Morning Bag Skate: Blackhawks visit red-hot Capitals

The Chicago Blackhawks visit the Washington Capitals on Friday at Verizon Center. Chicago enters the contest with a four-game win streak - all at home - while the Capitals have won seven straight.

HAWKS

**Do the modern Hawks have a modern rival? (SCH)

**Kero looking more like standout than stopgap (Sun Times)

**Anisimov capitalizing with Hawks (CSN)

**Former Hawk Wharram, 1961 Stanley Cup champion, dies at 83 (SCH)

**Reconfiguring third line paying dividends for Hawks (CSN)

**Hawks to wear purple jerseys at All-Star Game (SCH)

**Internet isn’t trilled about Toews being an All-Star (SCH)

**Toews says teammates are ‘more deserving’ of All-Star honor (SCH)

**Crawford, Kane, Keith, Toews named to All-Star team (SCH)

CENTRAL DIVISION

**RECAP: Wild score 7 goals in win over Price, Habs (Hockey Wilderness)

**RECAP: Saros, Preds edge Bruins (On The Forecheck)

**Preds’ Josi hurt after scary, late hit by Anton Blidh (PHT)

**RECAP: Niemi guides Stars to win over Red Wings (Defending Big D)

**RECAP: Gibson, Ducks stifle Avs (Mile High Hockey)

**Avs’ Erik Johnson likely won’t return until at least mid-February (Denver Post)

NHL

**RECAP: Neuvirth earns win for Flyers in relief against Canucks (Broad Street Hockey)

**RECAP: Sens hand Penguins first back-to-back losses of season (Silver Seven)

**RECAP: Bishop wins return for Lightning against Sabres (Raw Charge)

**RECAP: Draisaitl lifts Oilers to win in Taylor Hall’s return (NHL.com)

**Oilers welcome back Taylor Hall with video tribute (theScore)

**Lightning social media roasts Chargers, patchwork logo (Raw Charge)

**Isles put Hamonic on IR, recall Mayfield (Lighthouse Hockey)

**Hurricanes fill Ryan Murphy's car with styrofoam peanuts (theScore)

HOCKEY WORLD

**Ogrean to retire as USA Hockey’s executive director (PHT)

**Haviland, Colorado College hope road surge will lead to first home win (Colorado Springs Gazette)

**OHL Thursday roundup (OHL)