Blackhawks at Oilers
Two-time reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Connor McDavid is off to a blazing start to the 2018-19 season and hopes to continue his torrid pace when the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. The 21-year-old captain has notched at least one point in 10 of the Oilers' first 11 contests and enters the matchup against Chicago with a five-game goal-scoring streak.
McDavid, who is tied for fourth in the NHL with 18 points, scored his ninth goal of the campaign while Leon Draisaitl recorded a tally and an assist as Edmonton squandered three one-goal leads en route to a 4-3 home loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. The setback halted a three-game winning streak and four-game point run for the Oilers, who went 0-for-5 with the man advantage while allowing the Wild to convert all three of their power-play opportunities. Chicago, which dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to Edmonton at home on Sunday, hopes to have Patrick Kane in the lineup for the rematch. The 29-year-old Kane, who is even in points with McDavid and tied for the league lead with 11 goals, missed Wednesday's 4-2 loss in Vancouver due to an illness.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, Sportsnet West (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (6-4-3): Kane's start to the season has been just as impressive as McDavid's, as the former Hart and Art Ross Trophy winner has recorded at least one point in 11 of his first 12 contests and a total of 10 during his six-game streak. Kane, who has collected two goals and an assist in each of his last two road games, has scored just once on the power play this season. Captain Jonathan Toews, who scored five goals in his first three games of 2018-19, netted just his second tally in 10 contests on Wednesday and is one shy of 300 for his career.
ABOUT THE OILERS (6-4-1): McDavid, who has reached the century mark in points each of the last two seasons, has scored a goal in eight of his 11 games this campaign. Drafted first overall in 2015, the center is four tallies away from 100 for his career. Ty Rattie, who registered a goal and an assist in five contests before missing the last six with an oblique injury, claims to be fully healthy and ready to return to the lineup.
OVERTIME
1. Draisaitl has collected five goals and two assists in his last five games.
2. Chicago has surrendered 13 goals during its three-game slide (0-2-1).
3. Edmonton ranks 28th in the league on the penalty kill with a 69.4 percent success rate while Chicago is 30th on the power play at 14 percent.