Buffalo returns for a four-game homestand, starting with Boston on Wednesday
The Buffalo Sabres finished their four-game Western road swing on a losing note, but earning seven of a possible eight points. After a day off, the Sabres practiced for nearly an hour at KeyBank Center in preparation for the opener of their four-game homestand against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. The Bruins play Toronto in Boston on Tuesday and will be playing the second of back-to-back games against Buffalo.
Head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to the media after practice:
Where do things stand with injured forward Jordan Greenway?
This time of year, it's important to have depth and we've got depth up front, and we'll see how (Jordan) progresses through practice. Will get him some physicality. I thought watching him skate, (he) really well. What he tried seemed to put him in a place he may be a player again........he just (had) a different type of treatment,he spent time with a guy out of town that is pretty familiar with what he's dealing with.
People are comparing this club to the Sabres Eastern Conference finalists in 2006 and 2007, how does this club compare?
I think you look at the line depth we had back then, it's almost identical. You could score one through four, every line brought a certain type of element. I mean, you look at this road trip with what our lines have done in every game. You get (Benson) scoring now, Carrick is tossing goals in. So that is very similar to what we had going on back then, for sure.
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A couple of home games ago, the crowd in the third period started chanting, “Oh Ah, Sabres on the Warpath.” What is it like to hear that again?
I think it's really special. You look at the Tampa game coming back in that game after being up, and then you look at the Anaheim game, and this just sort of 'never quit, give it everything you got' mentality, and we just have to continue that from game to game. But I think the energy in our building has really been great for our group. I mean, it's probably the first time they've experienced that type of energy here, and probably everything that's around town, the excitement that's going on, so, I think, embrace it, but know there's a lot of work to do.
Why has the goalie rotation between Alex Lyon and UPL worked?
It really comes down to both playing well. And we just feel that with the schedule, the way it is, as many games as there are, it is really hard with travel and back-to-back to play one goalie. I think you have to be a special goalie (to play) 65-70 games. With 60 games, that's hard.......we've been fortunate that, not only two, we've had three. I mean, (Colton Ellis) has stepped in and given us good hockey too. That's been a big plus.
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