Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Not only were the Buffalo Sabres on the ice for their first practice with new head coach Don Granato, they also found out on Friday that their game Saturday against the Bruins has been postponed due to four Boston players entering the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocols. Added to the Protocol list on Friday were David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Craig Smith and Jake DeBrusk. No Sabres players were added to Friday’s list.
Sean Kuraly went into league protocol on Thursday morning, but rapid testing and contact tracing allowed the game to be played between the Bruins and Sabres.
It’s important to point out that the players entering the protocols on Friday could be close contacts to Kuraly. That would be the best possible scenario for the Sabres, which would mean they likely would be able to proceed with business as usual.
This is not ideal circumstances for Granato to come into, and he doesn’t even know if he can practice on Saturday.
“There would be an option to wait a day. I mean take a day to wait it out, and I think we’re leaning that way,” Granato said after Friday’s practice.
Granato adds he needs to meet with general manager Kevyn Adams to decide what’s best for the organization.
The Sabres, of course, had to pause their season for two weeks after getting forced into playing the New Jersey Devils, who already had multiple players test positive for the virus. Granato acknowledged that it’s weighing on them wondering if this is happening again.
“It’s interesting. A lot goes through your mind because of six weeks ago, and we don’t have a lot of information yet. But it still goes through your mind and it puts you in the wait and see and nobody likes that,” Granato said.
Many felt Thursday’s game should’ve been postponed due to Kuraly’s positive test and a Sabres hockey staffer going into the protocol.
“I believe there was talk of not playing, but the information we had in the end was that is was clear,” Granato said.
Dylan Cozens was back at practice after leaving a game March 11 with a concussion. He said the players are a little on edge about the COVID-19 stuff after what they’ve already been through this year.
”I don’t really see how it’s much of a different situation than what happened with New Jersey,” the rookie forward said after practice. “There is definitely some nerves in the room as we don’t want to get shutdown again, quarantine and go through that, so we’re just hoping it didn’t translate to any of us.”
Cozens looked very good in practice and said he felt 100%.
“Dylan, we expect back,” Granato said of Cozens. “Today was a good practice to get him toward that game conditioning, so I would expect Dylan back in our next game.”
Granato had no update on captain Jack Eichel.
Cozens was hit from the front by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese, but the check originated about six feet from the boards.
“I don’t think it was too bad, but I think that falls under the definition of boarding,” Cozens said of the hit. “I just wasn’t really expecting it. I think he expected me to lean into it a little bit, but the way I went into the boards from that distance, it’s a dangerous hit. I think it’s unnecessary, but at the same time he’s finishing his check.”
Rasmus Ristolainen has called Ralph Krueger the best coach he’s ever player for.
Ristolainen has seen many coaches get fired in his time here, and this time didn’t surprise him.
“I can see why the decision was made,” the Sabres defenseman said on Friday. “It’s business, but most of the coaching changes we’ve had here I feel like it’s more about players. But you can’t fire players, so as always, the coach has to take the blame.”
Ristolainen has spent most of this season playing the best hockey of his career. He said there certainly is a reason why.
“What helps my game is how the team plays around me and how we play as a group. When everyone is on the same page, we trust each other and we know what we’re doing and that helped me. But in the past, more or less our game has been a mess, and it’s hard to play in the mess.”
The NHL Trade Deadline is coming up on April 12, and Ristolainen was asked if he’s had enough and wants to leave. He doesn’t think now’s the time to speak on that.
“We have half of the season left, so I don’t think that’s a question I should probably answer right now,” Ristolainen said. “I’m a Buffalo Sabre, and I’m in this with the guys. We want to turn it around, and I want to turn it around.”
For the first time since I watched Lindy Ruff put his team through practice, I saw a fast pace to every drill and it made the practice sharp and more intense.
Granato even finished with some competing drills that included contact, which was something Rasmus Ristolainen thought this team desperately needed. Granato liked what he saw.
“I don’t know how they felt, but I felt good about it,” he said. “They did push and they need to push, and we’ll continue to push harder and press more.”
Granato said he was told to keep Jonas Johansson off the ice. Granato said Johansson had not been traded.
NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes reported that Colorado is close to a trade to acquire the goalie.
Friday’s lines:
Forwards:
Skinner – Lazar – Mittelstadt
Hall – Cozens – Reinhart
Olofsson – Staal (Eakin) – Thompson
Asplund – Sheahan – Okposo
Rieder – Smith
Defense:
Bryson – Ristolainen
Dahlin – Miller
Jokiharju – Montour
Irwin – Davidson
***Photo: Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres)