Blackhawks and Jets Prepare for Halloween Eve Clash
Winnipeg, MB – The Winnipeg Jets are set to host the Chicago Blackhawks tonight at Canada Life Centre in a Halloween Eve showdown. The Jets, with a record of 7-3-0, are coming off a 4-3 overtime victory against the Minnesota Wild, while the Blackhawks, standing at 5-3-2, look to continue their strong start to the season.
Blackhawks Projected Lineup
The Blackhawks may dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. The projected lineup is as follows:
- Forwards: Ryan Greene – Connor Bedard – Andre Burakovsky, Teuvo Teravainen – Frank Nazar – Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Donato – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev, Colton Dach – Nick Foligno.
- Defense: Alex Vlasic – Sam Rinzel, Wyatt Kaiser – Artyom Levshunov, Matt Grzelcyk – Connor Murphy, Louis Crevier.
- Goaltenders: Spencer Knight (likely starter), Arvid Soderblom.
- Scratches: Landon Slaggert, Sam Lafferty.
- Injuries: None. Ilya Mikheyev is a game-time decision due to an upper-body injury that kept him out of Tuesday's game against Ottawa.
Frank Nazar, the Blackhawks' 21-year-old forward, is one to watch, currently scoring at a point-per-game pace with 11 points in 10 games. Connor Bedard leads the team with 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points in 10 games.
Jets Projected Lineup
The Jets injury report remains consistent, with Cole Perfetti (ankle), Dylan Samberg (wrist), and Adam Lowry (hip surgery) still out. The projected lineup is:
- Forwards: Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Gabriel Vilardi, Vladislav Namestnikov – Jonathan Toews – Alex Iafallo, Nino Niederreiter – Morgan Barron – Gustav Nyquist, Cole Koepke – Parker Ford – Tanner Pearson.
- Defense: Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo, Logan Stanley – Neal Pionk, Haydn Fleury – Luke Schenn.
- Goaltenders: Connor Hellebuyck (expected starter), Eric Comrie.
- Scratches: Brad Lambert, Colin Miller, Nikita Chibrikov.
- Injuries: Cole Perfetti (ankle), Dylan Samberg (wrist), Adam Lowry (hip surgery).
Logan Stanley is paired with Neal Pionk on defense, allowing Stanley to focus on his defensive play while contributing to offense. Connor Hellebuyck is the likely starting goalie, after a strong performance against the Wild.
Storylines
The Blackhawks have exceeded expectations in their first 10 games. The team has a core of young defensemen, including Alex Vlasic, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov, who have shown promising development this season.
Jets coach Scott Arniel indicated that Adam Lowry is nearing a return, while Perfetti and Samberg have begun skating with the team in non-contact jerseys. Winnipeg has won 5 of the last 6 games against Chicago.
Game Details
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg
- TV: TSN3, CHSN
