Preview: Canadiens at Blackhawks

[December 05, 2014]  After a largely successful circus road trip, the Chicago Blackhawks showed last time out that they're just as dangerous now that they're back at home. The Blackhawks will look to continue their winning ways Friday night as they welcome the Montreal Canadiens to the United Center. Chicago racked up 10 of a possible 12 points on the annual late-autumn sojourn, then had little trouble in the first game back in Illinois as it rolled to a 4-1 victory over St. Louis.

While Chicago rockets up the Western Conference standings, the Canadiens are tumbling down the ledger with losses in four of their last five games. That slide includes a 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild last time out, a game Montreal was fortunate to be in after being outshot 35-19 and failing to solve netminder Darcy Kuemper until the final minute of regulation. Goal-scoring is a concern, with the Canadiens held to one goal or fewer in three of the past five games.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, RDS (Montreal), Rogers SportsNet, CSN-CH (Chicago)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (17-8-2): Montreal's early-game struggles are well-publicized; the Canadiens have scored the first goal just nine times through their opening 27 games, and are a perfect 9-0-0 when they do. The team has relied on third-period heroics to remain among the Eastern Conference elite, outscoring its opponents 33-22 in the final 20 minutes of regulation so far in 2014-15. But the Canadiens will meet their match in that regard, with Chicago holding a 29-12 advantage over its foes in the third period this season.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (16-8-1): With Chicago's No. 1 netminder, Corey Crawford, out with a foot injury suffered via a misstep at a concert, the goaltending duties have fallen on 25-year-old Finland native Antti Raanta. And all he has done is post a 1.77 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage - totals that were bolstered with a 40-save effort in Wednesday's 4-1 triumph over the St. Louis Blues. Patrick Kane scored twice in that game and has eight goals and seven assists in his last nine outings.

OVERTIME

1. Chicago routed Montreal 5-0 in the previous meeting Nov. 4 at the Bell Centre.

2. Kane has just two goals and three assists in seven career games against Montreal.

3. The Blackhawks lead the NHL in penalty-killing success rate at 92 percent.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Canadiens 1

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