Tampa Bay Lightning (31-12-3) at Chicago Blackhawks (22-18-6)

8:30PM Eastern/7:30 Central

RADIO: WGN 720

TV: WGN/NBC Sports

PROJECTED GOALIES:

Tampa Bay:

Andrei Vasilevskiy (27-9-2, 2.27 GAA, .927 save%)

Chicago:

Jeff Glass (3-2-1, 3.34 GAA, .905 save%)

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS:

Tampa Bay

Namestnikov-Stamkos-Kucherov

Palat-Point-Johnson

Killorn-Gourde-Conacher

Kunitz-Paquette-Callahan

Koekkoek-Stralman

Sergachev-Girardi

Coburn-Dotchin

Chicago

Saad-Toews-Duclair

Sharp-Schmaltz-Kane

DeBrincat-Anisimov-Hartman

Jurco-Kampf-Hinostroza

Keith-Oesterle

Gustafsson-Seabrook

Kempny-Murphy

STATISTICAL COMPARISONS:

Power play:

Tampa Bay 24.4% (4rd)

Chicago 15.4% (28^th)

Penalty kill:

Tampa Bay 79.3% (21st)

Chicago 82.3% (10th)

Corsi For % (5-on-5):

Tampa Bay 52.3% (6th)

Chicago 53.4% (2nd)

Faceoffs:

Tampa Bay 46.9% (30th)

Chicago 49.7% (15^th)

SUMMARY:

Artem Anisimov returns to the lineup tonight after missing several games due to injury—and it comes at an especially good time for a Hawk team that has been absolutely dreadful defensively, giving up 11 goals in the last two games.

AA’s reinsertion has had a ripple effect on the lineup. He’ll start the game tonight centering the third line, with Patrick Sharp jumping up to join Nick Schmaltz and Patrick Kane. Tomas “6 Weeks” Jurco makes his season debut on a new fourth line, with Tommy Wingels and Lance Bouma sitting this one out.

Michal Kempny and Connor Murphy are back in tonight, with Gustav Forsling off to Rockford yesterday and Jan Rutta sharing the shrimp cocktail in the press box with Bouma and Wingels.

I had the opportunity to see the Lightning in person 3 weeks ago. They are a deep, fast, yet highly disciplined team up and down the ice that reminds me a lot of the great Detroit teams of about ten years ago.

All Everything Lightning defenseman Viktor Hedman went on IR yesterday (lower body).

We’ll recap tonight or tomorrow AM. Join the game thread below for real-time conversation on the action with JJ, Gatekeeper and the rest of the RinkRats.

Follow: @jaeckel

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Chicago Blackhawks (18-14-6) at New York Rangers (21-13-5)

8PM Eastern/7 Central

RADIO: WGN 720

TV: NBC Sports

PROJECTED GOALIES:

Chicago:

Jeff Glass (1-0-1, 3.47 GAA, .917 SV%)

Edmonton:

Henrik Lundqvist (18-9-4, 2.56 GAA, .922 SV%)

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS:

Chicago

Saad-Toews-Hinostroza

Hartman-Schmaltz-Kane

Sharp-Kampf-DeBrincat

Bouma-Wingels-Hayden

Keith-Oesterle

Forsling-Franson

Murphy-Seabrook

New York

Miller-Zibanejad-Zuccarello

Grabner-Hayes-Nash

Vesey-Desharnais-Buchnevich

Carey-Nieves-Fast

McDonagh-Holden

Smith-Shattenkirk

Staal-Skjei

STATISTICAL COMPARISONS:

Power play:

Chicago 15% (29^th)

New York 19% (15th)

Penalty kill:

Chicago 80.8% (19^th)

New York 84% (5th)

Corsi For % (5-on-5):

Chicago 52.8% (5^th)

New York 46.9% (29th)

Faceoffs:

Chicago 48.6% (23rd)

New York 50.3% (16th)

SUMMARY:

Another game, another configuration of the deck chairs for the Hawk coaching staff. Gustav Forsling in, MOAR VINNY Hinostroza up, Michal Kempny and Richard Panik, likely out. 32 year old rookie Jeff Glass gets another start in net.

Yawn.

It is, however, yet another game where 1, if not 2 points are vital to the Hawks’ playoff hopes. The Hawks beat the Rangers at the UC earlier this year.

We’ll recap tonight or tomorrow AM.

Follow: @jaeckel

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Chicago Blackhawks (12-10-5) at Washington Capitals (16-11-1)

8:00 PM Eastern/7 Central

RADIO: WGN 720

TV: NBC Sports

PROJECTED GOALIES:

Chicago:

Anton Forsberg (1-3-3, 3.01 GAA, .914 save%)

Washington:

Braden Holtby (14-6-0, 2.63 GAA, .919 save%)

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS:

CHICAGO

Hartman-Toews-Hayden

Saad-Anisimov-Kane

Bouma-Schmaltz-DeBrincat

Sharp-Wingels-panik

Keith-Franson

Murphy-Seabrook

Forsling-Rutta

WASHINGTON

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson

Vrana-Kuznetsov-Chiasson

Connolly-Eller-Boyd

Stephenson-Beagle-DSP

Orlov-Niskanen

Orpik-Carlson

Djoos-Bowey

STATISTICAL COMPARISONS:

Power play:

Chicago 16.1% (29th)

Washington 21.7% (15^th)

Penalty kill:

Chicago 84.4%% (4th)

Washington 78.0% (22nd)

Corsi For % (5-on-5):

Chicago 51.4% (10th)

Washington 48.0% (23rd)

Faceoffs:

Chicago 48.5% (25th)

Washington 52.2% (6^th)

SUMMARY:

Just in time for yet another game against a good team that’s given the Hawks trouble in recent years, and this a road game, Joel Quenneville has to go and liquefy his lines again.

There’s been some pretty sound analysis of these moves elsewhere the last couple of days, so I won’t go into too much detail (at the-rink, we don’t “borrow” from other writers or bloggers) on my feelings on these ines. But I will say, I think the success or failure of this new configuration rests with the Toews line.

We can argue til the cows come home whether Brandon Saad meshes with Patrick Kane, but the fact is, the team’s three best forwards are on the Kane-Anisimov-Saad line, and all three players are slotted in their natural positions—they should be fine.

I like Nick Schmaltz as a center over left wing—even if most nights he is terrible on faceoffs. He and Alex DeBrincat may have chemistry as two righty sticks—Schmaltz the consummate pass first player, ADB the shooter-finisher. Lance Bouma? Meh, OK, he’ll create space and maybe keep the troublemakers off the backs of the other two.

As a team, the Hawks need to simply play better, and with a few days rest under their belts, they should.

If Anton Forsberg plays as well tonight as he has so far in place of an injured Corey Crawford, the Hawks will have at least a puncher’s chance.

We’ll recap in the AM.

Follow: @jaeckel

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Chicago Blackhawks (7-6-2) at Philadelphia Flyers (7-6-2)

7PM Eastern/6PM Central

RADIO: WGN 720

TV: NBC Sports Chicago/NBCS Philadelphia

PROJECTED GOALIES:

Chicago:

Corey Crawford (7-5-0, 1.77 GAA, .945 save%)

Philadelphia:

Brian Elliott (5-3-1, 3.11 GAA, .892 save%)

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS:

Chicago

Sharp-Toews-Kane

Saad-Anisimov-Panik

Debrincat-Schmaltz-Hartman

Bouma-Wingels-Hayden

Keith-Rutta

Forsling-Seabrook

Murphy-Franson

Philadelphia

Giroux-Couturier-Voracek

Konecny-Filippula-Simmonds

Weal-Lehtera-Weise

Leier-Laughton-Raffl

Provorov-Hagg

Manning-Gostisbehere

Sanheim-Alt

STATISTICAL COMPARISONS:

(through Wednesday)

Power play:

Chicago 13.6% (27^th)

Philadelphia 20.4% (11^th)

Penalty kill:

Chicago 84.7% (6^th)

Philadelphia 76.9% (24^th)

Corsi For % (5-on-5)

Chicago 49.9% (15^th)

Philadelphia 49.3% (19^th)

Faceoffs:

Chicago 50.3% (18^th)

Philadelphia 51.7% (8^th)

SUMMARY:

In search of answers for a team that is best described somewhere between sluggish and schizophrenic, Joel Quennevlle and his coaching staff have thrown all the pieces up in the air again to see where they land.

As a result, Michal Kempny returns to the doghouse, Gustav Forsling comes out. Jan Rutta flips back to his natural right side to play alongside Duncan Keith, and Connor Murphy goes to his off, left side, and now plays with Cody Franson—who was with Keith. And that’s just the defense.

At forward, the big change is the “reunion” tour of Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane together on the top line. Well, it was a good bet in 2008 anyway. From there, the second and third lines have been extensively juggled as well.

The Flyers were the team against whom the Hawks ignited a mini-hot streak that lasted about 8 periods—before the wheels fell off in their last outing versus Montreal.

Simply put the Hawks need to start scoring more—at both even strength and on the power play.

Gatekeeper will recap tonight.

Follow @jaeckel

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