Blackhawks Game Day Preview: Connor Bedard & Adam Fantilli trending in the right direction

Chicago Blackhawks (8-13-2, 18 pts) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (10-9-3, 23 pts)
2 pm CT – United Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: 720 AM (Wiedeman/Murray)

The Chicago Blackhawks will try to get back on track this afternoon after a 3-2 to the Minnesota Wild on Friday. The Columbus Blue Jackets come to town today, winners of five of their last seven games. They are the young team making the strides the Blackhawks had hoped to make coming into the season. Columbus swept the season series last year and has won four of the previous five meetings with Chicago.

Today’s game will feature a matchup between Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, the first and third overall picks of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Both of these young stars have endured a bit of a sophomore slump this season but have played better of late. Bedard has a goal and four points in his last five games, including a two-game point streak. He had a goal and an assist versus the Blue Jackets last season. Fantilli scored two goals in Friday’s 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames and also has points in back-to-back games. He had one assist in two games against the Blackhawks last season.

Related Article – Connor Bedard looks more like himself in loss to Wild

Head coach Luke Richardson will roll the same lines for the third straight game, as it looks like he’s finally found the combinations that work best. Petr Mrazek will start today, with Arvid Soderblom getting the nod against the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow. The Blue Jackets are 29^th in the NHL in goals per game and 24^th in penalty killing. The Blackhawks’ power play has moved into the top 10, but they haven’t created many opportunities of late. Drawing penalties will be a key to victory today.

The Blackhawks will need to keep tabs on star defenseman Zach Werenski at all times. He has five goals and 14 points during his seven-game point streak. He leads Columbus in assists, points, and shots on goal, all while averaging 25:59 of ice time per game. His play this season has all but guaranteed him a spot on Team USA for February’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

Season Series

12/1 vs CBJ
2/22 @ CBJ

Quotables

“That next shift, we can’t let another goal in. That’s something we have to learn from. We have to clean on the breakout and get our momentum back. Whether it’s boring or simple, going north, settling the crowd, and settling ourselves, mostly. We can’t let it multiply. The next line on the ice has to know that their job is to get the puck going the other way and settle up.”

Richardson on Blackhawks’ offense.  

“We’re getting some of those Grade-A chances now, which is great, but we have to find a way to complete them. They went in for us against Dallas. We were skating well and were pretty simple. I think we have to get back to doing that.”

Richardson on Blackhawks’ offense.  

“Last year, when we went on that bit of a losing skid, I said, you never want to get used to losing. Having a bit of a winning culture in here, how much fun we have with each other, and how tight of a group we have make it that way. It’s more enjoyable to come to the rink every day.”

Adam Fantilli   

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Ryan Donato (10)
A-Connor Bedard (13)
P-Connor Bedard (17)
PPG-Teuvo Teravainen (4)
SOG-Bedard (61)
PIM-Pat Maroon (28)

Blue Jackets Team Leaders

G-Kirill Marchenko (9)
A-Zach Werenski (16)
P-Werenski (24)
PPG-Sean Monahan (3)
SOG- Werenski (84)
PIM-Mathieu Olivier (47)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.48 (30^th)
GA/G-2.96 (12^th)
PP%-22.4 (9^th)
PK%-79.1 (16^th)
SOG/G-25.8 (30^th)
SA/G-30.7 (27^th)
FO%-44.5 (30^th)
PIM/G-7:44 (10th)

Blue Jackets Team Stats

GF/G-3.50 (7th)  
GA/G-3.55 (29th)
PP%-18.6 (20^th)
PK%-76.1 (24^th)
SOG/G-31.8 (3rd)
SA/G-28.8 (19th)
FO%-49.3 (20^th)
PIM/G-8:24 (15th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards
Taylor Hall-Connor Bedard-Philipp Kurashev
Tyler Bertuzzi-Ryan Donato-Teuvo Teravainen
Ilya Mikheyev-Jason Dickinson-Nick Foligno
Pat Maroon-Lukas Reichel-Craig Smith

Defensemen
Alex Vlasic-Connor Murphy
Wyatt Kaiser-Alec Martinez
T.J. Brodie-Louis Crevier

Scratched:
F-Joey Anderson, D-Nolan Allan

Injured:
G-Laurent Brossoit (knee), D-Seth Jones (foot)

Blue Jackets Probable Lines

Forwards
Dmitri Voronkov-Sean Monahan-Kirill Marchenko
Cole Sillinger-Adam Fantilli-Kent Johnson
Zach Aston-Reese-Justin Danforth-Mathieu Olivier
James Van Riemsdyk-Sean Kuraly-Kevin Labanc

Defensemen
Zach Werenski-Dante Fabbro
Ivan Provorov-Damon Severson
Jake Christiansen-Jordan Harris

Scratched
D-Jack Johnson

Injured
F-Yegor Chinakov (upper body), D-Erik Gudbranson (shoulder), F-Boone Jenner (upper body), F-Jordan Dumais (lower body), F-Cayden Lindstrom (back)

Goaltending Matchup

Petr Mrazek (7-9-0, .911 SV%, 2.66 GAA, 0 SO) vs Elvis Merzlikins (7-5-2, .893 SV%, 3.07, 1 SO)

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