Watch as the Blackhawks take on the Montreal Canadiens tonight on CSN and streaming live on CSNChicago.com. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live. Then stick around after the final buzzer to watch Blackhawks Postgame Live for highlights and analysis.
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Five Things to Watch:
1. Hello again, Andrew Shaw.
Remember him, Chicago? Shaw had his welcoming back party at the United Center on Nov. 13 but the Blackhawks spoiled his return by beating his new club 3-2. Now they're going to his new house. Shaw has had a roller coaster season for the Canadiens, racking up by far a career-high 101 penalty minutes in only 55 games, but he's been much more disciplined and effective ever since Claude Julien took over behind the bench. He has 10 goals and 14 assists, and is logging an ice-time average of 15:09 per game.
2. Corey Crawford returns to hometown.
There's no place like home. The Blackhawks play in Montreal only once per year, and Crawford has always brought his A-game against the team he grew up rooting for. In eight career NHL starts against the Canadiens, Crawford owns a 6-0-2 record with a 1.49 goals against average, .951 save percentage and one shutout. That's the highest save percentage against any other team he's faced throughout his career. Crawford is also coming off his best performance of the season in which he stopped a season-high 42 saves in a 4-2 win over Minnesota.
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3. Carey Price heating up, too.
On the other end of the ice there's Price, who's a former Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy winner. After a terrific start to the season, Price cooled off big time in December and January but has really returned to form here as of late. He's won his last six starts, and has allowed only six goals on 165 shots during that span, good for a .964 save percentage.
4. American-born players chasing history.
Patrick Kane made history last year by becoming the first U.S.-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy for most points and Hart Trophy for league MVP, and is right in the thick of both races again this year. He enters tonight with 73 points, trailing Connor McDavid by only two for the league lead, and could become the first player to win the scoring title in back-to-back seasons since Jaromir Jagr in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001.
Max Pacioretty is also aiming to put his name in the history books by becoming the first U.S.-born player to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for most goals in a season. The award was first handed out in 1998-99. Pacioretty is tied for second in the NHL with 33 goals, trailing only Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand (35).
5. A fun finish?
If there's one thing the Blackhawks and Canadiens have in common, it's that both teams turn it up in the third. They each have scored their fewest amount of goals in the first period, and most in the third period. The Canadiens have won seven of their last eight, while the Blackhawks have won 13 of their last 16. They didn't go on those runs without channeling some late-game magic.
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