The Sabres remain confident they can make a push for the playoffs, but they'll have to do it without a couple of players. Forward Patrick Kaleta will miss at least tonight's home game against Detroit, and backup goaltender Patrick Lalime is done for the season with a hip injury.
Kaleta, who missed 24 games earlier this season with a head and neck injury, suffered a similar ailment March 28 in Montreal. He played in the next three games but left Saturday's loss to New Jersey with a migraine. It was related to the previous injury, and although Kaleta skated this morning in HSBC Arena, he isn't well enough to play.
"He deals with lingering effects from the neck from before, and he gets migraines that he's dealt with," coach Lindy Ruff said. "He's still not quite right. Our hope is a couple more days he'll feel good enough. He didn't do very good yesterday. He's doing a lot better today, but it's going to take a couple more days."
Lalime has not dressed for the past three games because of his hip problem. Ruff said it's reasonable to say Lalime is done for the season, partly because the Sabres have a healthy Mikael Tellqvist available to back up starter Ryan Miller.
"Patty's injury is not a good one," Ruff said, "but we'll talk about that at a later point."
---John Vogl
