CHICAGO, Ill. - United Center will host the Chicago Blackhawks' bid for a fifth-straight victory Friday night when they host the slumping Montreal Canadiens in a battle of Original Six programs.
Chicago (16-8-1) went 4-1 on a recent road trip while the circus invaded their arena, and their winning ways continued Wednesday night when they returned home, handing a 4-1 decision to their rival St. Louis Blues.
It would be a flurry of scoring in the third period of that game that decided the outcome, a three-goal final session for the Blackhawks, including two scores from Patrick Kane.
The first of those three came 59 seconds into the period, from Kris Versteeg, before Kane struck twice within five minutes.
Kane has eight goals and seven assists over his last nine appearances for Chicago, and his 12 goals and 25 points lead the team.
The Blackhawks have outscored opponents 15-5 during their four-game winning streak, all against top teams in the Western Conference.
"We've been playing the right way, particularly lately," head coach Joel Quenneville said. "Eventually, you get your turn."
A turn that includes the best penalty-kill in hockey (92 pct), and which held St. Louis to a 0-for-6 mark when skating a man down Wednesday.
Antti Raanta (2-2-0) will sit in net for the Blackhawks after starter Corey Crawford hurt his foot at a recent concert and will miss at least two weeks.
He stopped 40-of-41 shots he faced against the Blues in his first start since falling to that team Oct. 25th.
"I like how he challenged," Quenneville said of Raanta. "I think he was comfortable meeting pucks. I thought he was good finding pucks."
Montreal (17-8-2) will be seeking revenge after falling to the Blackhawks 5-0 at the Bell Centre Nov. 4th, and have lost three of their last four meetings.
They recorded six-straight victories since that shutout loss, though have gone 1-3-1 in their last five and suffered a 2-1 defeat to Minnesota Wednesday, a game in which they were outshot 35-19.
Max Pacioretty holds the Canadiens' most points (20) and goals (12).
"When we have success, it's for a reason," Pacioretty said Thursday. "We're all on the same page, and we all play a certain way."
Montreal would have been shutout by the Wild were it not for Alex Galenchuyk, putting the Canadiens on the board with 58 seconds left in the game.
Tomas Plekanec is second for the Canadiens with 18 points, though has none in his last five games, and Montreal as a team has averaged only 1.88 goals per game in their last eight, after scoring 2.68 before then.
"When we get away from that," Pacioretty said, "we're just another team. When we play the way we're capable of, that's when we have success and that's when we're a great team."
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