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Get your game notes: Red Wings at Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks v Detroit Red Wings

Chicago Blackhawks v Detroit Red Wings

NHLI via Getty Images

Tonight on NBCSN, it’s the Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Detroit Red Wings at 7:30 p.m. ET. Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:

MATCHUP/TOP STORYLINES

• Both 3rd in their respective divisions…CHI has 2 more points this season but has played 2 more games.

• Top PP (DET) vs. top PK (CHI)…1st meeting of season: DET 0-3 on PP (4-1 home win on Nov. 14)

• Last game: On Monday night, DET lost to MTL, 2-0…On Sunday afternoon, CHI beat PIT, 2-1 (SO).

• Tonight DET-CHI meet for the 729th time in the reg.-season – tying BOS-MTL for most in NHL history.

• Before DET was relocated to the Eastern Conference for the 2013-14 season, DET and CHI were in the same division for 31 consecutive seasons, most recently together in the Central Division from 1993-2013.

• DET minor slump only sees a tougher road ahead…1 week ago the Wings were considered one of, if not the, hottest team in the league having won 9 of 10…since last Wednesday however:

• DET: 3-game losing streak (0-2-1)

• Worst stretch since dropping 6 straight in mid-December (0-2-4).

• DET last lost consecutive games in regulation back on Mar. 25 & 27, 2014.

• Despite the slump, the Wings are still well positioned in the Atlantic but face a brutal upcoming schedule:

• Detroit is through 3 games of a 12-game stretch in which it faces 10 teams currently in a playoff position, including 3 of the top 5 teams in the NHL (NSH, MTL, ANA).

• Tonight’s game is the start of a 6-game road trip (ties a season high) where DET will leave the Midwest and head west (@ DAL next on Saturday) before a California trip through ANA, LA & SJ, and then close out the stretch at league-leading NSH...DET is not home again until Mar. 4 vs. NYR.

• Who is in net for DET?...Last Wednesday, All-Star selection Jimmy Howard returned for the Wings, after injuring his groin back on Jan. 10 (missed 10 games), when he played the 3rd period at PIT for Petr Mrazek, who was pulled (4 GA). Howard has started DET’s 2 games since and fared much better in his 2nd start: vs. WPG on Sat.: 4 GA on 38 shots (5-4 SO loss) vs. MTL on Mon.: 1 GA on 28 shots (2-0 loss)

• Mrazek, who started all of Detroit’s games while Howard was out, has been sent back down to Grand Rapids (AHL) after going 8-2-0 with a 2.78 GAA since Jan. 13.

• Hawks 2-0-2 so far on the home stand: Tonight CHI plays its 5th gm of a season-high (and long; 16-day) 8-gm home stand…CHI got off to a poor start with consecutive losses, though both in extra time (to AZ & VAN), but has won 2 straight & looks for its first 3-gm win streak since running off 8 straight wins from Nov. 26 - Dec. 11.

• Central Division scope: Though the Hawks have points in 6 straight games (4-0-2 record), reaching 1st place in the Central is looking increasingly less likely.

DETROIT TEAM/PLAYER NOTE

• DET ranks first in the league on the power-play at 26.0%. The Wings PP goal streak of 5-games was snapped vs. MTL but they are still 7-for-their-last-20 (35.0%) over the last 6 games.

• Tomas Tatar has 7 points (2G-5A) over his last 6 games.

• Tatar has 41 points in 55 GP this season (23G-18A) establishing new career highs in goals & points.

• Henrik Zetterberg has 51 points (19G-32A) in 53 career games vs. CHI

• No active player has ever scored more goals in a Red Wings uniform against CHI than Zetterberg.

• His 51 points are the 3rd-most among active players vs. CHI (D. Legwand – 62, R. Nash – 52)

• Pavel Datsyuk has 7 pts (2G-5A) in his last 7 games including a 3-point performance (2G-1A) vs. WPG on Sat.

• Datsyuk is in the top-3 on the team in goals, assists & points despite playing just 44 of the team’s 55 games.

CHICAGO TEAM/PLAYER NOTES

• Chicago has the league’s best penalty kill at 87.9%. The team is 14-for-15 on the PK (93.3%) in the last 8 games.

• Patrick Kane has 7 points (2G-5A) in his last 6 games and ranks 1st in the NHL in scoring with 63 points.

• No American has ever won the Art Ross Trophy, and only one American (Billy Burch from Yonkers, NY in 1925 playing for the Hamilton Tigers) has won the Hart Trophy as league MVP (Kane is from Buffalo, NY)

• Stan Mikita in 1968-69 was the last Blackhawk to lead the league in scoring.

• Marian Hossa was held without a point vs. PIT snapping a 4-game goal/point streak in which he had 8 points (7 goals) including 3 straight 2-goal games to begin the stretch.

• Hossa became the 6th Blackhawk all-time with a multi-goal game in 3 straight team games of one season.

• Hossa’s performance last week earned him the NHL’s first star of the week.

• Back in 2008-09, Hossa had 71 points (40G-31A) as a member of the Red Wings. Hossa signed with DET as a free agent, lost to PIT in the SCF that season, then signed a 12-year deal with Chicago, where he has been ever since.

• Career vs. DET: 27 points (11G-16A) in 33 games.

• 19 points (5G-14A) in 22 games vs. DET since 2009-10.

• Jonathan Toews has 5 points (1G-4A) during a 4-game point streak after going the 4 previous games without a point.

• Career vs. DET: 25 points (11G-14A) in 34 games.

• Brandon Saad has 4 points (1G-3A) during a 3-game point streak and 7 points (2G-5A) in his last 6 games.

• Saad needs 2 goals to tie his career high of 19 set last season.

• Patrick Sharp, last season’s team leader in goals (34) & points (78), has been quiet lately (0 points in last 5 games) but has 35 career points (16G-19A) vs. DET (46 GP)…Sharp scored the shootout winner vs. PIT after Toews & Kane made their attempts.

• Since returning from a foot injury which kept him out for 3 weeks (occurred Dec. 1), Corey Crawford has finally gotten back on track: