The Chicago Blackhawks face the Arizona Coyotes on Monday for the first time since a mid-season trade between the two teams. The main pieces of the trade were Richard Panik being sent to Arizona for Anthony Duclair.
When it comes to the hopes of making the 2018 playoffs, the fat lady has not yet began to sing for the Blackhawks. She has, however, made her way to the dressing room to prepare for her performance. There still is time for the Hawks to postpone her first song since the 2007-2008 season, but they need to start winning games and receive some help as soon as possible. Chicago currently sits 10 points outside of a Western Conference wild-card birth, touting a 24-23-8 record.
There’s no question that the lack of offensive production has plagued Chicago recently. In fact, they’ve only been able to tally more than two goals in three of their last 13 games. Power-play efficiency has dipped to 15.4 percent (29th in the NHL), and Duncan Keith still has yet to score a goal this season (at least he has 25 assists). Add a shuffling of goaltenders into the lineup while Corey Crawford continues to recover from an injury, and you’re looking at a lot of frustrating pieces to this puzzle.
Hope for a turnaround lies in tonight’s opponent, Arizona. It ranks second-to-last in the NHL in total points, goals against, and worst in the league in goals per game. What has been a “lost season” for the Coyotes (13-32-10) could mean an “easy win” for the Hawks , as long as Chicago gets out to an early lead. The Coyotes are last in the NHL in home victories with only six in 26 games.
Michal Kempny, Ryan Hartman, and Patrick Sharp are healthy scratches, and Anton Forsberg is expected to start in goal for the Hawks.
Lineups
Blackhawks
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| F1 | Brandon Saad – Jonathan Toews – Tommy Wingles |
| F2 | Lance Bouma – Nick Schmaltz – Patrick Kane |
| F3 | Patrick Sharp – Ryan Hartman – Alex DeBrincat |
| F4 | Vinnie Hinostroza – Artem Anisimov – Anthony Duclair |
| D1 | Duncan Keith – Jordan Oesterle |
| D2 | Michal Kempny – Brent Seabrook |
| D3 | Carl Dahlstrom – Jan Rutta |
| Goaltender | Anton Forsberg |
Ducks
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| F1 | Rickard Rackell – Ryan Getzlaf – Corey Perry |
| F2 | Andrew Cogliano – Ryan Kesler – Jakob Silfverberg |
| F3 | Nick Ritchie – Adam Henrique – Ondrej Kase |
| F4 | Jason Chimera – Antoine Vermette – Chris Kelly |
| D1 | Cam Fowler – Brandon Montour |
| D2 | Hampus Lindholm – Francois Beauchemin |
| D3 | Marcus Pettersson – Josh Manson |
| Goaltender | John Gibson or Ryan Miller |
*Lines are subject to change.
How to watch Blackhawks at Coyotes
Start time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Gila River Arena, Glendale, AZ
TV: NBC Sports Chicago