MORNING SKATE LINES
Vanek-Hecht-Pominville
Stafford-Roy-Boyes
McCormick-Gaustad-Kaleta
Ellis-Adam-Kassian

LINEUP NEWS
- Ryan Miller will start in goal tonight.
- Jochen Hecht and Brad Boyes will return from injury tonight
- Derek Whitmore has been returned to Rochester.

WHAT THEY WERE SAYING THIS MORNING:
Lindy Ruff (click to hear full audio)
How does it feel to have some healthy regulars return to the lineup?
Obviously up front we’ve been a bit thin, so getting (Boyes and Hecht) back should help us.

How did Thomas Vanek do at the morning skate?
Thomas made it through fine. I would anticipate that he’ll play.

How much of a boost is it to the team to start getting guys back in the lineup?
Definitely it’s gonna help, there’s no doubt. Jochen back in the middle should help us against other team’s top lines. Brad was going pretty good when he got hurt. I thought he was good on the power play. It should give us a couple of stronger lines.

Jochen Hecht (click to hear full audio)
Are you excited about returning to the lineup?
It was frustrating getting injured again. But on the other side, I was out there doing my job. If I’ve gotta block a shot, I block a shot. That happens. It’s not what I was looking for. But here we go again.

Do you feel like the team is starting to turn a corner on the injuries?
I hope so. It was pretty rough at one point in the year. But with Boysie coming back and Enzo skating again, hopefully we can turn this thing around and stay healthy for a while.

MORNING SKATE LINES
Vanek-Roy-Pominville
Stafford-Szczechura-Whitmore
Adam-Gaustad-Kaleta
McCormick-Ellis-Kassian

LINEUP NEWS
- Ryan Miller will start in goal tonight.
- Patrick Kaleta is back in the lineup tonight after missing 8 games with lower body injury
- All seven defensemen will dress for warm-ups; no decision on tonight’s scratches yet.

WHAT THEY WERE SAYING THIS MORNING:
Lindy Ruff (click to hear full audio)
What does it mean to have Kaleta back on special teams?
I think that leadoff pair of Gaustad and Kaleta killing penalties was very good. We’ve thrown some other guys in that situation, and we’ve worked hard with them. But at the same time, there are responsibilities when a player is out that you miss.

When did he start showing improvement in that role?
At the start of summer, we said this is the one area we want you involved with. His skating ability, his willingness to be in the lane and block shots; he’s taken a few that have hurt him. He really started to understand what other teams are trying to do, and he stays in the right lane and is aggressive when he needs to be.

MORNING SKATE LINES
Vanek-Roy-Pominville
Stafford-Adam-Szczechura
Foligno-Gaustad-Kassian
McCormick-Ellis-Whitmore

LINEUP NEWS
- Ryan Miller will start in goal tonight.
- Thomas Vanek got through the morning skate without any issues and is expected to play
- Marcus Foligno and Derek Whitmore will make their NHL debuts
- Patrick Kaleta and Brad Boyes both skated today but will not be in the lineup tonight

WHAT THEY WERE SAYING THIS MORNING:
Lindy Ruff (click to hear full audio)
Did you have to explain to Marcus what you expect from him tonight?
I think he understands his game; it’s based on being physical. He’s got good hands, he can get the puck to the net. We can use a big body around the net. I think getting in on the forecheck and disrupting Ottawa’s defensemen, that’ll be the key to his game.

What do you think this night means to Marcus and his entire family?
The family as a whole has gone through some tough times in recent years. To have Marcus play against Nick, and for Mike to be here… Mike is a former teammate of mine, and he’s a helluva guy. I think both kids are great kids. It’s a great family. For both his boys to be able to play in the NHL, you’ve gotta be one proud father. I think he’s going to be smiling from ear to ear.

Would you be disappointed if Marcus doesn’t do the leap when he scores his first goal?
I didn’t really think of that. If Marcus scores, I’ll do the leap. Put the camera on the bench boys.

Marcus Foligno (click to hear full audio)
Is it a bit surreal to have your dad here for the game AND you are playing your brother’s team?
It’s important to have family here, and it’s good that it’s in Ottawa because it’s close to everyone who can make it tonight. Nick is excited; I think he’s a little more excited than I am. It’s gonna be fun.

Have you thought about your first goal and what your celebration might be?
People want me to do the jump so I’m gonna have to do it. Right now I’m just focused on playing well, and playing how the team wants me to play. If it does happen, then good on me. But I’m just excited to get my first NHL game out of the way.

Derek Whitmore (click to hear full audio)
What does it mean for you to be able to put the Sabres uniform on tonight?
It definitely means a lot. This year has been really good so far. It means a lot to wear the Rochester Americans jersey being from Rochester. But at the same time, Buffalo was my team as a kid growing up. I remember playing a couple of Pee Wee hockey games back at Marine Midland Arena, and just wondering one day if I’ll ever be able to play in the NHL let alone play for the Buffalo Sabres. It’s definitely a dream come true and I’m looking forward to it.

PITTSBURGH -- Lindy Ruff gathered his troops at the hotel this morning, and they sat down with some popcorn and cold drinks to watch the video of last night’s exciting win over Toronto. Only a handful of players then made the short walk next door in light snowy conditions to the Consol Energy Center for an optional skate.

Ruff dressed seven defensemen last night against Toronto, but doesn’t plan on doing that tonight in Pittsburgh. Even in the back-to-back scenario, Ruff isn’t planning on sharing time between Marc-Andre Gragnani and Brayden McNabb like he did last night. Gragnani played 14:16, while McNabb only skated 6:48.

“My plan is not to use Marc on wing. If anything I’ll take a defenseman out and play four lines – play Colin Stuart. I thought Marc played well last night on the back end. He moved the puck well and did some good things. That wasn’t any of our issues.”

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With the firing of Jacques Martin in Montreal today, there have now been 169 coaching changes in the NHL since Ruff was hired in Buffalo on July 21, 1997. Ruff, the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, understands the volatile nature of the head coaching position.

“We’re in a tough business. I feel fortunate to be standing here talking to you guys when we’ve had a lot of coaches that have lost their positions. I don’t think Jacques was doing a bad job. I think that’s what our league is; the parity is really close and it’s tough to pull away. I think Jacques is a good coach. He’s a good man, and a good coach.”

CLICK TO HEAR RUFF'S COMPLETE AUDIO

Ruff is very familiar with Martin’s successor in Montreal. Randy Cunneyworth played for the Sabres under Ruff, and also coached Buffalo’s AHL affiliate in Rochester for eight seasons before moving on to an assistant’s position with Atlanta.

“If you ask the players, he’s good with the players. He has a good rapport. He’s a player’s coach. I think that’s what our business is. You go from a guy that’s hard, to a guy that’s easy … to a guy that’s hard, to a guy that’s easy. You find maybe a better way to relate to some players. And I think that’s what they’re looking at. Randy is a good man and I’m sure that he’ll do a good job.”

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Buffalo isn’t the only team being ravaged by injuries this season. The Penguins are already without stars Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, and last night they lost defenseman Paul Martin with an apparent leg injury. Zbynek Michalek also missed his eighth straight with a concussion. With all they key injuries on the Penguins blueline, Ruff says they need to play an attacking north-south game against the Penguins tonight.

“For us, it’s try to play a puck pressure game. Challenge the defense; create some opportunities because of the personnel that are missing.”

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Tonight’s game closes out Buffalo’s ninth of a league-high 21 sets of back-to-back games this season. The Sabres are 6-3-0 in the first game and 5-3-0 in the second. The Sabres have swept two sets and split six.

LINEUP NEWS
- Ryan Miller will start in goal tonight.
- Patrick Kaleta did not take part in morning skate; his status for tonight is unclear.

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WHAT THEY WERE SAYING THIS MORNING

Lindy Ruff (CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RUFF AUDIO)
On the playing status of Patrick Kaleta
Pat got in this morning and wasn’t feeling well. We’ll get him through it, and get him going. It’s all you can do. There’s nothing else you can do about it.

What’s the difference you’ve seen in the Leafs this season?
I think right now it’s their depth in scoring. They’ve got two or three lines that are producing. Their power play has been good, but their penalty killing has struggled a little bit. They struggled a bit when Reimer was out, but he’s back now.

Have you noticed a difference in Tim Connolly’s play so far this season?
I see the same. Even with us, I think we would’ve won the Flyers series if we don’t lose him. He was that important of a player to us at that time. He was a big part of our power play, and he was our number one penalty killer. I think that’s something that goes really unnoticed. He’s a penalty killer that will lay it on the line. He’ll go down on both knees to block shots, he’ll block one timers. You go back to the Flyers series, he gave up his body three or four times. Where as you look at some skill players in the league and they’ll be doing the double flamingo.

Jason Pominville (CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE POMINVILLE AUDIO)
Do you think the fans and media were too hard on Connolly when he was here?
I think a lot was expected out of him because of his ability offensively. But a lot of things that he did away from that might have been underestimated. His play away from the puck, the way he killed penalties, and on most nights he would play against the other team’s top line. Those are things the players notice, but other people might not. He did what he had to do.

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Thomas Vanek and Derek Roy will both be playing in their 500th NHL games tonight. The pair will become just the 25th and 26th players to suit up for 500 or more games with the Sabres in franchise history, and join Jochen Hecht as the only other active SabreS on the list. Vanek (415 pts) and Roy (403 pts) are 12th and 13th respectively in all-time franchise scoring.

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Tonight’s game opens up Buffalo’s ninth of a league-high 21 sets of back-to-back games this season. The Sabres are 5-3-0 in the first game and 5-3-0 in the second. The Sabres have swept two sets and split six. They continue this set tomorrow night in Pittsburgh.

MORNING SKATE LINES
Vanek-Szczechura-Pominville
Stafford-Roy-Ennis
Leino-Adam-Kassian
McCormick-Gaustad-Ellis/Kaleta

LINEUP NEWS
-Miller will start in goal tonight.
-Weber and Gaustad returning from injury; McNabb stays in lineup; Kaleta is a game-time decision.

WHAT THEY WERE SAYING THIS MORNING

Lindy Ruff --- (CLICK TO HEAR RUFF'S FULL PRESS CONFERENCE)
Can you explain the recent success against Ottawa?
I get asked this every time and I don’t have a good enough answer. We’ve had some good scoring against them, and our goaltending has been really good at times. There have been games where we’ve had the special teams edge. It’s almost where we had it going in the wrong direction years ago when we couldn’t win, and now we’ve tipped it the other way.

On the decision to keep McNabb in the lineup:
I don’t feel like I’m forced to play Brayden. He’s earned a spot with the way he’s played.

How important is the need for secondary scoring?
We’ve had a real good push from Pominville and Vanek up top. But it’s time for Ennis, Stafford and Roy to make a difference inside of games. They had eight scoring chances (on Saturday), and I can’t stand here and tell you they did a great job because of the chances. Great chances are only good if they end up in the back of the net. I’ve like Tyler the last couple of games finally. The speed and quickness in his game is back. Now it’s the ability to finish.

Weber

Mike Weber --- (CLICK TO HEAR WEBER AUDIO)
Are you looking forward to getting back in the lineup tonight?
For sure. It’s been three weeks with the injury but it’s felt like three months. I’m excited about getting back and being able to help my teammates again.

Was it frustrating to be out so long with the rib injury?
As much as I bugged (trainer Tim Macre) to get x-rays every day to see how it was progressing, it was one of those things where the bone takes three weeks to heal. But now it’s healed and I’m ready to rock.

Will your physical game be affected at all by the injury?
I’m cleared so I’m ready to go. Other than the first couple of days I haven’t had any pain or soreness. There’ll be no hesitation. I know what I have to do and I know how I have to play.

Pominville

Jason Pominville --- (CLICK TO HEAR POMINVILLE AUDIO)
Based on how tight the Eastern Conference standings are, how important are the next five games?
You’re so close to being one of the top teams in the conference, and you’re also so close to being one of the bottom teams. There’s not a big difference, and the parity is huge. We need to use these division games to climb, or push teams back. We see it no different regardless of who we are playing, we want to keep climbing.

Getting off to a good start against Philadelphia was one of the things that Lindy Ruff had been preaching for days, and they did just that with an early three-goal outburst. But Thomas Vanek thinks they may have gotten a little complacent with the three-goal lead, and should’ve kept their foot on the gas.

Vanek

“Sometimes we get the lead, and we’ve just got to go for the next one,” says Vanek. “It doesn’t mean we have to jump up in every play; we have to be smart about it. We’ve got to keep playing our game, and play with a little bit of a swagger instead of sitting back and trying to win it 3-0 right away.

“There’s nothing wrong with 3-0. But at the same time, against good teams like Philly, they have a lot of firepower and you know they’re going to get chances. We did have some good chances to put them away and we didn’t. We’ve got to get a bit of that swagger mentality and keep going.”

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Ryan Miller will get his second consecutive start tonight …. Jordan Leopold was paired with Brayden McNabb this morning, and is expected to return to the lineup tonight after missing three games with an upper body injury … Joe Finley was not on the ice today, and has been returned to Rochester … Paul Gaustad also skated, but his playing status for tonight is questionable. Lindy Ruff said they would be recalling a forward from Rochester this afternoon … Patrick Kaleta took part in today’s morning skate wearing the red non-contact jersey.

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The version of the Florida Panthers that come into First Niagara Center tonight is markedly different from the team we’ve seen in recent years. They shutout the defending Cup champion Bruins 2-0 last night in Boston, and are now just one point out of the overall lead in the Eastern Conference. When was the last time Florida occupied top spot in the East? Wayyyy back on February 12, 1997 when they were 28-15-3 (69 pts) and had an assistant coach named Lindy Ruff. That was also one season removed from the franchise’s only trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Here are some other facts about tonight’s opponent:

• The Panthers are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and 16-8-4 on the season. This is their best start since going 16-8-2-2 through 28 games in 1999-2000
• The Panthers hold a seven-point lead over Washington for first place in the Southeast, the largest divisional lead in the NHL
• Florida’s 10 road wins are tied with Philadelphia for most in the NHL
• Their plus-12 road goal differential is second only to Boston’s plus-15
• Jason Garrison leads all NHL defensemen in goals with eight. He came into this season with seven in 113 career games.

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Today’s game begins Buffalo’s eighth of a league-high 21 sets of back-to-back games this season. The Sabres are 4-3-0 in the first game and 5-2-0 in the second. The Sabres have swept two sets and split five. They wrap this set up tomorrow night against the New York Rangers. This is also the first of two sets of back-to-back home games. The next set takes place on Feb. 10-11 against Dallas and Tampa.

Lindy Ruff has had 24 hours to digest the two-game suspension handed down to Nashville’s Jordin Tootoo yesterday, and he spoke in measured words today when asked for his thoughts on it.

“In my eyes, it was good to see the suspension,” said Ruff. “I don’t know if that’s a great deterrent, but it’s definitely a sign that they don’t want players running goaltenders.”

LISTEN TO RUFF'S COMPLETE PRE-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Tootoo received a charging major and game misconduct for crashing into Ryan Miller in the crease during the second period of Saturday’s game in Nashville.

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Miller gets the start in net tonight for Buffalo, and it’s a chance for him to get redemption for his poor start in Philadelphia’s first game here on November 2. Miller allowed three goals in the first 6:23 before being replaced by Jhonas Enroth.

Miller

Miller didn’t start again for another six days, and has only played three times since the Philadelphia game due to the injury he suffered in Boston on November 12. He played well in Nashville on Saturday, and would like to carry that effort over to tonight’s game as well.

“Hockey’s a funny game. I thought (Philadelphia) had a pretty aggressive start and they got some good goals,” Miller explained. “I would’ve liked to get a piece of a few of them, make a save. But I didn’t happen that night, and I fully expect to be able to put myself in the position to make the saves this time.”

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Philadelphia enters First Niagara Center for the second and final time this season with the NHL’s best road record of 9-3-1. Tonight’s game concludes a three-game road trip for the Flyers that started last Friday with a 4-3 win in Anaheim, followed by a 4-2 victory the next night in Phoenix. The Flyers start the night three points behind Atlantic Division-leading Pittsburgh, but hold three games in hand. The Flyers and Penguins will meet for the first time this season tomorrow night in Philadelphia.

Tonight is just Philadelphia’s 26th game of the season, but they are second in the league in goals scored (88), and lead the league with a goals per game average of 3.52. Only the Rangers and San Jose (both at 24) have played fewer games than Philadelphia so far.

A struggling Buffalo team caps off their sixth back-to-back series of the season when they take on the Nashville Predators tonight at Bridgestone Arena. The Sabres are 1-4-1 in their past six games and have scored just 13 goals. Injuries continue to plague the blue and gold, and a 4-1 loss last night to the Detroit Red Wings has left a sour taste in the mouths of the Sabres. Forward Thomas Vanek has just one goal in this stretch of games and head coach Lindy Ruff knows his top forward needs to convert on his opportunities.

“The opportunities are there and I thought he’s stayed with it. There wasn’t any of that stomp and hang your head, he just kept working and if you keep working than good things will happen."

Gerbe

The injury bug continues to bite the Sabres as forwards Patrick Kaleta and Nathan Gerbe did not make the trip to Nashville. The most concern lies with Gerbe who received a cut across his face during last night's game. During a third period faceoff, fellow Sabre Paul Gaustad cut Gerbe as he was tripped by Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk. Gerbe promptly skated off the ice and was attended to by the Buffalo trainers. He was unable to travel with the team.

Click here for the Lindy Ruff podcast

“He’s not doing well so we left him at home so he won’t play. He received a lot of stitches and doesn’t feel too well and didn’t get any sleep last night. Not sure how many stitches he received but it was enough.”

With Gerbe set to miss time, Buffalo has recalled Rochester Americans forward Corey Tropp. The recall will be Tropp’s third of the season and he has two points (1+1) in 10 games with the big club.

Miller

The good news on the injury front is that goaltender Ryan Miller is set to return to action. Miller has been out the past nine games with an upper body injury courtesy of Boston's Milan Lucic. The Sabres managed only three wins since losing Miller and Ruff knows that goaltending is one of the keys to getting his club back on track

“On 95 percent of the occasions your goaltender has to be a difference maker. For a long time Jhonas (Enroth) was, but he’s struggled a bit. We need Ryan to step in and play well and obviously this is a great opportunity for him.”

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Mueller

West Seneca native Chris Mueller will be in the line-up for Nashville. Mueller signed as a free agent with the Predators in 2010 and spent time with their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. This is Mueller’s first recall of the season, after playing 15 games for them last season. He is quite excited to take on his hometown team.

Click here for the Chris Mueller podcast.

“It’s always exciting when you’re recalled, whether it’s your first game or your one hundredth. When I found out it was against the Sabres it was like my first game all over again.”

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Game time is 8 p.m. and can be seen on MSG. Make sure to tune in at 7:30 p.m. for Tops Game Night.

A pair of key pieces will return to the Buffalo lineup tonight when the Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings in a 7:30 p.m. start at First Niagara Center.

Ryan Miller passed his concussion testing yesterday, and will be back in uniform for the first time since November 12 in Boston. Tyler Ennis returns after missing 17 games with an ankle injury suffered in Tampa Bay on October 22. Lindy Ruff didn’t say if Miller would be starting tonight or tomorrow in Nashville.

LISTEN TO LINDY RUFF'S COMPLETE MORNING SKATE AUDIO

For Ennis it’s an opportunity to take a mulligan on a season that started slowly for him, as he was held without a point in the seven games he played in. Much more is expected of the offensively-talented 22-year-old who had 22 goals and 49 points last year in his rookie season.

“We need him to be creative when he can be. He knows the situations we want him to hang on, and he knows the situations where he’s gotta try to get pucks to the net,” explained Ruff. “He even admitted that he passed up some great opportunities. Part of Tyler being effective is his ability to hold on to the puck and open people up. We need him to hang to pucks.”

Ennis will play right wing on a line with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford.

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Detroit comes into tonight’s game having won six in a row, and 10 of their last 12 games. They have outscored the opposition 24-11 during the current streak, and have allowed three goals or more just once in their past six games. The Red Wings are one of five teams with a league-leading 15 wins so far.