Preview: Blackhawks at Penguins

[November 18, 2017]  Gracenote

The Chicago Blackhawks set a franchise record in goals for a season opener in their resounding 10-1 shellacking of the Pittsburgh Penguins before ultimately scoring three or fewer tallies 13 times in an excruciating 14-game stretch from Oct. 9-Nov. 9. The Blackhawks have picked up the pace with 15 goals in the last three contests heading into the opener of a three-game road trip in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Patrick Kane collected a goal and three assists in the season-opening pummeling of the Penguins and has that same scoring output over his last three games, but the 2016 Hart Trophy winner isn't comforted with where the Blackhawks reside in the standings. "We were a little bit behind the eight-ball, where these games mean a little bit more at this point in our season," Kane told the Chicago Sun-Times. "Could be a good thing, too. Now it's almost like every game is so important, you're playing to win every game. It's almost like you're playing playoff hockey right away." The Blackhawks and Penguins know a thing or two about playoff hockey considering the former has three Stanley Cups in six years (2010, 2013, 2015) while the latter has won the last two. Captain Sidney Crosby set up Phil Kessel for his team's lone goal against the Blackhawks and has a goal and two assists during Pittsburgh's current two-game winning streak.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, WGN (Chicago), AT&T Sportsnet-Pittsburgh

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (9-8-2): Artem Anisimov effectively ended his former team's season-high six-game winning streak with his first career hat trick in Wednesday's 6-3 triumph over the New York Rangers. Nick Schmaltz set up three goals in that encounter to give him five assists in his last two games and erupted for a three-point performance (two goals, one assist) in the first meeting versus Pittsburgh. Brandon Saad netted a hat trick in the season opener and had eight points (six goals, two assists) in his first six games before recording just a goal and an assist over his last 13.

 

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (11-7-3): Matt Murray doesn't have fond memories of the first meeting with Chicago this season - he yielded six goals on 31 shots, after all - but the 23-year-old has turned his fortunes around in November. Murray improved to 4-2-0 with a .910 save percentage this month after his sprawling 10-bell save on Mike Hoffman in the first period set the tone for his 21-save performance in a 3-1 victory at Ottawa on Thursday. "If they score on that maybe they get some momentum and it's a different outcome," Crosby said.

OVERTIME

1. Chicago RW Alex DeBrincat has four goals and one assist during his three-game point streak.

2. Pittsburgh C Jake Guentzel has three goals and an assist in his last six contests after mustering just one of each in his previous 10.

3. Blackhawks D Duncan Keith, who has appeared in all 19 games this season, missed back-to-back practices due to an illness and is listed as questionable versus the Penguins.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Penguins 2

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