Tonight at 8 p.m. ET, the Chicago Blackhawks (29-15-2, 60 points) and Pittsburgh Penguins (26-12-7, 59 points) face-off for the first of two meetings this season live from the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The game can be live streamed for free here. Chicago fans can hear all of the action on WGN 720 while Pittsburgh fans can do the same on 105.9 WXDX.
Chicago has lost two of its last three games and opens up a long seven-game road trip that will be interrupted by the All-Star break this weekend while Pittsburgh has dropped three consecutive contests and opens a two-match homestand.
The Penguins enter play in second place in the Metropolitan Division while the Blackhawks hold down the third and final automatic playoff spot in the Central Division.
The Blackhawks skate for the second straight night and are coming off of a 6-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday that saw Andrew Shaw net three goals.
"I guess the approach was much more businesslike today in the skate and in the game, and in the preparation going into the game," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said per NHL.com. "We got off to a strong start...We did a lot of good things."
Patrick Kane has paced Chicago and is tied for third in the NHL with 51 off of 22 goals and 29 assists this season and he had a three point night against Arizona.
Captain Jonathan Toews is second on the Blackhawks with 41 points off of 14 tallies and 27 helpers while Brandon Saad is second on the team with 15 markers and has 31 points.
The Penguins are coming off of a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime Tuesday night in what marked their third straight defeat against a divisional opponent.
Things don't get much easier tonight against Chicago.
"The Blackhawks, you look at how they've been playing lately and they generate a lot of shots," coach Mike Johnston told NHL.com. "They're a dangerous team in transition. Their defense is very active. They have four of the better defensemen in the league."
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have led Pittsburgh with 51 points, which is tied for third in the NHL.
Malkin's 32 assists lead the Penguins and rank fourth in the league while Crosby is second in the NHL with 36 assists.
Pittsburgh is likely to turn to Marc-Andre Fleury in between the pipes and he is 22-9-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.
Chicago will answer with Corey Crawford in the crease and he is 17-10-2 with a 2.28 GAA and a .920 save percentage.
The Blackhawks and Penguins close out the first half of their seasons when the puck drops tonight at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.
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