Sharks Gameday: Chicago Blackhawks

I'm not sure where our Fearless Leader has disappeared to, but since it's about 4 hours to game time, I thought I'd usurp Mr. Plank's position and post a game thread... though I continue to wonder how he posts those nifty graphics for each one.

Aesthetics aside, we face a formidable opponent tonight.  Don't let their recent 5-2 loss to the Kings fool you - this team will be hot to trot.  Kane, Toews, Byfuglien, Sharp, Versteeg, and (cue ominous music) Campbell - nothing to scoff at.

For a Chicago perspective, head over to Second City Hockey, where our antagonists concede that it would be acceptable to get even just one point.  They also like to refer to the combo of Kane and Toews as "Daydream Nation."

Prediction = Sharks win 5-4.  Goals by Semenov (!), Murray (!), Lemieux (!), Shelley (!) and Boyle... gotta have one fairly realistic one, right?  Assuming he's back... The Gooch.

DAN BOYLE UPDATE (courtesy of Sharks website) =

NOT QUITE READY
Dan Boyle will likely take one more game off before returning to the lineup.

“It’s not as good as I want it to be,” said Boyle about his upper body injury. “Tomorrow, I’m not playing. I hate missing games. It’s kind of frustrating, but we have a good hockey team with depth.”

Boyle likely could go if necessary, but San Jose won’t play for five days after the Chicago contest, so that would give the All-Star blueliner 16 days between regular season contests.

“We get four to five days after tomorrow’s game and hopefully the rest will help,” said Boyle.

GO SHARKS.

(P.S. - Feel free to update the graphics here, oh Plankster)