Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Despite the heavy snow all around Western New York, the Buffalo Sabres made it to the arena for their morning skate. Players had to get there since they needed to test.
All the players were on the ice that were expected to be with one addition to the group. Defenseman Robert Hagg was back out there. He’s been out injured since Dec. 14.
After the skate, head coach Don Granato said that he did not hold the players downtown due to the weather.
Thursday will mark the Sabres debut for forward Ryan MacInnis, as Buffalo gets set to face the San Jose Sharks.
“He has a lot of skill and he’s on the wing tonight," Granato said following the morning skate. "He’s been a centerman most of his career, but because he has a pretty high skill level, hockey sense and feel for the game, he’s played a lot of wing this year in Rochester and done real well there.”
In 26 games with the Rochester Americans, MacInnis has six goals and 10 assists for 16 points.
The son of Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman, Al MacInnis, Ryan was a second round pick of the Arizona Coyotes back in the 2014 NHL Draft. He’s played 26 NHL games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but has no goals and one assist.
Meanwhile, Hagg's return to the ice on Thursday was a good sign of his health status going forward.
“That was one step of what we needed," Granato said of the defenseman. "But it was only a pregame skate. It’s not contact, and if it was a regular practice, he would not have been out there today.
Buffalo will also be missing Casey Mittelstadt, Drake Caggiula and Craig Anderson due to injury, while Dustin Tokarski, Jacob Bryson, Kyle Okposo, Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs and Anders Bjork are also out due to COVID-19 protocols.
That’s a whopping total of nine players out of the lineup.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets the call in goal for Buffalo. He’s 2-3-2 this season with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
Buffalo is an impressive 19-2-1 all-time at home against the Sharks. The Sabres lost a 5-3 game earlier this season in San Jose on Nov. 2. Tomas Hertl had a big night with two goals and an assist that game.
Timo Meier is the team's leading scorer with 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points in 29 games. That puts him 11th in league scoring.
San Jose started this road trip losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, giving up 14 goals. Out injured for Thursday night are defensemen Erik Karlsson and Jake Middleton.
San Jose is sixth in the Pacific Division with 35 points. That’s tied with the Vancouver Canucks, and two points back of the Los Angeles Kings.
For the Sabres, Rasmus Dahlin’s ice-time has skyrocketed this season, as the young defenseman is averaging almost 24 minutes per-game. In his last two games, he’s played 27:04 and 27:58.
Ever since he and Henri Jokiharju have been back together, both players have improved their overall games. Granato said other coaches have challenged his young defensemen.
“'Dahls' found a balance and a rhythm, and Boston challenged him pretty good," he said. "They probably circle his name on their board, and he loves that. It just makes him better. He just rises to that. He knew it before the game. He and I talked, and he loves to be challenged, and it makes him elevate.”
Dahlin and Granato speak often, and the head coach will always challenge him.
“We’ve made it known to him, and he feels that we need more out of him, because he’s capable of it. Our team needs him, and he’s taken on more responsibility as a result.
“He’s closing quicker in the defensive zone. We talk a lot about getting pucks back faster, and he takes that to heart. 'Dahls' has worked on a lot of technique, and he’s getting better and better at it.”
Granato has spoken about this before, as have Dahlin’s teammates.
“'Dahls' is too hard on himself, and that frustration causes mistakes. He cares too much sometimes, and wants to fix things too fast and skip processes.”
In his last six games, Dahlin has three goals and three assists for six points.
Sabres pregame coverage starts at 6 p.m. EST on WGR with Schopp and the Bulldog, where they'll be joined by Granato, Vinnie Hinostroza and Victor Olofsson.
