Winners of 11 straight games against Chicago, the Vancouver Canucks look to make it a dominant dozen when the Blackhawks visit on Wednesday.
The 11 consecutive victories are tied for the most in a row against a single opponent in Vancouver franchise history. The Canucks already added to the streak with a 3-2 shootout win in Chicago on Oct. 17.
Vancouver can become the fifth franchise to defeat the Blackhawks at least 12 straight times.
The more immediate winless drought on Chicago’s mind is the team’s 0-2-1 start to its six-game road trip. Chicago never led at any point over the three games, and forward Andre Burakovsky believes his team has been too tentative in its opening approach.
“We need to take command and set the tone ourselves. We can’t come out and have slow starts,” Burakovsky said after Monday’s 3-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken.
Burakovsky has been doing his part with a three-game goal scoring streak and six points over the last four games (three goals, three assists).
Connor Bedard has nine points (four goals, five assists) over a five-game point streak. The third-year star leads Chicago in assists (10) and points (16) and is tied with Ryan Donato for the team lead with six goals.
Arvid Soderblom faced the Kraken, so starting goaltender Spencer Knight should be back between the pipes against Vancouver. Knight has been solid in posting a .913 save percentage and 2.62 goals against average over nine games this season.
The Canucks are beginning a four-game homestand on the heels of a 2-1-0 road trip that they capped with a dramatic 5-4 overtime win over the Nashville Predators on Monday. Brock Boeser scored the second-latest overtime goal in Vancouver history, tallying the winner with just two seconds left in the extra frame.
Boeser’s heroics salvaged the win after Vancouver squandered a 4-2 lead. Nashville scored twice in the last 8:08 of regulation to equalize, but “we stayed calm when they tied it,” Canucks coach Adam Foote said.
“I liked the way we hung in there. We were resilient. … I was just happy that we stayed within ourselves. Should’ve won that without OT for sure, but that happens some nights.”
Vancouver is 4-0-0 this season in games decided in overtime or the shootout.
Boeser had two goals and an assist Monday, continuing an unusual all-or-nothing stretch for the forward. Boeser has gone without a point in six of his last eight games, but he recorded three points in both of the other contests.
Quinn Hughes logged 28:04 of ice time Monday after missing the Canucks’ previous four games with a lower-body injury. Hughes’ return is a big help to a Vancouver team still missing several regulars to injuries.
Conor Garland leads the Canucks in assists (eight) and points (11) but is questionable for Wednesday after missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury.
Thatcher Demko will likely be back in Vancouver’s net. Demko has a .912 save percentage and a 2.57 GAA in nine games, though he allowed four goals in each of his last two starts.
