The CHICAGO Blackhawks try to increase their winning
streak to a season-high eight games when they host the Anaheim
Ducks tonight.
Nearly everything has gone right in recent weeks for Chicago
(42-18-5), which won 12 of its past 13 games. Now, the Blackhawks
return to full strength as they reunite their old defensive pairing
of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya for the first time in almost
two years.
Hjalmarsson missed four games because of an upper-body injury but
has been cleared to return. Meanwhile, Oduya is scheduled to play
for the first time since Chicago reacquired him from the Dallas
Stars on Feb. 28. The soft-spoken Swede won two Stanley Cup
championships with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015.
"It's obviously a very positive thing when you can switch guys in
and out, when guys are hurt ... and you're still finding a way to
come out with some wins," Blackhawks center Tanner Kero told the
Chicago Sun-Times. "And now to be at full strength, we're excited
to see what happens."
As Chicago looks to stay hot, Anaheim (34-22-10) attempts to earn
back-to-back wins for the first time since Jan. 17-19. The Ducks
alternated wins and losses in each of the past 12 games. After a
4-3 shootout victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night,
coach Randy Carlyle's team will try to finally break its win-loss
pattern.
The addition of hardscrabble right winger Patrick Eaves could boost
the Ducks' chances. He has two goals and two assists in four games
since Anaheim acquired him from Dallas before the trade deadline.
"Patty works hard," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf told the Orange
County Register. "He's always around the puck all the time and he's
around the net. That's one thing that our group was lacking in a
way -- just that feistiness in front of the net. I thought he's
done great with that. Retrieving pucks and being around the net."
The game marks the second of three regular-season meetings. The
Blackhawks won the opening matchup 3-2 on Nov. 25 behind goals from
Artem Anisimov, Patrick Kane and Ryan Hartman.
Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford stopped 34 of 36 shots in that
game and he is expected to be in net again Thursday. The
32-year-old is 26-13-3 with a .918 save percentage and 2.55
goals-against average.
Jonathan Bernier likely will start in net for Anaheim as fellow
goaltender John Gibson continues to recover from a lower-body
injury. Bernier is 11-7-2 with a .904 save percentage and 2.85
goals-against average.
The Blackhawks' offense tries to keep rolling regardless of whom
the Ducks start between the pipes. Chicago has scored at least four
goals in six of the past seven games and 11 of the past 13.
No player has been hotter than Kane, who has nine goals in his past
five contests and 29 goals on the season. He needs one more score
to post back-to-back, 30-goal seasons for the first time in his
career.
Anaheim remains without veteran center Antoine Vermette, who serves
the ninth contest of a 10-game suspension for slashing a linesman
on Feb. 14. Vermette will be eligible to return Sunday against
Washington.
Chicago is 22-8-4 on home ice. Anaheim is 13-14-7 on the road.
