Sabres notebook: Neck injury giving Kaleta migraines
Anyone who's seen Patrick Kaleta absorbing big hits lately would swear he's got a concussion. He doesn't, but he is injured.
The Buffalo Sabres winger has a torn ligament in his neck, The Buffalo News has learned. The injury is putting pressure on a nerve and causing Kaleta to have migraines, according to a source. Kaleta left Saturday's loss to New Jersey early because of a migraine and was scratched Monday when the Sabres hosted Detroit in HSBC Arena.
"Pat's not good enough to play," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "He deals with lingering effects of the neck from before, and he gets migraines that he's dealt with. He's still not quite right. Our hope is that a couple more days he'll feel good enough."
Kaleta missed 24 games earlier this season with head and neck problems. They resurfaced March 28 when Montreal's Maxim Lapierre boarded Kaleta and sent him headfirst into the boards. Canadiens doctors diagnosed Kaleta with a concussion, but Sabres physicians concluded it was related to the neck. He played in the next three games.
Kaleta received at least two hard shots Saturday before leaving.
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Sabres backup goaltender Patrick Lalime is done for the season with a hip injury. He has missed four straight games with the ailment, and though Ruff would not disclose the full extent of the problem, the coach conceded it's reasonable to assume Lalime will not return.
"Patty's injury is not a good one," Ruff said. "We'll talk about that at a later point."
The Sabres have no need to force Lalime to play while injured after acquiring Mikael Tellqvist at the trade deadline. The former Phoenix netminder has appeared in five games with Buffalo, going 1-1 with a 2.82 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.
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Ryan Miller figured after seven years, it was time for a new design for his goalie mask. He used his fondness for Japanese tattoos and his brother's knowledge of the Japanese language as inspiration.
Miller's new headgear, which made its debut Monday, is highlighted by a dragon, tiger and fish drawn to mimic Asian body art.
"I'm too big of a wimp to get tattoos, but I like them," Miller said.
The part of the mask covering Miller's forehead features a saying from his Michigan State days that his brother translated into Japanese. Miller said the phrase is personal and he would not divulge its meaning.
"It's a throwback to college, put it that way," he said.
The back of Miller's mask, designed by Ray Bishop, has several of Miller's old standbys rearranged. Included are a tribute to his late cousin, Matt Schoals; the words "Miller Time"; and a picture of Miller's home state of Michigan.
Miller's buddies back there were harassing him Sunday and Monday. Michigan State lost, 89-72, to North Carolina in the NCAA men's basketball championship Monday night in Detroit, and calls had come pouring in to see if Miller could hook people up with tickets.
"I've heard a lot from friends and guys trying to get tickets, trying to even shake me down for tickets, like I have an in," Miller said. "Some of the guys from the hockey program gave money back for a training room last year, so they thought maybe we'd be in the good graces right now."
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The Sabres have agreed to a two-year, entry-level contract with Travis Turnbull. The 22- year-old forward recently completed his senior season at Michigan. Turnbull, the son of former NHL player Perry Turnbull, set a Wolverines record by playing in 166 straight games. He never missed one during his stay in Ann Arbor.
The 6-foot, 193-pounder had 40 goals, 50 assists and 241 penalty minutes in his career.
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