Blackhawks Game Day
Blackhawks Game 51: Jones Looks to Stay Hot, Lines, Notes & How to Watch vs Hurricanes

Chicago Blackhawks (16-28-5, 37 pts) @ Carolina Hurricanes (31-16-4, 66 pts)
6 p.m. CT – Lenovo Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Murray)
The Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes will close out their two-game season series tonight. The Hurricanes won 4-3 in overtime at the United Center just over a week ago. The biggest storyline will be seeing Taylor Hall just six days after he was included in the season’s biggest trade. He met the media this morning and was open and honest about his feelings, sharing that he was happy to be traded.
Hall isn’t the only new face in Carolina since we saw them in Chicago. Mikko Rantanen, the centerpiece of last week’s blockbuster deal, will be on the Hurricanes’ top line. However, his start linemate and countryman, Sebastian Aho, missed today’s morning skate due to illness and will be a game-time decision. If he can’t play, the Hurricanes will go with seven defensemen and 11 forwards, with former Blackhawks blueliner Riley Stillman getting the call.
The Blackhawks are looking to win consecutive road games for the first time since the first week of November. Their 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday was one of their more impressive wins this season. Seth Jones has two goals and nine points in his last six games. He has the most assists and points among all NHL defensemen since Jan. 13.
Interim head coach Anders Sorensen made a couple of changes to his lineup. Up front, Colton Dach will draw back in after being a healthy scratch in Tampa Bay. He will take Pat Maroon’s spot on the fourth line. Sorensen said they want more physicality from Dach, so look for him to be active early. On the blue line, Nolan Allan is back in, replacing Ethan Del Mastro on the third pairing. Arvid Soderblom will make his second straight start.
Tonight’s start will be delayed a few minutes as the Hurricanes will have a pregame ceremony to honor goaltender Frederick Andersen for his recent milestones of 500 games played and 300 wins.
Season Series
1/20 3-4 (OT) vs CAR
1/28 @ CAR
Blackhawks Team Leaders
G-Tyler Bertuzzi (17)
A-Connor Bedard (30)
P-Bedard (44)
PPG-Bertuzzi (8)
GWG-Bedard (3)
SOG-Bedard (118)
PIM-Pat Maroon (71)
Hurricanes Team Leaders
G-Mikko Rantanen (20)
A-Rantanen (40)
P-Rantanen (65)
PPG-Andrei Svechnikov (9)
GWG-Sebastian Aho/Rantanen (5)
SOG-Rantanen (143)
PIM-Svechnikov (38)
Blackhawks Team Stats
GF/G-2.62 (31st)
GA/G-3.40 (29th)
PP%-24.2 (9th)
PK%-81.3 (11th)
SOG/G-24.7 (32nd)
SA/G-31.4 (30th)
FO%-45.0 (30th)
PIM/G-8:42 (20th)
Hurricanes Team Stats
GF/G-3.35 (5th)
GA/G-2.71 (8th)
PP%-20.8 (18th)
PK%-86.0 (1st)
SOG/G-31.9 (2nd)
SA/G-25.0 (1st)
FO%-52.5 (4th)
PIM/G-6:58 (7th)
Blackhawks Probable Lines
Forwards
Frank Nazar-Connor Bedard-Tyler Bertuzzi
Teuvo Teravainen-Jason Dickinson-Ilya Mikheyev
Landon Slaggert-Lukas Reichel-Nick Foligno
Colton Dach-Ryan Donato-Philipp Kurashev
Defensemen
Alec Martinez-Seth Jones
Alex Vlasic-Louis Crevier
Nolan Allan-T.J. Brodie
Scratched:
D-Ethan Del Mastro, F-Pat Maroon
Injured:
G-Laurent Brossoit (knee), D-Connor Murphy (groin), F-Craig Smith (back)
Hurricanes Probable Lines
Forwards
Mikko Rantanen-Sebastian Aho-Jackson Blake
Andrei Svechnikov-Jesperi Kotkaniemi-Taylor Hall
Jordan Martinhook-Jordan Staal-Seth Jarvis
Juha Jaaska-Jack Roslovic-Eric Robinson
Defensemen
Jaccob Slavin-Brent Burns
Dmitry Orlov-Jalen Chatfield
Shayne Gostisbehere-Sean Walker
Scratched
D-Riley Stillman
Injured
F-William Carrier (lower body), F-Tyson Jost (lower body), F-Jesper Fast (neck)
Goaltending Matchup
Arvid Soderblom (7-11-3, .910 SV%, 2.88 GAA, 0 SO) vs Petr Kochetkov (18-9-2, .903 SV%, 2.48 GAA, 1 SO)