Ottawa @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 4, 2018 ) Chicago 4, Ottawa 3

Patrick Kane looks to extend his point streak to 18 games and help the Chicago Blackhawks creep closer to a playoff position in the Western Conference when the NHL-worst Ottawa Senators pay a visit Monday night. Kane has collected 37 of his 87 points during an impressive 17-game run and captain Jonathan Toews is also playing a big role in Chicago’s 8-2-0 surge, scoring nine times in the past 10 contests.

“It’s nice to be getting on the scoresheet every night,” Toews told reporters after scoring his 27th goal in Saturday’s 5-2 loss against Columbus at home. “I think playing with (Kane), the way he’s playing right now, you’re bound to create and get chances.” The Blackhawks have cooled off a bit while losing two of the last three games, but are just three points away from the second wild-card spot in the West despite sitting in last place in the Central Division. They likely won’t have an easy game against the Senators, who have won three of five after earning a 4-3 overtime victory at Central Division-leading Winnipeg on Saturday as Ryan Dzingel scored 3:44 into the extra session. “We’ve been playing well for a long time now, but we didn’t get bounces and lost by one goal,” Ottawa coach Guy Boucher told reporters. “It’s fitting at some point that when you deserve those games that you get them and it’s good. I’m impressed with how focused our guys are and how they reload from period to period.”

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS (Ottawa), NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE SENATORS (22-31-5): The trade deadline is just a little over a week away and there’s been plenty of speculation about several players being moved, including leading scorers among the forwards Matt Duchene, Mark Stone and Dzingel. “I don’t think it’s a distraction,” veteran forward Bobby Ryan told the Ottawa Sun. “We’ve got a lot of guys in situations that people are talking about right now. Everybody is aware of it. We try to put it away on game days.” The team is reportedly trying to sign Stone, who has eight of his team-high 59 points in the last six games, while Duchene (six goals in his last six games, 56 points overall) appears to be on the trading block.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (24-26-9): Kane and Toews are not the only players piling up the points for Chicago, as fellow forward Alex DeBrincat boasts 17 of his career-high 55 points in the last 11 contests. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson owns a goal and three assists during a four-game point streak and left wing Brandon Saad is one away from reaching 20 goals for the fourth time in five seasons. Corey Crawford, out since Dec. 16 due to a concussion, told reporters he feels ready to go and could make his return soon while fellow goalie Cam Ward owns a 4-1-0 record and .926 save percentage in February.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa's Anders Nilsson has started the last five games, but fellow G Craig Anderson (eye) could return this week for his 600th NHL contest.

2. Chicago F Dylan Strome has 11 goals and 21 assists in 35 games with the team since being acquired from Arizona.

3. Senators C Chris Tierney has registered six assists during a five-game point streak.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 5, Senators 3