San Jose Sharks in home opener host Chicago Blackhawks reunion tour
The last time Antti Niemi and Dustin Byfuglien skated on the same rink, they were hoisting the Stanley Cup as Chicago Blackhawks teammates last June.
My, how things can change.
Tonight when the Sharks open the North American segment of their schedule at HP Pavilion against the Atlanta Thrashers, Niemi will be in goal for the home team while Byfuglien -- who had three game-winning goals in Chicago's sweep of the Sharks -- will be in the visiting lineup.
Call it the first major stop on the Dismantled Blackhawks Reunion Tour.
"It's a little strange," said Byfuglien of the prospect of firing the puck at Niemi. "But then again we can try to have fun with it, too."
Any fun will come after the game, when Niemi expects to meet up with Byfuglien as well as three other former Blackhawks traded to Atlanta because of Chicago's salary-cap problems -- Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager.
Until then, it will be business as usual: The Sharks looking for their second victory after going 1-0-1 in Stockholm and the Thrashers hoping to take a step toward establishing themselves as credible playoff contenders.
Byfuglien did his damage against the Sharks as a power forward. But in Atlanta he's been moved back to defense, his original position.
Either way, Niemi said, the big guy is a threat.
"He can shoot the puck so hard. You've got to know where he is," he said of Byfuglien, whose November 2007 hat trick against Phoenix was the first by a Blackhawks defenseman since Sharks general manager Doug Wilson did the same in 1991.
Still, all things being equal, Niemi added, "I'd rather have him at the blue line than in front of the net. He's just so wide. "... He takes so much space from a goalie to see the puck."
Byfuglien, who is listed by the Thrashers at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, said that so far this season he hasn't been positioning himself to screen goalies, not even on the power play.
"But everything's a work in progress here," he added. "We're just trying different things, so you never know."
Having played with and practiced against Byfuglien last season in Chicago, Niemi knows all about what he's up against.
"He can really be tough for goalies mentally, too," Niemi said. "When he's in front of the net, maybe he's talking something. He might do that. I'm used to it."
The game, of course, is more than just a rematch between the Sharks and the former Blackhawks. While Atlanta will be playing its third game in five nights, San Jose is in action for the first time in a week.
"We need to play some games again," coach Todd McLellan said Friday. "It may take us a little while to get our feet wet, but I like to think we'll be ready to compete."
McLellan is sticking with his early-season attempt to create three lines with good scoring potential and has put each of his Canadian Olympic forwards on a different line, with Joe Thornton centering Devin Setoguchi and Jamie McGinn; Patrick Marleau alongside Joe Pavelski and Torrey Mitchell; and Dany Heatley skating with Logan Couture and Ryane Clowe.
Against Columbus, however, the new approach led to only one even-strength goal in two games, something that McLellan has been addressing in practice this week.
"We created a number of chances five-on-five that didn't even result in a shot on goal," he said Friday. "That was a little disappointing."
As for dealing with Byfuglien, McLellan didn't seem to think it mattered too much where he played.
"We'll see him as a power defenseman," McLellan said.today's
game
Atlanta (1-2-0) at
Sharks (1-0-1), 7:30 p.m. CSNCA
