Blackhawks in strange place as favorites versus Flames

Chicago Blackhawks (6-5-3, 15 pts) @ Calgary Flames (4-9-2, 10 pts)
8 pm CT – Scotiabank Saddledome
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Roumeliotis)

The Chicago Blackhawks are back in Alberta tonight as they take on the Calgary Flames. Tonight’s game is the first of three between these two teams, and the only one in Calgary. The Blackhawks look to build off Wednesday night’s 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Meanwhile, the Flames have won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

There have been very few games over the past few seasons where the Blackhawks were the favorite on paper, but tonight’s is one of those times. They hold an edge over the Flames in nearly every statistic. The Flames are 31st in the NHL, scoring only 2.33 goals per game, despite averaging almost 28 shots per game. Only the New York Rangers have a lower shooting percentage than Calgary’s 8.4%. The Blackhawks enter tonight’s game with the 8th-best shooting percentage at 12.4%.

A win tonight will mean no worse than five points on this six-game road trip heading into Sunday’s finale with the Detroit Red Wings. The Blackhawks are rarely in a position where we can say they should win a game, but they should win this game.

Calgary’s Third Line

Part of the reason for the Flames’ lack of success in the early season has been their lack of production from the top six. It’s been their third line that has done a lot of the damage, so the Blackhawks will need to be aware when they are on the ice.

The trio features leading goal-scorer Blake Coleman, veteran center Mikael Backlund, and the up-and-coming Sam Honzek. The 20-year-old had an assist on Coleman’s game-winning goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets the last time out. He’s been averaging two hits a game and has been featured on the penalty kill of late. This line is an old-fashioned, meat-and-potatoes line. They don’t do anything fancy, but they have been effective and could be a match-up problem.

Good Chance for the Power Play

The Blackhawks' power play has been right around the league average for much of the early season. They picked up a goal on their only chance in Vancouver. We didn’t get to see much of the changes head coach Jeff Blashill made. Artyom Levshunov and Teuvo Teravainen were promoted to the top unit, while Sam Rinzel and Frank Nazar went to the second group. Those changes will remain for tonight’s game.

The Flames are the third-most penalized team in the NHL, averaging 11:16 per game. The Blackhawks will likely get more than one power-play opportunity against Calgary’s 18th-ranked penalty-kill unit.

Young Goalies Go Head-to-Head

Tonight’s goaltending matchup will see Spencer Knight in one crease versus Dustin Wolf in the other. Wolf’s numbers have taken a hit after his terrific rookie season that saw him finish second in Calder Trophy voting. He’s giving up nearly half a goal more per game, and his save percentage has dropped from .910 to .895. The biggest tumble has come in goals saved above average, which went from 15.1 last season to -0.7 in his first 13 starts this season.

Wolf was very good in his three starts against the Blackhawks, winning all three games, while allowing seven goals and 85 shots. Four of those seven goals were scored by Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi, two from each.

Knight, who is coming off a 43-save performance against the Canucks, has struggled in his three starts versus the Flames. He’s 0-2-1 and has allowed 12 goals on 93 shots. Coleman has had his number with three goals in three games—another reason to watch out for Calgary’s third line.

Season Series

11/7 @ CGY
11/18 vs CGY
1/15 vs CGY

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Connor Bedard (7)
A-Bedard (11)
P-Bedard (18)
PPG-Tyler Bertuzzi (3)
GWG-Donato (2)
SOG-Bedard (46)
PIM-Louis Crevier (21)

Flames Team Leaders

G-Blake Coleman (6)
A-Nazem Kadri (7)
P-Kadri (11)
PPG-Matt Coronato (3)
GWG-Coleman/Jonathan Huberdeau/Kevin Bahl (1)
SOG-Kadri (44)
PIM-Adam Klapka (27)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-3.14 (15th)
GA/G-2.79 (8th)
PP%-19.5 (17th)
PK%-81.5 (14th)
SOG/G-25.4 (28th)
SA/G-30.4 (28th)
FO%-47.7 (24th)
PIM/G-10:51 (27th)

Flames Team Stats

GF/G-2.33 (31st)
GA/G-3.20 (21st)
PP%-13.0 (29th)
PK%-77.8 (17th)
SOG/G-27.9 (18th)
SA/G-30.5 (29th)
FO%-46.0 (28th)
PIM/G-11:16 (30th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

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

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

Scratched
F-Sam Lafferty

Injured
G-Laurent Brossoit (hip), F-Jason Dickinson (upper body)

Flames Probable Lines

Forwards
Connor Zary-Nazem Kadri-Joel Farabee
Jonathan Huberdeau-Morgan Frost-Matt Coronato
Samuel Honzek-Mikael Backlund-Blake Coleman
Ryan Lomberg-Yegor Sharangovich-Adam Klapka

Defensemen
Kevin Bahl-Rasmus Andersson
Joel Hanley-Mackenzie Weegar
Brayden Pachal-Zayne Parekh

Scratched
F-Justin Kirkland, D-Jake Bean, D-Yan Kuznetsov

Injured
D-Henry Mews (knee),F-Martin Pospisil (undisclosed)

Goaltending Matchup

Spencer Knight (5-3-2, 2.56 GAA, .919 SV%, 0 SO) vs Dustin Wolf (4-8-1, 3.19 GAA, .895 SV%, 0 SO)