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San Jose Sharks @ Chicago Blackhawks 7PM Central/5 Pacific CSN-CA, WGN
THE BUZZ
The Hawks at 7-6-1 are coming off an incredibly disappointing loss to the Capitals at home Friday night. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, everything fell apart late in the second period, where the Caps scored three goals in 5 minutes. Then the Hawks couldn't solve Braden Holtby the rest of the way. Two home points lost to a mediocre team.
The Sharks, at 8-5-2, are coming off a win last night in Dallas.
I wouldn't read "punishment" into Marian Hossa moving to the third line. Let's bear in mind, Bryan Bickell is now on the second line, which would seem like an undeserved reward. Rather, it appears Joel Quenneville is looking for balance and chemistry on all four lines. That said, one has to wonder how long Jeremy Morin, with 0 points in 11 games, will hold a roster spot while 2011 first round pick Mark McNeill (hat trick last night, 9 goals total) is ripping it up at Rockford, along with fellow 2011 draftee Philip Danault, and playing the kind of hockey the Hawks need more of from their forwards.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Nieto Thornton Pavelski Marleau Couture Wingels Hertl Sheppard Kennedy McGinn Desjardins Burish
Vlasic Braun Mueller Burns Irwin Demers
Niemi
Chicago
Versteeg Toews Kane Bickell Shaw Saad Smith Kruger Hossa Morin Richards Regin
Keith Seabrook Oduya Hjalmarsson Van Riemsdyk Rundblad
Crawford
Back tomorrow with a recap,
JJ