Preview: Andrew Ladd to Play 1,000th NHL Game Tonight vs. Chicago
Coyotes Host Blackhawks to Wrap Up Season Series
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The Coyotes play host to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night (April 20) at Gila River Arena. It is the fourth and final game the Coyotes have with the Blackhawks, and is expected to be the 1,000th career regular-season game Andrew Ladd will play in. Puck drop against the Blackhawks is set for 7 p.m.
PACK FACTS
Wednesday concludes the season series between the Coyotes and Blackhawks, with Arizona currently holding a 2-1-0 edge (Chicago: 1-1-1). The Coyotes have not beaten the Blackhawks three times in a season since 2011-12, when the team captured three head-to-head victories in the regular season prior to eliminating Chicago in six games during the 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Shayne Gostisbehere potted the overtime goal in the last meeting on April 3 in Chicago (3-2 W, OT). It was his seventh career overtime goal, but his first since the 2018-19 season when he played for Philadelphia. Gostisbehere also assisted on Arizona's second goal of the game in the team's win, giving him four points (1-3-4) in his last two appearances against the Hawks.
The Coyotes also won 6-4 the last time they played the Blackhawks at home (Jan. 6). The six-goal outburst was led by a hat trick from Johan Larsson, who was since traded at the Trade Deadline. Travis Boyd recorded three points (1-2-3) in that contest, while Gostisbehere and Phil Kessel each picked up a pair of assists.
Boyd has found the scoresheet in four of his six career games versus Chicago, producing a total of 2-4-6 in those showings. The forward has scored in his last two outings against the Blackhawks, and has found the scoresheet in four of his last five home games overall.
The Coyotes franchise is 63-68-15-7 all-time against the Blackhawks, but are 7-2-1 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings.
1K PART II
Andrew Ladd is expected to skate in his 1,000th career regular-season NHL game on Wednesday. He'll be the 370th player (367th skater) ever to reach the milestone. Ladd's teammate Loui Eriksson played in his 1,000th career regular-season NHL game on Dec. 6, 2021, making them and the 2021-22 Coyotes the 47th instance in NHL history to feature multiple players on the same team reach the milestone in the same season. 2021-22 is the second time the Coyotes franchise has had multiple players play in their 1,000th game with the club in the same season (2010-11; Ed Jovanovski and Adrian Aucoin). The Maple Ridge, BC native is one of 15 players in franchise history to skate in his 1,000th game with the team.
A LOOK AT THE BLACKHAWKS
Chicago (25-40-11, 61 pts) is 1-8-1 in its last 10 games and is starting a road trip with three games in four days. Patrick Kane (25-63-88) is on the verge of securing his third career 90-point season and is four helpers away from setting a personal best in assists. Fellow forward Alex DeBrincat's 39 goals rank tied for ninth in the NHL while Seth Jones enters Wednesday with 44 assists, which shares the ninth among the League's defensemen. The Blackhawks are 1-9-2 this season on the first game of a back-to-back set of games.
MILESTONES TO WATCH
Phil Kessel: Two goals from 400 career NHL goals.
Andrew Ladd: One point from 550 career NHL points.
Andrew Ladd: One game from 1,000 career NHL games.
KEY CONNECTIONS
Ex-Coyotes
• Jimmy Waite (1997-99)
• Connor Murphy (2013-17)
• Dylan Strome (2016-19)
Ex-Blackhawks
• Phil Housley (2001-03)
• Andrew Ladd (2007-10, 2015-16)
• Nick Schmaltz (2016-19)
Travis Boyd was teammates with Jake McCabe and Connor Murphy at the USNTDP from 2009-11.
Barrett Hayton represented Team Canada with MacKenzie Entwistle at the 2019 World Junior Championship… Teammates with Boris Katchouk (2016-18) and Taylor Raddysh (2017-18) on the OHL's Soo Greyhounds.
Phil Housleycoached Seth Jones and Jake McCabe on the gold medal-winning Team USA at the 2013 WJC…Also coached Jones as an assistant coach in Nashville (2013-16) and at the 2014 World Championship…Was the Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017-19 while McCabe was there.
Phil Kessel represented Team USA with Patrick Kane at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Shayne Gostisbehere played with Erik Gustafsson in Philadelphia for part of the 2020-21 season.
Anton Stralman was teammates with Riley Stillman (2019-21) and Henrik Borgstrom (2019-20) in Florida…Played with Tyler Johnson in Tampa Bay from 2014-19.
