Sabres notebook
Vanek earns trip to All-Star Game
In a no-brainer choice announced Thursday afternoon, Buffalo Sabres winger Thomas Vanek was added to the Eastern Conference team for the NHL All-Star Game.
Vanek has 27 goals and entered Thursday’s play tied for the league lead with two of his fellow East reserves, Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin and Philadelphia’s Jeff Carter.
“Tremendous honor, well-deserved,” coach Lindy Ruff said after practice in HSBC Arena. “He’s had a great start to this season and it’s great to have him represent our team.
“He deserves a lot of credit. He put a lot of work into the offseason and put a lot of work in the first half of this season. If you put the work in, he’s got the skill to get it done and he’s reaping the benefits right now.”
Vanek was presented with his red Eastern Conference jersey for the game, to be held Jan. 25 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
“I’ve never been a big part of [promoting] my own success but at the same time it’s an honor to represent the Sabres and my teammates,” Vanek said.
Vanek was the first player in the NHL to reach 20 goals this season, a stat last accomplished by a Sabre when Danny Gare did it in 1975-1976. Vanek had 52 goals in the 2008 calendar year, second in the league to Ovechkin’s 60.
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Ruff and Andrew Peters both said they were satisfied with the NHL’s decision to suspend Ottawa’s Jarkko Ruutu two games for his bite of Peters’ thumb Tuesday night.
“I thought it was a good decision,” said Ruff. “We don’t need that in the game. It’s embarrassing for the game. I think they dealt with it and dealt with it in a good fashion.”
“I was pretty happy, not so much for myself but to send a message around the league and to fans that isn’t tolerated,” Peters said. “He’ll miss his games, pay his fine and it’s over with and all done.”
Wednesday night in Boston, Ruutu told the Ottawa Citizen he felt Peters’ was trying to hurt him by putting the glove in his face.
“I accept the ruling from the league,” Ruutu said. “I feel that he [Peters] put his glove in my mouth with intentions to injure me. There was no intent to hurt him, just to get his thumb out of my mouth.”
Told of Ruutu’s statements, Peters just shook his head.
“This can go back and forth. I’m not going to make excuses,” Peters said. “Was that his defense? I don’t know that I can comment on that because I don’t know where that came from.”
Ottawa coach Craig Hartsburg backed Ruutu.
“The guy [Peters] shoved his glove in his face and came out of the pile jumping around, but it’s hard to believe there was anything wrong with him,” Hartsburg told the Citizen. “I think people are accusing [Ruutu] of something he says he didn’t do.”
Peters, however, showed his bloodied and bruised thumb to The Buffalo News after practice Thursday.
“It’s not an easy call for the league either way. They felt two games was fair and I’m fine with that,” Peters said. “I’m just happy that they took action. It says a lot about how much they care about the game.”
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Ruff said he’ll keep his top three lines together tonight against the New York Rangers so as not to disrupt a lineup with three straight wins. Tim Connolly, who will be playing his first game since Nov. 14 after recovering from a broken rib, will thus be worked in on the fourth line and special teams.
That means Vanek will stay with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford. Matt Ellis will remain with Jason Pominville and Paul Gaustad, and Adam Mair will continue to center Jochen Hecht and Ales Kotalik.
Connolly will thus center two of the following three: Peters, Clarke MacArthur and Daniel Paille. The odd man out will join the injured Maxim Afinogenov and Patrick Kaleta as scratches.
Ruff said no decision has been made about his lineup on defense, where the Sabres now have eight healthy bodies with the return of Craig Rivet (shoulder) and Toni Lydman (flu). Rookie Chris Butler, who has played well in his first NHL stint, could be heading back to Portland of the AHL.
