PREVIEW: Blackhawks vs Panthers 12/23

TIME:6 p.m. CT
TV:WGN-TV RADIO:WGN 720* ONLINE:
NHL.TV
and ESPN+
Blackhawks Chairman Rocky Wirtz will be on hand during the first intermission outside Section 117 to sign copies of The Breakaway Limited Edition Gift Set.
FIND TICKETS*
It's been a successful 10 days or so for the Blackhawks. Including their Dec. 12 win over Pittsburgh, Chicago is 4-1-1 in their last six games and they've won three straight. They are coming off a 2-1 victory against the Avalanche in Denver on Friday night. That win completed a two-game road trip sweep. They beat Dallas 5-2 the night before.
Chicago's Sunday night meeting with the Florida Panthers is their final game before the Christmas break.
They are led in scoring by Patrick Kane, who has reached 43 points (17G, 26A) in 37 games this season. Jonathan Toews (16G. 15A) and Alex DeBrincat (16G. 14A) are the lone other Blackhawks with 30 or more points.

With Corey Crawford on IR with a concussion, Cam Ward and Collin Delia are manning the net for Chicago. Delia, in his season debut on Friday night, stopped 35 of 36 shots he faced versus Colorado. Ward had started the previous two games, both wins, and stopped 56 of 59 shots in those outings.
The Panthers have just four wins in 10 games during the month of December. Their fourth came on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. Jonathan Huberdeau is the team's leading scorer with 42 points (9G, 33A) in 34 games. Aleksander Barkov is second with 35 (15G, 20A). Evgenii Dadonov (17G. 17A), Mike Hoffman (16G. 16A) and Keith Yandle (5G, 25A) all have more than 30 points this season.
Roberto Luongo and James Reimer have split time in net for the Panthers. Roberto Luongo has started 17 games, recording a 3.00 GAA and .905 save percentage, while James Reimer has 14 starts and a 3.48 GAA and .888 SV%.

SEASON SERIES:
This is the final meeting between these two teams of 2018-19. These teams met once already this season with Chicago getting some late-game heroics in a 5-4 overtime win on the road on Nov. 24.
LINEUP NOTES:
The Blackhawks assigned Luke Johnson to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League and recalled forward Jacob Nilsson. Nilsson has six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 31 games this season down in the minors. Over his last two games, Nilsson has two goals and two assists.
Ward will start in net. Nilsson skated on the fourth line with Brendan Perlini and Chris Kunitz.
OPPONENT TO WATCH:
Dadonov is following up a breakthrough 2017-18 campaign with good numbers once again. The winger scored 28 goals last season in 74 games and already has 17 this season in 34 outings.
Dadonov was a 2007 third-round pick of the Panthers. He has three goals and two assists over his last five games.