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EDMONTON OILERS @ CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
7:30PM CENTRAL/6:30 MOUNTAIN
United Center, Chicago
CSN Chicago/WGN Radio


PROJECTED LINEUPS

EDMONTON OILERS

RYAN SMYTH JORDAN EBERLE RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS
ALES HEMSKY TEEMU HARTIKAINEN SAM GAGNER
MAGNUS PAAJARVI CHRIS VANDEVELDE NAIL YAKUPOV
BEN EAGER ERIC BELANGER RYAN JONES


NICK SCHULTZ JUSTIN SCHULTZ
COREY POTTER MARK FISTRIC
JEFF PETRY LADISLAV SMID

DEVAN DUBNYK



CHICAGO

BRANDON SAAD JONATHAN TOEWS MARIAN HOSSA
PATRICK SHARP MARCUS KRUGER PATRICK KANE
BRYAN BICKELL ANDREW SHAW VIKTOR STALBERG
DAN CARCILLO JAMAL MAYERS MICHAL FROLIK

BRENT SEABROOK DUNCAN KEITH
NIKLAS HJALMARSSON JOHNNY ODUYA
MICHAL ROZSIVAL NICK LEDDY

RAY EMERY



THE BUZZ

After toughing out a 1-0 win over the plodding Blue Jackets, Monday night the Hawks host a younger quasi-mirror image of themselves, the Edmonton Oilers.

Looking at the stats below, the prescription seems fairly simple: avoid penalties. Edmonton is a very good power play team and a fairly mediocre team at even strength.

But there’s more to the story. The Hawks need to be prepared to skate and think in this game—be smart positionally and not get overwhelmed by Edmonton’s speed and puck movement. This Hawk team is faster than perhaps any Hawk team in years, including the slightly bigger, more physical 2010 Cup Team. If the Hawks play smart and skate hard for 60 minutes, their depth should help them versus an exciting, but not quite as deep Oilers club.

Talented young winger Taylor Hall sits out this game serving the second half of a two-game suspension.

STATS

GOAL DIFFERENTIAL 5 ON 5
Edmonton, 30th
Chicago, 2nd

POWER PLAY
Edmonton, 5th
Chicago, 14th

PENALTY KILL
Edmonton, 4th
Chicago, 2nd

FACEOFF %
Edmonton, 29th
Chicago, 12th

TAKEAWAYS
Edmonton, 8th
Chicago, 1st

BLOCKED SHOTS
Edmonton, 7th
Chicago, 5th


All for now,



JJ

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