Follow me @jaeckel


Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks
7PM Eastern/6 Central
United Center, Chicago
Fox Sports Ohio/CSN Chicago/WGN Radio


THE BUZZ

What looks like a statistical mismatch could possibly be a very tough game for the homestanding Blackhawks. The Hawks have had a few narrow escapes in their record-setting 14-0-3 start to the season—but perhaps few luckier than the one they had in Columbus, where a clear Blue Jacket goal was taken off the board, enabling the Hawks to eventually win.

The Blue Jackets under head coach Todd Richards make up for an obvious lack of talent with hard work. So the prescription for Chicago will be to work as hard and be patient, as Columbus will try
to slow the Hawks down by gumming up the neutral zone.

#1 netminder Corey Crawford should return tonight from a brief layoff rumored to have been due to a concussion, though this is unconfirmed.

No word on the status of center Dave Bolland, who is "day to day" with an upper body injury incurred sometime in the latter part of Friday night's win over the Sharks. Lineups below will reflect Bolland being OUT.

I'm hearing the Hawks—in the persons of Pierre Gauthier and chief pro scout Ryan Stewart— have been scouting the Senators and or the Leafs heavily over the last couple of weeks. This is a follow-on to earlier rumors of talks between the Hawks and Senators.



PROJECTED LINEUPS


COLUMBUS

CAM ATKINSON DERICK BRASSARD RJ UMBERGER
JARED BOLL COLTON GILLIES DEREK MACKENZIE
VINNY PROSPAL MARK LETESTU DEREK DORSETT
NICK FOLIGNO SEAN COLLINS MATT CALVERT

TIM ERIXON JAMES WISNIEWSKI
JACK JOHNSON ADRIAN AUCOIN
NIKITA NIKITIN FEDOR TYUTIN

STEVE MASON


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

COREY CRAWFORD



STATS

POWER PLAY
Columbus, 27th
Chicago, 13th

PENALTY KILL
Columbus, 13th
Chicago, 3rd

GOAL DIFFERENTIAL
Columbus, 30th
Chicago, 1st

FACEOFF %
Columbus, 21st
Chicago, 13th

BLOCKED SHOTS
Columbus, 29th
Chicago, 13th

TAKEAWAYS
Columbus, 30th
Chicago, 1st



All for now,


JJ

Join the Discussion: » 523 Comments » Post New Comment

» Thanks and Farewell

» Where do we go from here?

» Preds at Hawks Breakdown

» "All Teams Have Flaws"

» The Games You Should Win