PREVIEW: Blackhawks vs. Oilers - March 5, 2020
Chicago brings three-game win streak into final meeting of the season with Edmonton
by Carter Baum @CarterBaum / Blackhawks.com
TIME: 7:30 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH RADIO: WGN Radio 720 STREAM: NHL.TV & MyTeamsApp
The Blackhawks open up thier 14th back-to-back of the season with the third meeting of the year against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night at the United Center (TICKETS).
TEAM RECORDS
CHI: 30-28-8, 68 PTS
EDM: 36-23-8, 80 PTS
LAST TIME OUT
Chicago took a 6-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night, completing a season sweep of their California foes. Dylan Strome (2G, 1A) led the way, while Patrick Kane (1G, 1A), Alex Nylander (1G, 1A), Duncan Keith (2A) and Adam Boqvist (2A) registered multi-point nights. Corey Crawford earned his third straight win with 37 saves.
Edmonton won a 2-1 overtime game in Dallas on Tuesday night as
The two teams have split the season series to date, Chicago taking a 3-1 win on Oct. 14 at home and Edmonton with a 5-3 victory just over three weeks ago at Rogers Place on Feb. 11 - also the first game of a back-to-back for the Blackhawks. Brandon Saad has scored in both meetings and added an assist in the most recent outing against the Oilers this season. He is tied with Kane (1G, 2A) for the team lead in the season series at three points.
Video: EDM vs. CHI game preview
LINEUP NOTES
Crawford will start for the seventh straight game as the Blackhawks search for a fourth consecutive victory on Thursday night. Olli Maatta took the option on Chicago's morning skate, but will remain in the lineup as Nick Seeler sits out.
Here are the projected line combinations based on morning skate:
Kubalik - Toews - Saad
Nylander - Strome - Kane
DeBrincat - Dach - Caggiula
Highmore - Kampf - Carpenter
Keith - Boqvist
Carlsson - Murphy
Maatta - Koekkoek
Video: Colliton on matchup with Edmonton
CROW'S NEST
Crawford has won three consecutive starts and has allowed two goals or fewer in 11 of his last 16 appearances. The veteran's .930 save percentage since Jan. 1 is sixth in the league, while his 2.37 goals-against average shares ninth over that span (min. 10 appearances).
YOUNG GUNS
Nineteen-year-old teammates Adam Boqvist (8/15/2000) and Kirby Dach (1/21/2001) each collected an assist on Chicago's first tally Tuesday, marking the first time in NHL history that multiple players born in the 2000s factored in on a goal.
Boqvist registered two helpers against the Ducks on Tuesday, his first career multi-point game. The teenager has now posted assists (3A) in back-to-back games for the first time in his career as well. Dach and Jack Hughes share the most points among players drafted this past June with 21 each.
RUNNING ON DUNCAN
Keith picked up his fourth multi-point outing of the season on Tuesday with two assists and has nine points (1G, 8A) in his last seven games, a mark that leads league defenseman since Feb. 19. The defenseman skated in a season-high 28:45 of time on ice last Thursday against Tampa Bay and had a season-long five-game point streak (1G, 6A) from Feb. 19-27.