Preview: Blackhawks at Oilers

[November 21, 2016]  SportsDirect Inc.

The Chicago Blackhawks resemble a team capable of winning its fourth Stanley Cup in eight years as their seven-game circus road trip continues against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. Chicago lost the opener of the trek created by the invasion of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey at the United Center, but reeled off two victories since - 3-2 over Calgary on Friday and a 4-3 overtime win against Vancouver on Saturday after overcoming a 3-0 third-period deficit.

The Blackhawks own the best record in the Western Conference and have dominated Edmonton of late with four straight victories and wins in nine of the last 10 meetings. The Oilers snapped a five-game slide which followed a 9-3-1 start with a 5-2 victory in Dallas on Saturday, highlighted by captain Connor McDavid's first career hat trick which halted a career-long 10-game goalless drought. "Three pretty lucky goals," a chuckling McDavid told reporters. "It's a funny league that way. You're getting Grade A chances and they're not going in and then all of a sudden you just start putting it there and they are going in. It's weird that way and I'm definitely happy to get off that slump." A pair of players - Chicago's Vincent Hinostroza and Edmonton's Drake Caggiula - sparked their teams to victory Saturday by recording their first NHL points, with Caggiula playing his first career game.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, Sportsnet, Sportsnet 1 (Edmonton)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (13-4-2): Hinostroza, who returned to the lineup after suffering a concussion Tuesday, recorded a goal and two assists in his 17th career contest, including one on Marian Hossa's overtime goal. It was the second straight game-winning tally for the future Hall of Famer (510 career goals, team-best 11 this season), who told reporters: "We didn't panic. We knew there was still 20 minutes and this team's able to score three goals in a period. We just had to get step by step, one by one." Corey Crawford (9-4-2, 2.17 goals-against average, .928), who has alternated losses and wins in his last four starts, is expected back in goal after playing Friday and giving way to backup Scott Darling on Saturday.

ABOUT THE OILERS (10-8-1): Caggiula recorded an assist 11:36 into his career, recording a plus-1 in 12:49 of ice time (1:22 on the power play and 2:33 on the penalty kill) and prompting coach Todd McLellan to tell reporters: "Drake gave us exactly what we needed from him. A spark, some speed ..." Matt Hendricks also recorded an assist Saturday in his season debut after missing the first 18 games because of a lower-body injury. Cam Talbot (9-7-1, 2.62, .916) snapped a personal four-game slide Saturday after allowing 14 goals during that span and is the likely starter Monday.

OVERTIME

1. Chicago is the worst penalty-killing team in the NHL at 69.5 percent, but has extinguished 24-of-27 power plays in 10 November games.

2. Edmonton LW Milan Lucic scored once in 10 November contests after recording four goals in nine October games.

3. Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane has a goal and two assists in his last four games to increase his team-best point total to 20 while sharing the club lead in assists (14) with D Duncan Keith.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Oilers 2

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