Chicago Blackhawks (28-36-14, 70 pts) vs Carolina Hurricanes (50-22-6, 106 pts)
7:30 pm CT \u2013 United Center
TV: CHSN (Ball\/Pang)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Wiedeman\/Konroyd)<\/p>\n
The Chicago Blackhawks begin their final homestand of the season tonight. Their tough four-game homestand begins with the Carolina Hurricanes. They can sweep the two-game season series from the Eastern Conference\u2019s top team after beating them in a shootout back in January. <\/p>\n
The Hurricanes have clinched the Metropolitan Division, but are still playing for home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference. They have a two-point lead on the Buffalo Sabres, and a four-point cushion on the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens. <\/p>\n
Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill wants to finish the season strong on home ice. He wants to show the hometown fans just how good this team can and will be before heading into the offseason. He feels there is a lot of value in playing a well-structured team like the Hurricanes. As he put it, a young team that tends to overcomplicate things and beat itself can learn a lot from seeing how Carolina handles business. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey do a really good job of game management; they don\u2019t beat themselves,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re simple in the sense that there is no trickery. They do what they do, and they do it really well. They believe in what they do, and they just do it over and over again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burakovsky Returns<\/p>\n
Sacha Boisvert\u2019s United Center debut will have to wait for another night. He will be a healthy scratch for the second straight home game. Andre Burakovsky will be back in after sitting out Monday\u2019s loss<\/a> to the San Jose Sharks. <\/p>\n While nearly every observer wonders why Burakovsky keeps getting as many chances as he does, Blashill remains his biggest defender. He still feels that he\u2019s producing chances despite not putting up any points. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can play the same game and create the same amount of chances, and in one stretch, they go in, and in one stretch, they don\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cWhether it’s him or linemates, it looks way different. It clouds people\u2019s minds about how he\u2019s playing. That\u2019s why I like to take the human emotions out of it and look at scoring chances for and against. I think his game is better than his production.\u201d<\/p>\n Blashill does have his criticisms of the veteran forward, like the rest of us. He knows his confidence is low, and that gets him into trouble. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen he presses, he holds onto the puck too long,\u201d he said. \u201cI think there are times when he can move it quicker. My advice to him has been to know what you\u2019re going to do with the puck before you get it. Let\u2019s not hold onto it and take contact when you don\u2019t need to. If there\u2019s a play to be made, make it.\u201d<\/p>\n Burakovsky has had success against the Hurricanes of late. In his last six games against them, he has a goal and five points. He did not register a point against them earlier in the season. <\/p>\n The Big 3-0 for Donato<\/p>\n Ryan Donato is celebrating his 30th birthday today. He is looking to build off his performance against the Sharks, where he scored the game\u2019s opening goal one second after a power play expired. He has a goal and three points in the last two games against the Hurricanes at the United Center. In 11 games against them, he has five goals and eight points. <\/p>\n Donato\u2019s goal in San Jose gave him 15 on the season. He needs one more to tie the second-best output of his career, set with the Seattle Kraken in 2021-22. Nobody expected another 31-goal season out of Donato. Even if he finishes with 15, that is still a decent season, considering he has rarely played with Connor Bedard this season, and his shooting percentage has dropped nearly 4%. He hasn\u2019t been afforded nearly the number of offensive opportunities he was given last season, but he has still been productive. <\/p>\n Hurricanes Resting Players?<\/p>\n