Preview: Blue Jackets at Blackhawks

[March 31, 2017]  Two teams in the running for the Presidents' Trophy clash Friday as the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Chicago has a comfortable lead for the top seed in the West come playoff time with 105 points - seven more than Central Division-rival Minnesota and nine better than Pacific-leading Anaheim with five games remaining.

The Blackhawks have earned at least one point in nine of their last 10 contests (7-1-2) after rolling to a 5-1 triumph in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Patrick Kane notched a pair of assists in the victory to raise his point total to 84 - seven fewer than Edmonton's Connor McDavid for the league lead. Chicago trails NHL-best Washington by five points while Columbus is four back after its 2-1 overtime loss at Carolina on Thursday. The Blue Jackets, who along with the Capitals have six games left, are 2-0-2 in their last four overall contests and 3-0-2 in the last five on the road.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (49-19-8): Sam Gagner notched an assist on Columbus' lone goal Thursday to pull within two points of 400 for his career. The 27-year-old has bounced back nicely from his worst offensive season (16 points in 53 games with Philadelphia in 2015-16), registering 46 points - three shy of the career high he recorded in his 2007-08 rookie campaign with Edmonton. Gagner (18 goals) needs one tally to set a new personal best and two to become the fourth member of the team to reach 20 this season.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (49-21-7): Marian Hossa scored his 25th goal of the season Wednesday, marking the first time he has reached the plateau since recording 30 in 2013-14. The 38-year-old Slovakian has registered 524 tallies in his career, tying him with Bryan Trottier for 34th place on the all-time list. Kane has notched 50 assists for the fourth time in his career, joining Stan Mikita, Denis Savard and Jeremy Roenick as the only players to accomplish the feat with the Blackhawks.

OVERTIME

1. The Blackhawks recalled LW Vinnie Hinostroza, who recorded six goals and eight assists in 48 games with the club earlier this season, from Rockford of the American Hockey League.

2. Columbus assigned D Gabriel Carlsson, who recently finished his second full season with Linkoping HC in his native Sweden, to Cleveland of the AHL.

3. Chicago LW Ryan Hartman is two goals away from becoming the seventh member of the team to score 20 this campaign.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Blue Jackets 3

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