Buffalo has its own injury list, and most of it is on the back end. Alex Lyon has been out since he hurt his shoulder diving for a save in a preseason game in Detroit. Topias Leinonen is on the injured non-roster list. That left Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to start the opener with Colten Ellis backing him up. Buffalo hasn't named its starter for Saturday. On defense, Conor Timmins has no timeline, Jack Rathbone is on the non-roster list, and Olen Zellweger was still in concussion protocol in midweek. Lindy Ruff's blue line is thin for game 2 of the season.
The schedule favors Buffalo a little. Chicago played back-to-back on the road at Vegas and Utah and now flies across the country to Buffalo, with only Friday off in between. The Sabres also played Thursday, but Columbus is a short trip home. Both teams get the same day off. Only one of them spent it crossing 2 time zones after giving up 11 goals in 2 nights.
What to watch for Buffalo is its defensive structure. Giving up 6 to Columbus with a patched-up blue line is a warning sign, and Chicago will get some chances off the rush even without Bedard. For the Blackhawks, the job is simple and hard: score first and make Buffalo's home crowd nervous. Chicago hasn't led at any point this season, and a home opener can turn on a team quickly when the first period goes badly.