Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) -- When the Buffalo Sabres take on the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, they'll likely do it without both Ville Leino and Andrej Sekera.
Yet to play in a contest this season, Leino has been aiming to get back by this weekend to take on his former teamamtes in Philadelphia. His hip injury, however, will likely keep him on the bench for at least another game.
"I would doubt Sunday, but certainly next week a possibility -- strong possibility," Rolston said of Leino's game status. "Just see how they're going, again, with the competitive nature of things and how we have to play. We're just tracking that."
The Sabres are attempting to get Leino's conditioning up to game level before he hits the ice when it counts. The forward is just ready to put the injury behind him this season.
"Yeah, I've been eager for a while," Leino remarked. "It's been a long time and I'm having fun out there even doing drills."
Playing in the game against New Jersey, Sekera had to leave in the third period due to an unspecified injury. He missed practice on Friday, to which interim coach Ron Rolston labeled him as "day-to-day," as well as being doubtful for the Flyers game. Rolston did say that Tuesday night against the New York Rangers remained a possibility.
Sekera's injury is another to add to the blue line for Buffalo. Both Jordan Leopold and Alexander Sulzer still remain on Injured Reserve with their respective ailments. Leopold was once again on the ice for practice with the team.
"Getting close," he said after the skate. "We've got another day of practice tomorrow, and re-evaluate, and go from there."
The Sabres, bedecked with 14 forwards and 7 defensemen, skated at the Timothy J. Burvid Ice Rink in South Buffalo this afternoon. Their normal practice spot, First Niagara Center, is being transformed for the Rihanna concert Friday evening. Even their usual backup spot, the Northtown Center, was being used for a hockey tournament of it's own, forcing the Sabres to find other means.
Buffalo takes on Philadelphia on the road Sunday night at 7:30 pm.
terry should go to lindy home before it's to late to apologize and bringing him back.all the journalism in buffalo that critize lindy where wrong but they no guts to apologize too him for the critics on him.
03/08/2013 3:20PM
Regier is next...
Let's see, hmmm, Ville Leino ~ Playmaker, works hard, fan favorite, good in the room. Not!! This was a big misjudgement of a player's skill set, desire and heart. Dsrcy was hoodwinked. Get 'em both out of here. Briere and Drury. Need I say more.
03/08/2013 6:02PM
GOOD!
CUT HIM... FORE!!!!!!
03/08/2013 6:22PM
SOS
Save Our Sabres!
This team is horrible. So disappointed!
03/08/2013 6:42PM
Sekera
No great loss.
03/08/2013 6:50PM
Who cares at this point?
Just keep on dumping games and FIRE REGEIR!!! Bring on the bulldozers!!!
03/08/2013 6:53PM
sekera sucks
now they have a chance at winning
03/08/2013 7:01PM
Don't you get it?
There has been NO Leino since he got here and how could Sekera get hurt being a pylon? This team is nothing but one big excuse of existence.
03/08/2013 10:29PM
people in the niagara center
people inside de first niagara center should make her voice heard by chanting we want lindy back we want lindy back
03/08/2013 11:03PM
Unbelievable - where's the centerpice?....42 years and counting
I have been a loyal sabres fan since 1971....Leino and Sekera out? Those two historically have "brain freeze" issues at bad times in the game as sabres. Sekera's major weaknesses are becoming exposed more with each passing season: he is an erratic decisionamker and extremely subpar passing defensemen. Several of the sabres d-men are terrible at making crisp accurate passes onto the tape, including when under minimal pressure. They say you need 4 passes to score, which is why they are having issues with outscoring the other team. Also, Sekera, along with Myers, Regier, and Leopold can't (or won't) push the puck out of the zone when the oppopent turns up the pressure on the puck in the sabres zone. You have to muscle it out at those times and those 4 are incapable. On the otherhand, for those Brennan haters out there: replay the devils game. He is showing promise at being able to get it out by making fast and difficult plays!I think he could become a Brian Campbell type in short time. Onto the main issue...it is now 42 years without a cup including Darcy as the talent decisonmaker for 15 years. Leino and Sekera have only been marginally better than those other "notable" Darcy acquisitions: they conjure up memories of Gratton, Corkum, Boyes, Moore and on and on. Dear Mr. Black and Pegula, if you are truly committed to winning the cup, don't you think it is time to make the bold moves to aquire a centerpiece great player for thios franchise? Don't you think the odds would be much better a gm with stanley cup winning credentials is hired? Certainly George Steinbrenner would not have tolerated this mediocrity year in and year out. Don't be afraid, be bold. Vanek, Pominville, and Miller will be too old agewise when the current young prospects are ready to win, and Myers is damaged goods (he is the next Tony Horton). The sabres arena should no longer be the halfway house for players with issues. So be bold and get that doormat at First Niagara rolled up and acquire top BLUE CHIP prospects with daring and clever maneuvering and trades and raid the other teams top talent,including RFAs that could be our centerpieces, not simply the supporting cast (ala Leino). Force them to overspend to resign them just like the cold war where the US spent the USSR into submission. That's what George Steinbrenner did. Don't be such a nice guy to your fellow owners. Buffalo has been on that wrong side for most of the last 42 years, its time to turn the tables. After all, the franchise has nothing to lose as it is near the bottom already! Until that happens you will hear the catcalls at the arena from me and many others who TRY to remain loyal (we are loyal to the franchise but not the players or the gm) continue to grow: "Darcy must go" and "42 years."
03/09/2013 9:12AM
Just get rid of this guy....
a complete waste of money and a roster spot. Another of Darcy's failed Eupopean experiments. Does anybody really think that Philadelphia would have let Leino go if he was any good? Time to go in a different direction.
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