After a pair of back-to-back losses over the weekend and a day off on Monday, the Blackhawks are finally back in action at the United Center tonight for another matchup against the Red Wings. When Chicago fell 6-1 to Detroit Sunday, they utilized a makeshift group of prospects, most of whom won’t be in the NHL lineup this year. This time around, however, the roster feels much more like a dress rehearsal, with a group that’s likely similar to what we’ll see on a nightly basis in the regular season. Nevertheless, the Blackhawks are still moving things around and experimenting with different line combinations, so a few players will be worth keeping an eye on tonight.
Taylor Hall – Connor Bedard – Ryan Donato
Taylor Raddysh – Lukas Reichel – Tyler Johnson
Boris Katchouk – Cole Guttman – Mackenzie Entwistle
Nick Foligno – Jason Dickinson – Corey Perry
Alex Vlasic – Seth Jones
Kevin Korchinski – Connor Murphy
Isaak Phillips – Wyatt Kaiser
Petr Mrazek
Jaxson Stauber
Fourth Line
As we gear up for the regular season to begin next week, it appears more and more likely that tonight’s fourth offensive line will remain in place throughout the year. Foligno and Perry in particular have been skating together throughout training camp and preseason, and Dickinson looks like a good fit to be sandwiched between them. Each player on this line is more than capable defensively, meaning the team’s fourth line could be a shutdown group that gets chances to stifle the opposition’s best forwards.
However, all three skaters on this line were on different teams from one another last year, so they’re still obviously getting used to each other. That’d be a solid reason as to why they’ve played together so much this preseason, as they’re still looking to gel as a group. Look for them to continue to do so tonight as they grow more comfortable on this line.
Alex Vlasic
Vlasic is one of the Blackhawks with the most at stake this preseason, as he finds himself in a cluster at the bottom of a crowded defensive depth chart. He’s previously stated that any other result than making the NHL roster would be “a letdown”, but he’s far from securing the role. He was ejected from Sunday’s game for kneeing Elmer Soderblom of the Red Wings, which didn’t help his odds. However, he’s expected to get a long look tonight on the top line alongside Seth Jones, where he’ll be able to show off his strong defensive and all-around game. As an added bonus, look for the Red Wings to try to pick a fight with the 22-year-old prospect after what looked like a pretty dirty hit on their guy Sunday.
Taylor Raddysh
As if we haven’t said his name enough this preseason, Raddysh again has plenty to prove tonight as he lines up on the second line in the absence of both Philipp Kurashev and Andreas Athanasiou. So far, he seems like the odd man out in this top-six group, as Kurashev, Athanasiou and Lukas Reichel have skated together at nearly every opportunity. However, if Raddysh can put together a big night in a big role, even if it’s only temporary, he could give his coaching staff something to think about. Will Raddysh be able to shake up a top-six group that once looked to be set in stone? We’ll find out tonight.
It’s officially dress rehearsal time in Chicago, as many of the projected starters of the Blackhawks are expected to suit up for tonight’s preseason tilt in the United Center. However, a handful of players are getting an extended look on different lines than usual, which could make for a truly interesting matchup.
