Buffalo Sabres Opponent Outlook: Chicago Blackhawks

The Buffalo Sabres will face the Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, twice in the coming season, in what is sure to be a big test for a team that has done a lot of rebuilding over the recent years.

Last season, things didn’t work out great for the Sabres against the Hawks.

The first of two meetings between the teams, an October 11th game began with the Sabres down 2-0 early.

Zemgus Girgensons cut the lead in half less than halfway through the first period. Later in the opening frame, with just 1:20 left on the clock, Tyler Ennis potted a shorthanded effort to tie the game.

Alas, that would be all the Sabres could put up against the strong Hawks team.

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Though the Sabres and Hawks left the ice after 40 minutes tied at 2, it was a strong effort in the third period that allowed Chicago to walk away with the decisive, four-goal victory.

In the end, Brandon Saad had a three-point night (0-3) to help lead the team.

Andrew Shaw had two points (1-1), as did Patrick Kane (1-1) and Jonathan Toews (0-2). Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp and Daniel Carcillo all walked out of that night with a point as well.

The teams met again – this time in Buffalo – on April 3.

Once again, it would be Chicago that would come out on top, but the Sabres put up a solid effort, in the end losing 4-3 thanks to a pair of late goals by captain Jonathan Toews.

Marcus Foligno had a pair of goals, while Rasmus Ristolainen had a trio of assists. Johan Larsson also scored, while Ennis and Brian Gionta netted assists. Hawks goals came from Keith and Sharp, plus the pair by Toews scored in the last two minutes, giving Chicago a win that absolutely got away from the Sabres.

The Hawks finished last season third in the Western Conference’s Central Division, one of 12 NHL teams to reach or surpass the 100-point mark.

The Hawks finished the year 48-28-6 with 102 points and a plus-40 goal differential, one of the best in the league (third-best, behind St. Louis and NY Rangers). They went 24-12-5 at home and 24-16-1 on the road and also managed to win nine of 12 shootouts they were involved in.

Of course, none of that matters when in the end, the Blackhawks got the most coveted prize, Lord Stanley’s Cup, once again led by captain Jonathan Toews.

The Blackhawks made several trades this offseason, beginning with sending goaltender Antti Raanta to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Ryan Haggerty.

They also completed the seven-player trade that brought Artem Anisimov, Jeremy Morin, Corey Tropp, Marko Dano and a 2016 4th-rounder to the Hawks, sending Brandon Saad, Michael Paliotta and Alexander Broadhurst to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The loss of Saad will leave a mark on the Blackhawks’ roster, but the addition of guys like Anisimov and Dano, as well as the return of Morin to the Hawks organization, could prove fruitful in the end.

Chicago also sent the rights to goaltender Anders Nilsson to the Edmonton Oilers, receiving the rights to center Liam Coughlin in return. Another splash of a trade was sending Patrick Sharp to Dallas along with Stephen Johns, in exchange for defenseman Trevor Daley and forward Ryan Garbutt.

Viktor Svedberg, Dennis Rasmussen, Andrew Desjardins all return to Chicago after re-signing with the team in the offseason. Defenseman Cameron Schilling is another newcomer after signing with Chicago. He was previously with the Washington Capitals.

Meanwhile, Johnny Oduya is gone, signing with Dallas, as is Antoine Vermette, who has returned to the Arizona Coyotes. Brad Richards is another notable departure from the Hawks, signing with the Detroit Red Wings.

The Hawks, of course, are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, and the team will undoubtedly look to return to glory and repeat that championship in June 2016. But one big question that currently surrounds the team is, of course, the future of Patrick Kane. In the end, what happens off the ice in real-life is a lot more important than what happens on-ice, and how the team and league handle the situation will prove crucial.

Regardless, the Sabres and Hawks meet twice this season. They’ll face off in Buffalo for a Saturday matinee (1 p.m.) on December 19 before meeting in Chicago less than a month later, on January 8th at 8:30 p.m. at the United Center.

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