After a three-game road trip that arguably could have gone better, the Hawks return home to the United Center for a quick game against the Flames before setting out on another three-game road trip. The Flames come into this one all but eliminated from playoff contention. Mathematically, it is possible for them to make it; it is very unlikely, as they would need to win out and hope for Vegas, St. Louis, and Minnesota to forget how to play hockey. They also have not been playing the best of hockey, going 3-7 over their last ten, and are currently on a three-game losing streak. Calgary is going to be an interesting story heading into this off-season, as it has been no secret they were having a hard time getting their star players to re-sign long-term. It will be interesting to see how they approach the off-season because, realistically, they are that far off from being a playoff team. The only question is: can they convince the type of player they need to come and play in Canada?
Projected Hawks Lineup
Mrázek starts for the Blackhawks tonight. The rest of the lineup is the same.
Injury updates: - Reese Johnson is progressing from concussion protocol - Colin Blackwell is skating but no contact yet. - Connor Murphy is also progressing & could still play this season
As you can see from Scott Powers, things will remain the same as in the game against the Sharks. I think that’s the right move, giving this lineup another shot to redeem themselves after the disgusting start to the game on Saturday. Coach Richardson had the team bag skating at practice on Monday, and for me, that says a lot about what he expects from this team and the tone he wants set for this franchise going forward. It doesn’t matter if there is nothing to play for the rest of this season; the effort this team showed against the Ducks and the first half of the game against the Sharks should never happen. This team is not in a position to take it easy or phone it in. If anything, these last few weeks of the season are more important than ever for some of these guys, who need to prove that they deserve the chance to be a part of this team. Coaches and GMS will remember the guys who played until the very end and those who just did what it took to get to the end of the season. With this team hopefully taking the next step forward in this rebuild next year, it really is do-or die time for the bubble guys, and if you believe in what is being built in Chicago and want to be a part of it and cash in when the times get good, you better be playing hard these last 11 games.
Frozen Four
The NCAA National Championship tournaments kick off this week, and the Hawks not only have a few players in action, but it’s a good time to take a look at possible picks for the upcoming draft.
Frank Nazar and Michigan came up short against Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship, but he had a great game, scoring two goals. Number 3 Michigan takes on Number 2 North Dakota in the first round Friday at 7:30 p.m. Central time on ESPN U.
Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel go into tournament action as the number two seed in their region and will take on number three Omaha Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Central time on ESPN U.
Then, of course, you have all eyes on the projected first overall pick, Macklin Celebrini, and Boston University will be a must-watch hockey team. Another player I am keeping an eye on is defenseman Artyom Levshunov of Michigan State. I know there is a log jam with our defensive prospects, but depending on where the Hawks end up drafting, he might be the best option. He has had a solid freshman season at State, putting up 34 points (9-25) in 36 games. Take it for how you will finish with a plus-minus rating of 26.
That’s going to be it from me, puck drop is set for 7:30pm central time and great news no Chris Vosters on the call for this one so turn that TV audio way up and as always, Lets Go Hawks!
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