The last time Brandon Saad was on the United Center ice, he was hoisting his second Stanley Cup, and Saturday he returns for the first time since being traded to Columbus when the Blackhawks host the Blue Jackets.
Bryan Bickell will be the newest player to get an audition on the top line at left wing for the Blackhawks. Coach Joel Quenneville has cycled Marko Dano, Ryan Garbutt, Teuvo Teravainen and Viktor Tikonov through the line, but hasn’t found what he likes.
Quenneville is also hoping to come up with a solution for the Blackhawks’ third line. Rookie Vincent Hinostroza will center that line after being recalled from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League on Friday. Teravainen moves from center to left wing, and Garbutt on the right side.
It will also be the first game for Artem Anisimov against his old team.
Corey Crawford should get the start after Scott Darling was between the pipes Thursday. Crawford had 26 saves in Wednesdays 3-0 loss in Philadelphia, five days after stopping 34 shots in a 3-2 overtime win against the Islanders at Barclays Center.
Blackhawks’ lineup:
#Blackhawks lines: Bickell-Toews-Hossa Panarin-Anisimov-Kane Teravainen-Hinostroza-Garbutt Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) October 17, 2015
Columbus enters the matchup looking for their first win of the season. Their defense is most to blame for worst start in franchise history, allowing a league-high 26 goals. They have given up 13 goals over their last two games, a 7-3 home loss to Ottawa on Wednesday and Friday’s 6-3 defeat against Toronto.
Sergei Bobrovsky has posted a 5.07 goals-against average and .835 save percentage this season. However, Bobrovsky stopped 74 of 78 shots against Chicago last season. The Blackhawks had won 13 straight in the series prior to last season.
Here’s the Blue Jackets’ lineup:
Bobrovsky
How to watch
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Where: United Center, Chicago, Ill.
TV: WGN