Sabres notebook
Connolly suffers bruised chest
Lindy Ruff saw Tim Connolly get leveled, and he immediately was concerned. Not just because the Buffalo Sabres center has a history of concussions, but because the hit was hard enough to hurt anyone. It certainly hurt Connolly.
The center skipped practice Thursday with a bruised chest, and he is questionable for tonight’s game against Columbus in HSBC Arena. Connolly was lambasted by St. Louis power forward Keith Tkachuk early in the third period of Wednesday’s 4-3 victory, and he played just one shift afterward.
“Tim’s just got a bruised chest, so he’s going to be day-to-day,” Ruff said. “Don’t feel it’s bad, but don’t really have a handle on how much time it’s going to take.”
Anytime Connolly gets rattled by a blow, thoughts immediately turn to head trauma. The 27-year-old has suffered two major concussions, which forced him to miss one season and all but two games of another. But Ruff said Tkachuk’s hit did not inflict damage to Connolly’s head.
“No, no,” Ruff said. “None at all.”
Connolly had the puck deep in the St. Louis zone when Tkachuk skated down to bury him. The center, who was looking at the puck, went airborne.
“He got hit hard,” Ruff said. “There’s no doubt, he got hit hard. You’re concerned anytime any player gets hit that hard.”
Several Sabres said it’s rare for an opposing winger to come that low in the zone. If he does, usually it’s to try a poke check. But Tkachuk saw an opening.
“He sensed that he could get a lick in, and he got one in,” Ruff said.
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The injury forced Ruff to again shuffle his forward lines, with only the top unit of Derek Roy centering for Thomas Vanek and Ales Kotalik remaining intact. The other lines had Jochen Hecht in the middle of Clarke MacArthur and Jason Pominville; Adam Mair flanked by Daniel Paille and Drew Stafford; and Paul Gaustad centering three wingers — Andrew Peters, Patrick Kaleta and Maxim Afinogenov.
One of the fourth-line wingers is expected to be scratched. Stafford’s placement on the third line suggests he’ll return after getting benched for the second time in three games.
“We’ve got to find some chemistry for him,” Ruff said. “There’s pieces that fit . . . and I haven’t found the right pieces yet for him. But I’m pretty sure we’ll get there with him.”
Hecht and MacArthur have become equally adept at center and left wing, so much so that Ruff is letting them determine who plays where.
“I have no preference right now,” Ruff said. “I even sent them out [Wednesday] night and said, ‘Take your picks, boys.’ ”
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The Sabres’ holiday-season food drive begins tonight. Fans are encouraged to bring nonperishable items to the game, and the donations will be given to the Food Bank of Western New York. The drive will take place at four games: tonight, next Friday against Philadelphia, Nov. 22 against the New York Islanders and Nov. 26 against Boston. Cash donations are also accepted.
