Blackhawks in need of a big response versus Blue Jackets

Chicago Blackhawks (21-24-9, 51 pts) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (25-20-7, 57 pts)
7:30 pm CT – United Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Konroyd)

The Chicago Blackhawks, thankfully, didn’t have very long to wait to get back on the ice after last night’s 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They are back home to host the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the first meeting between these teams, and they will wrap up their two-game season series in Columbus on Wednesday, the final game before the Olympic break.

The Blue Jackets are in the middle of the tight Eastern Conference standings, but their road to the Stanley Cup Playoffs is a bumpy one. They are eight points behind the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division, and 10 points out of a Wild Card berth. They are the only team to have fired their head coach this season, replacing Dean Evason with Rick Bowness after 45 games. The “new coach bump” has worked as they have gone 6-1-0 under Bowness.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks will try to bounce back after a game that caused head coach Jeff Blashill to question his team’s effort.

“We didn’t compete hard enough, to be honest with you,” he said. “We lost too many stick battles. We ended up defending way, way, way too much. You know, when you lose stick battles, lose races, and turn pucks over at the blue, you defend a bunch. They spread us out and won battles in front. Too many guys weren’t good enough.”

The Blackhawks will likely be without their captain, Nick Foligno, tonight. He left the game after only two shifts in the first period, and there was no update on his condition after the game. With no morning skate today, we won’t hear from Blashill until 90 minutes before puck drop. It’s safe to assume that Landon Slaggert will slide back onto the fourth line if Foligno can’t play.

Good Start, Better Finish

The first period in Pittsburgh wasn’t bad. The Blackhawks jumped out to a 1-0 lead and were playing a solid road game. Then they completely fell apart in the middle frame and had one of their worst periods of the season. Tonight will be a good measuring stick of the team’s resiliency if they can show that bad nights don’t carry over.

“Sticking together is important any time of year,” defenseman Connor Murphy said in Pittsburgh. "Anytime things go against you in games, and you’re not performing, it’s a character test for each one of us as a team. It’s an identity for our team to show we can respond. We didn’t respond well tonight from period to period, so the test now is to respond tomorrow.”

It is easy for a team, especially one as young as the Blackhawks, to have problems focusing so close to the three-week winter break. But are still six important points on the line before they can enjoy their vacations. It’s the job of the coaching staff and veterans like Murphy to keep the team on task. If this team is flat out of the gate tonight, that’s a real problem.

Big Test for Second Pair

The second defensive pairing of Artyom Levshunov and Wyatt Kaiser had a night to forget in Pittsburgh. They were on the ice for five of the six goals against, including all four in the second period. Levshunov especially struggled with his positioning and awareness throughout the night.

“I didn’t think he played good,” Blashill said of Levshunov after the game. “For the pairing, it was a tough night. He’s got to rebound and play better than that. That’s part of the roller coaster that we expected to see.”

Ups and downs are expected for a young defenseman, but last night’s downs might have been the lowest of his young career. Everyone from the coaching staff to Kaiser to the fans at the United Center will want to see him respond with a better performance tonight.

Sam Rinzel Recalled

Shortly after originally publishing this preview, the Blackhawks recalled defenseman Sam Rinzell from the Rockford IceHogs. This could make the previous section completely moot. There are three scenarios for why this roster move was made.

First: one of the defensemen is either sick or hurt and is questionable for tonight’s game. Two: Levshunov will be scratched after his rough outing last night. Or three: Blashill wants to go back to the 11-forward, 7-defensemen system with Foligno out, taking some pressure off Levshunov. Again, we won’t know until he meets the media 90 minutes before puck drop.

In his 19 AHL games with the IceHogs, Rinzel had two goals and 10 points and was a minus-10. No corresponding roster move was made in conjunction with his recall.  

Season Series

1/30 vs CBJ
2/4 @ CBJ

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Tyler Bertuzzi (25)
A-Connor Bedard (29)
P-Bedard (50)
PPG-Bertuzzi (9)
GWG-Bedard/Bertuzzi (3)
SOG-Bedard (140)
PIM-Colton Dach (45)

Blue Jackets Team Leaders

G-Zach Werenski/Kirill Marchenko (19)
A-Werenski (38)
P-Werenski (57)
PPG-Dmitri Voronkov (7)
GWG-Marchenko (4)
SOG-Werenski (172)
PIM-Mathieu Olivier (62)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.65 (26th)
GA/G-3.13 (20th)
PP%-19.6 (16th)
PK%-85.6 (1st)
SOG/G-25.0 (31st)
SA/G-29.7 (26th)
FO%-47.2 (28th)
PIM/G-9:47 (24th)

Blue Jackets Team Stats

GF/G-3.04 (19th)
GA/G-3.29 (25th)
PP%-19.4 (19th)
PK%-76.2(28th)
SOG/G-30.3 (3rd)
SA/G-30.6 (31st)
FO%-50.7 (12th)
PIM/G-8:01 (11th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards
Frank Nazar-Connor Bedard-Teuvo Teravainen
Tyler Bertuzzi-Jason Dickinson-Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Greene-Oliver Moore-Andre Burakovsky
Landon Slaggert-Ryan Donato-Colton Dach

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

Scratched
F-Sam Lafferty

Injured
F-Nick Foligno (undisclosed)

Blue Jackets Probable Lines

Forwards
Mason Marchment-Adam Fantilli-Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner-Sean Monahan-Kent Johnson
Cole Sillinger-Charlie Coyle-Mathieu Olivier
Dmitri Voronkov-Isac Lundestrom-Miles Wood

Defensemen
Zach Werenski-Damon Severson
Ivan Provorov-Denton Mateychuk
Egor Zamula-Erik Gudbranson

Scratched
F-Danton Heinen, D-Jake Christiansen

Injured
D-Danto Fabbro (lower body), D-Brendan Smth (knee)

Goaltending Matchup

Spencer Knight (15-14-7, 2.59 GAA, .910 SV%, 3 SO) vs Elvis Merzlikins (9-8-1, 3.76 GAA, .882 SV%, 0 SO)