The Blackhawks look for their tenth consecutive victory Friday night when they visits the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre.
Chicago (29-13-4) got plenty of help in net in the first game of the back-to-back from Corey Crawford on Thursday night in Montreal. Crawford made 17 of his 38 saves in the third period to hold off the Canadiens for a 2-1 victory and give coach Joel Quenneville his 783rd regular-season win to pass the late Albour for second on the all-time win list.
The win also moved Chicago into a tie for first place in the Central Division with the Dallas Stars.
It was the seventh consecutive start for Crawford, who has allowed nine goals during his last six. Backup Scott Darling figures to start in net. Darling is 4-3 with a 2.60 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in 10 appearances this season. He has won his last two starts, including a 17-save performance in his last outing against Pittsburgh on Jan. 6.
Patrick Kane leads the league with 63 points during the win streak, while captain Jonathan Toews has three goals and four assists during a four-game point streak. Toews has tallied at least a point in nine of his last 10 games with six goals and six assists.
The game will mark the return to Toronto for Richard Panik, who was acquired earlier this month in exchange for Jeremy Morin. Panik tallied his first assist as a Hawk in Thursday’s victory.
Chicago split the season series last season with each team winning on home ice, a 3-2 Leafs’ win on Nov. 1, 2014 in Toronto and 4-0 Hawks victory on Dec. 21, 2014 in Chicago.
Defenseman Erik Gustafsson missed Thursday’s game due to a minor lower-body injury. He is listed as day-to-day.
Anticipated lines:
Shaw-Toews-Hossa
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Desjardins-Danault-Teravainen
Panik-Rasmussen-Garbutt
Defensive pairings:
Keith-Hjalmarsson
TVR-Seabrook
Scuderi-Rozsival
Opponent Breakdown
Maple Leafs | Record: 16-18-7 | 39 points | 7th in Atlantic Division
Toronto looks to snap a three-game losing streak in which they’ve only scored twice. The Maple Leafs will be without James van Riemsdyk, who is out six to eight weeks after fracturing his left foot in last Saturday’s 7-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
Van Riemsdyk, the older brother of Chicago’s Trevor van Riemsdyk, is tied for the team lead in points (29) and second in goals (14). Leo Komarov paces the team with 15 goals, but is scoreless in his last nine games. Joffrey Lupul has also struggled offensively having not tallied a point in the same span.
James Reimer will start in net. Reimer owns a 7-6-4 record with a league-best .936 save percentage. He holds a 4.13 GAA in three starts against Chicago.
Anticipated Lines:
Matthias-Bozak-Parenteau
Grabner-Kadri-Komarov
Winnik-Holland-Lupul
Leivo-Froese-Boyes
Defensive Pairings:
Gardiner-Phaneauf
Marincin-Rielly
Hunwick-Polak
Injuries
Blackhawks: Marcus Kruger, Erik Gustafsson
Maple Leafs: James van Riemsdyk, Nick Spaling, Stephane Robidas
How to watch
When: 6 p.m. CT
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto
TV: CSN-Chicago, NHL Network