Scott Darling is expected to start in net when the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night at PNC Arena.
The Hawks will play against former Hawk Teuvo Teravainen for the first time since he was traded in the offseason. Chicago traded Teravainen along with Bryan Bickell in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick and 2017 third-round pick. The Finnish forward has nine goals and 17 points in 34 games this season.
Chicago (23-10-5) opened a three-game road trip with a 3-2 win Thursday in Nashville. With 51 points, the Hawks hold a one-point lead over Minnesota for the top spot in the Western Conference.
The Hawks’ second line dominated in Thursday’s win. Patrick Kane recorded a goal and assist to reach the 700-point milestone, Artemi Panarin extended his career-high point streak to nine games and Artem Anisimov scored his 15th goal of the season on the power play. Anisimov’s tally ties Marian Hossa, who will miss a fourth straight game with an upper-body injury, for the team lead.
Corey Crawford stopped 36 of 38 shots for his first win since returning from an appendectomy Dec. 3. He’s stopped 30-plus shots in his last three starts and will likely get the night off for the second half of the back-to-back. Darling is 10-3-2 with a 2.35 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in 17 games this season.
The Hawks scored two power-play goals against Nashville and will have a tough time converting on the man-advantage against Carolina. The Hurricanes boast the league’s best penalty kill unit at 90.6 percent.
Carolina has a 10-game point streak in home games, dating back to Nov. 12. The Hurricanes have earned at least a point in 12 of their 14 home games against the Hawks.
The Hurricanes will be without star defenseman Justin Faulk, who missed Wednesday’s game with a lower-body injury. He’s listed as week-to-week. Ryan Murphy drew into the lineup in Faulk’s spot on the blue line.
Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask lead the Hurricanes in scoring with 27 and 26 points, respectively. They’re the only Hurricanes to have reached double digits in goals, with Skinner scoring a team-high 13.
Cam Ward is expected to make his 29th start of the season for Carolina. Ward is 3-1-2 with a 1.72 goals-against average in six career appearances against Chicago.
The two teams meet again Jan. 6 in Chicago.
For more on the Hurricanes, check out SB Nation’s Canes Country.
Lineups
Blackhawks
Forwards
Hartman-Toews-Motte
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Rasmussen-Kruger-Panik
Hinostroza-Kero-Tootoo
Defensemen
Keith-van Riemsdyk
Hjalmarsson-Seabrook
Kempny-Rozsival
Goalie
Darling
Hurricanes
Forwards
Skinner-Rask-Ryan
McGinn-Staal-Lindholm
Aho-Teravainen-Stempniak
Nordstrom-McClement-Stalberg
Defensemen
Slavin-Pesce
Hanifin-Hainsey
Murphy-Tennyson
Goalie
Ward
How to watch: Blackhawks at Hurricanes
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh
TV: WGN