COLUMBUS, OhioCorey Crawford will get the start in net and Viktor Stalberg will face the team he got a quarter of his points against last season when the Chicago Blackhawks face the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight.
Crawford is 3-0-0 coming into tonights game, stopping 21 of 23 shots in a 3-2 overtime victory over Dallas on Thursday. Jamal Mayers, who got back into the lineup on Thursday, is expected to play again tonight. Steve Mason will get the starting nod for the Blue Jackets.
The Blackhawks have another massive slate of games this weekColumbus tonight, Detroit on Sunday, then Minnesota, Vancouver and Calgary on Wednesday, Friday and next Saturday, respectively. But the Blackhawks arent looking past tonights matchup.
We want to make sure we play the same way and have consistency in our team game, Quenneville said. Lets be ready, because its going to be a big game. Lets sustain things.
The Blue Jackets have a lot of new faces this season and are off to a 1-2-1 start. Forward Cam Atkinson is out for tonights game.
Stalberg, meanwhile, has had a tremendous time against the Jackets. Of the 43 points he had in 2011-12, 10 of those (eight goals, two assists) came against the Blue Jackets. His four game-winning goals against Columbus were the most by an NHL player against a single opponent last season.