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Blackhawks vs. Panthers: Lars Eller hits game 1,200 against Chicago
Florida's Lars Eller joins a short list of NHL players when the Panthers host a Blackhawks team that is 4-10-1.
Eller reaches a rare mark
Lars Eller will play his 1,200th regular-season game when the Florida Panthers face the Chicago Blackhawks. [1] Only 141 other NHL players have reached that milestone. [1]
The NHL Now crew breaks down the matchup, presented by Pepsi. [2] The game is at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, at 7:30 p.m. [3] ET [3]. If you want to watch, it is broadcast on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max. [3]
Eller's career path
The St. Louis Blues picked Eller 13th overall in the 2007 NHL draft. [1] He played just seven games for the Blues before moving on to the Montreal Canadiens. [1]
Eller won the Stanley Cup in 2017-18 with the Washington Capitals, where he posted his career-high in goals and points. [1] He then played for the Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators before joining the Panthers. [1]
Eller's role in Florida
In 15 games with Florida, Eller has one goal and eight points and averages 15:39 of ice time. [1] He has won just 40.8 percent of his faceoffs this season. [1]
Eller is slated to play on the right wing of the third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell. [1] That line has posted an expected goals percentage of 72.2 percent in the eight games it has played together, according to moneypuck.com. [1]
Two teams coming off losses
Chicago is 4-10-1 and Florida is 8-5-2 going into the game. [1] Florida leads the season series 1-0, and its last meeting with Chicago was a 3-2 Florida win on 10/25/26. [3]
Florida's three-game winning streak ended Monday with a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. [3] Chicago is 1-5-1 over its last seven games after a 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. [3]
Eller warned that the Panthers could lose if they underestimate Chicago. [1] He said the Panthers barely beat Chicago in their previous meeting in Chicago. [1]
Players and lineup changes
Jacob Markström and Spencer Knight are the projected starting goalies for Florida and Chicago. [3] Markström stopped 24 of 28 shots in his first appearance since October 17. [3]
Uvis Balinskis returns to the Panthers' blue line in a lineup change ahead of the game. [1] Sam Reinhart has scored in three straight games and has a four-game point streak. [3]
Connor Bedard has four goals and 10 points in nine games this season and has 79 career goals. [1] He could become the sixth player in Blackhawks history to reach 80 goals before his 22nd birthday. [1]
What to watch tonight
If you tune in, watch for Eller's 1,200th game, which only 141 other players have reached. [1] Bedard has 79 career goals and could reach 80 before his 22nd birthday. [1]
Reinhart brings a three-game goal streak into the game. [3] The game starts at 7:30 p.m. [3] ET [3] on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max. [3]
Sources
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