Knight went 2-2-1 with a 3.80 GAA and .846 SV% in five games in December. Knight will look to put a tough month of December behind him, as he starts January with a decent matchup vs. the Penguins. Despite being on the second half of a back-to-back, Knight and the Panthers have the second-highest implied Win% (65.6%) on the slate. Knight has been significantly better on home-ice this season, going 2-3-0 with a. 2.09 GAA, .914 SV% and one shutout in Florida, versus 4-3-1 with a 3.39 GAA and .871 SV% on the road.

Murphy is battling through a groin injury, did not practice on Thursday, and will not play on Friday. The 31-year-old Murphy has been a steadying force on the blue line for the Blackhawks this season, averaging 20:33 time-on-ice and scoring 13 points (1G / 12A) in 38 games. Wyatt Kaiser will draw into the lineup as Murphy's replacement.

Connor Murphy will not play on Friday against the Montreal Canadiens due to a groin injury, allowing Kaiser to re-enter the lineup. Kaiser has not played since December 14th. He is averaging 17:33 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) in 28 games this season.

Petr Mrazek played in Chicago's 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues in Tuesday's Winter Classic. The Blackhawks will revert to Soderblom between the pipes on Friday, looking to snap a five-game losing skid. Soderblom allowed five goals on 35 shots (.857 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 5-1 loss to the Dallas Stars. He has a 2.78 GAA and .907 SV% in 16 games this season (5-9-1). The Blackhawks enter Friday's contest as +124 home underdogs against a Montreal Canadiens squad outscoring their opposition 12-4 during a three-game winning streak.

Murphy is battling through a groin injury and did not practice on Thursday. The 31-year-old Murphy has been a steadying force on the blue line for the Blackhawks this season, averaging 20:33 time-on-ice and scoring 13 points (1G / 12A) in 38 games. The Blackhawks return to action on Friday against the Montreal Canadiens.

Dach was recalled on Thursday and will likely make his NHL debut on Friday against the Montreal Canadiens. The 21-year-old Dach is in his second professional season, scoring 25 points (12G / 13A) in 30 games with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL).

Anderson hasn't played the previous three games and has been assigned to the Rockford IceHogs (AHL). The 26-year-old Anderson has spent most of the season with the Blackhawks, averaging 12:24 time-on-ice and scoring zero points (0G / 1A) in 18 games.

Toninato is yet to play an NHL game in 2024-25 after registering five points in 15 games with the Jets last season. The Jets placed Haydn Fleury (lower-body) on injured reserve in a corresponding move.

Burakovsky did not make the short trip to Vancouver with the team and will sit out Saturday's game with an illness. Daniel Sprong is the most likely candidate to fill Burakovsky's spot on the Kraken's fourth line and second power-play unit.

Exiting the holiday break, the Panthers will turn to Knight between the pipes on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. Knight was excellent in his previous outing, saving 19 of 21 shots (.905 SV%) in a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 23-year-old Knight has a 2.78 GAA and .891 SV% in 13 games (6-5-1).

Philipp Kurashev will likely draw back into Chicago's lineup on Friday, resulting in Anderson being a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Anderson is averaging 12:24 time-on-ice and has one point (0G / 1A) in 18 games this season.

The Blackhawks will turn to Soderblom between the pipes on Monday against the Boston Bruins. The 25-year-old netminder was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 26 of 27 shots (.963 SV%) in a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. He has a 2.56 GAA and a .913 SV% in 13 games (5-7-1). The Blackhawks enter Monday's contest as +189 road underdogs against the Wild.