The Chicago Blackhawks are set to take on the Boston Bruins in game 48 of their season.
The Chicago Blackhawks are set to take on the Boston Bruins on Saturday night. This Original Six matchup is a special one for the Blackhawks, as they will honor “The Banner Years” to close out the third chapter of their centennial celebration.
There will be over 20 Blackhawks alumni in attendance, all of whom won the Cup with Chicago in 2010, 2013, and/or 2015. A pregame ceremony hosted by Pat Foley will take place after warmups.
Scouting Boston
The Boston Bruins came into 2025-26 with mixed expectations. As an organization, the playoffs are a goal every single year, no matter what. However, a tough 2024-25 had many thinking it might be a couple of years before they returned to the postseason. So far, they’ve been a surprise.
The Bruins currently hold the final Wild Card spot in a crowded Eastern Conference with a record of 27-19-2 (56 points). They come into this matchup with Chicago on a five-game winning streak.
Khusnutdinov-Lindholm-Pastrnak
Mittelstadt-Zacha-Arvidsson
Steeves-Minten-Geekie
Jeannot-Kuraly-Kastelic
Aspirot-McAvoy
Zadorov-Jokiharju
Lohrei-Peeke
Korpisalo
Everything on this Bruins team runs through David Pastrnak. He is one of the three best wingers in the NHL, and he drives offense like a center. His line with Elias Lindholm and Murat Khusnutdinov has been on fire in recent weeks.
Morgan Geekie has a lot of goals this season, but Khusnutdinov took his spot on the top line. Still, that’s a sniper playing a depth position to keep an eye on if you're the Blackhawks in a pre-scout meeting.
On defense, forecheckers must avoid former Blackhawk Nikita Zadorov, as he is known to hit them hard. Their number one defenseman, and Team USA star, Charlie McAvoy, is the one who can burn in all three zones.
Jeremy Swayman, Boston’s number one goalie, will be with McAvoy on Team USA in Milan. He is a big reason the Bruins are having a bounce-back season. Joonas Korpisalo, his backup, will get the start, though. Korpisalo is a competent goalie as well, meaning the Blackhawks must be on their game if they want to break out of their offensive slump.
This isn’t the Bruins team loaded with Hall of Famers as the Blackhawks faced in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, but it’s a feisty bunch led by a handful of superstars at each position.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Chicago Blackhawks are coming off two tough losses at home to the Alberta teams, but they are still 5-4-1 in their last 10. A win over the Bruins would be a strong bounce-back victory, based on how well Boston has played in recent weeks.
Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Bertuzzi-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Donato-Moore-Lardis
Dach-Foligno-Slaggert
Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy
Soderblom
Teuvo Teravainen’s injury is starting to linger. He will not play against the Bruins and is still day-to-day. Jason Dickinson left practice with an injury, but Jeff Blashill said that he will play.
These lines are well-balanced based on the tools that they have. Each line has a shooter, a playmaker, and a player capable of playing hard in all three zones.
Arvid Soderblom will get the start in goal. Spencer Knight has been playing incredibly lately, but he gets the night off. He will likely start on Monday night against the Winnipeg Jets.
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 locally on CHSN. The puck will drop shortly after 7:00 PM CT.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.