Buffalo Sabres Pre-Game Skate

Oct 9, 2014; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth (1) makes a pad save despite losing his goalie stick during the second period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Following the third period collapse in the third period two nights ago, the Buffalo Sabres head into the Madhouse on Madison tonight for an 8:30 p.m. matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Since it was known that Ted Nolan wasn’t happy with the effort on Thursday, I’d expect a huge improvement from the team tonight, as they take on the 1-0 Blackhawks. The same Blackhawk team that went out in the Conference finals last postseason and fought a hard salary cap to retain both Jonathan Toews and Buffalo’s-own Patrick Kane in this past offseason.

They also try and improve on a dreadful 8-30-3 road record from last season.

Buffalo faces some steep odds, as the all-time record has the Blackhawks with a 31-18-6-1 overall record over Buffalo, the last home loss came back on January 10, 2007.

Starting Line-ups

While it’s unexpected that many changes will be made to the starting roster, given no one was injured and no one will be called up, it will be interesting to see any changes to the lineup as it stood opening night. Changes that could come vary to who will be on the outside of Samson Reinhart, whether Nolan decides to sacrifice some scoring potential by putting grittier, more protective guys. Also, we could see a change in net-minder for tonight, do we see Enroth put out another decent game, stopping 30+ shots, or do we see what Michal Neuvirth has to earn the net.

That’s a great battle in itself. Looking at last game, Jhonas Enroth was stellar, and he was realistic. He knows the stakes, he knows that if he goes cold he could lose the starting position. After Thursday, he knew he could have been better, but when a team allows 40+ goals, it’s hard for a goalie to make his living.

Chicago is relying on basically the same team to get the job done, remaining relatively quiet this past summer. Expect goaltender Corey Crawford to be the boss between the pipes for the Blackhawks, with Antti Raanta in the backup role.

Injuries

Still the same, only Johan Larsson will continue to rehab his concussion in Rochester. No word yet on the return of Patrick Kaleta, Jake McCabe and Mark Pysyk.

Chicago allowed for Patrick Sharp to take a maintenance day to rest, while Michal Rozsival is still resting an upper body injury and is expected to return by next week. Kris Versteeg is still out for another few weeks.

Overview

Tonight will be a rough day if Buffalo allows the same shot-count as they did against Columbus. It has to be said; they know it, Chicago knows it and they will take advantage of it.

Buffalo has a decent team, it all depends on who they are lined up with. Tyler Myer seems to have a lot more freedom compared to the last few years, which can be both good and bad. They have a well rounded and more experienced team compared to the past few years, which can be a catalyst for some teams who have struggled against us at our worst. Comparatively, this game can either be really interesting, or a nightmare from the starting whistle to the final buzzer.

Player To Watch

Let’s be honest for a second, everyone has their sights set on Samson Reinhart. He has been on the media’s radar from the moment he was drafted to Buffalo, and well before that. He has the potential to be a lethal force on this team, now and a few years down the line. But, to avoid repetition, I would keep an eye out for Enroth. He also has an eye on him; he can be good, even great; but he also has a competent backup who can steal the net away.