The Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday in game number nine.
The Chicago Blackhawks are going to take on the Los Angeles Kings in game number nine of the season. It has been a good start to the season, as they are now 4-2-2 after the first 8.
Now, it is about continuing to find ways to win while forming better habits that will lead to sustained success.
Scouting Los Angeles
Like Chicago's last opponent, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Los Angeles Kings are not off to the best start. After dropping a shootout to the Nashville Predators on Saturday night, the Kings come into this game at 3-3-3.
In that game against the Predators, the Kings got their captain, Anze Kopitar, back from his early-season injury. This is Kopitar's last season in the NHL, as he announced that he will wrap up his Hall of Fame tenure after 2025-26. With this being his first and only trip to Chicago this year, it is the last time he'll ever suit up at the United Center.
"I don't know him personally, but he's honestly been one of my favorite players in the league," Jeff Blashill said of Kopitar after Chicago's morning skate on Sunday. "It's amazing how good he still is."
Kopitar has been one of those players in the league that fans marvel at because of their incredible abilities in all three zones of the ice. It was never about being just a good point producer. It was also about playing the game right in every situation.
"To me, he's one of those great winners in our game," Blashill continued on Kopitar. "You know, guys like Jonathan Toews, who we had here, guys like Zetterberg and Datsyuk, who I coached in Detroit, Patrice Bergeron, right now, Barkov. When you have those centers, I call them winning centers, two-way centers that check for their offense, make high-end plays, and never cheat the game."
Having a young team loaded with talent that is still in the development stages, playing against guys like Anze Kopitar is a great test and player to witness.
"I think it's a good model to be able to see what that looks like," Blashill said on a young team preparing to face a guy like that.
Around Kopitar are many great two-way players who are difficult to play against in all three zones. When their game is good, it is great. They are projected to line up around Kopitar like this:
Kuzmenko - Kopitar - Kempe
Fiala - Byfield - Laferriere
Foegele - Danault - Moore
Armia - Turcotte - Perry
Dumoulin - Doughty
Edmundson - Clarke
Anderson - Ceci
Darcy Kuemper was their goaltender on Saturday night against Nashville, so expect to see Anton Forsberg in the net against the Blackhawks.
"They're a very good defensive team," Jeff Blashill said of the Los Angeles Kings. "They have been for a long time. It's kind of what's in their DNA, it's their identity. They don't give up a whole lot. We know we're going to have to defend well, and we're going to have to really work to create offense."
Lukas Reichel Trade
Lukas Reichel was traded to the Vancouver Canucks earlier this week in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
Blackhawks Trade Lukas Reichel To Canucks For Draft Pick
The Chicago Blackhawks have traded Lukas Reichel to the Vancouver Canucks for a draft pick.
Projected Blackhawks Lines, Defense Pairs, and Starting Goalie
The Chicago Blackhawks are going to be without Tyler Bertuzzi on Sunday night against the Kings. He is considered to be "day to day". Without Bertuzzi in the lineup, Nick Foligno will take his spot on the top power play unit, and the lines are projected to look like this:
Mikheyev - Bedard - Burakovsky
Teravainen - Nazar - Donato
Dach - Greene - Dickinson
Slaggert - Foligno - Lafferty
Vlasic - Rinzel
Kaiser - Levshunov
Grzelcyk - Murphy
Crevier
Arvid Soderblom is the projected starting goaltender for the Blackhawks. It has been a long layoff for him up to this point, but that is the role of a backup goaltender. He has to be ready to play when he's called upon, and this will be a big test for him.
Jeff Blashill has been using 11 forwards and 7 defensemen in every game lately. If that continues, and it likely will, one of those forwards is going to be scratched. Based on recent history, Sam Lafferty is the leading candidate to be scratched. That would mean double-shifting for guys like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar.
Jason Dickinson (injury) and Andre Burakovsky (paternity) are going to be back in the lineup after missing the last couple of games.
How To Watch
Those in the Chicagoland market looking to watch the game on TV can find it on CHSN. Those who are out of market can find it on ESPN+.
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