Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550/WBEN) - I can’t remember the last time I saw a fight during a Buffalo Sabres practice, but it happened during Monday's session.
Sabres forward Peyton Krebs accidentally high-sticked defenseman Ramus Dahlin in front of the net, and the captain got mad. He came down and submarined Krebs with a hip check, and immediately dropped the gloves and started punching him.
Teammates broke up the fight, but head coach Lindy Ruff watched. He wasn’t concerned about it after Monday's practice.
"It's just boys will be boys," he said about the scuffle with reporters. "'Dahls' got bumped before and he evened up the score. I wouldn't read too much into that. We want competitive practices. Every now and then, the emotions run high, but that's a good place to be."
Krebs knew he had gotten his stick high, and he’s not unhappy that Dahlin responded.
"I was driving the net, and got him in the face a little bit. He's a passionate guy, and that's why we love him. It's all good," said Krebs after practice.
Dahlin’s hip check is a dangerous hit because it was around the knees.
"Stuff happens, and I regret it now," said Dahlin following practice. "I apologized to him, so it's all good. That's how it is out there."
After a day off, Ruff put them through another tough practice on Monday.
I noticed that both Owen Power and Bo Byram took reps playing right defense. They’re the only pair that the Sabres have that are two left-handed defensemen, but Ruff has no choice.
"I think they’ve been good, but I’m not a fan [of a lefty playing right defense]," Ruff explained. "I can show you so many situations where a puck’s coming up the wall where if we were a lefty/righty, we’re probably shooting instead of trying to pick it off the wall. But they’re both very comfortable. They both can get it off the wall and get it inside, but I think with pressure, there’s been times, even with Dahlin on the right side, the puck has come up the wall and the only play is to backhand it."
Since he’s been in Buffalo, Byram has told me a few times he’s not as comfortable playing right defense. That’s why it’s usually Power.
The Sabres are near the top of the league in hits, but that doesn’t excite Ruff. It’s the type of hit that he’s looking for at the right time.
"It’s not to take yourself out of position to hit, it’s more the angling and eliminating, and making it tough to get inside our zone," Ruff noted. "If we can end the play by being physical, we can get out of the zone sooner."
Ruff says JJ Peterka is still improving and still practicing hard, but as of Monday, he’d give him a 50/50 chance of playing on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He says it’s hard to say before he finishes Tuesday’s practice.
MONDAY’S LINES:
Forwards:
Peterka - Thompson - Tuch
Zucker - McLeod - Greenway
Kulich - Cozens - Quinn
Malenstyn - Krebs - Lafferty
Benson
Defense:
Samuelsson - Clifton
Dahlin - Jokiharju
Power - Byram
Gilbert - Bryson