Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Sabres get to play their first game since Sunday, Jan. 31, as the New York Islanders are in town.
Before Monday’s game in Buffalo, the Sabres welcomed back three more players from the NHL’s COVID-19 Protocols list. Tobi Rieder, Jake McCabe and Brandon Montour all said they tested positive for COVID-19 and had symptoms.
The Sabres still have four players in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols. They are Rasmus Ristolainen, Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittelstadt and Curtis Lazar.
McCabe and Montour were put through a vigorous workout by Matt Ellis after the morning skate, so they won’t play on Monday. Rieder is a game-time decision, and has a much better chance to play.
Head coach Ralph Krueger was concerned on Sunday about the penalty kill, which is why Rieder is likely to play.
“I did test positive. I did have symptoms, but luckily it only lasted for 24 to 48 hours, so it was a rough couple of days,” Rieder said following Monday’s morning skate.
Rieder couldn’t workout because he tested positive, but he felt pretty good on the ice Monday and said he can play.
Montour went on the NHL’s Protocols list on the same day Rieder did.
“I did test positive, had symptoms and it was a pretty tough couple of weeks there, Montour said on Monday. “I was battling, just focusing on trying to get healthy and it’s over with now. I feel pretty good, and now we forget about that and move forward here.”
If you know anything about McCabe, you know he’d be out there on Monday if there was any way he could play.
”I did test positive. I did have symptoms for about the first five days,” McCabe said on Monday. “It certainly wasn’t any fun, but I’m feeling a lot better in the last little while. It’s great to be back in the building and back at work.”
Sam Reinhart didn’t practice on Monday, but Krueger said don’t count him out at all, and he’s a game-time decision. Krueger said it’s a minor injury and isn’t COVID-19 related.
Krueger said he will be behind the bench coaching, as he was on the ice again for practice. He said there will be one change to the staff as goalie coach Mike Bales will be on the bench, while assistant Don Granato will be the eye in the sky. Granato was hospitalized in September of 2019 and is considered high risk for COVID-19.
The Sabres brought up Rasmus Asplund from the Rochester Americans to help with the loss of Lazar on the penalty kill.
The Sabres have some catching up to do in the East Division. The Boston Bruins have played 14 games. The Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and the Islanders have all played 13 games. The Sabres have played 10 and the New Jersey Devils have played nine.
Buffalo has points in five out of six games, going 3-1-2. The Sabres’ power play is ranked sixth in the NHL, while the penalty killing is 10th. Buffalo is 20th in goals-for and 21st in goals-against.
Jack Eichel has points in four of his last five games, while Taylor Hall hasn’t scored a goal in nine games. Jeff Skinner hasn’t scored in 14 games.
Linus Ullmark will likely start in goal. He’s 3-1-2 with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
Ullmark will face Ilya Sorokin on the other side of the rink.
The rookie played eight years in the KHL before coming over to the NHL. The Islanders took him in the third round of the 2014 NHL Draft. This is only his fourth NHL game, where he’s 0-2-1 with a 3.65 goals-against average and a .871 save percentage.
Mathew Barzal is on fire for New York. He’s on an eight-game point streak, scoring four goals and six assists for 10 points. Overall, the Islanders’ leading scorer has 14 points in 13 games.
The Islanders have points in six straight games, going 3-0-3.
Kind of a weird, but interesting stat for the Islanders is they have only had one power play in each of their last four games. They scored on three of them. They’ve also only given up one power play goal-against in six games.
Join the Bulldog for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 6 p.m. EST, where he’ll be joined by Krueger, McCabe and Hall.
Monday’s lines:
Forwards:
Skinner – Eichel – Olofsson
Hall – Staal – Asplund
Rieder – Eakin – Okposo
Fogarty – Sheahan – Thompson
Defense:
Dahlin – Miller
Irwin – Jokiharju
Davidson – Borgen
