Sabres winger Thomas Vanek emerged from the dressing room today with a pronounced limp but also some good news.
He expected to recover from what appeared to be a sprained left ankle in time to return to the lineup against the Bruins in their best-of-seven playoff series.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was among many in the organization who feared Vanek faced a long-term injury when he skated off the ice on one leg in the Bruins' 5-3 victory in Game 2.
Vanek was injured in the first period when he tumbled into the boards after Johnny Boychuk slashed him while trying to break up a partial breakaway.
"A player goes off the ice like that, and you obviously think the worst," Ruff said after an optional workout in HSBC Arena. "That was my initial thought."
Tests revealed Vanek did not suffer a break in what the Sabres have described as a lower-body injury. He underwent treatment before gingerly walking around the dressing room. He did not rule out playing Monday as the series shifts to Boston, but that appeared unlikely based on his lack of mobility today.
Vanek led the Sabres with 28 goals during the regular season, and he scored the first goal of the playoffs in Game 1. He appeared to be getting his game back in order after a difficult season, which included shoulder problems in the beginning and groin problems toward the end, before suffering his latest setback.
"I'm still hoping for [Monday] even though deep down it's a stretch," he said. "I would say Wednesday. If it not Wednesday, I don't know, maybe the next game. The good part is that I feel like, and we feel like, that I'll be back for the series."
Right wing Drew Stafford could take some sting away of Vanek's injury if he's able to play after suffering a concussion. Stafford has been practising for several days and needed to pass one more examination before being cleared. He has had no problems while intensifying his workouts, which looked like a good sign for Buffalo.
"I feel really good," said Stafford, who had 14 goals and 34 points in 71 games during the regular season.
"This is what you play for all year. It's such a long season full of ups and downs, but it starts over in the playoffs. This is another season. Right now, we have the best-of-five. Watching that is no fun. Hopefully, sooner than later I'll be out there."
Ryder on the storm
The Bruins are hoping forward Michael Ryder has overcome his offensive woes this season and regained the form that made him a 30-goal scorer with the Canadiens and a 27-goal scorer last year with Boston. Ryder had just 18 goals during the regular season but showed signs of heating up.
Ryder had just one goal in a 22-game stretch before scoring twice in the season finale. He failed to score on several opportunities in Game 1 but returned with two more goals in Game 2 to help tie the series at one game apiece as it shifts to Boston.
"It's a whole new season now," Ryder said. "It's a good time to start scoring. The whole team has a lot of confidence right now. We're doing a lot of things to create offence and get chances, and we're finding the back of the net. Now we have to make sure we don't slack off."
Beantown problems
Boston did what it wanted to do in Buffalo, which was win at least one game and take away home-ice advantage. The Bruins have outplayed the Sabres for most of the first two games, rallying from two goals down in the first period Saturday and coming back from a one-goal deficit in the third.
The Bruins had been solid all season. Their problem had been playing at TD Garden, where they had an 18-17-6 record. The five teams that were worse on home ice -- Toronto, the Rangers, St. Louis, Florida and Edmonton -- failed to make the playoffs.
"We came up here trying to get [home-ice advantage], and we got it," winger Mark Recchi said. "Now we have to take care of business at home. They've got a good hockey club. We have to do better at home if we're going to expect to do anything here."
Lack of aggression
The Sabres finished with the NHL's 17th-best power play but had converted 26 per cent with the man advantage over the final nine games and hoped to carry that success into the postseason. Instead, they were 0-for-9 through the first two games against the NHL's third-rated penalty-killing unit.
Buffalo's primary problem -- other than Boston's quick forwards, Zdeno Chara's long reach and Tuukka Rask's stingy goaltending -- has been a lack of aggression. The Sabres were tentative in the first two games. They wasted time passing the puck around the perimeter and looking for the perfect play rather than testing Rask.
"We just need more attack," Ruff said. "We haven't attacked. We've gotten a little bit passive where we're looking for the cuter type of play. We've got attack more."
He expected to recover from what appeared to be a sprained left ankle in time to return to the lineup against the Bruins in their best-of-seven playoff series.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was among many in the organization who feared Vanek faced a long-term injury when he skated off the ice on one leg in the Bruins' 5-3 victory in Game 2.
Vanek was injured in the first period when he tumbled into the boards after Johnny Boychuk slashed him while trying to break up a partial breakaway.
"A player goes off the ice like that, and you obviously think the worst," Ruff said after an optional workout in HSBC Arena. "That was my initial thought."
Tests revealed Vanek did not suffer a break in what the Sabres have described as a lower-body injury. He underwent treatment before gingerly walking around the dressing room. He did not rule out playing Monday as the series shifts to Boston, but that appeared unlikely based on his lack of mobility today.
Vanek led the Sabres with 28 goals during the regular season, and he scored the first goal of the playoffs in Game 1. He appeared to be getting his game back in order after a difficult season, which included shoulder problems in the beginning and groin problems toward the end, before suffering his latest setback.
"I'm still hoping for [Monday] even though deep down it's a stretch," he said. "I would say Wednesday. If it not Wednesday, I don't know, maybe the next game. The good part is that I feel like, and we feel like, that I'll be back for the series."
Right wing Drew Stafford could take some sting away of Vanek's injury if he's able to play after suffering a concussion. Stafford has been practising for several days and needed to pass one more examination before being cleared. He has had no problems while intensifying his workouts, which looked like a good sign for Buffalo.
"I feel really good," said Stafford, who had 14 goals and 34 points in 71 games during the regular season.
"This is what you play for all year. It's such a long season full of ups and downs, but it starts over in the playoffs. This is another season. Right now, we have the best-of-five. Watching that is no fun. Hopefully, sooner than later I'll be out there."
Ryder on the storm
The Bruins are hoping forward Michael Ryder has overcome his offensive woes this season and regained the form that made him a 30-goal scorer with the Canadiens and a 27-goal scorer last year with Boston. Ryder had just 18 goals during the regular season but showed signs of heating up.
Ryder had just one goal in a 22-game stretch before scoring twice in the season finale. He failed to score on several opportunities in Game 1 but returned with two more goals in Game 2 to help tie the series at one game apiece as it shifts to Boston.
"It's a whole new season now," Ryder said. "It's a good time to start scoring. The whole team has a lot of confidence right now. We're doing a lot of things to create offence and get chances, and we're finding the back of the net. Now we have to make sure we don't slack off."
Beantown problems
Boston did what it wanted to do in Buffalo, which was win at least one game and take away home-ice advantage. The Bruins have outplayed the Sabres for most of the first two games, rallying from two goals down in the first period Saturday and coming back from a one-goal deficit in the third.
The Bruins had been solid all season. Their problem had been playing at TD Garden, where they had an 18-17-6 record. The five teams that were worse on home ice -- Toronto, the Rangers, St. Louis, Florida and Edmonton -- failed to make the playoffs.
"We came up here trying to get [home-ice advantage], and we got it," winger Mark Recchi said. "Now we have to take care of business at home. They've got a good hockey club. We have to do better at home if we're going to expect to do anything here."
Lack of aggression
The Sabres finished with the NHL's 17th-best power play but had converted 26 per cent with the man advantage over the final nine games and hoped to carry that success into the postseason. Instead, they were 0-for-9 through the first two games against the NHL's third-rated penalty-killing unit.
Buffalo's primary problem -- other than Boston's quick forwards, Zdeno Chara's long reach and Tuukka Rask's stingy goaltending -- has been a lack of aggression. The Sabres were tentative in the first two games. They wasted time passing the puck around the perimeter and looking for the perfect play rather than testing Rask.
"We just need more attack," Ruff said. "We haven't attacked. We've gotten a little bit passive where we're looking for the cuter type of play. We've got attack more."
