How big is Saturday for Ilya Bryzgalov? Humongous big.
Can Ilya Bryzgalov vanquish his Philly demons?
It's almost surprising how little chatter there's been about this game. Bryzgalov is set to face the Flyers for the first time since getting cut from a drama-filled situation in Philly last season. Yes, the game is in Edmonton and not in Philadelphia. But even if he won't come out and say it, Bryz has had this game circled on his calendar for awhile.
Can the Blues beat the Blackhawks without Alex Steen?
Defeating the defending champions is one thing. Defeating the defending champions without your best player and one of the league's top goal-scorers is another thing entirely. But that's the difficult situation St. Louis finds itself in on Saturday, as Steen will miss another game with a mysterious ailment. Chicago is less than 24 hours removed from lighting up the Avalanche with seven goals. The Blues need to get some serious offense from their depth forwards if they want to keep up with the Blackhawks.
How big of a boost will Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader provide Detroit?
Mike Babcock has to be overjoyed right now knowing he can plug two of his best forwards back into the Red Wings' injury-plagued lineup on Saturday. Zetterberg's return is a welcome sight, as the Wings went 3-6-2 without him and he still leads the team in scoring. Expect Detroit to have a little more jump against HBO starlets the Panthers.
Which Senators team shows up on Saturday?
Ottawa hit a high point a few days ago with a big 5-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. On Friday the tables turned in a 5-0 loss in Boston. The Bruins head to Ottawa to finish the back end of the home-and-home series, and it will be very interesting to see if the Senators rebound. Perhaps having Craig Anderson in net will make a difference.
Will Phoenix be the first team to down the Ducks at home?
Anaheim is literally unstoppable at the Honda Center with a sparkling 13-0-2 record. It's a tall task; the Ducks are looking for their 10th consecutive win on Saturday and have won their first three games against the 'Yotes this season. Phoenix has a knack for keeping games close, but can they get the timely goals they need to put the Ducks away?
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