Sharks at Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks saw their offense turn it up a notch during a four-game winning streak only to malfunction over the last two contests. After mustering just one goal in back-to-back losses, the Blackhawks aim to get back on track Wednesday when they host the San Jose Sharks.
Patrick Kane scored Chicago's lone goal in a 2-1 setback at NHL-worst Detroit on Friday before the club unceremoniously was swept in the season series by St. Louis two nights later following a 2-0 defeat. "It (stinks). Losing (stinks), especially having a couple in a row," Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy said. "When they seem to get more heated and obviously the games matter more, it's frustrating for sure." Chicago is also looking to avoid the brooms from the Sharks, who ended a four- and five-game winless skid earlier this season with victories over the Blackhawks. San Jose, however, is beginning a four-game road trip after the complexion of a once-promising six-game homestand changed with three straight one-goal losses (0-2-1).
TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: NBC Sports Network
ABOUT THE SHARKS (29-35-5): Captain Logan Couture has been ruled out against Chicago after he was struck in the side of the head with a puck in the first period of San Jose's 4-3 setback against Colorado on Sunday. "(Couture was feeling) no better than he was the other night," interim coach Bob Boughner said, per the San Jose Mercury News. "... We're hoping that we get some good news later on in the week and he comes to join us and he can play at some point." Joe Thornton, 40, has turned back the hands of time with three goals in his last five contests heading into the tilt versus Chicago, against which he has recorded an assist in both San Jose's 5-4 win on Oct. 4 and in a 4-2 victory over the Blackhawks on Nov. 5.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (31-30-8): While the standings may not be kind to Central Division cellar-dwelling Chicago, coach Jeremy Colliton isn't interested in throwing in the towel or deviating from the bigger objectives -- that being the development of the younger stars and creating a winning culture once again in the Windy City. "We are here to win. We've been developing guys all year. We've been playing guys in big situations all year, young players, and that won't change either," Colliton said. "Part of what we're doing is we want to have winning habits. We're gonna fight to the end." The Blackhawks' ailing power play has been a sore spot all season, and the club's 0-for-14 stretch in the last five games isn't helping matters.
OVERTIME
1. Thornton will move into sole possession of ninth place on the NHL's all-time list by skating in his 1,636th game on Wednesday.
2. Chicago G Corey Crawford sports a 9-6-3 record in 19 career encounters with San Jose.
3. Sharks RW Timo Meier is riding a three-game assist streak and has six of his team-leading 47 points over his last five contests.