Blackhawks Game 73: Bedard & Nazar Split, Lines, Notes & How to Watch vs Golden Knights

Chicago Blackhawks (21-42-9, 51 pts) vs Vegas Golden Knights (43-20-8, 94 pts)
7:30 pm CT – United Center
TV: CHSN (Ball/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman/Murray)/LMN 1200 AM (Esparza/Moreno)

The Chicago Blackhawks and Vegas Golden Knights will play the rubber match of their three-game season series. The Blackhawks have had offensive success against the Golden Knights, scoring five goals in each of the first two games. They have 10 goals in their last two outings, including Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils.

Defenseman Kevin Korchinski returns to the lineup tonight after being recalled from the AHL yesterday and will be paired with Ethan Del Mastro. We’ll get a glimpse of the future as Artyom Levshunov will quarterback the top power-play unit, with Korchinski getting time on the second unit. Hopefully, the power-play units get some time tonight, but that is no guarantee. The Golden Knights are the least penalized team in the NHL, while the Chicago Blackhawks are 30^th in drawing penalties.

Interim head coach Anders Sorensen has once again changed the forward lines. The most significant change is that Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are no longer on the same line, and Bedard has returned to playing center. He will be between Ilya Mikheyev and Ryan Donato.  

“We want him in motion more, getting those pucks, and when you’re in the middle of the ice, you don’t have to do that stuff on the yellow as much,” Sorensen said of putting Bedard back at center. “I think that will loosen him up to get more speed.”

I’m not a fan of breaking up Bedard and Nazar, but it is what it is at this point. As we’ve seen, it won’t be long before Sorensen mixes things up again, and Bedard has new linemates again.

Season Series

1/18 5-3 vs VGK
2/27 5-7 @ VGK
3/28 vs VGK

Blackhawks Team Leaders

G-Ryan Donato (25)
A-Teuvo Teravainen (41)
P-Connor Bedard/Teravainen (56)
PPG-Bedard/Tyler Bertuzzi (9)
GWG-Bedard (5)
SOG-Bedard (171)
PIM-Pat Maroon (88)

Golden Knights Team Leaders

G-Tomas Hertl (31)
A-Jack Eichel (64)
P-Eichel (90)
PPG-Hertl (14)
GWG-Pavel Dorofeyev (5)
SOG-Eichel/Dorofeyev (217)
PIM-Keegan Kolesar (48)

Blackhawks Team Stats

GF/G-2.71 (26^th)
GA/G-3.57 (30^th)
PP%-25.7 (7^th)
PK%-80.9 (10^th)
SOG/G-24.4 (32^nd)
SA/G-31.2 (30^th)
FO%-45.0 (31^st)
PIM/G-8:53 (24^th)

Golden Knights Team Stats

GF/G-3.39(4^th)
GA/G-2.65 (7^th)
PP%-30.1 (1^st)
PK%-75.9 (24^th)
SOG/G-30.5 (4^th)
SA/G-26.6 (6^th)
FO%-50.1 (17^th)
PIM/G-5:46 (1^st)

Blackhawks Probable Lines

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

Defensemen
Alex Vlasic-Artyom Levshunov
Wyatt Kaiser-Connor Murphy
Kevin Korchinski-Ethan Del Mastro

Scratched
D-T.J. Brodie, D-Louis Crevier

Injured
G-Laurent Brossoit (knee), F-Colton Dach (elbow), F-Jason Dickinson (wrist), D-Alec Martinez (upper body)

Golden Knights Probable Lines

Forwards
Ivan Barbashev-Jack Eichel-Mark Stone
Brandon Saad-Nicolas Roy-Pavel Dorofeyev
Victor Olofsson-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith
Tanner Pearson-Brett Howden-Keegan Kolesar

Defensemen
Brayden McNabb-Shea Theodore
Noah Nanifin-Zach Whitecloud
Nicolas Hague-Kaeden Korczak

Scratched
F-Cole Schwindt, D-Ben Hutton

Injured
D-Alex Pietrangelo (lower body), F-Tomas Hertl (arm), F-Jordan Gustafson (undisclosed), G-Robin Lehner (hip)

Goaltending Matchup

Spencer Knight (15-13-1, .903 SV%, 2.60 GAA, 2 SO) vs Adin Hill (27-11-5, .908 SV%, 2.48 GAA, 4 SO)