Music: {allcanada} Anderson starting in net for Senators at Blackhawks

Sunday, January 3, 2016

{allcanada} Anderson starting in net for Senators at Blackhawks

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SENATORS (18-14-6) AT BLACKHAWKS (22-13-4)

TV: NHLN, SN, TVA Sports, CSN-CH

CHICAGO -- Goalie Craig Anderson will start for the Ottawa Senators against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday.

It will be the 12th career start against the Blackhawks for Anderson, who grew up in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, Ill., and was drafted by the Blackhawks with the 73rd pick in the 2001 NHL Draft. Anderson is 6-2-3 with a 3.25 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 11 career starts against Chicago.

"The fact he's a [heck] of an NHL goalie is the biggest factor going into it," Senators coach Dave Cameron said after the morning skate Sunday.

Anderson allowed seven goals on 37 shots in his previous start, a 7-3 loss at the Boston Bruins on Dec. 29.

Senators defenseman Jared Cowen, who has three assists and a plus-8 rating in 32 games, will be scratched for a second straight game.

Ottawa is 5-7-1 since beating the Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime at Canadian Tire Centre on Dec. 3.

"We need to find ways to play more consistent," right wing Mark Stone said. "We're kind of winning a couple, losing a couple ... so we just need find a way to string a few wins together and get together a little more confidence in ourselves."

Corey Crawford will start in net for Chicago, which has won two straight games and is 7-3-0 in its past 10. Outside of Crawford, who is making his 300th NHL appearance, the Blackhawks are expected to ice the same lineup as they did in a 4-3 overtime win at the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

Bryan Bickell will be scratched for the second straight game. Bickell, who spent November playing for Rockford of the American Hockey League, has no goals and two assists in 19 games for the Blackhawks.

"Sometimes you get frustrated [by it]," coach Joel Quenneville said. "The [reduction in] minutes kind of reflect that, but you want everybody to be the best they can be, and you try to find the ways to manage them the best you can. [Bickell] still brings an element that our team can have or could use, so let's try to capture that and try to get that out of him."

The Blackhawks announced Sunday that defenseman David Rundblad, who cleared waivers Dec. 31 and was reassigned to Rockford, will be loaned to the ZSC Lions of Switzerland's National League A. Rundblad, who was on the 2015 Stanley Cup championship roster, has another year left on his contract.

Rundblad had two assists in nine games with the Blackhawks this season.

Here are the projected lineups:

SENATORS

Mike Hoffman - Mika Zibanejad - Bobby Ryan

Zack Smith - Kyle Turris - Mark Stone

Max McCormick - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Alex Chiasson

Shane Prince - Curtis Lazar - Chris Neil

Fredrik Claesson - Erik Karlsson

Patrick Wiercioch - Mark Borowiecki

Marc Methot - Chris Wideman

Craig Anderson

Andrew Hammond

Injured: Cody Ceci (upper body), Milan Michalek (finger), Clarke MacArthur (concussion), Chris Phillips (back)

Scratched: Jared Cowen, Dave Dziurzynski

BLACKHAWKS

Andrew Shaw - Jonathan Toews - Marian Hossa

Artemi Panarin - Artem Anisimov - Patrick Kane

Andrew Desjardins - Phillip Danault - Teuvo Teravainen

Brandon Mashinter - Dennis Rasmussen - Ryan Garbutt

Duncan Keith - Niklas Hjalmarsson

Erik Gustafsson - Brent Seabrook

Trevor Van Riemsdyk - Michal Rozsival

Corey Crawford

Scott Darling

Injured: Marcus Kruger (wrist)

Scratched: Bryan Bickell, Rob Scuderi

Status report: Gustafsson will start at left point on either the second or third defense pairing. The Swedish rookie has started the past two games on the third pairing, playing a game each with Rozsival and Scuderi, but was promoted to playing with Seabrook midway through the game in Colorado. ... Look for Rozsival to replace Scuderi, whose ice time was limited to 6:52 against the Avalanche.

Who's hot: Kane has two goals and four assists in the past two games. … Desjardins has three goals in the past two games, including the game winner at the Arizona Coyotes on Dec. 29.

Team Stats