Sharks at Blackhawks (game 45): Lines, game thread and how to watch

Get ready for what could be one of the most exciting Sharks’ game of the season or the worst hockey you’ll see all week. It’s hard to say. As the final stop on the road trip, the Sharks land in Chicago to take on fellow basement dwellers, the Chicago Blackhawks. Consider this a battle for the worst in the league. The Blackhawks have 26 points, while the Sharks have 23. Even if you combine both team’s points, teams like the Los Angeles Kings and Dallas Stars (both of whom sit in third place in their respective divisions) have more points. Not a good sign.

This is the first of three meetings between the two teams this season. The Blackhawks are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday. The Sharks are coming off of that lackluster 3-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres yesterday.

San Jose fans will not see the number one overall draft pick, Connor Bedard. The 18-year-old is currently recovering from a broken jaw and while he started skating earlier this week, the team says the timeline for his return to NHL play has not changed.

“He’s been begging, and they (doctors) said it’s OK, but he’s been getting specific instructions,” Blackhawks Head Coach Luke Richardson said to NHL.com. “He’s not allowed to take slap shots, so he’s not allowed to really clench right now. If they see that, they may pull a rug out from under him. 

“But I think he’s just eager and it’ll be good for him to get moving. He just has to be very careful, [with the] early stages of clenching,” Richardson continued. “I don’t even know if he can put anything in there because it’s not completely wired shut, but I think it’s elastic bands on it that keep it so there’s a minimal amount of movement.”

Bedard will be out for the next four to six weeks. Without him, the Blackhawks lack some firepower. Bedard leads the team with 33 points. Behind him is Philipp Kurashev, who has 23 points. Behind Bedard, Jason Dickinson has the most goals on the team.

Dickinson signed a new deal today. It’s a two-year extension worth $4.25 per year. It’s the second veteran forward the Blackhawks have extended in the past week. Winger Nick Foligno signed a two-year contract extension worth $4.5 million per year on Friday.

San Jose Sharks lines

According to San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng, the lines for today are up in the air. Peng quoted Head Coach David Quinn, who said that injuries will dictate how the lines play out.

"Will" start. Apparently, #SJSharks are managing injuries, so Quinn says we'll see about the line-up tonight

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 16, 2024

With that in mind, we’ll go with the lines from yesterday to start.

Forwards
William Eklund – Tomas Hertl – Filip Zadina
Fabian Zetterlund – Mikael Granlund – Anthony Duclair
Alexander Barabanov – Luke Kunin – Justin Bailey
Kevin Labanc – Ryan Carpenter – Scott Sabourin

Defensemen
Mario Ferraro – Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Jan Rutta – Henry Thrun
Kyle Burroughs – Nikita Okhotiuk

Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Kaapo Kahkonen

Chicago Blackhawks lines against the Sharks

Seth Jones is back in the lineup after about a month on the injured list. The defenseman played his first game since Dec. 10, 2023, on Saturday against the Stars. Also, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic, Jarred Tinordi will be in the lineup as Connor Murphy sits this one out with a lower-body injury. Former Shark Jaycob Megna will slide to the other side to make room for Tinordi.

Connor Murphy is out with a lower-body injury. Richardson's hopeful he'll be back in the lineup tomorrow in Buffalo. Jarred Tinordi draws in, Jaycob Megna moves to the right side.

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) January 16, 2024

Forwards
Rem Pitlick – Philipp Kurashev – Taylor Raddysh
Colin Blackwell – Jason Dickinson – Joey Anderson
Lukas Reichel – Mackenzie Entwistle – Cole Guttman
Boris Katchouk – Zach Sanford – Ryan Donato

Defensemen
Alex Vlasic – Seth Jones
Kevin Korchinski – Nikita Zaitsev
Jarred Tinordi – Jaycob Megna

Goaltenders
Petr Mrazek
Arvid Soderblom

How to watch San Jose Sharks at Chicago Blackhawks Jan. 16, 2024

Sharks fans can watch the game on NBCSCA regionally. Streaming is available with a subscription on ESPN+ and Hulu (blackout restrictions may apply). You can listen to the game through the Sharks Audio Network.

For Blackhawks fans, the game will air on NBCSCH. You can listen to the call on the radio WGN-720-AM. Like the Sharks broadcast, you can stream on ESPN+ or Hulu, but blackout restrictions might apply.

The game starts at 5:30 p.m. PST/7:30 p.m. CST/8:30 p.m. EST at United Center in Chicago. Make sure you come back here for a live discussion with other Fear the Fin fans.