The Chicago Blackhawks hope to pick up yet another victory on their annual Circus Trip when they face off against the Anaheim Ducks in Friday’s matinee at the Honda Center.
Anaheim (14-4-5) has won six of eight in and the Hawks (13-8-1) have lost nine of 13 at the Honda Center.
After losing 4-1 in Vancouver on Saturday, the Hawks bounced back a 3-2 victory over Colorado on Wednesday night. Bryan Bickell tallied the game-winner with 5:17 remanding in the third period, which lifted the Hawks over the .500 mark on the road this season. It was only the Hawks’ third win at the Pepsi Center in their last nine tries.
Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw netted power-play goals in the second period to erase a one goal deficit. Colorad evens the score early in the third before Bickell took a feed from Patrick Kane and beat Calvin Pickard from the top of the crease. Kane collected three assists for Chicago, while Corey Crawford made 27 saves for the win. Crawford is expected to make his 13th consecutive start in net and is 7-4-1 with a 2.02 goals against average in his career against the Ducks.
The Hawks power-play have scored at least once in six straight games. Backup net minder Antti Raanta practiced for the first time Tuesday since falling ill during last Saturday’s morning skate before he missed his scheduled start in Edmonton.
Opponent Breakdown: Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks have flipped the script, having won three straight on the heels of a three-game losing streak. Former Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller received a rude welcome when he visited “The Pond” on Tuesday night as the Ducks scored three times on 29 shots to extinguish the Flames. Hiller spent seven seasons in Anahiem and won a 4-3 shootout in Calgary on Nov. 18.
Matt Beleskey, Kyle Palmieri and Corey Perry scored for the Ducks while Frederik Andersen made 32 saves for the Ducks, who are 7-2-3 in Orange County this season. Andersen should make his first career start against the Hawks.
The Ducks handed the Hawks a 1-0 loss in Chicago on Oct. 28, with John Gibson between the pipes and Devante Smith-Pelly scoring the lone goal on a short-handed tally in the third period.
Injury Report
Chicago: Patrick Sharp (lower body) and Trevor van Riemsdyk (knee).
Anaheim: Clayton Stoner (illness), Dany Heatley (groin), John Gibson (lower body), Mark Fistric (upper body), Ben Lovejoy (hand) and Sheldon Souray (torn right wrist ligament).
Game Information
When: 3 p.m. CT
Where: Honda Center
TV: WGN
Radio: WGN-720
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