Nashville Predators (19-16-7) at Chicago Blackhawks (27-13-4) 7:30PM Central CSN Chicago/FSN Tennessee/SportsNet
THE BUZZ
What a difference a few weeks makes in the parity-fied NHL. The Predators, losers of three straight, have sunk like a stone in the Central Division. While Chicago, riding a 7-game win streak, has risen to 2nd place in the Central.
Tonight’s game kicks off a string of 8 games for the Blackhawks against likely playoff teams (with the lone possible exception of Toronto), and should provide a tougher test than the Hawks’ recent slate of competition.
This is a somewhat different Preds’ lineup than the one the Hawks ousted in 6 games in the first round of last year’s playoffs. C/W Ryan Johansen was recently acquired by GM David Poile in exchange for D Seth Jones.
Another bit of news, the Blackhawks just announced Joel Quenneville has been extended for another three seasons behind the Hawk bench.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Nashville
Forsberg Johansen Neal Arvidsson Ribeiro Smith Hodgson Fisher Jarnkrok Salomaki Gaustad Watson
Josi Weber Ekholm Ellis Bitetto Jackman
Rinne
Chicago
Shaw Toews Hossa Panarin Anisimov Kane Desjardins Danault Teravainen Mashinter Rasmussen Garbutt
Keith Hjalmarsson Gustafsson Seabrook Van Riemsdyk Rozsival
Crawford