PREVIEW: Blackhawks Face Canadiens Thursday Night

TIME: 6 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH | RADIO: WGN 720 AM | STREAM:
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The Blackhawks head back on the road for a two-game Canadian trip beginning with the first meeting of the year against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.

TEAM RECORDS

• CHI: 9-14-2, 20 PTS
• MTL: 6-18-3, 15 PTS

HOW TO WATCH

Pat Foley and Colby Cohen have you covered for all the action on NBC Sports Chicago with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 p.m., while John Wiedeman and Nick Olczyk have the radio broadcast of tonight's game on WGN Radio.

VS. MONTREAL

The Blackhawks are 12-2-2 in their last 16 contests against the Canadiens with wins in their last two matchups. Chicago won eight-straight contests against Montreal from April 9, 2014 to Oct. 10, 2017 and have won their last six games in Montreal with points in their last eight. In those eight games, Chicago is allowing just 1.13 goals per game.
Alex DeBrincat has points in four of his five career games against the club (2G, 4A), including his last three straight (1G, 3A).
Chicago and Montreal first played on Dec. 11, 1926 with Chicago coming out on top 3-0.

MILESTONE MAN

Marc-Andre Fleury is one win away from 500 after backstopping the Blackhawks to a victory on Sunday night against the Islanders. Fleury would become the third goaltender in NHL history to record 500 wins and is on pace to hit the milestone in fewer games than both Martin Brodeur (500-273-120 in 908 GP) and Patrick Roy (500-287-114 in 933 GP).
He played in his 900th career NHL game on Tuesday against the Rangers, becoming just the eighth goaltender in NHL history to reach the milestone and the only active goaltender with 900 games played.
Dating back to November 9 (nine appearances), Fleury is 6-3-0 and is eighth in the NHL with a .932 save percentage and with a 2.07 goalsagainst average (min. 5 appearances).

TRADING GAMES

Over the last 10 games dating back to the Nov. 17 win in Seattle, the Blackhawks have alternated wins and losses in every game since (5-5-0): W - L - W - L - W(OT) - L - W(SO) - L - W(SO) - L

ROSTER SHUFFLE

Following Tuesday's game against New York, the Blackhawks recalled forwards Mike Hardman and Philipp Kurashev from Rockford to join the team on its trip north of the border. To make room, defensemen Wyatt Kalynuk and Ian Mitchell were assigned to the AHL, while MacKenzie Entwistle (left ankle) was activated from injured reserve and also assigned.
Jujhar Khaira, who left Tuesday's game following a major collision, was placed on injured reserve (concussion protocol) and will miss at least the next three games.