Game Preview: Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli Meet For The First Time In The NHL As Blackhawks Battle Blue Jackets

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
5-11-0 (10 pts; .313%) ROSTER SCHEDULE
7:00 P.M. – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH
TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ Power Play
ODDS & PROJECTIONS:
ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 57%
PLAYOFF ODDS PER MONEYPUCK:  Blackhawks: 2% Blue Jackets: 2%
TIPICO SPORTSBOOK: CBJ -150

When the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks meet in a Thanksgiving Eve battle at Nationwide Arena, you can throw the records out the window.

No, literally, throw them out. Burn them. Bury them. Do something with them.

The Blue Jackets, losers of nine straight, will face the Blackhawks — currently streaking at L4 — Wednesday night. Only the San Jose Sharks have a worse point percentage this season than Chicago (.313) and Columbus (.316).

Don't throw out the matchup, though: this will mark the first time that Connor Bedard faces off against Adam Fantilli on NHL ice. Two of the top three picks from this summer's draft have been bright spots in otherwise putrid seasons and seeing the two square off against each other is well worth the price of admission.

Here's what to keep an eye on the night before the feast:

TALKING POINTS: CHI

• Bedard, Bedard, Bedard. To no one's surprise, the sensational rookie leads Chicago in goals (9) and points (15). He's driving the Blackhawks play when on the ice (which is a lot; 19:36 per game is higher than any Blue Jacket not named Boone Jenner and is nearly four minutes a game more than Fantilli), he's getting good looks and is shooting with great accuracy (only nine players have more goals *and* a better shot percentage). Looking for a weakness? He's struggled from the face-off dot, winning just 38% of his draws. That's to be expected as a first-year player, but really, that's the only number that doesn't jump out on the stat sheet. 
   
• Bedard does not lead the team in assists though. No, that category is led by a pair of familiar names: Nick Foligno and Seth Jones. Of the two, only Foligno has scored this season (twice). 
   
• Chicago's last win came in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 9th. They've given up at least three goals in each of their last eight games, and have allowed at least one power play in each of those games. (Ironically, Columbus' last win came one week prior to that — also a two-goal victory, and also against the Lightning. Without those two losses, Tampa Bay would be 4th in the NHL in points. Go figure.)

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• Fantilli, Fantilli, Fantilli. The Blue Jackets have struggled, but Fantilli has at least met and likely exceeded expectations. He's fourth on the team in goals and assists but has been one of only a few players to not make the glaring mistakes that have doomed this team through its first 19 games. It's been suggesting that this team lacks identity and while that may be true for now, the 19-year-old may be the one who changes that.
   
• After being a healthy scratch for the first time in his career, Patrik Laine finds himself back on the wing Wednesday. The center experiment was a valiant effort and a good try, but Laine seems like a natural winger and getting him back to his spot should behoove both him and the Blue Jackets. Putting him with Fantilli and Dmitri Voronkov should help, too. The three were together on the ice at practice Tuesday and this feels like head coach Pascal Vincent's best move with the lines so far this season.
• The club announced Tuesday that Damon Severson will be out until around the beginning of the new year with an oblique injury. How will the defensive pairings respond? The injury will give guys like Adam Boqvist, Andrew Peeke, and Jake Bean a chance to earn more minutes — or it could be the opportunity for a guy like Nick Blankenburg to come up from Cleveland and earn a permanent spot in Columbus. 

Updated: 7:05 a.m. // Subject to Change
Lines are based on most recent practice/game, as well as injury updates and news.