The Return of the Prodigal Son

Or at least, a one time prodigal son of the Queen City, before he went and make a disgrace out of himself.  Is it getting overplay from the media?  Of course it is, but that’s what we’re here for.

What can we expect tonight?  Well, temper your enthusiasm from that 3-0 win Wednesday, because this could get ugly.   Ryan Miller won’t be in net for the Sabres (17-9-2), as Patrick Lalime’s conditioning stink is over, and will face his former team, the Blackhawks (19-7-3).

Will we see Huet or Niemi for Chicago?  Who knows, the Sabres have seen Huet plenty of times the past few years between his time with the Habs and Capitals, so it’s probably a smart assumption that he’ll be in net.

Some notes on the matchup; these are two of the stingiest squads in the league, as the Hawks are tied with the Devils for tops in the league, only allowing 2.14 goals per game.  The Sabres come in 3rd in that category allowing a meager 2.21 a game.  Thanks Ryan.

Similarly, both teams have top 6 PK units.  The Sabres rank 3rd overall with a 85.4% kill rate, while the Hawks come in 6th at 84.7%.

One major difference though obviously comes in the goals for and power play stat lines.  Chicago pots 2.9 goals a game (11th) and converts on the PP at a 21.4% clip (9th), Buffalo on the other hand averages 2.64 goals per game (20th) and converts at just 18.7% effectiveness (19th).  It may not seem like a large distinction, but it is.  It is.

It’ll be an interesting matchup; with not only Pat Kane coming back to Buffalo, but Brian Campbell as well.  It seems like ages ago the Sabres traded away Campbell, but he’s never been back.  Wonder if he’ll get booed.  Personally, I hope not.

This one will hinge on special teams and how the Sabres respond to having Lalime, and not Ryan Miller, in between the pipes.  The Sabres have consistently inconsistently played in front of Lalime, often leaving him out to dry, often not even giving themselves a chance to win.

Glimmer of hope?  The Hawks are just 7-4-2 on the road.  Said hope dashed:  Hawks are 7-2-1 in their last 10.

Remember folks set those expectations low and let’s go Buffalo.