Coyotes at Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks breezed to a convincing victory over the Arizona Coyotes before embarking on a season-high seven-game road trip. The Blackhawks look to be rude hosts to the Coyotes once again when they vie for their third straight victory overall in the opener of an eight-game homestand on Monday. Patrick Kane collected his 200th career goal and added two assists in Chicago's 6-1 drubbing of Arizona on Jan. 20 and also set up a tally as the team wrapped up a 4-3-0 trek with a 4-2 victory over St. Louis on Sunday afternoon.
"Big, big, big because it puts us back all of a sudden. We’re still in there,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said after his team moved within eight points of Central Division-leading Nashville. "It gives us a chance to close that gap with (the Blues) and Nashville." Arizona hasn't enjoyed its encounters with the Central representatives, posting a woeful 1-10-4 mark heading into back-to-back tilts versus Chicago and St. Louis (on Tuesday). All-Star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his career-high 16th goal and fourth in six contests on Saturday, but the Coyotes failed to muster anything else and dropped their second straight decision with a 3-1 setback to Detroit.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CSN Chicago
ABOUT THE COYOTES (19-27-7): Arizona made its intentions clear when it dealt Devan Dubnyk to Minnesota, as it has been determined to get the beleaguered Mike Smith back on track. The 32-year-old yielded six goals on 51 shots in the first meeting with the Blackhawks but has permitted two or fewer tallies in four of his last five starts. Coach Dave Tippett told reporters he expects Smith to be in net on both Monday and Tuesday.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (33-18-2): Quenneville admitted a pronounced homestand is just what the doctor ordered after his team's lengthy road trip. "I don't think I've ever been on any team that had eight straight home games," Quenneville said. "It should be fun." Marian Hossa certainly had fun by netting a pair of third-period goals versus the Blues, marking his first points in six games.
OVERTIME
1. Chicago C Andrew Shaw recorded his fifth career two-goal performance in the first meeting with Arizona but has just one tally for his only point in the last seven contests.
2. Coyotes LW Lucas Lessio scored his first NHL goal in the teams' first encounter.
3. The Blackhawks have killed off all eight short-handed situations over their last four games.