Here are Three Things to Watch when the Blackhawks take on the Arizona Coyotes tonight on NBC Sports Chicago and streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live.
1. Will Saad-Toews-Kane be a thing?
Trailing 3-0 going into the third period against Minnesota on Saturday, Joel Quenneville loaded up his first line (the new nuclear option?) with Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, and it was the first time we saw that trio together this season for a stretch that went beyond just a shift after a penalty kill.
When the three of them are on the ice together at 5-on-5, they control 71.26 of the shot attempts. The sample size is only 37 minutes spent together, but maybe it's worth a shot if it helps get the three of them going.
2. Clayton Keller.
If NHL players were allowed to participate in the Olympics this year, it would've been interesting to see whether or not the 19-year-old American would've made Team USA.
Keller leads his team in goals (15), is tied for fourth among rookies in points (38) and logs the most ice time of any rookie forward (18:21). He's drawn comparisons to Patrick Kane coming out of the draft being a smooth-skating undersized forward with slick hands, so it should be fun watching the two go head-to-head.
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3. Survive the first period?
The Blackhawks are one of the best offensive teams in the first period, where they have scored 54 goals, tied for third in the league. But the problem has recently come in the next two periods, and here's an opportunity to correct that.
The Coyotes have a minus-56 goal differential in the second and third periods combined compared to just a minus-6 differential in the first period. The Coyotes rallied from 3-0 down to beat the Wild 4-3 last week, so they're capable of catching you by surprise, but the numbers favor the Blackhawks as the game goes on.