Coming off a three-game losing streak--including a 3-0 blanking by the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday--the Chicago Blackhawks have to be relieved to face the 2-11-1 Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. Of particular concern for the Blackhawks is a penalty kill that has fallen apart in recent outings. In their last nine chances, Chicago has allowed six goals off of power plays. Against the Blue Jackets' 29th-ranked power play by percentage, the Blackhawks hope to find some semblance of normalcy.
Blackhawks Vs. Blue Jackets Preview: Game Time, TV Coverage And More
Struggles on penalty kills have contributed to a three-game losing streak by the Chicago Blackhawks. The team hopes to get back on track against the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Thursday night.
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The Blue Jackets simply hope to save face, still stinging from a 9-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last Saturday. In the four days off since its last game, Columbus acquired center Mark Letestu from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth-round pick. The move won't do much to shore up the defensive shortcomings that have plagued the team since the season began, but it could provide a much-needed offensive punch.
The Blackhawks are 7-1-1 in their last nine trips to Nationwide Arena in Columbus. They should leave having stemmed their skid. If not, there could be serious trouble in Chicago.
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV Coverage: CSNC (Chicago), FXSO (Columbus)
Radio: WGN 720 (Chicago), 97.1 The Fan and CD101 at 102.5 FM (Columbus)
For more on the game, check in with our blogs: Second City Hockey covering the Blackhawks and The Cannon covering the Blue Jackets.
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