Blackhawks vs Mammoth Preview
Preview + Projected Lines
Tonight, the Chicago Blackhawks (23-29-11) play the first of 2 games against the Mammoth (34-25-4) in 3 days. The Blackhawks will be on the second half of a back to back after losing 4-3 in OT to the Stars despite Connor Bedard’s late, game-tying heroics.
Photo by: Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have lost 3 in a row, and 6 of their last 7, so a win is much needed for the young team. If they are going to do it against Utah, they are going to have to earn it. The Mammoth are on a 3-game win streak, and currently sit in the 1st wildcard spot in the west.
Frank Nazar is coming off back to back multi point games, and he looks to stay hot in an effort to get his game back. Nazar is experiencing the dreaded "sophomore slump” that a lot of second year players go through. After finishing last season so well he earned himself a 7 year, 46 million dollar contract, Nazar has struggled to emulate that level of play consistently.
Between the pipes, the Blackhawks are likely to start 23-year-old Drew Commesso (barring Spencer Knight returning to lineup) after calling him up Saturday. Commesso has started in 2 games for the hawks this season, one of which being a 3-0 shutout win against the Predators on January 10th.
In last night’s outing in Dallas, Blackhawks forward Oliver Moore fell awkwardly into the boards, with 11:23 left in the 1st period. He was laboring his leg and went straight to the hawks dressing room. Head Coach Jeff Blashill announced after last night’s game that Moore will not play vs the Mammoth
Blackhawks Projected Lines:
Bertuzzi - Bedard - Burakovsky
Lardis - Nazar - Teravainen
Mangiapane - Greene - Mikheyev
Slaggert - Donato - Lafferty
Vlasic - Crevier
Kaiser - Rinzel
Grzelcyk - Levshunov
Commesso
Soderblom
It is also very possible that the Blackhawks go with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen due to being down to 3 centers, although Ryan Donato has no issue filling that role. It would also allow Defensemen Ethan Del Mastro to get more ice time after being scratched against Dallas.
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