A week filled with games between the Predators and the Blackhawks starts this evening at Bridgestone Arena.
Nashville (24-21-1) will host Chicago tonight, before traveling to Illinois to face the Hawks twice at United Center on Wednesday and Friday. The two clubs are separated by two points in the standings, with the Predators holding fourth place and the final playoff spot in the Central Division.
The Predators have dropped their last two games, both against the Carolina Hurricanes. Forward Matt Duchene returned from a 22-game absence for Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Hurricanes. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson also made his debut for the Preds after being acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Monday.
The Blackhawks (21-19-5) are 3-1-0 on their current five-game road trip, with wins in Columbus and Detroit. Nashville is 5-0-0 versus Chicago this season. The two teams will complete their season series this week with games No. 6, 7 and 8 against each other.
Update: Following the morning skate, Preds Head Coach John Hynes said Nashville will stick with the same lineup tonight as they iced on Saturday in Carolina. There were no additional updates on any of Nashville's injured players.
The Predators held a full morning skate on Monday. Below is projected lineup based on the session:
Projected Lineup: Blackhawks vs. Predators
Vanderbilt Health Projected Lineup: Nashville, Chicago Start Three-Game Series this Week
© Nashville Predators
