There are two games on the NHL schedule for Friday, including one nationally televised in the United States and Canada. Here are five things to watch today, along with the complete game schedule.
Bedard goes for 20
Connor Bedard is one goal from becoming the fifth player in Chicago Blackhawks (13-11-6) history to start his career with three straight 20-goal seasons. If he gets there, which could happen as soon as Friday against the St. Louis Blues (11-14-7) at Enterprise Center (8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), he would add his name to a Blackhawks list that includes Patrick Kane (13 seasons), Jonathan Toews (12), Denis Savard (10) and Darcy Rota (four). Bedard, 20, is also one goal away from tying Eddie Olczyk for the most goals by a Blackhawks player 20 years old or younger, with 64 goals in 180 games in his career. He has six goals in his past five games and 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 30 games this season.
Bertuzzi bringing it
While much of the focus on the Blackhawks is on Bedard, fellow forward Frank Nazar and goalie Spencer Knight, there’s another member of the team who is having an exceptional season: Tyler Bertuzzi. After scoring 21 goals in 2023-24 and 23 last season, Bertuzzi already has 16 goals and 10 assists in 27 games this season. He can add to that total against the Blues on Friday. Bertuzzi’s NHL career-high in goals came in 2021-22, when he scored 30 in 68 games for the Detroit Red Wings, also hitting an NHL career-high 62 points.
Blues besting Blackhawks at home
The Blues are on a run against the Blackhawks, having won four of their last five home games against Chicago and five of their last six games overall against the Central Division rival. They’ll try to continue that on Friday night, led perhaps by Philip Broberg. The defenseman, who had his second multiassist game of the season on Thursday against the Nashville Predators, has five points (one goal, four assists) in seven career games against the Blackhawks. The Blues, who enter Friday three points behind the Blackhawks in the Central Division standings.
Mammoth try to turn it around
It hasn’t been easy of late for the Utah Mammoth, and it won’t get much easier in the near term with forward Logan Cooley out the next eight weeks. The Mammoth (14-15-3) have lost three in a row and are 2-7-0 in their past nine games. But Dylan Guenther has three goals in his past two games, including two against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, and they’ll get a chance to reverse their fortunes when they host the Seattle Kraken (12-10-6) at Delta Center (9 p.m. ET; Utah16, KHN/Prime, KONG) on Friday.
Seattle powering up
The Kraken are right in the middle of the pack when it comes to their power play, ranked 15th in the NHL this season at 19.5 percent. But perhaps that number is heading in the right direction after the Kraken scored their past four goals on the man advantage, including all three against the Los Angeles Kings in a come-from-behind 3-2 overtime win on Wednesday and their lone goal in a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Monday. In fact, Seattle’s last goal at five-on-five came from Chandler Stephenson in a 4-3 loss to the Red Wings on Saturday. They’ll try to keep those power plays going against the Mammoth on Friday.
The schedule
Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN, TVAS
Seattle Kraken at Utah Mammoth, 9 p.m. ET; Utah16, KHN/Prime, KONG
