Blackhawks Game Day Preview: Lukas Reichel draws back in versus Sharks

Chicago Blackhawks (1-2-1, 3 pts) vs San Jose Sharks (0-1-2, 2 pts)
7:30 pm CT – United Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: 720 AM (Wiedeman/Murray)

The Chicago Blackhawks will open their home schedule against the San Jose Sharks tonight. The energy will be high in the United Center as the hope of a new season is still fresh. Plus, the Sharks are a team the Blackhawks should, and quite frankly, need to beat. San Jose has yet to win this season but did take the Dallas Stars to a shootout in their last game. The Blackhawks are trying to erase the disappointment of a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

Related Article – Tyler Bertuzzi needs a breakout game soon

Lukas Reichel will make his season debut after being a healthy scratch for the entire four-game road trip. Andreas Athanasiou and Ryan Donato will be sitting tonight. Head coach Luke Richardson will have Reichel centering Pat Maroon and Craig Smith. He added that playing him at center isn’t necessarily because that’s where they want him to play but rather because that’s where the opportunity is.

On the back end, Alec Martinez was absent from the morning skate and will miss tonight’s contest with a groin injury. The veteran defenseman was placed on injured reserve, and Isaak Phillips has been recalled from Rockford. Nolan Allan will take his spot in the lineup, seeing his first game action since opening night.

The Blackhawks are looking to continue their recent success versus the Sharks. They are 13-5-2 in their last 20 games against them on home ice and are riding a four-game winning streak. Tyler Bertuzzi has four goals and 12 points in 11 career games versus San Jose, so tonight could be that breakout performance we are looking for.

Season Series

10/17 vs SJS
10/31 @ SJS
3/13 @ SJS

Quotables 

“We need to see bursts tonight, and confidence with the puck. When he gets it, it can’t be just one-and-done. He needs to make a play or put it in an area where his teammates or himself can make a play off of it.”

Richardson on his expectations for Reichel.

“All you can do is focus on what you can control. Of course, you’re pissed and upset because I love the game, and if someone takes it from you, you want to go out there and play. Now, I get my chance, and I want to take it. I need to skate, compete, win battles. Play more simple hockey, and then the other things will come.”

Reichel on his return to the lineup.

“We’d obviously like to create more offense. That’s hard to do in this league. We have to inch our way towards that and look for it. We just can’t suddenly open it up and give up a bunch of things that we haven’t yet because we’ve been pretty tight defensively. We’ve had some good looks. We’ve got to start bearing down and know when to shoot and when to make that last little play when it’s there. If we continue to create those opportunities, they will start to drop for us.”

Richardson on the Blackhawks start.

“You always want more when you lose three of the games. We were in all the games and showed no quit in Utah and Calgary. But, in the end, it’s about getting the points.”

Connor Bedard on the season-opening road trip.

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Teuvo Teravainen (3)
A-Connor Bedard/ Seth Jones (4)
P-Teravainen/Bedard/Jones (5)
PPG-Teravainen (2)
SOG-Bedard (14)
PIM-Pat Maroon (12)

Sharks Team Leaders

G-Tyler Toffoli (2)
A-Seven tied with 1
P-Toffoli (3)
PPG-Fabian Zetterlund (1)
SOG- Mikael Granlund (12)
PIM-Barclay Goodrow (6)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.25 (27^th)
GA/G-3.00 (10^th)
PP%-33.3 (3^rd)
PK%-77.8 (19^th)
SOG/G-26.0 (29^th)
SA/G-31.8 (26^th)
FO%-43.8 (32^nd)
PIM/G-8:15 (17^th)

Sharks Team Stats

GF/G-2.00 (28^th)
GA/G-3.00 (10^th)
PP%-12.5 (20^th)
PK%-100 (1^st)
SOG/G-36.0 (32^nd)
SA/G-30.0 (21^st)
FO%-47.7 (21^st)
PIM/G-8:00 (16^th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

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

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

Scratched:
F-Andreas Athanasiou, F-Ryan Donato

Injured:
D-Alec Martinez (lower body), G-Laurent Brossoit (knee), D-Artyom Levshunov (foot)

Sharks Probable Lines

Forwards
William Eklund-Mikael Granlund-Tyler Toffoli
Klim Kostin-Alex Wennberg-Fabian Zetterlund
Barclay Goodrow-Will Smith-Luke Kunin
Carl Grundstrom-Nico Strum-Ty Dellandrea

Defensemen
Jake Walman-Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro-Jan Rutta
Heny Thrun-Matt Benning

Scratched
F-Danil Gushchin, D-Jack Thompson

Injured
F-Maklin Celebrini (lower body), F-Givani Smith (illness), D-Lucas Carlsson (undisclosed), F-Thomas Bordeleau (lower body), D-Shikar Mukhamadullin (lower body), D-Marc-Edouard Vlasic (upper body), F-Logan Couture (groin), F-Igor Chernyshov (shoulder)

Goaltending Matchup

Petr Marzek (1-2-0, .911 SV%, 2.71 GAA, 0 SO) vs Vitek Vanecek (0-1-0, .966 SV%, 1.03 GAA, 0 SO)

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