden Knights won the first meeting this season, 8-3 on Nov. 27 at Chicago. The eight goals, including two each from Cody Eakin and Shea Theodore, are a franchise record for the second-year club. One bright spot for Chicago was Dylan Strome scoring in his debut for the Blackhawks. Corey Crawford allowed six goals on 30 shots before he was pulled at the second period for Cam Ward, who made 11 saves.

Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt scored twice in the final 1:24 of the game Tuesday to lead the Golden Knights to a 5-3 win over the Capitals in a Stanley Cup Final rematch. Schmidt scored the game-winning goal on the power play against his former team before adding a nice empty-netter with 6.9 seconds left.

Marc-Andre Fleury is Vegas’ expected starter between the pipes. He has 15 wins this season, posting a 2.40 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.

Left winger Max Pacioretty will be a game time decision after missing Tuesday’s with a minor injury. If he doesn’t play, Oscar Lindberg will play on the second line and Reid Duke — the first player signed by Vegas — will make his NHL debut, reports Jesse Granger of The Athletic.

Chicago did not hold a morning skate.

Lines will be updated, if necessary, during pre-game warm-ups.

Lineup (Updated 8:40 pm)

Blackhawks

Kampf — Toews — Saad

Kahun — Anisimov — Kane

DeBrincat— Strome — Perlini

Hayden — Kruger — Martinsen

Keith — Jokiharju

Manning — Seabrook

Gustafsson — Rutta

Crawford (back-to-back starts)

Ward

Golden Knights

Marchessault — Karlsson — Smith

Pacioretty — Eakin — Tuch

Lindberg — Carpenter — Nosek

Carrier — Bellemare — Reaves

McNabb — Schmidt

Theodore — Engelland

Holden — Miller

Fleury

Subban

How to watch

Time: 9 p.m.

Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

TV: NBC Sports Chicago