The Blackhawks look to end their eight-game losing streak when they host the Blues on Wednesday night at the United Center.
Chicago is 0-2-1 under head coach Jeremy Colliton since he took over the team. The Blackhawks’ latest loss came after they squandered a two-goal lead to the Hurricanes in a 3-2 overtime setback Monday in Carolina. The Hurricanes scored two power-play goals in 66 seconds in the second period to force overtime before Sebastian Aho tallied the game-winning goal. With the overtime loss, the Blackhawks picked up their first point under Colliton.
This is already the fourth meeting in the season series between the Blackhawks and Blues. Chicago is 2-1-0 through the first three, with two overtime victories. The Blackhawks won 5-4 on Oct. 6 in St. Louis and 4-3 on Oct. 13 in Chicago. The Blues won 7-3 in regulation Oct. 27 in St. Louis. The season series concludes April 3 at the United Center.
Chicago’s scoring trio of Patrick Kane (12 goals), Jonathan Toews (nine) and Alex DeBrincat (nine) have combined for 58.8 percent of the team’s goals this season, the highest mark of any trio in the NHL. And they’ve all found success against St. Louis this season.
Toews scored a hat trick against the Blues on Oct. 6. A week later, DeBrincat scored twice. And Kane has scored in each game, including twice in Chicago’s lone loss this season to the Blues. Of the 12 goals scored by the Blackhawks against the Blues this season, nine have come from the trio.
The Blackhawks placed center Marcus Kruger (left leg) on injured reserve Tuesday and called up defenseman Gustav Forsling, who underwent surgery on his right wrist July 31 and started five games in the AHL. Forsling missed four games with a groin injury for the IceHogs, but had two assists in Rockford’s win over the Chicago Wolves on Saturday. He scored three goals and 13 points in 41 games with the Blackhawks last season.
Forsling will start on the third line with Brandon Manning. Brandon Davidson (right leg) did not participate in Tuesday’s morning skate and will not play.
Kruger is eligible to return Friday, but the Blackhawks will have Brandon Saad back Wednesday. Saad missed the last two games after he was hit on his right arm by a puck during Friday’s practice. He has four goals and eight points in 16 games this season.
Saad will be on the third line with Artem Anisimov and John Hayden, while DeBrincat, David Kampf and Dominik Kahun man the second line.
The Blues start a rough road stretch with three games in four days. St. Louis has found its form lately with four wins in its last six games, with both losses at home to the Wild.
Center Brayden Schenn (oblique) will not play and miss his fourth straight game, but could return sometime during the Blues’ road trip. He has four points against the Blackhawks this season, including two points in each of his last two games in the season series.
Ryan O’Reilly leads the Blues in scoring with 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) through 15 games this season. O’Reilly is on a 10-game point streak with eight goals and nine assists during that span.
Defenseman Colton Parakyo missed practice Tuesday because his grandmother died last Thursday, but he will play. Jordan Schmaltz figures be a healthy scratch against Chicago, so he won’t play against his brother, Nick Schmaltz.
Jay Bouwmeester skated with Carl Edmundson on Tuesday after being a healthy scratch the past three games. Patrick Maroon also looks to return to the lineup on the fourth line after two contests as a healthy scratch.
Projected lineups
Blackhawks
Schmaltz — Toews — Kane
DeBrincat — Anisimov — Kahun
Saad — Kampf — Hayden
Kunitz — Johnson — Martinsen
Keith — Seabrook
Gustafsson — Jokiharju
Manning — Forsling
Crawford
Ward
Blues
Schwartz — O’Reilly — Tarasenko
Fabbri — Bozak — Steen
Sanford — Thomas — Perron
Maroon — Barbashev — Sundqvist
Gunnarsson — Pietrangelo
Edmundson — Bouwmeester
Dunn — Parakyo
Allen
Johnson
*Subject to change
How to Watch
Time: 7 p.m., Central
Location: United Center, Chicago
TV: NBC Sports Network