OTTAWA -- Mikael Tellqvist will make his first start for the Sabres tonight against the Senators, and Lindy Ruff revealed after today's morning skate that he and the goalies have been keeping a secret since Friday.
That's when he told Tellqvist that he'd be starting in Scotiabank Place after Patrick Lalime made his ninth straight start in Saturday's game against Atlanta in HSBC Arena.
"I just want a solid effort," Ruff said. "We've been getting good ones out of Patty. We just need a solid effort from [Tellqvist] too. We need the team to play well and at the same time, we're going to need him to make some big saves."
"You prepare a little different when you know you're going to playing," added Tellqvist, whose last start was Feb. 19 for Phoenix in a 4-3 shootout win over Atlanta. "You work a little extra in practice on game situations and I've been doing a lot of that with Jim [goaltenders coach Jim Corsi]. Hopefully it will turn out great."
With Adam Mair out (knee), Andrew Peters will return on the fourth line with Paul Gaustad and Patrick Kaleta. It's Peters' first time in the lineup since Feb. 19 in Philadelphia and just his second appearance in the last 19 games. Hard to figure that one. How about Matt Ellis, Clarke MacArthur or even Tim Kennedy getting a call from Portland to fill out a forward line? Maybe Peters is on the lookout for Jarkko Ruutu.
Sabrekiller Mike Comrie has the flu and did not skate for the Senators. Coach Cory Clouston listed him as questionable and said Comrie's possible absence could cause a big shuffle in his lines. Ottawa's Big Three was broken up Saturday, as Ryan Shannon joined Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. Daniel Alfredsson was to skate on the Famous Girlfriends Line with Comrie (Hilary Duff) and Mike Fisher (Carrie Underwood), a trio that worked well Saturday in Pittsburgh.
(OK, we made up the name).
But now? If Comrie doesn't play, wonder if the Big Three go back together.
Brian Elliott will make his sixth straight start in goal for the Sens; the Ottawa media is making a pretty big deal of his performance since Pascal LeClaire was acquired at the trade deadline -- Elliott is 5-0 with a 2.14 GAA and .923 save percentage in that time.
Elliott in February: 3-2-2, 3.34, .896. Hmmm.
---Mike Harrington
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NHL | Sabres | Sabres game day
