LDN - Sports

Preview: Senators at Blackhawks

[December 20, 2016] SportsDirect Inc.

Artemi Panarin hasn't missed a beat on the heels of being named the Calder Trophy recipient last season. Named the NHL's First Star of the Week, Panarin looks to continue his torrid stretch on Tuesday as the Chicago Blackhawks vie for their six straight win with a home tilt against the Ottawa Senators.

The 25-year-old Russian, who has scored four goals and set up seven others during his five-game point streak, recorded his fourth consecutive multi-point performance with two assists in Sunday's 4-1 victory over San Jose. While Chicago boasts an impressive 13-2-3 mark at the United Center, Ottawa has answered a three-game slide by erupting for nine goals to win both outings of a back-to-back set over the weekend. Zack Smith collected five points in the two games, with a goal and an assist coming in Saturday's 3-1 victory versus New Jersey before tallying twice to highlight a career-best three-point performance in a 6-2 rout at the New York Islanders. "That's where I need to go to score, screen and tips, stuff like that," Smith said. "When the team is playing well and the puck is going well, if you're there, you're going to get chances."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa), CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE SENATORS (18-11-3): Mike Condon rebounded from a three-game skid by making 51 saves in back-to-back victories - including 22 in relief of injured Andrew Hammond (undisclosed) on Sunday. Condon is expected to get the nod with Hammond's health being re-evaluated on Tuesday morning, as Ottawa is in a holding pattern for a potential recall of goaltender Matt O'Connor from Binghamton of the American Hockey League. Mark Stone recorded a goal and two assists on Sunday to increase his point total to 18 (seven goals, 11 assists) in his past 14 games while captain Erik Karlsson notched two assists versus the Islanders to give him 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in his past 10.

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ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (22-8-4): Scott Darling stopped 33 of 34 shots versus the Sharks, has yielded just 12 goals during a 6-0-1 stretch and permitted just five tallies en route to winning both career outings versus Ottawa. While Darling has been just that for Chicago, fellow goaltender Corey Crawford is in line to return on Friday from emergency appendectomy surgery, coach Joel Quenneville told reporters. "I want to play as much as I can during this stretch," Darling said. "I don't really try to twist (Quenneville's) arm in any way at all. I just told him I wanted to play (Sunday) and that was that, and he told me I was playing."

OVERTIME

1. Chicago's Ryan Hartman and fellow rookie F Vinnie Hinostroza each had a goal and an assist on Sunday to raise their respective point totals to four in the past five contests.

2. Ottawa has thwarted all 12 short-handed situations over the last three games after allowing three power-play goals in its previous two contests.

3. The Blackhawks are 3-0-0 against Atlantic Division representatives this season while the Senators are 0-2-1 versus Central foes.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Senators 1

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