Blackhawks at Blue Jackets preview
Chicago has won three of four; Columbus trying to extend nine-game point streak
by Craig Merz / NHL.com Independent Correspondent
BLACKHAWKS (16-17-6) at BLUE JACKETS (17-14-7)
5 p.m. ET; FS-O, NBCSCH, NHL.TV
The Game
The Columbus Blue Jackets try to extend their nine-game point streak (6-0-3) when they host the Chicago Blackhawks at Nationwide Arena on Sunday.
Each defeat during the streak was the result of allowing a power-play goal in overtime, including a 2-1 loss at the Washington Capitals on Friday to end a season-long five-game winning streak.
The Blackhawks have won three of four.
Players to watch
Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in his past six games. He needs one goal to tie Denis Savard (377) for fourth place on Chicago's all-time list.
Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois has six points (two goals, four assists) in his past five games.
They said it
"You're not going to win every time you play well so you need to play well a lot to get the wins you need. That's got to be our focus going forward." -- Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton
"They want to stay. The hunger of it and the tightness of it and the hardness of it how they play, you can see it jelling as a team. … This is really healthy for the organization as you go through a tough time with the rash of injuries we have." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella on the contribution of players from Cleveland of the American Hockey League
Blackhawks projected lineup
Dominik Kubalik -- Jonathan Toews -- John Quenneville
Alex Nylander -- Dylan Strome -- Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat -- Kirby Dach -- Ryan Carpenter
Zack Smith -- David Kampf -- Matthew Highmore
Duncan Keith -- Erik Gustafsson
Slater Koekkoek -- Connor Murphy
Olli Maatta -- Dennis Gilbert
Corey Crawford
Robin Lehner
Scratched: Dylan Sikura
Injured: Adam Boqvist (right shoulder), Drake Caggiula (concussion protocol), Calvin de Haan (right shoulder), Brandon Saad (right ankle), Brent Seabrook (right shoulder/left and right hip), Andrew Shaw (concussion protocol)
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Alexandre Texier -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Eric Robinson
Nick Foligno -- Boone Jenner -- Gustav Nyquist
Jakob Lilja -- Alexander Wennberg -- Kevin Stenlund
Nathan Gerbe -- Riley Nash -- Ryan MacInnis
Zach Werenski -- Seth Jones
Vladislav Gavrikov -- David Savard
Dean Kukan -- Gabriel Carlsson
Joonas Korpisalo
Elvis Merzlikins
Scratched: Scott Harrington
Injured: Brandon Dubinsky (wrist), Emil Bemstrom (ribs), Markus Nutivaara (upper body), Ryan Murray (lower body), Sonny Milano (upper body), Josh Anderson (shoulder), Andrew Peeke (finger), Cam Atkinson (lower body), Oliver Bjorkstrand (ribs, oblique)
Status report
Boqvist said Saturday he hopes to be cleared for Sunday. He did not play against New Jersey. … Korpisalo may make his seventh straight start. … Harrington, who missed the game Friday because of illness, skated Saturday.
Stat pack
Toews has four points (two goals, two assists) in his past three games. … Keith needs one goal for 100 in the NHL. … Smith needs one point for 200 in the NHL. … The Blackhawks are 12-for-12 on the penalty kill in their past five games. … Lilja on Friday became the sixth Blue Jackets player to score his first NHL goal this season. MacInnis assisted on the goal for his first NHL point.