That crease has been the Sabres' quiet strength. Colten Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have split the net, and since October 27 the pair had a combined .916 save percentage, 4th-best in the NHL. Lindy Ruff has gotten enough from that tandem to keep Buffalo at 8-6-3 even while the scoring comes and goes. Josh Norris ended a 6-game goal drought with 2 goals in the 5-2 win over Columbus, and Owen Power set up 3 in that game.
As of Monday, Buffalo had gone 3-2 in its last 5. It's a team that can win a 7-6 track meet in Anaheim and then score once in losses to Ottawa and Vegas. Scoring has been the inconsistent part, and a Chicago defense without Byram is the kind of group that lets a slumping forward group find its legs.
The schedule is the part to watch. Buffalo hosts Tampa Bay on Wednesday, November 11, then has to get to Chicago for a 7:00 PM CT puck drop the next night. That makes this the 2nd half of a back-to-back with travel in between. Whoever Ruff starts against the Lightning probably won't start here, so the goalie decision and the result of the Tampa game will shape this one. Chicago will be rested. Rest hasn't been the Blackhawks' problem, though.
For Chicago, getting through 60 minutes without a 3-goal stretch would count as progress. A home crowd, a tired opponent and a goalie Buffalo may not lean on often is about as good a spot as this team gets right now. For Buffalo, this is a game against a short-handed opponent that it should handle, just on the 2nd night of a back-to-back.
