Here are Three Things to Watch when the Blackhawks take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight on NBC Sports Chicago and streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live.
1. Corey Crawford vs. Carey Price.
There's a reason Crawford didn't start Monday night against Toronto.
For one, Montreal is his hometown and the Blackhawks get only one visit there per year. He deserves those starts when the opportunity presents itself. But, most importantly, his numbers against the team he grew up rooting for are remarkable.
In nine career games against the Canadiens, Crawford is 7-0-2 with a 1.55 goals against average and .951 save percentage, including one shutout.
On the other end of the ice will be Carey Price, who's the only goaltender to win the Hart Trophy for league MVP in the last 15 years. Expect a fun goaltending showdown.
2. The Mutt.
NHL
The Blackhawks will see a few familiar faces on the home bench, most notably Andrew Shaw, who helped bring two Stanley Cups to Chicago in 2013 and 2015.
Nicknamed "Mutt" for his scrappy style of play, Shaw has yet to record a point in three games for the Canadiens this season but his ice time has increased in each of them.
Last year Shaw registered a season-high six shots on goal in his first meeting against Chicago, an indication of how badly he'd like to stick it to his old friends. You know he'll be playing with some extra juice, especially with former teammates Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad back on the team.
3. Can Alex DeBrincat get on the board?
The Blackhawks have scored 18 goals in three games, but their top prospect hasn't gotten on the scoresheet yet other than an assist on Opening Night. He hasn't stood out, but he certainly hasn't shown any signs that he doesn't belong.
DeBrincat is a smart player who's doing all the right things, and just because those offensive numbers aren't there yet doesn't mean he's failing to live up to the hype early on. If anything, the flurry of goals from their top six has helped take away some of that early pressure while he gets accustomed to the big leagues.
He came close to scoring in the first two games, one of which rang off the pipe. The scoring chances will come, and he's more likely to bury them than not. Will it come tonight?