Chicago Blackhawks (18-11-4) at Buffalo Sabres (14-16-3) 1PM Eastern/Noon Central SN/WGN/MSG-B
THE BUZZ
The young and more talented (than in years past) Sabres are an improving team; but this is a game the Blackhawks should win. The Blackhawks have shut opponents out in three of the last four games, the lone outlier being a shutout imposed on them by Colorado.
Joel Quenneville has adjusted the lines and pairings and has some combinations rolling that seem to work.
2011 first round draft pick C/W Philip Danault was recalled to replace C Marcus Kruger, who will be out the remainder of the regular season (wrist surgery). Danault's game is defense-first, much like Kruger's; he is a plus-skater and high effort player who will generate points and opportunities through hard work around the net. He is not as strong as Kruger, however, in the face-off dot.
THE NUMBERS
Power Play
Chicago 3rd 21.9% Buffalo 6th 21.4%
Penalty Kill
Chicago 11th 82.4% Buffalo 24th 77.8%
Shots/Shots Against
Chicago 30.7/29.6 Buffalo 29.5/28.9
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Chicago
Teravainen Toews Hossa Panarin Anisimov Kane Bickell Rasmussen Shaw Desjardins Danault Garbutt
Keith van Riemsdyk Hjalmarsson Seabrook Scuderi Rozsival
Crawford
Buffalo
McGinn O'Reilly Reinhart Kane Eichel Ennis Girgensons Larsson Gionta Moulson Legwand DesLauriers
Gorges Ristolainen McCabe Bogosian Weber Franson
Johnson
I'll recap tomorrow.
JJ