Blackhawks at Canucks
THE STORY: Of the many top Stanley Cup contenders in the Western Conference, no team faces a more difficult road – literally – than the Chicago Blackhawks. With 32 games remaining on the season following the All-Star break, the Blackhawks will play 20 away from home, including a nine-game road trip that kicks off with a stern opening test against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Chicago is tied with Vancouver with 64 points – three behind Detroit's league-high total – but the Blackhawks are locked in a four-team dogfight within the Central Division while the Canucks hold a comfortable nine-point lead over the Minnesota Wild atop the Northwest. Losers of two straight, Chicago will get back captain Jonathan Toews and possibly forward Patrick Sharp from wrist injuries. The Blackhawks and Canucks have split a pair of lopsided decisions this season, with each winning on the other team’s home ice.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), TSN (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (29-15-6): Chicago acquired veteran center Brendan Morrison from the Calgary Flames for minor league defenseman Brian Connelly during the break. He has four goals and seven assists on the season. Center Marian Hossa had a goal and two assists in the All-Game Game. Patrick Kane also scored a goal and donned a Superman cape to win the breakaway challenge during the skills competition. Hossa is riding a nine-game points streak and has 27 points in his last 22.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (30-15-4): Rookie Cody Hodgson had his three-game points streak snapped, but no one was complaining after he scored the deciding goal in the shootout to beat Edmonton for Vancouver’s second straight victory leading into the All-Star break. He has seven goals and seven assists in his last 17 games. Twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who were split up in last season’s All-Star Game, showed their cohesion by combining for five points Sunday. Henrik scored a pair of goals.
OVERTIME:
1. The Blackhawks have crushed the Canucks in two of the last three meetings in Vancouver, but the one loss was a 2-1 overtime defeat in Game 7 of last season’s playoff series.
2. Sharp practiced Monday for the first time since injuring his wrist Jan. 8. He said he will see how he feels Tuesday morning before deciding if he can play.
3. Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had four shutouts in 25 career starts against the Blackhawks.