The ragtag Buffalo Sabres bring their 7-17-4 record into the UC tonight—which can only be viewed as great news for the reeling and on the ropes Blackhawks.
Buffalo Sabres (7-17-4) at Chicago Blackhawks (12-11-5)
8:30 PM Eastern/7:30 PM Central
RADIO: WGN 720
TV: MSG Buffalo/NBC Sports Chicago
PROJECTED GOALIES:
Buffalo:
Robin Lehner (6-12-2, 2.93 GAA, .906 save%)
Chicago:
Corey Crawford (11-7-1, 2.29 GAA .930 save%)
PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS:
Buffalo
Kane-Eichel-Pominville
Nolan-Larsson-Reinhart
Pouliot-O’Reilly-Fasching
Wilson-Rodrigues-Okposo
Scandella-Ristolainen
McCabe-Bogosian
Gorges-Antipin
Chicago
Hartman-Toews-Hayden
Saad-Anisimov-Kane
Bouma-Hartman-DeBrincat
Sharp-Wingels-Hinostroza
Keith-Franson
Murphy-Seabrook
Forsling-Rutta
STATISTICAL COMPARISONS:
Power play:
Buffalo 11.2% (30th)
Chicago 15.5% (29th)
Penalty kill:
Buffalo 80.5% (15th)
Chicago 83.8% (5th)
Corsi For % (5-on-5)
Buffalo 48.7% (20th)
Chicago 51.7% (9th)
Faceoffs:
Buffalo 51.2% (10th)
Chicago 48.7% (25th)
SUMMARY:
Instead of the cavalry coming over the hill to save the Hawks, it’s an opponent that maybe the Rockford Ice Hogs could beat: the Buffalo Sabres. This is a team that is by all metrics worse than Chicago, including even the power play, where they’re not only worse, but much worse.
This is a game the Blackhawks should win, and an opponent they need to face right now. All that said, the Hawks would make a huge mistake by not coming out and executing horn to horn.
Trade rumors have started to heat up of late—especially around the Sabres and enigmatic left wing Evander Kane. I heard over the summer the Hawks had quietly explored the possibility of bringing in Kane and then shelved it.
Whether the Hawks want to make a “bold” move for this year (or not), or whether they should, is debatable. And setting aside Kane’s off-ice reputation, on the ice, he would check a lot of boxes for the Hawks: a legitimate top 6 left winger who can score goals, and plays a hard, heavy style. He was also, I was told, identified by “the other Kane” as a guy he’d like to play with for the above reasons. Take it for what it’s worth, because right now, I’m not sure even the Hawks know how they want to proceed leading up to the trade deadline.
Corey Crawford gets the late nod in net. Vince Hinostroza makes his “long awaited” season debut tonight—no word yet on who he replaces.
We’ll recap as always, after the game or in the AM.
Follow: @jaeckel