Blackhawks take their show out east tonight to take on the Buffalo Sabres (1-1-0) at HSBC Arena tonight at 6:00pm central time.
Patrick Kane will be suiting up in his hometown as a Blackhawk for the third time. He’s posted a goal and an assist in two games there in his career.
Last December, the Hawks exhibited a lackluster effort in Buffalo during a 2-1 loss to the Sabres. Patrick Sharp posted the lone Chicago tally. Clarke MacArthur (now with Toronto) and Thomas Vanek scored the goals for Buffalo.
Ex-Blackhawk Patrick Lalime got the start that night and did have to make 39 saves in the win. Cristobal Huet took the loss for the Hawks in a 31 save performance.
As for tonight’s game, Corey Crawford will make his season debut between the pipes for a Blackhawk team in the midst of four games in seven nights to start the ’10-11 season.
Chicago returns home Wednesday night to face division rival Nashville for the first time since knocking the Predators out of the playoffs in April. Nashville will have played just one game before Wednesday’s tilt, an impressive 4-1 drubbing of Anaheim before a capacity crowd at Bridgestone Arena.
Patrick Sharp says he will return to the lineup tonight after missing Saturday’s home opener against the Wings with a slight concussion.
I’m not sure what the difference between a slight concussion and simply a concussion is? Either you have one or you don’t. Considering all the problems NHL players are having these days with head trauma and information we’re learning about the long-term effects of head injuries, I’m absolutely certain all parties concerned, including Sharp, could afford to sit out another game or two and rest his brain.
Anyway, doctors are supposed to be smarter than we are. Here are tonight’s projected lineups:
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| 26-Thomas Vanek | 19-Tim Connolly | 29-Jason Pominville |
| 63-Tyler Ennis | 9-Derek Roy | 21-Drew Stafford |
| 55-Jochen Hecht | 20-Rob Niedermayer | 25-Mike Grier |
| 42-Nathan Gerbe | 28-Paul Gaustad | 36-Patrick Kaleta |
| Left Defense | Right Defense | |
| Goalies | 27-Shaone Morrisonn | 57-Tyler Myers |
| 30-Ryan Miller | 3-Jordan Leopold | 4-Steve Montador |
| 40-Patrick Lalime | 44-Andrej Sekera | 52-Craig Rivet |
– Subs: D-6-Mike Weber…. D-34-Chris Butler…. C/W-8-Cody McCormick
I could see a chance McCormick gets in for some added toughness. McCormick, mostly with Avs, has had a history of mixing it up with the Hawks.
Tonight should be another night the Hawks realize they can no longer out skate teams whenever they need to. Buffalo can really move and play at a high tempo when they choose to.
Blackhawks lineup:
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| 82-Tomas Kopecky | 19-Jonathan Toews | 81-Marian Hossa |
| 29-Bryan Bickell | 10-Patrick Sharp | 88-Patrick Kane |
| 22-Troy Brouwer | 36-Dave Bolland | 15-Fernando Pisani |
| 25-Viktor Stalberg | 28-Jake Dowell | 20-Jack Skille |
| Left Defense | Right Defense | |
| Goalies | 2-Duncan Keith | 7-Brent Seabrook |
| 50-Corey Crawford | 4-Niklas Hjalmarsson | 24-Nick Boynton |
| 30-Marty Turco | 32-John Scott | 8-Nick Leddy |
– Jordan Hendry is expected to be the only scratch. Brian Campbell (right knee sprain) remains out until early November… Brandon Pirri, who was recalled to fill Sharp’s spot for Saturday’s home opener, and slight concussion, was returned to Rockford on Sunday…
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