Sabres notebook: Enroth to possibly get a start
Jhonas Enroth may be days away from his NHL debut.
Enroth, the Buffalo Sabres' top goaltending prospect, joined the team for Wednesday's 3-0 victory against the New York Islanders because of an injury to Patrick Lalime. The veteran backup suffered a groin strain during practice Monday, and there is no time table for his return.
"You never know with groins," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We hope it's not long. It depends on how it responds."
The Sabres are on a run in which the schedule forces them to play three games in four nights for five straight weeks. Ruff used starter Ryan Miller in all three games last week. It doesn't sound as if that is the coach's plan for this four-day run. The Sabres host Philadelphia on Friday in HSBC Arena and travel to Boston on Saturday.
"We're going to stick to the program," Ruff said. "By the weekend, if Patty isn't ready to play, there's a good chance Jhonas would play."
Enroth is 3-7 with the Portland Pirates, recording a 3.90 goals-against average and .872 save percentage. The 21-year-old has a save percentage of .914 over his past three starts.
"We had a rough start, but my last four games I think I have been playing pretty good," the second-round pick of the 2006 draft said. "It's always fun to be here. I'll try to stay ready even when Ryan is playing. I prepare for every game like I should play the game."
Enroth was called up for four games last season but never saw the ice.
"If he's here for any length of time, he's going to have to play," Ruff said.
The Sabres are almost back to full strength outside the crease, with only Toni Lydman still unable to play. The defenseman missed his fifth straight game with a groin injury.
Center Paul Gaustad returned after missing two games with the flu, while Patrick Kaleta was back on his right side after a one-game absence. The right winger took no chances getting sick again, tossing out all his bedding and disinfecting his whole house.
"I personally hate sitting out games," Kaleta said. "I don't enjoy it whatsoever, so if there was any way I could have played or any way I could be there, I would have been there for sure."
Sabres center Derek Roy was unbeatable in the faceoff circle, winning all 14 of his draws. The last Buffalo player to go 14-0 or better, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was Curtis Brown. The center was 19-0 versus Atlanta on Oct. 4, 2001.
Roy's effort was part of a 39-8 night for Buffalo.
Dmitri Kalinin, who never lived up to his potential during his seven seasons with the Sabres, seems to have found his niche in his homeland.
Kalinin has been named the Defenseman of the Month for October in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. The Sabres' first-round pick in the 1998 draft had seven goals, three assists and a plus-10 rating in 12 games for Salavat Yulaev Ufa. He has nine goals already this season, a total he reached only once in Buffalo.
The Sabres are holding a "hat surprise" promotion when the Flyers visit Friday. For a $20 donation to the Sabres' foundation, fans will receive a New Era cap signed by a Buffalo player.
The Sabres' annual holiday kettle drive to benefit the Salvation Army began Wednesday.
Former Sabres goalie Martin Biron made 36 saves, but his two-minute roughing penalty earned more attention. Immediately after being upended by defenseman Jack Hillen, Kaleta made a beeline for the nearest Islander. Kaleta hit Frans Nielsen into Biron, and the goaltender charged from the crease to put Kaleta in a headlock.
All the other players joined the scrum with the exception of Sabres goalie Ryan Miller.
"I wouldn't even be able to stop laughing to even throw a punch at him," Miller said.
Biron was making his second appearance of the season in Buffalo. He started for the Islanders on Wednesday after entering the previous game off the bench Oct. 16. During that relief appearance, the arena crowd saluted his entrance with a standing ovation.
The affable chatterbox laughed after the morning skate while recalling a similar occurrence in Buffalo once before.
"The only other time I got an ovation going in a game was my first preseason game," Biron said. "Well, I took it for me, but it was more for Dominik Hasek. He came out making like 12 saves on his behind with his skates up in the air.
"I stood on the ice and they all stood up and cheered, but it was for him coming out."
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