The Chicago Blackhawks (2-0-1) visit the Montreal Canadiens (1-2-0) in the first of two intriguing games on NBCSN on Tuesday. This one kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET, with pregame fun already underway.
While this game is available on NBCSN, you can also check it out online and via the NBC Sports App.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH BLACKHAWKS - HABS
One thing to watch regarding the Blackhawks is a defensive tweak, as Cody Franson is primed to replace Connor Murphy (not Jan Rutta) in the lineup. Wow.
Sure looks like Connor Murphy, for whom the Blackhawks traded Niklas Hjalmarsson, is a healthy scratch in his fourth game. Yikes.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) October 10, 2017
Another thing to keep an eye on: the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Lazerus reports that the Blackhawks continue to struggle with the league’s rule tweaks regarding slashing penalties and face-off infractions.
The Canadiens have their own issues to work on, as head coach Claude Julien stressed getting to the net, according to Matt Cudzinowski of the team website.
“I don’t think the lines themselves are responsible for keeping us from scoring. It’s more about the way we’re playing,” insisted Julien. “We have to find a way to get to the inside. Right now, we’re on the outside. We need to take pucks to the net. Those are things we can change. We scored nine goals against Ottawa with those lines. I had time to study our games so far and that’s what I concluded. We can do better work taking the puck to the net.”
It should be a fun one between two storied NHL franchises.
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This game is followed by what promises to be an emotional first-ever home game for the Vegas Golden Knights as they take on the Arizona Coyotes. For an in-depth preview of both games, check out this post.