Connor Bedard 'ready to roll' for Capitals

Chicago Blackhawks (18-18-7, 43 pts) vs Washington Capitals (22-16-6, 50 pts)
7 pm CT – United Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Konroyd)

The Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals meet for the second and final time this season. The first match-up of the season was just six days ago in our nation’s capital, with the Blackhawks winning 3-2 in a shootout.

The Blackhawks are riding a four-game winning streak and are 5-1-1 since returning from the holiday break. Meanwhile, the Capitals have lost seven of their last 10 games amid key injuries. Leading scorer Tom Wilson has yet to return to the lineup since suffering a lower-body injury against the Blackhawks last Saturday. Allaksei Protas skated this morning and could return tonight.

The United Center has been kind to the Blackhawks when the Capitals come to town. They have points in 10 of their last 14 home games against them, going 8-4-2. Andre Burakovsky, who won the Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018, enters tonight on a four-game point streak with a goal and six points. He has a goal and seven points in 11 career games against his former team.

Connor Bedard Ready to Roll

Connor Bedard will make his return to the Blackhawks’ lineup tonight. When he went down with a shoulder injury on Dec. 12, it felt like the season was lost, especially since the team lost the first five games he was out. However, the Blackhawks have found their mojo again, going 5-6-1 without their top star. More surprisingly, they went 5-2-1 with both Bedard and Frank Nazar out of the lineup.

“I feel good,” said Bedard. “Obviously, it’s not fun waiting to play, so it’s exciting. It’s been great since Christmas break. When you look at the standings, if you lose a couple of games, everyone thinks you suck. Then, you win a couple, and you’re back in the playoff race.”

Bedard will be back on the top line and top power-play unit. The Blackhawks have been successful without him because they have played a simpler, more predictable game of late. Hopefully, that style of hockey doesn’t change just because their best player is back on the ice.

Missing in Action

Tonight’s game will not be impacted by the events at the United Center, where the Chicago Bulls game was postponed due to the ice melting under the court. The Blackhawks were on the ice this morning, but were missing quite a few players and head coach Jeff Blashill.

Assistant coach Mike Vellucci said there is a “bug” going around the locker room that left some guys under the weather this morning. In addition to Blashill, Nick Foligno, Illya Mikheyev, and Arvid Soderblom all missed today’s morning skate. EBUG legend Scott Foster worked out with the team in Soderblom’s absence.

We will have to wait until tonight’s pregame warmups to see who is available. The Blackhawks likely won’t have to recall anyone from the Rockford IceHogs unless someone else gets sick. With Bedard coming back and Sam Lafferty available, they can fill out the roster if Foligno and Mikheyev can’t go.

Power Play Success

The Blackhawks' power play has been clicking lately. After going 1-for-18 following Bedard’s injury, they have seven goals in their last 14 opportunities. The chances have been coming from both units, with goals coming from four different players. I asked Vellucci, who is in charge of the power play, what the factors are in the recent success.

“We concentrate on three things: entries are number one, faceoffs are number two, and then recoveries,” he said. “When you do all of three of those well, sometimes you’re not going to score. But if you do them well consistently enough, you’re going to score goals.

“That’s one, and the second thing is both units. We got two goals from the ‘so-to-speak’ second unit in the last game. And then just moving the puck as much as possible. Not settling it down and waiting for plays, but making plays happen.”

The recent success has the Blackhawks back in the top 10. Their 23% success rate is eighth-best in the NHL right now. They’ll face the Capitals’ 23rd-ranked penalty kill, at 77.2%.

Season Series

1/3 @ WSH, W 3-2 (SO)
1/9 vs WSH

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Tyler Bertuzzi (22)
A-Connor Bedard (25)
P-Bedard (44)
PPG-Bertuzzi (8)
GWG-Bedard (3)
SOG-Bedard (103)
PIM-Colton Dach (45)

Capitals Team Leaders

G-Tom Wilson (22)
A-Dylan Strome/John Carlson (23)
P-Wilson (42)
PPG-Wilson (7)
GWG-Alex Ovechkin/Jakob Chychrun (4)
SOG-Chychrun (149)
PIM-Wilson (59)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.86 (23rd)
GA/G-3.12 (18th)
PP%-23.0 (8th)
PK%-84.4 (4th)
SOG/G-25.3 (31st)
SA/G-29.7 (27th)
FO%-46.9 (28th)
PIM/G-10:30 (27th)

Capitals Team Stats

GF/G-3.25 (9th)
GA/G-2.82 (9th)
PP%-15.3 (30th)
PK%-77.2 (23rd)
SOG/G-24.6 (32nd)
SA/G-29.3 (9th)
FO%-49.4 (21st)
PIM/G-8:55 (21st)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards
Tyler Bertuzzi-Connor Bedard-Andre Burakovsky
Ryan Donato-Jason Dickinson-Ilya Mikheyev
Teuvo Teravainen-Oliver Moore-Nick Lardis
Colton Dach-Nick Foligno-Ryan Greene

Defensemen
Alex Vlasic-Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser-Artyom Levshunov
Matt Grzelcyk-Connor Murphy

Scratched
F-Sam Lafferty, F-Landon Slaggert

Injured

F-Frank Nazar (upper body)

Capitals Probable Lines

Forwards
Alex Ovechkin-Dylan Strome-Anthony Beauvillier
Connor McMichael-Justin Sourdif-Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime-Nic Dowd-Ethen Frank
Sonny Milano-Hendrix Lapierre-Brett Leason

Defensemen
Martin Fehervary-John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun-Matt Roy
Rasmus Sandin-Dylan McIlrath

Scratched
D-Trevor van Riemsdyk, D-Declan Chisholm

Injured
F-Pierre-Luc Dubois (abdomen), F-Allaksei Protas (lower body), F-Tom Wilson (lower body)

Goaltending Matchup

Spencer Knight (13-11-6, 2.62 GAA, .910 SV%, 2 SO) vs Logan Thompson (15-12-4, 2.40 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO)