Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Tage Thompson wasn’t at practice on Friday, as he was getting some imaging done. Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato says it’s still possible Thompson could play Saturday afternoon against the Vancouver Canucks.
Rasmus Dahlin was given the day off for maintenance.
In Thursday’s win over the Ottawa Senators, Casey Mittelstadt took Jeff Skinner’s spot on Thompson’s line, and then Jordan Greenway moved to center.
Greenway revealed on Friday that he hadn’t played center since before he played in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild. He says he played it his entire junior year at Boston University.
Granato says he was still confident that Greenway could handle the situation.
"I’m very familiar with him as a player, and it’s his situational awareness in the league," said Granato on Friday. "He sees and picks up patterns in consistency, and there are situations that repeat up-and-down the rink. He’s had enough experience that he recognizes situations and his responsibility within, whether its wing or center.
"He’s picked up for the centermen as wingers have to pick up centermen responsibilities. He might not have played the position, but I’ve watched him pick up those responsibilities without any effort, and there’s no stress to it. Now the question would be on the offensive side, like does it free him? It’ll take time to see that."
Greenway seemed to really enjoy playing center, and he wanted to do it.
"I liked it a lot, because it allows you to do things that brings out different parts of your game," said Greenway on Friday. "When 'Donny' and I talked about it, I was thrilled to get into the position."
There was no question in Greenway’s mind he could play the position in the NHL.
"I was pretty confident going into it," Greenway said. "I wasn’t worried, and there wasn’t really a big transition at all. It felt seamless, and was pretty simple for me."
Greenway has only played wing in the NHL, but it sounds like he wouldn’t mind a move to center.
"There are a lot of parts of it that I do enjoy more than wing I feel," he said. "It allows you to get the puck down low in your own zone and come out with it, you have the puck a little bit more. I just think you can stay involved in the game, and it keeps you moving. There’s a lot of parts of it that I really enjoy, and more than wing sometimes."
Mattias Samuelsson and Dahlin played together last season as a shutdown pair, but it hasn’t been working this season until Thursday against the Sens. Granato says sometimes he has to get up on his hind legs with these two.
"It’s usually when we get mad at them. And when they’re not that way, you get pissed off as a coach because they’re not playing as well as they can play and you get on them," Granato said. "It’s quite simple, you get in their face on it and they sit down and watch more video on it, and you let them know they’re not playing to their abilities and they’re not taking charge enough.
"Samuelsson is physical and assertive, and he’s imposing. When he’s not on, usually he’s not physical and assertive and they fall off on their gaps, their focus isn’t there and their first step is back instead of in. When their first step is back, they’re not on their game, and I’m probably going to be in their face."
Granato wouldn’t come right out and say it, but he very much indicated that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will get his second-consecutive start in goal on Saturday.
