Blackhawks Gameday Preview: Blackhawks look to avoid being ‘Stars’-struck before Winter Classic

Chicago Blackhawks (12-22-2, 26 pts) vs Dallas Stars (20-13-1, 41 pts)
7:30 p.m. CT – United Center
TV: ESPN (Buccigross/Ferraro/Kaplan)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Murray)

The last time the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars faced each other at the United Center, the Blackhawks won 6-2 and Taylor Hall scored a hat-trick. If Chicago can muster-up even half of that effort from that night, that’ll be an improvement over their last outing of the season.

Effort has been a buzz-word around the Blackhawks this weekend following a 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. “Second efforts, third efforts. This league is all about that,” head coach Anders Sorensen said Sunday morning at morning skate. “winning your shift, winning your 1-on-1 battles. You’re not going to win them all but you’re going to have that second, third effort and staying on the pucks. That’s the focus here.”

The theme of today’s #Blackhawks practice has been intensity. Every drill has been high intensity.
(Stay for the Bedard between the legs goal) pic.twitter.com/wyN9qHLzhQ

— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) December 28, 2024

On Saturday’s practice, the Blackhawks focused on battles and small-area drills to ramp up the intensity following a lackluster performance against the Sabres and knowing that a tough opponent like Dallas was coming up in an ESPN broadcasted game, as is the Winter Classic, putting the Blackhawks in the National Spotlight.

“We all know what’s coming here soon, Taylor Hall said following Friday’s loss. “We’ve got a few nationally televised games, we got the Winter Classic, so we need to get going and figure it out and find a way to play hard and at least be proud of that.”

Ahead of Sunday night’s game, the Blackhawks recalled defenseman Wyatt Kaiser and assigned Kevin Korchinski to the Rockford IceHogs. Louis Crevier will be replacing Korchinski in the lineup tonight against Dallas.

Coming into tonight’s game, Connor Bedard has five points (2G, 3A) over a three-game point streak and has 12 points over ten games under interim head coach Anders Sorensen.

Season Series

10/26 at DAL – 4-2 L
11/7 at DAL – 3-1 L
11/27 vs DAL – 6-2 W
12/29 vs DAL

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Ryan Donato, Tyler Bertuzzi (11)
A-Connor Bedard (22)
P-Connor Bedard (31)
PPG-Teuvo Teravainen (5)
SOG-Bedard (89)
PIM-Connor Murphy (38)

Stars Team Leaders

G-Roope Hintz (15)
A-Matt Duchene (17)
P-Matt Duchene (30)
PPG-Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin, Roope Hintz (3)
SOG-Wyatt Johnston (95)
PIM-Jamie Benn (52)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.56 (29th)
GA/G-3.28 (25th)
PP%-22.2 (13th)
PK%-85.4 (3rd)
SOG/G-25.4 (30th)
SA/G-29.7 (27th)
FO%-43.7 (31st)
PIM/G-8:01 (12th)

Stars Team Stats

GF/G-3.12 (12th)
GA/G-2.59 (4th)
PP%-15.5 (27th)
PK%-85.1 (4th)
SOG/G-30.9 (4th)
SA/G-26.5 (5th)
FO%-51.4 (12th)
PIM/G-7:10 (7th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards
Taylor Hall-Connor Bedard-Tyler Bertuzzi
Nick Foligno-Frank Nazar-Ryan Donato
Teuvo Teräväinen-Jason Dickinson-Ilya Mikheyev
Pat Maroon-Lukas Reichel-Philipp Kurashev

Defensemen
T.J. Brodie-Seth Jones
Alex Vlasic-Louis Crevier
Nolan Allan-Connor Murphy

Scratched:
Joey Anderson, Wyatt Kasier

Injured:
Laurent Brossoit (knee), Alec Martinez (neck), Craig Smith (IR)

Stars Probable Lines

Forwards
Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Evgenii Dadonov
Jamie Benn-Matt Duchene-Wyatt Johnston
Oskar Back-Mavrik Bourque-Logan Stankoven
Justin Hryckowian-Sam Steel-Colin Blackwell

Defensemen
Miro Heiskanen-Thomas Harley
Esa Lindell-Nils Lundkvist
Lian Bichsel-Ilya Lyubushkin

Scratched
Brendan Smith

Injured
Tyler Seguin (DTD), Mason Marchment (OUT), Matt Dumba (IR)

Probable Goaltending Matchup

Arvid Söderblom (5-8-1, .911 SV%, 2.62 GAA, 0 SO) vs Jake Oettinger (16-9-1, .908 SV%, 2.44 GAA, 1 SO)