Blackhawks Game Day Preview: Five-game road trip starts versus Stars

Chicago Blackhawks (2-5-1, 5 pts) vs Dallas Stars (6-2-0, 12 pts)
7:00 pm CT – American Airlines Centers
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: 720 AM (Wiedeman/Murray)

The Chicago Blackhawks begin a five-game road trip tonight against the Dallas Stars after losing 3-2 to the Nashville Predators last night. The trip will include stops at the Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks. The Blackhawks went 1-2-1 against the Stars last season but have points in six of their previous nine trips to Dallas.

Craig Smith has three goals in his last three games. He spent last season with the Stars, scoring 11 goals and 20 points in 75 games. Tyler Bertuzzi has a three-game point streak against Dallas with two goals and five points. With Arvid Soderblom missing Friday’s game due to illness, Drew Commesso will likely make his first NHL start tonight. When the Blackhawks signed Laurent Brossoit in the offseason, nobody envisioned Commesso being called into duty this early in the season.

Dallas has gotten off to a great start with a balanced offensive attack, great defense, and stellar goaltending. They have the third-lowest goals allowed per game average (1.88) and the league’s top penalty kill unit (92.3%). Matt Duchene has been red hot with three goals and six points in his last three games. Roope Hintz has been a Blackhawks killer in his career. He has a four-game point streak against Chicago, scoring five goals and seven points. In 23 career games versus the Blackhawks, he has 14 goals and 26 points.

The Stars will be heading to Finland for a pair of games against the Florida Panthers, so it will be interesting to see if the Blackhawks can catch them looking ahead.

Season Series

10/26 @ DAL
11/7 @ DAL
11/27 vs DAL
12/29 vs DAL

Quotables 

“We have to have the determination we had after that Winnipeg game. Similar feeling tonight, and we play the next night. I think that’s a good thing. I know we have to travel. We did that last time and played one of our better games all year. A complete 60 minutes. So, that’s what we have to look forward to tomorrow. We need that desire that we’re not going to take no for an answer.”

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson

“When you’ve got something like this on your calendar, that could be an issue. I think we’re smart enough to know that we’ve got to take care of business. I trust our group, and I’m sure they’ll be ready to play. We’ll save the packing for tomorrow morning.”

Stars head coach Pete DeBoer on if he’s about Finland being a distraction.

“They’re in your face and hard-working. Look at the penalty kill, they’re on pucks and skating. Their transition with a guy like Teravainen just gives them another element to making plays on the rush.”

Predators head coach Andrew Brunette on the Blackhawks’ identity.

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Teuvo Teravainen/Nick Foligno/Craig Smith (3)
A-Connor Bedard/Seth Jones (6)
P-Bedard (8)
PPG-Teravainen/Tyler Bertuzzi (2)
SOG-Bedard (29)
PIM-Pat Maroon (19)

Stars Team Leaders

G-Matt Duchene/Roope Hintz/Tyler Seguin/Jason Robertson (4)
A-Logan Stankoven (7)
P-Duchene (9)
PPG-5 tied with1
SOG-Robertson (22)
PIM-Mason Marchment/Jamie Benn (8)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.50 (26^th)
GA/G-3.38 (19^th)
PP%-22.2 (13^th)
PK%-79.2 (13^th)
SOG/G-28.9 (16^th)
SA/G-29.4 (19^th)
FO%-47.1 (24^th)
PIM/G-9:00 (17^th)

Stars Team Stats

GF/G-3.00 (17^th)
GA/G-1.88 (3^rd)
PP%-19.2 (18^th)
PK%-92.3 (1^st)
SOG/G-27.3 (27^th)
SA/G-28.9 (15^th)
FO%-47.9 (22^nd)
PIM/G-6:45 (28^th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

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

Defensemen
Alex Vlasic-Seth Jones
Wyatt Kaiser-Connor Murphy
Nolan Allan-T.J. Brodie

Scratched:
G-Arvid Soderblom, F- Andreas Athanasiou, F-Joey Anderson

Injured:
D-Alec Martinez (groin), G-Laurent Brossoit (knee)

*Luke Richardson will meet the media at 4:30 pm CT and confirm the lineup.

Stars Probable Lines

Forwards
Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Logan Stankoven
Jamie Benn-Wyatt Johnston-Evgenii Dadonov
Mason Marchment-Matt Duchene-Tyler Seguin
Sam Steel-Mavrik Bourque-Colin Blackwell

Defensemen
Miro Heiskanen-Mathew Dumba
Thomas Harley-Ilya Lyubushkin
Esa Lindell-Nils Lundkvist

Scratched
F-Oskar Back, D-Brendan Smith

Injured
None

Goaltending Matchup

Drew Commesso (NHL debut) vs Jake Oettinger (4-1-0, .941 SV%, 1.81 GAA, 1 SO)

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