Penguins at Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty to prove after a surprisingly early exit from the 2017 playoffs and look to get off to a strong start when they host the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. The Blackhawks won the Central Division last season before scoring just three goals while being swept by Nashville in the first round of the postseason.
Chicago brought back some familiar faces as they signed free-agent forward Patrick Sharp, who scored at least 30 goals four times for the Blackhawks from 2007-14 and has 599 career points, and re-acquired left wing Brandon Saad to play on a line with captain Jonathan Toews. Chicago also shuffled its defense behind Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, with Cody Franson and Connor Murphy added to the mix, and will be tested right away by a potent Pittsburgh offense that features former Hart Trophy winners Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and led the league in goals last season. The Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period before losing to St. Louis 5-4 in overtime on Wednesday after raising their second straight championship banner to the rafters. Crosby registered a goal and an assist to lead four players with multiple points in the opener for Pittsburgh, which plays six of its first nine games on the road.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet 1, AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (0-0-1): Crosby and linemates Conor Sheary (one goal) and Jake Guentzel (two assists) picked up where they left off last season with a five-point night in the opener while Malkin and Bryan Rust each added two assists. Pittsburgh received a goal from both Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta while fellow defenseman Matt Hunwick made his Penguins debut. Matt Murray, who has won the Stanley Cup in each of his first two NHL seasons, turned aside 29 shots Wednesday and is being backed up by veteran Antti Niemi after Marc-Andre Fleury was selected by Vegas in the expansion draft.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (2016-17: 50-23-9, 1st in Central): Toews scored 21 goals and posted a plus-7 rating last season, which both rate as the worst of his 10-year career, and hopes to regain his standing among the league’s top centers. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, especially the last couple of years,” Toews, who is expected to play despite a lower-body injury, told the Chicago Tribune. "I think I make things harder on myself and my linemates. … (I need to) play loose and have fun and just let things happen.” Patrick Kane led the team in scoring with 89 points last season and is likely to skate on a line with Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Hartman to start the campaign.
OVERTIME
1. The Blackhawks have beaten the Penguins six straight times, scoring nine of the 11 goals in the two matchups last season.
2. Pittsburgh D Kris Letang, who returned from neck surgery in the season opener, is one assist shy of 300 for his career.
3. Chicago RW Marian Hossa is expected to miss the season due to a skin disorder.