Game day: Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks
By John Dietz
Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks, 7:30 p.m. Thursday
TV: NBCSCH
Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: Anaheim (27-20-11) is right in the thick of the wild-card race, but the Ducks haven't been able to get on a true hot streak all season. Their longest winning streak is three games, and they are just 2-2-3 in their last seven games. … Rickard Rakell, who scored 33 goals last season, leads Anaheim with 22 this season. Ryan Getzlaf missed 24 games due to injury yet is the team's second-leading scorer with 7 goals and 28 assists. Antoine Vermette has 8 goals and 8 assists in 56 games. … The Blackhawks beat the Ducks 7-3 on Nov. 27 when Alex DeBrincat registered his first NHL hat trick. … The Hawks have just 3 even-strength goals over the past five games, and one of those came with 6.5 seconds remaining when they trailed 3-1 to Calgary on Feb. 6.
Next: Washington Capitals at United Center, 7:30 p.m. Saturday