Preview: Avalanche at Blackhawks

[December 23, 2016]  The Chicago Blackhawks attempt to begin a new point streak when they continue their four-game homestand Friday against the Colorado Avalanche. Chicago, which entered Thursday atop the league with 48 points, earned at least one in seven consecutive contests (6-0-1) before dropping a 4-3 decision to Ottawa on Tuesday to fall to 1-1-0 on the current stretch at United Center.

Artemi Panarin, who leads the Blackhawks with 35 points, has collected 12 (five goals, seven assists) during his six-game streak. Corey Crawford will be in net for Chicago as he returns from the emergency appendectomy he underwent on Dec. 3, but Marian Hossa will sit out with an upper-body injury. The offensively challenged Avalanche are looking to snap a five-game losing streak during which they have scored a total of five goals. Those tallies came in the first three contests of the skid, as Colorado was shut out at Minnesota on Tuesday and at home by Toronto two nights later.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (11-20-1): Matt Duchene is the lone member of the team with a goal total in double digits (12) as the club ranks last in the league in tallies (65) and goal differential (minus-40). Colorado has been shut out seven times already this season and been limited to one goal on six occasions — including three this month. Veteran forward Rene Bourque has cooled off considerably, scoring just once in his last 10 games after registering eight tallies in his first 19 contests.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (22-9-4): Artem Anisimov, who has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, officially was placed on injured reserve. The 28-year-old Russian has recorded 14 goals and 13 assists in 32 contests this season after reaching the 20-goal plateau last campaign for the second time in his career. To help fill the void, Chicago recalled center Tanner Kero, who notched a goal and two assists in 17 games with the club last season, from Rockford of the American Hockey League.

OVERTIME

1. Crawford was activated from injured reserve Wednesday while fellow G Lars Johansson was assigned to Rockford.

2. Colorado RW Jarome Iginla's next point will be the 1,282nd of his career, breaking a tie with Alex Delvecchio for 34th place on the all-time list.

3. Chicago LW Richard Panik scored his ninth goal of the season Tuesday, leaving him two shy of tying his career high set in 2014-15 with Toronto.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 5, Avalanche 2

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