Sabres notebook: Leg injuries may keep Rivet, Gaustad out
Published: November 27, 2009, 8:21 pm
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PHILADELPHIA — Lindy Ruff couldn't speculate about the injuries suffered by Craig Rivet and Paul Gaustad. Then again, maybe he just didn't want to. They might be that bad.
Rivet and Gaustad suffered leg injuries during Friday's 4-2 victory over Philadelphia. Both are likely to be out longer than tonight's game against Carolina in HSBC Arena.
"It looks right now like both players will miss some time. Both have leg injuries, and we'll get more details when we get back home," Ruff said in Wachovia Center. "I'm not going to guess [which is worse or how long]. [Today] will be a big day for them."
Gaustad limped to the dressing room during the second period after crashing into the boards while trying to hit the Flyers' Scott Hartnell.
Rivet was injured with 3:22 remaining. He and the Flyers' Arron Asham were chasing a puck behind the Buffalo goal when Rivet hit the ice and slid feet first into the boards. He kneeled with his forehead on the ice for some time before trainers and teammates escorted him up and to the dressing room.
Those weren't the only injuries in a game not for the meek. The Flyers' Jared Ross, playing for just the third time this season, was knocked woozy, wobbled while standing and had to be helped to the dressing room after getting his head knocked into the glass by Patrick Kaleta. The Sabres forward was given a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct.
"[Ross] knew he was coming," Ruff said. "He took a quick look right before, and then he turned. The difference there is it was a young player called up, he knows he's going to get hit on a heavy forecheck, and at the last second you're asking our player to hit the brakes."
The Flyers' Ian Laperriere blocked a Jason Pominville slap shot with his face in the first period, leaving two pools of blood on the ice. He lost seven teeth and received somewhere between 50 and 100 stitches — the stitcher stopped counting.
Amazingly, it wasn't enough to keep him out of the game. Laperriere returned in the third period wearing a full face shield and played five shifts totaling 2:45.
Tim Connolly, who had scored in just one of the previous 16 games, tied a career high with four points. He had two goals and two assists.
"We need that," Ruff said. "We've talked about it, and now we've got to show it on a night- to-night basis. That line [with Drew Stafford and Clarke MacArthur] did a nice job, and Tim did a real nice job for us and got rewarded for the work he put in."
It's the most common refrain in the NHL: There are no easy games. That may be true, with parity taking over. But for the Sabres, it really doesn't set up much easier than this.
The Sabres host the Hurricanes tonight in HSBC Arena. These certainly aren't the same 'Canes most folks envision, the group that eliminated the Sabres in the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals and won the Stanley Cup.
No, these Hurricanes have etched their name in the franchise record book as the worst- starting road team in history.
Carolina has yet to win away from home and carries an 0-9-3 road record into Buffalo. The Hurricanes set the franchise record with a 3-2 loss Wednesday in Anaheim. The previous mark was 11 straight without a win, set in 1981-82 when they were the Hartford Whalers.
"We're certainly feeling it," Carolina coach Paul Maurice said after Wednesday's 12th straight setback. "There's not an awful lot of extra confidence in our game. There's no question about that."
If that isn't enough to get the Sabres salivating, it's also the second night of back-to-back games for the Hurricanes. Carolina, which hosted Atlanta on Friday, is 0-4-1 on the back end of consecutive nights.
The Hurricanes, who are just 27-50-7-1 in Buffalo all time, are still without franchise goaltender Cam Ward. He suffered a severe leg laceration early this month. The team did get All-Star Eric Staal back this week after a 10-game absence.
Both Buffalo goalies have historically controlled the Canes. Ryan Miller is 8-3-2 with a 2.63 goals-against average, while Patrick Lalime is 11-4-4 with a 1.75 GAA and two shutouts.
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