Blackhawks renew budding rivalry with Sharks in final road game of the season

Chicago Blackhawks (28-35-14, 70 pts) @ San Jose Sharks (36-32-7, 79 pts)
9 pm CT – SAP Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Konroyd)

The Chicago Blackhawks will play their final home game of the season against the San Jose Sharks tonight. It’s the second of three meetings between these two budding rivals, as they will meet again at the United Center next week to conclude the 2025-26 season.

While these two franchises are connected by their ongoing rebuilds and consecutive number-one overall picks, it was the veterans who did the heavy lifting in the first meeting. Ryan Donato (2 G, 2 A) and Ilya Mikheyev (1 G, 3 A) each matched their career highs with four points. Donato has five goals and 11 points in his current six-game point streak against the Sharks.

On the other side of the ice, former Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy had a goal and an assist in the Sharks’ 6-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. While much of the attention goes to Macklin Celebrini, and rightfully so, it’s been Alexander Wennberg who has been scorching hot of late. He enters tonight with five goals and eight points during his current six-game point streak.

Must Match the Urgency

The Sharks have been a fun story this season, as they are still in contention for a playoff spot. They are two points behind the Predators and the Los Angeles Kings for the final Western Conference wild card spot, with a game in hand on both teams. Their regulation loss to Nashville was a big four-point swing in the standings, and they will need to recover from it as quickly as possible.

If San Jose comes up short in their quest for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it will be because of their lack of defense and goaltending. The Blackhawks need to carry over their shooters’ mentality from their win over the Seattle Kraken into tonight’s game. The Sharks have allowed 83 first-period goals this season, the most in the NHL. Jumping on them early and having them chase the game will go a long way towards a second straight victory.

Bedzy vs Mack

Connor Bedard and Celebrini will be connected throughout their careers. They were selected with the first pick of the NHL Entry Draft in consecutive years and quickly became foundational players for two teams in the midst of long rebuilds. These two are also good friends who spent last summer training together. While the competition between the two of them among the fanbases is a little puzzling, they have both embraced it.

Celebrini is having an historic sophomore season with 41 goals and 106 points in 75 games. He is the first Sharks player to have a 40-goal campaign since Hall of Famer Joe Thornton in 2013-14. He will get a lot of consideration for the Hart Trophy, especially if he can get the Sharks into the postseason.

All of Celebrini’s success makes you wonder what could have been for Bedard. When he suffered his shoulder injury on Dec. 12, the Blackhawks’ young star had four more goals and the same amount of points as Celebrini. What would his totals look like, and where would the Blackhawks be in the standings had he not missed those 12 games midway through the season?

Burky Scratched?

Andre Burakovsky has been the subject of Blackhawks fans’ ire for quite some time. He was kept on the top line with Bedard for weeks while not producing. He was finally moved down to the third line when Anton Frondell arrived. He eventually ended up on the fourth line, and now he might be watching tonight’s game from the press box.

There were no line rushes during today’s morning skate, but Burakovsky stayed on the ice after it ended, which is usually a sign that he’s not playing tonight. Head coach Jeff Blashill said forward Andrew Mangiapane is available tonight, so expect him to slide into the fourth line with Sacha Boisvert and Landon Slaggert.

Blackhawks didn’t run forward line rushes this morning.

Mangiapane is “available” to return from injury tonight, Blashill said.

Burakovsky stayed out late, so looks like he’ll be a healthy scratch, although Blashill wouldn’t confirm that.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) April 6, 2026

Season Series

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

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Tyler Bertuzzi (32)
A-Connor Bedard (41)
P-Bedard (71)
PPG-Bertuzzi (11)
GWG-Bedard (5)
SOG-Bedard (210)
PIM-Louis Crevier (61)

Sharks Team Leaders

G-Macklin Celebrini (41)
A-Celebrini (65)
P-Celebrini (106)
PPG-Will Smith/Alexander Wennberg (8)
GWG-Celebrini/Collin Graf (4)
SOG-Celebrini (265)
PIM-Barclay Goodrow (71)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.56 (32nd)
GA/G-3.22 (25th)
PP%-17.8 (24th)
PK%-83.8 (2nd)
SOG/G-24.5 (32nd)
SA/G-30.4 (31st)
FO%-46.1 (31st)
PIM/G-9:00 (19th)

Sharks Team Stats

GF/G-3.05 (17th)
GA/G-3.55 (31st)
PP%-20.7 (16th)
PK%-77.9 (21st)
SOG/G-26.0 (26th)
SA/G-29.7 (28th)
FO%-47.6 (27th)
PIM/G-8:52 (18th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards

Teuvo Teravainen-Connor Bedard-Nick Lardis
Tyler Bertuzzi-Anton Frondell-Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato-Frank Nazar-Ryan Greene
Andrew Mangiapane-Sacha Boisvert-Landon Slaggert

Defensemen

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

Scratched

F-Sam Lafferty, F-Dominic Toninato, F-Andre Burakovsky

Injured

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

Sharks Probable Lines

Forwards

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