Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Sabres got some good news in practice on Thursday, as both Alex Tuch and Eric Comrie declared themselves ready to return to action.
Comrie had the net by himself on Thursday, which usually means he starts the next game. He told me that he feels great, and is back to 100%.
Meanwhile, Tuch had a non-contract yellow sweater on, but looked good otherwise.
“It’s a coach’s decision now, but I’m feeling good. I’m ready," said Tuch following Thursday's practice.
"It took a little longer than I originally anticipated, but it’s a long season and it’s something that we didn’t want to flare up again."
"He just didn’t want to tell you how good he feels," said Sabres head coach Don Granato after practice. "It’s a very easy coach’s decision, because he looks back to normal."
Tuch had been playing very well before the injury, which made it harder on him to sit out.
"I thought I was finding my game a little bit more, getting back to the way I was playing last year," he said. "My confidence was a little higher, and I was able to find the back of the net a couple of times."
Tuch isn’t going to have his center Tage Thompson back in the lineup for a while. He suffered an upper-body injury on Tuesday night that will put him out on a week-to-week basis. Tuch knows the team can’t sit around and mope about Thompson's absense.
"We just have to attack. We have to play with confidence, we have to realize how good we are," Tuch said.
"He’s a huge loss on and off the ice and it's not going to be easy, but he’s going to come back and be stronger than ever. We just have to hold down the fort until that happens."
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It was Dylan Cozens who centered Tuch and Jeff Skinner during Thursday's practice. Last season when Thompson was out, it was Casey Mittelstadt stepping into the role. Tuch knows both centers can do the job filling the void left by Thompson.
"Those guys have a ton of skill and great hockey IQ. They’re easy to play with, but are completely different players, unique in their own way," Tuch said. "I think playing with them makes me a better hockey player, so I think I’ll have a lot of success with them."
All the Sabres' road trips so far this season have been just one-nighters, so this one is going to give the team a chance to be together uninterrupted, and allow them a chance to bond further. It's a situation Tuch feels will be good for them.
"It’s team comradery for sure," he said. "You start with the flight, you go to dinner tonight, you’re grinding it in an away building, and then you go to another city. Having a lot of fun on the road is something we’ve missed this year, and when we just go out for a game, you don’t find that rhythm. You don’t have that going out to dinner, or a bunch of guys like to go shopping. Whatever you’re doing, you’ll do it together. So as young as we are, it’s something we can benefit from."
Granato doesn’t know if being on the road will help, but says when you're on the road, he gets the chance to coach the player a bit differently.
"You have more time with the guys, they don’t have family and other obligations that they do when they’re home. They’re together, and it’s much, much easier to feel like a team, and to prepare as a team. The best team building is the road," Granato said.
Zach Benson is ready to play again, and he has three more games before the Sabres have a decision to make: Whether to keep him in Buffalo or send him back to juniors.
Granato says no decision has been made at this time.
"There’s a comfort level with what we’ve seen, but these three games will impact it," he said. "He’s done a nice job, but no decision has been made. So these are three big ones, definitely."
Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju missed the last game due to illness, and they weren’t sure if he’d feel well enough to practice. However, he did get out there for Thursday's session.
It was Ryan Johnson taking his place with Owen Power, so it’s still not known if he’ll play on Friday.
THURSDAY’S LINES:
Forwards:
Benson – Mittelstadt – Peterka
Greenway – Jost – Olofsson
Girgensons – Rousek – Okposo
Skinner – Cozens – Tuch
Defense:
Dahlin – Samuelsson
Power – R. Johnson
Clifton – E. Johnson
Bryson - Jokiharju
