Blackhawks look to end season on positive note

Chicago Blackhawks (28-39-14, 70 pts) vs San Jose Sharks (38-34-8, 84 pts)
7:30 pm CT – United Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Konroyd)

The Chicago Blackhawks will wrap up the disappointing 2025-26 season against the San Jose Sharks tonight. This is the third and final meeting between two franchises on similar trajectories. The Sharks are a step or two ahead of the Blackhawks in the final standings, but these two teams hope to be playing each other in multiple Western Conference Finals down the road. If they both can get to that level remains to be seen.

Tonight is the rubber match of the three-game season series. The first two games were split, with the home team winning both times. With all the attention on the young stars when these two teams meet, it’s been the Blackhawks’ veterans who have led the way against the Sharks.

Ryan Donato will get another game against the team he loves to come back to haunt. He has three goals and five points in the season series. He is on a seven-game point streak against his former team, with six goals and 12 points in that span. The only other team he’s scored as many goals against in his career is the Anaheim Ducks. He has nine goals in 27 games versus the Ducks, and the same number in 18 games against the Sharks.

With the Blackhawks struggling to score, head coach Jeff Blashill has moved Frank Nazar up to the top line with Connor Bedard and Nick Lardis. There is no doubt that this trio has a ton of offensive talent and can put the puck in the net. The only issue could be getting the puck back once they lose possession.

The Blackhawks’ four-game homestand to close out the season has not gone as they had hoped. They’ve been outscored 17-6 in their three losses, and the effort level the last time out caused boos to rain down from the United Center faithful.

In the 20 games since the NHL trade deadline, the Blackhawks have gone 5-11-4 and been outscored 78-45. Hardly the way this young group wanted to end the season. Instead of going into the summer feeling positive and hopeful for next season, we are left wondering exactly where the rebuild stands.

If this young group wants to help ease fans' concerns, they had better come out and play with pride and purpose tonight. Another game with no structure, unforced errors, and disinterested shifts will leave a very sour taste in the fanbase’s mouths that will linger until next October.

Season Series

2/2 vs SJS, 6-3 W
4/6 @ SJS, 2-3 L
4/15 vs SJS

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Tyler Bertuzzi (32)
A-Connor Bedard (43)
P-Bedard (73)
PPG-Bertuzzi (11)
GWG-Bedard (5)
SOG-Bedard (226)
PIM-Louis Crevier (63)

Sharks Team Leaders

G-Macklin Celebrini (44)
A-Celebrini (68)
P-Celebrini (112)
PPG-Celebrini/Alex Wennberg/Will Smith (8)
GWG-Celebrini (5)
SOG-Celebrini (281)
PIM-Barclay Goodrow (73)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.53 (31st)
GA/G-3.31 (27th)
PP%-17.2 (28th)
PK%-83.8 (2nd)
SOG/G-24.6 (32nd)
SA/G-30.1 (31st)
FO%-46.0 (31st)
PIM/G-8:44 (19th)

Sharks Team Stats

GF/G-3.01 (17th)
GA/G-2.55 (30th)
PP%-20.9 (17th)
PK%-75.8 (28th)
SOG/G-25.8 (26th)
SA/G-29.8 (28th)
FO%-47.8 (27th)
PIM/G-8:42 (17th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards

Frank Nazar-Connor Bedard-Nick Lardis
Tyler Bertuzzi-Anton Frondell-Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato-Ryan Greene-Andre Burakovsky
Teuvo Teravainen-Sam Lafferty-Landon Slaggert

Defensemen

Alex Vlasic-San Rinzel
Wyatt Kaiser-Louis Crevier
Kevin Korchinski-Ethan Del Mastro

Scratched

F-Sacha Boisvert, F-Dominic Toninato

Injured

F-Oliver Moore (lower body), D-Matt Grzelcyk (upper body), D-Artyom Levshunov (hand), F-Andrew Mangiapane (lower body)

Sharks Probable Lines

Forwards

Igor Cherynshov-Macklin Celebrini-Will Smith
William Eklund-Alex Wennberg-Keifer Sherwood
Collin Graf-Michael Misa-Tyler Toffoli
Barclay Goodrow-Zack Ostapchuk-Adam Gaudette

Defensemen

Sam Dickinson-Mario Ferraro
Shakir Mukhamadullin-Dmitry Orlov
Luca Cagnoni-Vincent Desharnias

Scratched

F-Ty Dellandrea, D-John Klingberg, D-Nick Leddy, F-Pavol Regenda, F-Philipp Kurashev

Injured

F-Logan Couture (groin), G-Carey Price (knee), F-Ryan Reaves (hand)

Goaltending Matchup

Spencer Knight (18-25-11, 2.84 GAA, .902 SV%, 3 SO) vs Yaroslav Askarov (21-19-4, 3.60 GAA, .885 SV%, 0 SO)

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