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St. Louis Blues @ Chicago Blackhawks
7:30PM Central
United Center, Chicago
FS-MW, CSN-CH/WGN Radio


PROJECTED LINEUPS

ST. LOUIS

DAVID BACKES ANDY MCDONALD ALEXANDER STEEN
CHRIS PORTER SCOTT NICHOL RYAN REAVES
DAVID PERRON VLADIMIR SOBOTKA VLADIMIR TARASENKO
CHRIS STEWART JADEN SCHWARTZ PATRIK BERGLUND

JAY BOUWMEESTER ALEX PIETRANGELO
ROMAN POLAK BARRET JACKMAN
KEVIN SHATTENKIRK JORDAN LEOPOLD


BRIAN ELLIOTT

CHICAGO

BRANDON SAAD JONATHAN TOEWS MARIAN HOSSA
MICHAL HANDZUS DAVE BOLLAND PATRICK KANE
BRYAN BICKELL ANDREW SHAW VIKTOR STALBERG
BRANDON BOLLIG MARCUS KRUGER MICHAL FROLIK

NIKLAS HJALMARSSON DUNCAN KEITH
BRENT SEABROOK NICK LEDDY
MICHAL ROSZIVAL JOHNNY ODUYA

COREY CRAWFORD


THE BUZZ

The Blues come into town locked in a dogfight with the Wings, Blue Jackets and Predators for their playoff lives. Other than really a series of inexplicably bad third periods, the Hawks have played well of late—especially once Anaheim and L.A. were in their rearview mirror. They will need a full 60 minutes tonight, and should get a boost from the return of all everything RW Marian Hossa. Expect also for the team’s FO% to be a little higher going forward with the addition of Michal Handzus. In the absence of Sharp and with Jimmy Hayes back in the minors, Handzus could skate and take some draws on the second line, but the 4th line is likely were he will ply his trade in the long run.


TRADE DEADLINE THOUGHTS

Meh.

I do like the addition of Handzus, for what it’s worth, which isn’t much. More than a few times I outlined what was perhaps the biggest need of the Hawks going in to the deadline—a depth center who can both win faceoffs and kill penalties. Handzus is that. And not much more. He’s big and thinks the game well, but doesn’t have much left offensively.

So not much happened. Why? It became pretty apparent through what I was hearing that the Hawks were really only interested in bargains—which clearly weren’t out there. The notion of going big because the team is close is not something they embrace. So be it.

There was a lot of chatter surrounding Viktor Stalberg, and I was a little surprised he wasn’t dealt as I had some good information that a selling team with assets the Hawks liked (San Jose) had some significant interest in him.

I have a sneaking suspicion if Stalberg doesn’t sign an extension—and his not being dealt means he might sign one soon—there could be the framework of a deal “in place” that sends him to Montreal in the offseason.

But this is your team, folks.


All for now,



JJ

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