Corey Crawford will start in net for the Chicago Blackhawks, who open their season series against Central Division foe Colorado on Tuesday night at United Center.
Crawford is on a four-game win streak, stopping 121 of 123 shots, including 30 in a 4-0 win against the Canucks on Sunday. The 30-year-old goaltender was named the NHL’s No. 1 star of the week after posting back-to-back shutouts, and he currently is tied for the league-lead in clean sheets at four with fellow Central goaltenders Jake Allen (St. Louis) and Devan Dubnyk (Minnesota). Crawford is 2-6-2 with a 3.57 goals-against average in his last 10 games against Colorado.
The Blackhawks (17-10-4) will look to the NHL’s leading scorer, Patrick Kane, to provide the offense for their third consecutive win. Kane has scored 16 goals during his 26-game point streak. The winger hasn’t faired well against the Avalanche (14-16-1), failing to record a point in each of his last two contests against Colorado.
The Hawks acquired Rob Scuderi from the Penguins for fellow defenseman Trevor Daley on Monday. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters following Tuesday’s morning skate that Scuderi will make his debut for Chicago with Michal Rozsival has his line mate. Scuderi, 36, has four assists and 32 blocked shots in 25 games this season and has won two Stanley Cups, with the Penguins in 2009 and the Kings in 2012.
Chicago is 12-3-1 at home this season, which ties the New York Rangers for most home wins in the NHL. Since their six-game Circus Trip, the Hawks have won four of their five home games.
Projected lines:
Teravainen-Toews-Hossa
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Bickell-Rasmussen-Shaw
Mashinter-Kruger-Desjardins
Keith-Hjalmarsson
TVR-Seabrook
Scuderi-Rozsival
Healthy scratch: David Rundblad and Ryan Garbutt
Opponent Breakdown
Colorado Avalanche | Record: 14-16-1 | 7th in Central Division | Goal differential: -3
The Avalanche have won two straight games, over Nashville and St. Louis, to start their three-game, all-Central Division road trip.
Matt Duchene leads the Avs with 15 goals, tied for fourth in the league with Dallas’ Tyler Seguin. But Duchene only has one goal in his past four games. In 22 games against the Hawks, he has six goals and 13 assists.
Semyon Varlamov, who stopped a season-best 42 shots to improve to 4-1-0 in December, will start in net. He has won his last seven starts against Chicago, while posting a 1.41 GAA.
Colorado is 10-9-0 on the road and 6-2-0 against Central teams. The Avs will play 11 of its next 13 games at Pepsi Center, including a New Year’s Eve date with the Hawks to close out 2015.
Here’s a quick rundown of the team’s projected lines:
Landeskog-MacKinnon-Duchene
Comeau-Soderberg-Martinsen
Tanguay-Mitchell-Iginla
McLeod-Grigorenko-Skille
Beauchemin-Johnson
Holden-Barrie
Gormley-Guenin
Injuries
Blackhawks: None
Avalanche: Ben Street, Brad Stuart, Jesse Winchester
How to Watch
When: 7:30 p.m. CT
Where: United Center, Chicago
TV: NBCSN, CSN Chicago
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra