The Chicago Blackhawks will take on the St. Louis Blues in game 31 of the season.
The Chicago Blackhawks are going to visit the St. Louis Blues in game number 31 of the season on Friday night. This is the first half of a back-to-back set that will be played by Chicago this weekend.
Chicago and St. Louis have matched up once before this season. This was an 8-3 victory for Chicago, also in St. Louis. Friday’s game is the second of four meetings this year.
Scouting St. Louis
The St. Louis Blues are not having a good season. After making the playoffs last year, things have been a disaster this year for them. At 11-14-7, their 29 points have them in 29th place out of 32 in the entire National Hockey League.
St. Louis's most recent game, a 7-2 loss to the then-31st-place Nashville Predators, came on Thursday night. That makes this a back-to-back situation for them.
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Hofer
Jordan Binnington started for the Blues on Thursday, but he was pulled in favor of Joel Hofer after giving up 6 goals on 25 shots. Hofer allowed 1 on 7 shots before the game ended. Expect Hofer to get the nod again against the Blackhawks on Friday.
Robert Thomas, Jake Neighbours, and Pavel Buchnevich are expected to lead the way offensively for the Blues. They also get contributions from Dylan Holloway, Brayden Schenn, and Pius Suter, but they all would like to produce much more. Without Jordan Kyrou, who is on injured reserve, their depth isn't what it needs to be.
On defense, they have a much better group than you'd think based on their record. Things just aren't panning out the way they thought, which is going to eventually force change. With that said, they still present a challenge on any given night. That is especially true with a division rival.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Chicago Blackhawks will have 12 forwards and six defensemen for the second game in a row. They haven't gone with the traditional lineup much this season, but with Sam Rinzel down in the AHL, this will be the new norm.
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Knight
Spencer Knight is going to get the nod for the Blackhawks against the St. Louis Blues. That leaves Arvid Soderblom an opportunity to start on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Louis Crevier comes into the matchup looking to extend his team's lead in goals by a defenseman. He didn't go into the season with a reputation of being an offensive player, but that's what he's been for a lot of the year.
Tyler Bertuzzi is one of Chicago's most productive players so far this season. He is tied for second in the league with 8 power-play goals. With the way that Connor Bedard's top line is going, Bertuzzi will come in looking to get Frank Nazar going alongside Oliver Moore on the second line. Bertuzzi could be the beneficiary of all the speed he's playing with.
More On Frank Nazar
Frank Nazar scored a goal when these two last met. Based on how the Blues have played recently, they could be his "get-hot" team.
After Chicago's last game against the Rangers, head coach Jeff Blashill came to the defense of his young center when asked about his scoring drought. He is confident that the scoring will return if he keeps playing the way he did against New York.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. To view this game, it can be found on ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+. The puck will drop shortly after 7:00 PM.
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