Predators at Blackhawks

PREDATORS (18-10-1) AT BLACKHAWKS (11-15-2)

Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Colton Sissons -- Eeli Tolvanen
Luke Kunin -- Cody Glass -- Tanner Jeannot
Mathieu Olivier -- Tommy Novak -- Yakov Trenin
Cole Smith -- Rocco Grimaldi
Roman Josi -- Dante Fabbro
Mattias Ekholm -- Alexandre Carrier
Mark Borowiecki -- Matt Benning
Philippe Myers
David Rittich
Juuse Saros
Scratched:None
Injured:Matt Duchene (upper body)
COVID-19 protocol:Mikael Granlund, Ryan Johansen, Matt Luff, Michael McCarron, Philip Tomasino, Ben Harpur, Nick Cousins
Blackhawks projected lineup
Alex DeBrincat -- Dylan Strome -- Patrick Kane
Brandon Hagel -- Jonathan Toews -- Philipp Kurashev
Dominik Kubalik -- Kirby Dach -- Ryan Carpenter
MacKenzie Entwistle -- Josiah Slavin -- Kurtis Gabriel
Erik Gustafsson -- Seth Jones
Caleb Jones -- Connor Murphy
Riley Stillman -- Jake McCabe
Marc-Andre Fleury
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched:Brett Connolly
Injured:Tyler Johnson (neck), Jujhar Khaira (concussion), Henrik Borgstrom (illness), Calvin de Haan (illness)
Status report
Nashville did not have a morning skate. ... The Predators were without seven players and their five-man coaching staff, all in NHL COVID-19 protocol, for their 5-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. Karl Taylor, coach of Milwaukee of the American Hockey League, is coaching the Predators. Milwaukee assistant Scott Ford and Predators assistant general Scott Nichol are serving as assistants. … De Haan, a defenseman, has a non-COVID-19 related illness. ... Gabriel will make his Blackhawks debut after he was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade for defenseman
Chad Krys
on Dec. 9. ... Blackhawks coach Derek King said Khaira, a forward who was removed fromm the ice on a stretcher after a hit by New York Rangers defensman Jacob Trouba on Dec. 7, skated Friday and is feeling much better.