FLA CHI 12.23 preview

PANTHERS (14-14-6) at BLACKHAWKS (13-19-6)
7 p.m. ET; ESPN+, WGN, FS-F, NHL.TV

Chicago, on a season-long three-game winning streak after being 1-9-1 in its previous 11 games, has allowed two goals or fewer in three straight.
Florida, on the second of a back-to-back (won 2-1 at Detroit on Saturday), is 3-1-0 in its past four games after a four-game losing streak (0-3-1).

Players to watch

Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau has 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) and 11 multipoint games in his past 14.
Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane has six points (two goals, four assists) in a four-game point streak and 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in his past 10 games.

They said it

"We've talked about things slowly coming together over a span of seven games or so of playing better in segments of games and defending better and making more plays, so I think things are starting to click a little bit more, whether it's our penalty kill, stopping a few more plays or even in five-on-five, us getting sorted out a little better in d-zone." -- Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy
"I don't mind being on any of those lines with the players we have here. When you're not on [Aleksander] Barkov's line, you're going to get a little easier of a [defensive] matchup, so you try and take advantage of that. We have good players who can be swapped in and out." -- Panthers forward Mike Hoffman after 2-1 win at Detroit on Saturday

Panthers projected lineup
Blackhawks projected lineup
Status report

The Blackhawks recalled forward Jacob Nilsson and re-assigned forward Luke Johnson to Rockford of the American Hockey League. Nilsson will make his NHL debut with Chicago. … Murphy, who left Friday's 2-1 Blackhawks win at Colorado on Friday late in third period after taking an elbow to the face, will play.

Stat pack

McCann will play his 200th game in NHL. … Barkov has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in his past 13 games. … DeBrincat has four points (two goals, two assists) in his past two games. … Seabrook needs one goal for 100 in NHL.