PREVIEW: Blackhawks vs. Lightning - March 7, 2021

TIME: 1:30 p.m. CT
TV:NBCSCH | RADIO:WGN 720-AM / TUDN 1200-AM | STREAM:
NHL.TV
&
MyTeamsApp
Chicago and Tampa Bay close out their three game set with an afternoon matinee on Sunday at the United Center. The game wraps up a five-game homestand for the Blackhawks that spanned the last nine days.

TEAM RECORDS

CHI: 13-7-5, 31 PTS
TBL: 16-4-2, 34 PTS

LAST TIME OUT

The Blackhawks overcame two- and one-goal holes on Friday night to take a 4-3 shootout victory over the Lightning. Alex DeBrincat notched a pair of goals and Dominik Kubalik added the third-period equalizer before Philipp Kurashev potted the lone goal for either side in the shootout. Malcolm Subban made 39 saves on the night and stopped all three Tampa skaters in the shootout.

RUBBER MATCH

After Tampa took the overtime win Thursday and Chicago the shootout win on Friday, this afternoon's rubber match closes out the teams' three-game set. The last time the Blackhawks played three straight at home against the same opponent was Feb. 1953 vs. Boston.
DeBrincat leads the team with five points (4G, 1A) against Tampa Bay this season.

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

Under the NHL's scheduling format this season, the Blackhawks have played the same opponent in consecutive games 12 times. In the second game against the same opponent this season, Chicago is 9-1-2, including victories in eight straight.
This is the first time this season that the Blackhawks will face the same opponent three straight times.

CAT ATTACK

DeBrincat required the eighth fewest games (255) to reach 100 career NHL goals among players to debut with the Blackhawks after his two markers on Friday. The Farmington Hills, Michigan native needed the fifth-fewest games among active U.S.-born players to reach the milestone, behind Auston Matthews (187 GP), Bobby Ryan (230 GP), Kyle Connor (245 GP) and Jake Guentzel (249 GP).
In the process, he extended his point streak (6G, 6A) to a season-long eight games, one shy of his career high. DeBrincat's 14 markers this season are fourth in the NHL and his current four-game goal streak matches a career high.
Since he returned to the lineup on Feb. 2 after being removed from COVID-19 protocol, DeBrincat shares the league lead with 12 goals and is second with 22 points.

LETHAL COMBINATION

DeBrincat and Kane have teamed up for a point on the same marker 22 times this season, three more than the next closest set of teammates: Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid (20) and Winnipeg's Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele (19).