The Chicago Blackhawks are set to take on the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.
The Chicago Blackhawks, coming off a tough loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday, are now 21-23-8. They have 50 points in the standings, which is an improvement over 52 games from a year ago, but it pales in comparison to the 29-14-10 record that the Minnesota Wild have coming into their Tuesday night matchup.
Minnesota’s 68 points give them the 5th-best record in the NHL. Looking to get back on a winning streak, this is a big test for the young Blackhawks, who will have a different-looking (healthy) lineup.
Scouting Minnesota
The Minnesota Wild are a different team than the one that beat the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center 4-3 in overtime on November 26th. They have elevated themselves into a legit Stanley Cup-contending team.
Part of that is making the biggest trade of the season for any team. Back in December, the Wild acquired superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. Their entire lineup got a big boost with this move.
Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello
Johansson-Eriksson Ek-Boldy
Foligno-Yurov-Tarasenko
Trenin-Sturm-Hinostroza
Hughes-Faber
Middleton-Spurgeon
Hunt-Jiricek
Wallstedt
Brock Faber, Hughes' defense partner, is a Team USA guy as well. Together, they form a dominant pair that leads a strong group of defenders who play well in all three zones. Even without Jonas Brodin, they haven't missed a beat.
At forward, Kirill Kaprizov is one of the best wingers in the NHL. Matt Boldy isn't far behind. Marcus Johansson and Vladimir Tarasenko have had resurgent seasons, which play a key role in Minnesota's attack.
Joel Eriksson Ek is the second-line center right now, but he is the best all-around center on the team. Eriksson Ek playing with Boldy away from Kaprizov gives the Wild's top six more depth. This allows them to attack in waves, especially when the bottom-six goes well.
Jesper Wallstedt is the projected starting goalie for the Wild on Tuesday night. They have two elite guys (Filip Gustavsson), but Wallstedt gets the nod here.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Chicago Blackhawks sent Nick Lardis down to the Rockford IceHogs now that the forward group is healthy. Sam Lafferty and Colton Dach are projected to be the scratches against the Wild.
Nazar-Bedard-Teravainen
Bertuzzi-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Greene-Moore-Burakovsky
Donato-Foligno-Slaggert
Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy
Knight
Teuvo Teravainen is set to return from injury, which is a key reason that Lardis was sent back down. As of now, based on practice lines, he is projected to play with Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. This is their chance to all gain some confidence and start producing at a high level again.
Oliver Moore will move back to the center of the ice. Linemates Andre Burakovsky and Ryan Greene are players who can take advantage of his speed down the middle with their tenacity in the offensive zone. As a line, defending shouldn't be an issue for them either.
These defense pairs have been the same for a few weeks now, which has allowed them to form chemistry together. Defending is hardly the problem for the Blackhawks, especially with projected starter Spencer Knight in the net.
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 CHSN locally. Nationally, it can be streamed on ESPN+. 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.