Game #75
Buffalo Sabres (21-45-9) at St. Louis Blues (51-17-7)
TV – MSG, Bell | Radio – WGR 550 – AM
SB Nation Blues Blog – St. Louis Game Time
Three Questions
1. How will Jake McCabe look in his NHL debut?
The highly touted Wisconsin Badger will likely be in tonight’s lineup, possibly filling in for Henrik Tallinder, who didn’t finish Tuesday’s game. He’ll get a seven game tryout in the NHL this season to see if he can solidify a starting spot on next year’s squad, and the 20-year old will try to be the next in a long line of young Sabres defenders to impress early in their career.
2. We know Ryan Miller won’t be starting (boo) but what will Steve Ott do against his former team?
The Sabres former captain is now one of a number of gritty, two-way Blues forwards, but has been up to his usual Ott antics in St. Louis. Will he break out anything special for his former team, or will he play it straight in the chase for he President’s Cup?
3. Can Ennis and Stafford keep their play up until the end of the season?
These two players have been the two keys to Buffalo’s offense over the past month, and Ennis scored both Buffalo goals on Tuesday, with Stafford assisting on both. Nobody else is doing too much scoring yet, but can these two guys keep their hot streak hot versus one of the best defensive teams in the NHL?
Projected BUF lines*
Conacher – Ennis – Stafford
Hodgson – Girgensons – Flynn
Foligno – Larsson – D’Agostini
Deslauriers – Ellis – Leino
Ehrhoff – Ristolainen
McCabe – Ruhwedel
Weber – McBain
Goal: Nathan Lieuwen
Scratches/Injuries: Tallinder, Scott, Myers, Konopka, Stewart, Sulzer, Enroth, Neuvirth
*There was no practice yesterday, so these lineups are more of a projection than usual