7:30 p.m. CDT

United Center

TV/Radio: NBCSN/WGN

Projected starters

Chicago — Corey Crawford (0–1–0, save percentage: .895, goals against average: 4.13)

San Jose — Aaron Dell (0–1–0, save percentage .897, goals against average: 3.08)

Team statistics

Power play
Chicago (50%, third)
San Jose (5.9%, 26th)

Penalty kill
Chicago (66.7%, 23rd)
San Jose  (85.7%, ninth)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (31.0, 17th; 38.0, third)
San Jose (32.0, 14th; 30.5 20th)

Shooting percentage
Chicago (9.7%)
San Jose  (3.2%)

Face off percentage
Chicago (37.9%, 31st)
San Jose (50.3%, 14th)

Average height and weight
Chicago 6-foot-1, 198 pounds
San Jose 6-foot-1, 203 pounds

Projected lines and pairings

Blackhawks lines

Alexander Nylander — Jonathan Toews — Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Andrew Shaw

Brandon Saad — David Kampf — Dominik Kubalik

Drake Caggiula — Zack Smith — Ryan Carpenter

Duncan Keith — Erik Gustafsson

Olli Maatta — Brent Seabrook

Slater Koekkoek — Connor Murphy

San Jose Sharks

Timo Meier — Logan Couture — Patrick Marleau

Evander Kane — Tomas Hertl — Barclay Goodrow

Lean Bergmann — Joe Thornton — Kevin Lebanc

Daniel Yuktaikin — Dylan Gambrell — Lukas Radil

Marc-Edouard Vlasic — Brent Burns

Brenden Dillon — Erik Karlsson

Mario Ferraro — Trevor Carrick

Analysis

“The more things change, the more things stay the same.” That could be an expression Blackhawk fans use to describe the team’s season opener on Oct. 4 in the NHL’s Global Series game last Friday. After a full offseason in Jeremy Colliton’s system, as well as the additions at goalie and on defense, the season opener was a carbon copy of a stereotypical game from last season.

That said, there were a few glimmers of sunshine. Alex Nylander looks like he could be able to fulfill his potential in Chicago. He displayed silky hands with his first goal in a Blackhawks sweater. The newly extended Alex DeBrincat continues to snap one-timers past goalies and Patrick Kane will continue to dazzle with his stupendous play. The Blackhawks also will be boosted by the addition of Connor Murphy to the lineup.

It is not all doom and gloom for the Chicago Blackhawks. The San Jose Sharks are struggling with their own set of problems. While the Blackhawks’ first game might have been disappointing, the Sharks’ start to their season has been downright dreadful. The Sharks are 0–4–0 to begin their 2019–20 campaign. After re-signing Erik Karlsson and locking up Evander Kane, this is not the type of start to a season they expected.

The Sharks, in desperate need of a morale lift, turned to a face familiar to the organization. They signed veteran and longtime Shark Patrick Marleau. Marleau, bought out by Carolina this summer after being acquired from Toronto, is returning home to San Jose for a swan-song season. Reports are that Marleau will dress for Thursday night’s tilt against the Blackhawks. While Marelau’s consecutive games played streak will continue, can he help the Sharks stop their losing streak?

Tonight’s matchup will feature two teams in desperate need of a win.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And, be sure to look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on The-Rink.com.

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