* The Blackhawks have picked up at least one standings point in each of their last four games (3-0-1) against the Wild.
* Entering the weekend, the Wild are one of just two teams (Islanders) to have nine multi-goal scorers so far this season.
* The Wild have scored an NHL-high 48 percent (12/25) of their goals during the first period this season.
* Niklas Backstrom has allowed more than two goals just once over his last seven games.
* With their 3-2 shootout loss in Columbus last night, the Oilers have now dropped six straight games (0-4-2 record) after winning the first two tilts in 2010-11. Edmonton has yet to win a road contest this season (0-2-2 record).
* The Blackhawks beat the Kings, 3-1, on Wednesday, snapping
a 2-game losing streak in the process. Since going 1-2-1 in the first four
games of 2010-11, Chicago is 5-2-0 in its last seven skates.
* Chicago won all four games vs. Edmonton last season, scoring four or times in
each of those victories. Dating to the beginning of 2008-09, the Blackhawks are
7-0-1 against the Oilers overall.
* Patrick Sharp lit the lamp in his third consecutive game Wednesday and now
has nine goals overall in 2010-11 - tops in the league. Sharp has 12 points (6g,
6a) in his last 11 skates vs. the Oilers.
* Edmonton's Ryan Whitney has eight assists thus far in 2010-11 - tied with
Nicklas Lidstrom for third-most among all NHL blueliners. As a team, the
Oilers' defensemen have 16 total helpers this season (tied for fourth-best in
the league).
* This is the first time in 2010-11 that Edmonton will have played back-to-back
games - the Oilers were an NHL-worst 1-8-2 in the second of back-to-backs last
season.
* Chicago has won two straight and five of its last six games against the Kings. The Blackhawks will be looking to extend their home winning streak against the Kings to five in a row.
* The Blackhawks have dropped each of their last two games and have failed to score more than two goals in each of their last three contests.
* The Kings have won two straight and five of their last six games.
* After scoring at least one point in each of his first seven games to open the season, Marian Hossa has failed to record a point in each of his last three. Hossa has been held without a point in each of his last five games against the Kings.
* Anze Kopitar has lit the lamp in two straight and three of his last four games. Kopitar has scored a goal in three of his last four trips to Chicago, including two in a row.
* Patrick Sharp, who is tied for the NHL lead with eight goals this season, has lit the lamp in each of his last two contests. Sharp has four goals in his last three home games against the Kings and 13 overall in his career against them - the second-most goals in his career against any opponent (16 vs. Columbus).
* Chicago won four of the six matchups between these clubs last season and has won nine of its last 13 home games against St. Louis.
* After opening the season with two straight wins, the Blues have now dropped each of their last two contests. St. Louis is averaging an NHL-leading 39.0 shots on goal per game this season.
* The Blackhawks have won three of their last four games and will be looking to extend their current win streak to three in a row.
* After losing each of his first two starts on the season and posting a 3.42 GAA, Marty Turco has now won each of his last two starts while posting a 2.50 GAA. Turco has just two wins in his last nine starts against the Blues.
* Marian Hossa has four goals and two assists in his last four games. Hossa has at least one point in five of his last six meetings with the Blues, tallying six points (3g, 3a) in that span.
* Patrick Sharp has scored two goals in each of his last two games and has six points (4g, 2a) in his last five games against St. Louis. Hossa and Sharp have combined for 10 goals this season - just two less than the entire St. Louis roster.
* The
Blackhawks lost, 3-2, to the Predators at home on Wednesday - their fourth
straight one-goal affair of the season. Chicago
has been outscored 5-2 combined in the third period/OT in 2010-11.
* This game marks the first on American soil for the Blue Jackets after they
split two contests with the Sharks in Stockholm,
Sweden last
weekend. Dating to April 1 last season, Columbus
is just 1-4-2 in its last seven games overall.
* The Blue Jackets were 2-2-2 overall vs. the Blackhawks last season, however,
they won the last two matchups of 2009-10 by a combined score of 12-5.
* Rick Nash lit the lamp for the first time this season in his last skate.
Including at least one point in four straight games, Nash has tallied 46 career
points against the Blackhawks - his most vs. any team.
* With at least one point in each of the first four games, Marian Hossa leads
the Blackhawks in goals (3) and points (6) thus far this season. Hossa has 20
points (12g, 8a) in 16 career games vs. the Jackets.
* Tonight marks the
10th home opener in franchise history for Columbus. The Jackets have posted a 5-2-2
mark in their previous nine home openers, including wins in three-straight and
a 3-0-1 mark in the last four games.
* These teams will be meeting for the first time since Chicago defeated Nashville in six games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals last season. The Blackhawks have won two straight and six of their last eight regular season games against the Predators.
* Nashville will be looking to open the season with two straight wins for the second consecutive season.
* The Blackhawks have scored at least one power-play goal in each of their first three games, going 4-for-15 (26.7%) overall with the man-advantage.
* Marian Hossa scored two goals against Buffalo on Monday and now has five points in three games this season (3g, 2a). Hossa has just one goal and one assist in his last nine games against Nashville.
* Steve Sullivan had a goal and an assist in Nashville's win over the Ducks on Saturday - the 60th multi-point game of his career as a Predator. Sullivan has four points (0g, 4a) in his last 10 games against Chicago.
* Marty Turco has 12 wins and a 1.90 GAA in 20 career starts against Nashville.
* The Blackhawks have lost four of the last five meetings against the Sabres and haven't won in Buffalo since December 19, 2001. These teams will face each other again on Saturday in Chicago.
* Since the 2005-06 season, Buffalo's October record of 37-14-4 (.709) is second only
to Detroit's
41-13-7 (.730) record. The Sabres haven't posted a losing record in October
since the 2002-03 campaign (3-5-2).
* Chicago, who will be seeking its first win of the season, will be looking to avoid matching its longest losing streak from all of last season.
* Jordan Leopold had two goals and an assist against the Rangers on Saturday, tying his career high for points in a single game. Leopold is currently tied with Washington's John Carlson for the scoring lead among defensemen with three points in two games.
* Marian Hossa, who leads the Blackhawks with three points so far this season, has five goals and two assists in his last six games against Buffalo.
* Jochen Hecht will be playing in his 700th career game tonight. Hecht is currently fourth all-time among German-born NHL players in games played.
* Chicago won three of its four meetings against the Avs last season, with two of those wins coming in shootouts. The Blackhawks have just six wins in their last 21 trips to Colorado.
* The Avalanche have lost three of their last five season openers.
* The Blackhawks will be looking to become the first repeat Stanley Cup winner since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. Chicago has dropped each of its last three season openers.
* With goalies Antti Niemi and Cristobal Huet gone, Chicago will turn to Marty Turco to guard the cage. Turco has lost three straight and six of his last eight starts against Colorado.
* Former Blackhawk, Craig Anderson, posted a career high 38 wins in 71 starts last season after recording 35 wins in his previous 88 career starts. Anderson has one win in three career games against Chicago.
* Matt Duchene led all NHL rookies in points last season with 55 and was tied for the league lead with 24 goals. Duchene has failed to record a point in four career games against the Blackhawks.
