CHICAGO — Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will play together on the top line in an attempt to get the struggling Chicago Blackhawks going when they host the Edmonton Oilers at United Center on Wednesday (9:30 pm ET; TNT, SN360, SNW, TVAS).
“It’s been done before, but I haven’t done it, so let’s try it and I think that makes the most sense,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. “I saw a lot of speed out of both those lines (at practice) and let’s see what they’re going to be able to bring in a game.”
The Blackhawks have lost seven in a row (0-6-1) and are last in the Central Division (6-11-4). They are 31st in the NHL in goals scored per game (2.48).
Chicago is searching for answers. Its dressing room remained closed to reporters for approximately 15 minutes after a 7-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
“I’m never going to get into the specifics about what’s being said in the locker room,” Toews said Sunday. “But all in all, yeah, I think we all agree that as a group we need to be more mentally prepared, even if there’s nights where, it’s a long season and sometimes you don’t have the energy and you don’t have it. You’ve just got to find ways to play a better team game and keep yourself in games, and sometimes when you work to do that, things start going your way, you get a couple goals, and all of a sudden it gives you that little burst of energy that you’re looking for.”
Kane leads the Blackhawks with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 21 games. Toews leads the Blackhawks with eight goals and is third with 13 points. They have not played on the same line at even strength since late last season. Forward Andreas Athanasiou is expected to play on the line with Kane and Toews on Wednesday.
Kane and Toews won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015, and each is in the final season of an eight-year contract he signed with Chicago on July 9, 2014. Kane is second in Blackhawks history in points (1,196 ) and assists (763), and third in goals (433). Toews is sixth in points (865) and goals (365), and eighth in assists (500).
“I mean, we’ve played together before so I kind of know his tendencies of course and what he likes to do out there and where he’s good on the ice,” Kane said of Toews Tuesday. “Even with Max, I think we’ve been snake-bitten a little bit. We’ve had some looks, we’ve had some chances, it just hasn’t gone in for us so hopefully we can get some bounces and get back on track.”
Defenseman Jarred Tinordi (hip) and forward Sam Lafferty (back) did not practice Tuesday. Richardson said both could be out at least a week. Tinordi played 14:33 in Chicago’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 25. Lafferty played 7:07 but did not see the ice in the third period in a 6-4 loss to the Dallas Stars on Nov. 23.
“It could be longer [on Tinordi]. He’s getting a second opinion,” Richardson said.[Lafferty] is getting better but they were hoping it was better after two days. But it’s progressing slower than they thought.”
Alex Stalock (concussion protocol) did not practice with the Blackhawks on Tuesday after he did so on Sunday. Richardson said the goalie, who was injured following a collision with the New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas in the first period of a 3-1 loss Nov. 1, “wasn’t doing as great as he was a few days ago.”
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