BLACKHAWKS NOTES
– The Blackhawks are eighth in the Central Division with 49 points, as they were the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention on Mar. 9. Chicago has been playing better hockey as of late, going 6-5-0 in their last 11 games.
– The Blackhawks had two days between games after their 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. For a team that has struggled offensively this season – ranking 32nd in the league in goals for per game (2.22) – the Blackhawks cruised past the Flyers on Saturday with goals from Lukas Reichel, Philipp Kurashev, Nick Foligno, Joey Anderson and MacKenzie Entwistle.
– Connor Bedard is all over the Hawks’ leaderboard with the most goals (21), assists (36) and points (57), and the 2023 first-overall pick also leads all rookies in the NHL in those categories. Bedard has had a productive rookie year and has been shooting more as of late. In his last 10 games, Bedard recorded 22.8 shot attempts per 60 minutes in all situations, which ranks 13th in the NHL over that span.
The 18-year-old overcame a bump in the road in the middle of the season. The rookie was sidelined for 14 games with a broken jaw from Jan. 5 – Feb. 15 (missing the first meeting of the season against the Islanders on Jan. 19) meaning that the Isles will get their first look at Bedard on Tuesday.
– Philipp Kurashev is having a breakout year in his fourth season with the Blackhawks with 49 points (16G, 33G), shattering his previous career-high 25 points set last season. The 24-year-old forward has really heated up in the month of March, with 17 points (7G, 10A) in his last 14 games.
– Jason Dickinson reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his NHL career spanning parts of nine seasons. The 28-year-old forward also set a new career high of points (33).
– The Blackhawks have a road record of 7-29-1 this season, although they are 2-0-1 in their last three away games.
Tags: Game Preview Islanders Blackhawks
