subject: Nhl Tickets - Buffalo Sabres Vs. Chicago Blackhawks [print this page] The Buffalo Sabres (9-4-1) opened the season 8-1-1 to climb to the top of the Northeast division, but have lost three of their past four games. They were dismantled by the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 on Nov. 6 and fell 4-2 at Boston on Nov. 7. Despite those losses, Buffalo and New Jersey are tied with a league-best 33 goals allowed. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff told the press his team lacked energy in the last three games, also saying, "I think the old me might have gone irate and done something a little bit stranger." Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller has been a big reason for his team's success, ranking among the league leaders with a 9-2-1 record and 1.89 goals-against average while registering two shutouts in 12 games.
The Sabres razzle-dazzled some weak opponents early in the season, but their upcoming schedule has them facing tougher opponents. Buffalo forward Mike Grier admitted that "our schedule's been pretty favorable, and now it's getting tougher. We're playing tougher teams. We have a good record, and the league is going to watch how we do in these games."
Perhaps Buffalo's first challenge this season comes when the Chicago Blackhawks make the trip to the HSBC Arena on Dec. 11. Get NHL tickets and see the Sabres take on the Hawks. The Blackhawks (9-5-2) extended their home winning streak with a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 9. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews returned after missing six games with a concussion and scored a power-play goal in the third period to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead.
The forward, who scored a team-high 34 goals last season, said that he felt great on the ice. Toews acknowledged that in the past couple weeks the Blackhawks have struggled to find the back of the net. Chicago was mediocre with Toews out of the lineup, going 3-2-1 and outscoring the opposition 12-11. The Hawks also struggled on the power-play without Toews in the lineup, going 3-for-27. Chicago's John Madden stated on the team's official web site that they're "playing with urgency." The forward noted that the Hawks, just like the Sabres, needed to get back to the way they were playing at the start of the season.
Although the Blackhawks welcomed Toews back, they learned on Nov. 10 that they will be without Dave Bolland for up to four months due to back surgery. The center had surgery to repair a herniated disk. Dr. Richard Fessler at Northwestern Memorial Hospital performed the surgery and said full recover was expected. The 23-year-old Bolland has six points in 13 games this season and recorded a career high 19 goals and 47 points for the Blackhawks in 2008-09.
The loss of Bolland could hinder Chicago's scoring performance against the Sabres, but look for Andrew Ladd, Troy Brouwer, Madden, and Toews to challenge Miller early in the contest. If the young Hawks remain healthy and can score on the power-play, this game could go to Chicago. However, if Miller plays as well as he did at the start of the season, he could record another shutout.
