Preview: Blackhawks at Ducks

[April 06, 2017]  Fueled by a pronounced 12-game point streak (9-0-3), the surging Anaheim Ducks can inch closer to their fifth consecutive Pacific Division title on Thursday when they host the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks. Anaheim sent a message to potential first-round opponent Calgary by completing a home-and-home sweep on Tuesday, extending its home winning streak over the Flames to a staggering 25 consecutive regular-season contests with a 3-1 triumph.

Patrick Eaves scored for the eighth time in nine contests in that tilt and has 10 goals in 18 games since being acquired from Dallas, where he already had a career-high 21 tallies. While Eaves has been on a scoring tear with goals in three straight contests, the 32-year-old has mustered just one assist in five encounters with the Blackhawks this season. Chicago's Artemi Panarin reached the 30-goal plateau for the second time in as many NHL seasons after tallying in his fifth straight contest in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to Colorado. The NHL First Star of the Week has scored six goals and set up another in his last five games and set up a tally in the Blackhawks' 3-2 win over the Ducks on Nov. 25.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CSN Chicago, NHL.TV

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (50-22-8): Although Ryan Hartman scored against the Avalanche to move within one of the 20-goal plateau, the rookie insists that his primary goal was much simpler. "I didn't really set any number goals," the 22-year-old Hartman told the Chicago Sun-Times. "My goal was to make the team, and then stay on the team, and then produce. Those three segments. As the year went on, we kind of knocked one off (at a time)." Hartman, who logs just 12:44 of ice time per contest, scored in the first encounter versus Anaheim.

ABOUT THE DUCKS (44-23-13): Former United States Olympian and All-Star Cam Fowler will be one of three Anaheim defensemen to miss Thursday's tilt after absorbing a knee-on-knee hit from Calgary captain Mark Giordano. An MRI exam followed on Wednesday for Fowler, who logs the most ice time on the Ducks at nearly 25 minutes per game. Fellow blue-liner Hampus Lindholm will sit out his third straight contest with an upper-body injury while Korbinian Holzer returned to Germany on Wednesday to tend to a family issue, although Sami Vatanen declared himself set to go after missing two games with an upper-body ailment.

OVERTIME

1. Anaheim G Jonathan Bernier owns a 10-0-2 mark in his last 12 outings, highlighted by a 43-save performance in a 1-0 win over Chicago on March 9.

2. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane, who scored and set up a goal in the first meeting with the Ducks, has recorded 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) since Feb. 2.

3. Anaheim RW Corey Perry has six points (four goals, two assists) in his last seven games overall and scored the lone goal in the last encounter with the Blackhawks.

PREDICTION: Ducks 4, Blackhawks 2

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