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Before I relate the interesting—but unlikely—rumor I heard this afternoon, here's a preview of tonight's outdoor game at Soldier Field.
Pittsburgh Penguins (40-15-4) at Chicago Blackhawks (35-12-14) 8PM Eastern NBC/WGN Radio
STATS
Power Play: Pittsburgh, 1st; Chicago, 3rd Penalty Kill: Pittsburgh, 2nd; Chicago 24th
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Pittsburgh
Kunitz Crosby Gibbons Jokinen Malkin Neal Glass Sutter Kobasew Pyatt Vitale Adams
Maatta Niskanen Scuderi Bortuzzo Orpik Engelland
Fleury
Chicago
Sharp Toews Hossa Versteeg Regin Kane Bickell Shaw Saad Bollig Kruger Smith
Keith Seabrook Oduya Hjalmarsson Leddy Rozsival
Crawford
RUMOR
At the Olympics, star players from opposing NHL teams, often NHL rivals, will forge positive on and off ice relationships. I was told this afternoon that Hawk RW Patrick Kane has made it known to team management that he would love for them to move heaven and earth to bring none other than . . . Ryan Kesler . . . to Chicago to be his center.
Chances of happening? Probably less than 1%. But . . . interesting nonetheless.
All for now,
JJ