The Chicago Blackhawks are still working their way out of a rebuild. But after going toe-to-toe with two of the NHL’s best, they’ll look to keep it going when they host the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Sunday.
The Blackhawks are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. A night earlier, they skated away with a 4-3 shootout win against the host Carolina Hurricanes.
“What we’ll take from (Friday) is just a lesson of how hard you’ve got to be on your stick, how crisp you have to be with your passes,” Chicago coach Jeff Blashill said. “That’s the level that we’ve got to get to. And with that said, we were able to get a point.”
The Blackhawks are 2-0-1 in their past three games, allowing them to keep playoff hopes alive. They entered Sunday five points behind the San Jose Sharks for the second wild card from the Western Conference, though with one more game played. They have three other teams ahead of them in the race.
“I thought we played really well in the third (against Tampa Bay) and had some chances to put it away,” Chicago forward Ryan Greene said. “We’re trying to grow so we can win games like that. It says a lot about us (that) when we’re playing the right way and playing good hockey, we’re a tough team to handle. We’re just trying to keep that going.”
For Greene, that also includes his recent ability to put the puck in the net. The 22-year-old rookie, a second-round pick by Chicago in the 2022 NHL Draft, scored the lone goal against the Lightning, giving him three goals (of his seven on the season) in his past seven games.
“Confidence is part of it, so once you start scoring, that’s when guys start going on streaks and start scoring on a regular basis,” Blashill said.
The Panthers, meanwhile, are trying to pull themselves closer to the final wild card from the Eastern Conference.
Florida stayed within five points of the Boston Bruins after a 4-3 overtime victory against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Brad Marchand scored twice, including the game-winner, and also had an assist in his return after missing seven games with an undisclosed injury.
“It’s great to be back with the guys,” Marchand said. “It was hard watching. But, yeah, it felt good to get back out there. Also, we need the points right now, so big win for us.”
The 37-year-old Marchand has 25 goals and 24 assists for 49 points, each matching Sam Reinhart to share the team lead in all three categories.
“He brings us so much energy, such a great player, and every night he brings it,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said.
Sunday’s contest will be one of two games in hand the Panthers have on Boston. It also marks the fourth of a six-game stretch for Florida against Western Conference opponents, with games against the Utah Mammoth and St. Louis Blues still to follow.
The Panthers have won two straight and five of their past seven after going 2-4-1 in their previous seven.
–Field Level Media
