Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) -- The Buffalo Sabres dropped their third straight contest on Sunday, and did it without top scorer Thomas Vanek because of a muscle strain.
The forward suffered the strain in the second period of the team's home game against Carolina on Friday night. Vanek temporarily left the contest, but later returned in the third period.
A positive sign on Monday, Vanek took part in the team's optional practice.
"I felt a lot better today than I did yesterday, so we'll see how it reacts and how it feels tomorrow," Vanek said afterwards. Does he think he can play?
"I hope so."
That's the category that head coach Lindy Ruff seems to fall under as well. When asked about Vanek's availability for the team's next contest on Tuesday night, Ruff was hoping for the best.
"I would say that that looks… I'm optimistic about him playing tomorrow," the head coach said.
Vanek has been atop the team's scoring leaders since the season started. He has three goals and six assists in just four contests.
At this point, one of the most elementary aspects of playing hockey is what has given Vanek the most pain.
"Skating," he said. "If you can't skate, you're not gonna help out."
Vanek said he felt a lot better on the ice Monday in that respect, and then was asked what the key component to him suiting up will be.
"If I can skate," he said quite plainly.
Vanek was joined on the ice by seven other forwards during the optional practice. Marcus Foligno, Patrick Kaleta, Mikhail Grigorenko, Nathan Gerbe, Matt Ellis, John Scott and Cody McCormick also skated. All eight defensemen skated at one point in time on Monday. Robyn Regehr was only out there briefly. Both goaltenders participated as well.
Lindy Ruff provided a brief update on injured forward Ville Leino, saying there hasn't been much forward moving to speak of.
"He's just in the okay category," he said. "Even with the new treatment, progress seems slow"
The Sabres take on the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday at First Niagara Center. As always, you can hear the play-by-play action on WGR Sports Radio 550.
That's been the problem with this team.....centers. We haven't had a star center since Briere. He played bigger than his size. Since then munchkins up the middle who are soft. It's still the problem. And they're inexperienced and trying to still learn. It doesn't bode well especially with Stafford who has always coatailed off of talented centers going back to when he played wing with Parise and Zajac at North Dakota and at St. Mary Shattucks.
01/28/2013 3:01PM
Any trades yet?
Still not good enough.
01/28/2013 4:13PM
just saying...
Obviously we're not privy to all the details but as a nurse I find it hard to believe there's nobody on the staff there who doesn't realize that if they just kept him off the ice for the rest of that game he more than likely wouldn't have had to sit out the next time. The human body responds to trauma in predictable ways and if you strain a muscle, the quickest way to heal it is to rest it right away. If you aggravate it right off the bat, then next thing you know it's a sprain, which is more of a problem and the risk of additional injury increases. Of course hockey culture admires the guy who goes out to play again regardless, and Vanek is certainly that type of player, but looking at it long-term it's foolish to ignore the physiological reality. It all adds up eventually...
That would make us happy. Guy is always hobbled and produces the same points each year but most importantly the same laid back non-agressive ice demeanor that opponents view as easy pickings.
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