Blackhawks Game Day
Blackhawks Game 53: Bedard vs McDavid, Lines, Notes & How to Watch vs Oilers

Chicago Blackhawks (16-31-5, 37 pts) vs Edmonton Oilers (33-16-4, 70 pts)
8:30 p.m. CT – United Center
TV: TNT/TruTV (Burke/Pang/Redmond)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Murray), LMN 1200 AM (Esparza/Moreno)
The Chicago Blackhawks return home to take on the Edmonton Oilers for the third and final time. Tonight’s game is the rubber match, as the road team has won the first two meetings of the season. The Blackhawks are coming off a 5-1 loss at the Florida Panthers, as they play both teams from last June’s Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back games. The Oilers beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in overtime last night.
Tonight wraps up a stretch of eight straight games for the Blackhawks against teams in playoff spots. They have gone 2-3-2 in the first seven contests of this run. They will play their last two games before the 4 Nations Face-off break against two teams outside the postseason picture: the Nashville Predators and Blues.
Interim head coach Anders Sorensen has changed his lines a bit heading into tonight’s game. Landon Slaggert and Ryan Donato will start on the top line with Connor Bedard after finishing Saturday’s game there.
“The way they finished the game was really good,” Sorensen said on Tuesday. “I thought that had some good opportunities on the forecheck. They created some stuff off of it that led into some offensive zone time. I think that’s the biggest thing, but defensively, be reliable. So, be reliable defensively, take some of those good things you did last game offensively, and carry them over.”
Craig Smith is returning to the lineup, as well. He has been out since Jan. 8 with a back injury, the same injury that has limited him to six games since Dec. 12.
These aren’t the same Oilers we’ve known during the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era. Yes, they still have a potent offense. They are fourth in the league, with 3.28 goals per game. The difference is they are playing their best defensive hockey in years. Their 2.70 goals against per game are the seventh fewest in the NHL. This is a far cry from the team that used to have to win 6-5 every night.
Calvin Pickard will start in net for the Oilers as they go for their fifth straight win at the United Center. He’s won nine of his last 10 starts but has struggled in two starts against the Blackhawks this season with a .810 save percentage (SV%) and 4.09 goals-against average (GAA).
Season Series
10/12 5-2 @ EDM
11/11 3-4 vs EDM
2/5 vs EDM
Blackhawks Team Leaders
G-Tyler Bertuzzi (17)
A-Connor Bedard (30)
P-Bedard (45)
PPG-Bertuzzi (8)
GWG-Bedard (3)
SOG-Bedard (123)
PIM-Pat Maroon (71)
Oilers Team Leaders
G-Leon Draisaitl (37)
A-Connor McDavid (48)
P-Draisaitl (79)
PPG-Draisaitl (10)
GWG-Draisaitl (9)
SOG-Draisaitl (181)
PIM-Darnell Nurse (38)
Blackhawks Team Stats
GF/G-2.58 (31st)
GA/G-3.42 (30th)
PP%-23.2 (11th)
PK%-81.5 (11th)
SOG/G-24.6 (32nd)
SA/G-31.5 (30th)
FO%-45.2 (30th)
PIM/G-8:36 (20th)
Oilers Team Stats
GF/G-3.29 (4th)
GA/G-2.70 (7th)
PP%-24.2 (7th)
PK%-76.0 (23rd)
SOG/G-32.6 (1st)
SA/G-26.6 (5th)
FO%-52.0 (8th)
PIM/G-9:58 (28th)
Blackhawks Probable Lines
Forwards
Landon Slaggert-Connor Bedard-Ryan Donato
Teuvo Teravainen-Jason Dickinson-Ilya Mikheyev
Nick Foligno-Frank Nazar-Tyler Bertuzzi
Pat Maroon-Lukas Reichel-Craig Smith
Defensemen
Alec Martinez-Seth Jones
Alex Vlasic-Connor Murphy
Ethan Del Mastro-T.J. Brodie
Scratched:
D-Nolan Allan, F-Philipp Kurashev, F-Colton Dach
Injured:
G-Laurent Brossoit (knee), D. Louis Crevier (concussion)
Oilers Probable Lines
Forwards
Leon Draisaitl-Connor McDavid-Corey Perry
Viktor Arvidsson-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-Zach Hyman
Jeff Skinner-Noah Philp-Kasperi Kapanen
Vasily Podkolzin-Mattias Janmark-Connor Brown
Defensemen
Mattias Ekholm-Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse-John Klingberg
Brett Kulak-Ty Emberson
Scratched
D-Troy Stecher
Injured
F-Adam Henrique (undisclosed), F-Jacob Perreault (undisclosed), F-Evander Kane (hip/knee), D-Alec Regula (knee), Carl Berglund (undisclosed), F-Brady Stonehouse (undisclosed)
Goaltending Matchup
Arvid Soderblom (7-12-3,.909 SV%, 2.89 GAA, 0 SO) vs Calvin Pickard (13-4-0, .901 SV%, 2.47 GAA, 0 SO)