PEORIA, Ariz. -- The mythical healing power of the desert sun seems to have helped Patrick Kaleta. Maxim Afinogenov and Andrej Sekera? Not so much.
Kaleta skated with the fourth line during the Buffalo Sabres' practice at the Peoria Sports Complex today. He may be available to play Saturday when the Sabres visit the Phoenix Coyotes.
"I'm assuming he will be cleared based on how he's practiced and how he feels," coach Lindy Ruff said. "That isn't definitive."
Kaleta has missed 24 of the past 26 games with a neck injury.
Afinogenov and Sekera, meanwhile, are not skating. Afinogenov has had a setback with the groin injury that has kept him out of the past 10 games.
"Whether it's groin, hip ... that area just isn't responding," Ruff said. "We're trying to get to the bottom of it."
Sekera, who's missed six games and was hoping to be back Saturday or Monday in Anaheim, tested his ankle injury while in western Canada but has been shut down since.
"He was doing good, but it's your typical high ankle sprain," Ruff said. "It doesn't come around as quick as you hope. He was feeling good, but when he tried it it wasn't near where we thought it was going to be, so we've kept him off the ice."
And for those of you wondering if the desert has helped my flu (a short list, I'm sure, but I know at least my mom is curious), I'm up to about 90 percent.
---John Vogl
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