Game 23 Preview And Open Thread: Blackhawks @ Canucks

Puck Drop: Nov. 25, 9:00 PM CST

Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 12-8-2
Points: 26
Place: t-2nd in Central, t-4th in Western Conference
Power Play Percentage/Rank: 21.5%, 3rd in West, 7th in NHL
Penalty Kill Percentage/Rank: 82.2%, 8th in West, t-14th in NHL
Blackhawks Team Statistics

@

Vancouver Canucks
Record: 11-9-2
Points: 24
Place: 3rd in Northwest, t-8th in Western Conference
Power Play Percentage/Rank: 19.8%, 4th in West, 10th in NHL
Penalty Kill Percentage/Rank: 78.4%, 13th in West, 24th in NHL
Canucks Team Statistics

Let's just hope this one doesn't get too embarrassing. The Hawks are very depleted right now due to the flu bug/other injuries, and with several key players out, it's gonna be real hard for this team to hang with a talented team like the Canucks for too long. It could become a blowout very quickly.

If this team can find a way to pick up a point in this one, I'll consider it a miracle. Let's just get this road trip over with and come back to Chicago in one piece. They're 2-1-2 on the road trip coming into this one, so even if they lose it wasn't a terrible trip, all things considered.

Here's the lineup for tonight's tilt. As expected, Petri Kontiola was called up and will be playing:

Offense
1st line: LW Ruutu - C Toews - RW Kane
2nd line: LW Perreault - C Lang - RW Samsonov
3rd line: LW Versteeg - C Kontiola - RW Burish
4th line: LW Koci - C Dowell - RW Lapointe
Defense
1st pairing: Keith/Seabrook
2nd pairing: Vandermeer/Wisniewski
3rd pairing: Sopel/Zyuzin or Byfuglien
Goalie
Lalime

Scratches: Johansson (Healthy), Sharp (Flu), Williams (Groin)
Injured Reserve: Bourque, Adams, Havlat