Slumping Blackhawks look to rally against Golden Knights
Chicago hopes to snap its six-game losing streak at the toughest NHL arena to play at this season.
On the heels of a brutal loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night, the Chicago Blackhawks look to finally find the win column and snap their six-game losing streak when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.
The loss in Arizona showcased a lot of bad things from the Hawks (24-24-8), as they lost 6-1 to the second-worst team in the NHL. Things only get tougher for Chicago as they face the second-best team in the league. Vegas has accumulated a 36-15-4 record, including a 2-0 mark against the Hawks, in its inaugural season. With five players tallying 40-plus points, Vegas has produced the second-best offense in the league with a 3.4 goals per game average. As if that wasn’t enough, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury owns one of the best save percentages in the NHL with a 2.07 goals-against average. Oh, and Vegas holds the best NHL home record at 19-4-2.
The Hawks are 3-6-1 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.
As for the Hawks, their goaltending has slipped off the face of the earth — with Anton Forsberg and Jeff Glass averaging four goals against per game during a six-game skid. After coming into Monday’s loss to replace Forsberg midway through the second period, Glass will likely get the start in Vegas. Unfortunately, both goalies haven’t had a lot of offensive support. The offense has only been able to score five goals during the last four games.
However, there have been a couple shining moments during Chicago’s losing streak. The power play has tallied four goals in five games, rookie Alex DeBrincat has two goals in four game with his 20th of the season Monday, and veteran defenseman Brent Seabrook has assisted on three goals in five games.
Chicago could look to Vinnie Hinostroza and Brandon Saad for some scoring help against Vegas. In the Hawks’ two losses to the Golden Knights, Hinostroza (one goal, two assists) and Saad (three assists) each had three points to lead the team. Having Saad break out of his scoring funk and hearing “KNEEL BEFORE SAAD” against the Golden Knights would be pretty funny and much needed.
It’s nice to have flashes of good hockey here and there, but Chicago needs to be brilliant from this point forward if they want to keep their playoff streak alive. Their upcoming schedule won’t do them any favors, as the Hawks will play 14 of their next 15 games against teams that are within one point of a playoff spot.
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 Golden Knights
Start time: 9 p.m. CT
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
TV: NBC Sports Chicago
