Blackhawks Vs Avalanche: Projected Lineup, How To Watch, & More Ahead Of Game 16

The Chicago Blackhawks (4-9-1) played an excellent game against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, but they still found a way to lose. The Bruins tied it with 10 seconds left in regulation before winning it in overtime. 

Until that moment when the Bruins tied it, they had the game. They controlled play for most of the afternoon, forced turnovers, made plays in their offensive zone, and kept the Bruins’ attack at bay. 

Now, the Blackhawks will look to build on their overall game in their next matchup. One of the powers in the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche, will be at the United Center, looking to make things incredibly difficult for the young Chicago team.  

Scouting Colorado

The Colorado Avalanche (8-5-1) got off to a somewhat slow start, by their standards. Still, they are in a four-way battle with the Minnesota Wild, Utah Mammoth, and Dallas Stars for the top spot in the Central Division. It will be a battle until the very end.

Everything they do starts and ends with forward Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar. These are two of the five best players in the entire National Hockey League. Around them is a great supporting cast, most of whom have been there for a long time now. 

Lehkonen - MacKinnon - Necas

Landeskog - Nelson - Roy

Schwartz - Kadri - Hughes

Kelly - Svechkov - Brindley

Toews - Makar

Kulak - Juulsen

Malinski - Burns

Blackwood

Wedgewood

Artturi Lehkonen and Marty Necas help MacKinnon run one of the most dominant lines in the league. Both of them are off to tremendous starts, and MacKinnon makes everyone better. 

Having Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri down the middle behind a superstar like MacKinnon makes them incredibly difficult to play against. Captain Gabriel Landeskog is set to play on the second line with Nelson, and he is fully back to being a solid NHL contributor. 

Devon Toews is the perfect partner for Makar. They are so good as a pair that Team Canada brought Toews with them to the Olympics to keep that pair together. They aren't as strong on the back end as they once were, but that top pair makes it easier to navigate. One player to note is Brent Burns, who is one of the oldest players in the NHL, but he's a former superstar who remains fun to watch in his final years. 

Whether it's MacKenzie Blackwood or Scott Wedgewood, the Avalanche run out a high-end starting goalie in every game. They also play a great team game in front of the goalie, making it easier for them to perform. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Blackhawks played one of their best games of the season against the Bruins on Saturday, but they are making one lineup switch. Teuvo Teravainen will rejoin the lineup in place of Jordan Greenway. 

Kantserov-Bedard-Donato

Bertuzzi-Frondell-Mangiapane

Moore-Nazar-Kane

Smith-Greene-Teravainen

Vlasic-Cole

Kaiser-Levshunov

Del Mastro-Rinzel

Knight

Teravainen is set to play on the fourth line with Ryan Greene and Cole Smith. It's a line with some skill and speed, but it can also bring a bit of physicality. 

Any line with Connor Bedard will create chances. Ryan Donato and Roman Kantserov will play with him once again. The notable line right now is Anton Frondell, centering Tyler Bertuzzi and Andrew Mangiapane. On Saturday, Frondell was incredible, and as a trio, they are looking to continue that run. 

Oliver Moore, Frank Nazar, and Patrick Kane are starting to gain some chemistry as well. For now, they will remain together, as Blashill doesn't have any plans to break up those top two lines. 

On defense, things will stay the same. Bowen Byram was not skating with the team during morning skate. Blashill said he's seeing a specialist to figure out how to get over the last hump before returning. Byram has not yet been cleared medically to play. 

Spencer Knight finally had a game off on Saturday, but he'll be right back in against the Avalanche on Monday. 

Hometown Remix

On Monday morning, the National Hockey League and Fanatics revealed the 'Hometown Remix' collection for every team. The Chicago Blackhawks will don a new, fully green sweater and gear. 

The Blackhawks will wear the new uniform on Monday night against the Avalanche, which will be their first of six times wearing it. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. It can be seen locally on CHSN. Nationally, you can stream it on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 7:00 PM CT. 

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