Sabres notebook
Connolly, MacArthur battle injuries
Published: April 08, 2009, 12:08 am
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The Buffalo Sabres could be without center Tim Connolly and winger Clarke MacArthur for tonight's critical game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after both missed practice Tuesday while battling unspecified injuries.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff confirmed after the workout that both players would meet with doctors before deciding whether they would be available against the Leafs. Captain Craig Rivet also missed practice, but he is expected to play tonight.
"They're all banged up to different degrees," Ruff said. "Rivet is fine. The other two, we'll see."
Connolly hasn't been the same since taking a hit behind the net against New Jersey last Saturday. He was slow getting to the bench but returned. He was back in the lineup against Detroit on Monday, but he did not take any faceoffs. MacArthur played only 8 minutes, 43 seconds against Detroit after scoring five times in his previous seven games.
Ruff is one of the more candid NHL coaches when it comes to injuries, but he divulged little about Connolly and MacArthur on Tuesday.
"One's upper, one's lower," Ruff said. "There's various ... I don't really want to get into them right now."
Rivet was believed to be given the day off to overcome general soreness. Patrick Kaleta (neck) skated with the Sabres but did not participate in contact drills.
The injuries left center Dominic Moore skating between Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. Derek Roy was flanked by Jochen Hecht and Drew Stafford. Paul Gaustad was with Daniel Paille and Adam Mair. Matt Ellis was between Andrew Peters and Maxim Afinogenov.
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Former Sabres winger Brad May will play his 1,000th game tonight against his former team. He spent the last game chasing around Kaleta, who happened to be a big fan of May while growing up in Angola. May was a Sabres rookie in 1991, when Kaleta was only 5 years old.
"That's the crazy part," May said with a laugh. "When I think of it like that, it's almost embarrassing. But that's the game we play, right? It's amazing. One day I'll get a chance to meet this guy. But until then .‚.‚ until then .‚.‚. It's the game. That's all. I can completely separate what happens on the ice from what happens off the ice."
Kaleta, who is not expected to play tonight, appreciates May's style.
"It doesn't matter who's on the ice or if I watched him growing up. You go out there and play your game for the team to get the win," Kaleta said. "When he first got traded over, I knew he would be coming my way. He's a guy that made his living in the league by playing tough hockey. He's a guy you want on your team."
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Defenseman Chris Butler thoroughly enjoyed North Carolina's victory over Michigan State in the NCAA basketball tournament, a fact best kept to himself with veteran Ryan Miller in the same dressing room.
Butler attended the University of Denver but was a UNC hoops fan. Miller has been bleeding Michigan State green since birth. He's also friends with Spartans basketball coach Tom Izzo.
"I'm fine," Miller said. "It's always good to see your school do well. They keep advancing their program. There's a sense of pride for everybody involved. It was fun to watch, fun to be a part of. I always pick them in my pools. I got to brag a little bit this year, so it was good."
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