Blackhawks Game 70: Mikheyev to Play with Top Duo, Lines, Notes & How to Watch vs Blues

Chicago Blackhawks (20-40-9, 49 pts) @ St. Louis Blues (35-28-7, 81 pts)
2 pm CT – Enterprise Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Murray)

The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues will conclude their season series this afternoon. This is a strange year where the Blues never visited the United Center because of the Winter Classic. They soundly beat the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field, then needed a 10-round shootout to beat them on Feb. 8.

In the last meeting, four Blackhawks had multiple-point games, with Ilya Mikheyev leading the way with a goal and an assist. That is likely part of why Mikheyev will be on the top line this afternoon.  Arvid Soderblom will start his second straight game against the Blues today. He has struggled in five career games versus St. Louis, going 0-3-1 with a .868 save percentage (SV%) and 4.42 goals-against average (GAA).

Tyler Bertuzzi has a goal and two assists in the last two games. He is two points shy of 300 for his career. He will become the 22^nd player from the 2013 NHL Draft to have 300 points in the league. He has five goals and eight points in 11 career games against the Blues.

The Blues enter today’s game in the final Western Conference Wild Card spot. They are riding a four-game winning streak and are 7-2-1 in their last 10 outings. Jordan Kyrou has been red hot of late, with five goals and nine points in his last five outings, including back-to-back three-point efforts. He has 10 goals and 14 points in 18 career games against the Blackhawks.

Season Series

12/31 2-6 vs STL
2/8 5-6 (SO) @ STL
3/22 @ STL

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Ryan Donato (23)
A-Teuvo Teravainen (38)
P-Connor Bedard (54)
PPG-Bedard (9)
GWG-Bedard (5)
SOG-Bedard (164)
PIM-Pat Maroon (81)

Blues Team Leaders

G-Jordan Kyrou (29)
A-Robert Thomas (39)
P-Kyrou (59)
PPG-Kyrou (6)
GWG-Dylan Holloway (6)
SOG-Kyrou (198)
PIM-Brayden Schenn (57)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.67 (28^th)
GA/G-3.54 (30^th)
PP%-24.8 (8^th)
PK%-81.3 (11^th)
SOG/G-24.3 (32^nd)
SA/G-31.5 (30^th)
FO%-45.2 (31^st)
PIM/G-8:48 (24^th)

Blues Team Stats

GF/G-2.94 (18^th)
GA/G-2.93 (16^th)
PP%-21.4 (19^th)
PK%-72.6 (29^th)
SOG/G-27.0 (29^th)
SA/G-27.5 (12^th)
FO%-51.3 (11^th)
PIM/G-7:09 (10^th)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

Forwards
Ilya Mikheyev-Connor Bedard-Frank Nazar
Teuvo Teravainen-Jason Dickinson-Nick Foligno  
Joe Veleno-Ryan Donato-Tyler Bertuzzi
Landon Slaggert -Lukas Reichel-Pat Maroon

Defensemen
Alex Vlasic-Wyatt Kaiser
Ethan Del Mastro-Connor Murphy
Alec Martinez-Artyom Levshunov

Scratched
D-T.J. Brodie, F-Philipp Kurashev, D-Louis Crevier

Injured
G-Laurent Brossoit (knee), F-Colton Dach (elbow)

Blues Probable Lines

Forwards
Jake Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich
Dylan Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou
Mathieu Joseph-Oskar Sundqvist-Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko-Radek Faksa-Nathan Walker

Defensemen
Cam Fowler-Nick Leddy
Philip Broberg-Justin Faulk
Ryan Suter-Tyler Tucker

Scratched
F-Alexandre Texier, D-Matthew Kessel

Injured
D-Colton Parayko (knee)

Goaltending Matchup

Arvid Soderblom (8-6-7, .901 SV%, 3.14 GAA, 0 SO) vs Joel Hofer (13-7-3, .903 SV%, 2.71 GAA, 1 SO)