After sitting out as a healthy scratch Saturday in Columbus, rookie Tim Kennedy will be back in the Sabres' lineup for tonight's game against Boston in HSBC Arena. Kennedy was minus-5 last week in losses to Ottawa and Carolina and has just two goals in the last 22 games he's played.
"His effort has been good," coach Lindy Ruff said of Kennedy, the South Buffalo native. "He's had a couple tough reads on the defensive side of it. The offensive side, he's had some opportunities. He hasn't had a lot. Those come and go. He's in a roll there where he's going to get some opportunities but on the other side of it, he's got to be good away from the puck."
Defenseman Steve Montador, who tweaked his hip Saturday, will join Patrick Kaleta and Nathan Paetsch on the scratch list but Ruff said he's hoping Montador will be available Thursday. (afternoon update-apologies for throwing folks off guard; Matt Ellis should be in on the fourth line with Adam Mair and either Kennedy or Paul Gaustad)
"I expect there to be a lot more energy in our game after a day off and a good practice yesterday," Ruff said.
The team's workout was interrupted briefly by a power failure that left the building in darkness except for the lights in the press box and the digital clock on the facing of the 300 level. The players continued their skating in the dark and even shot a few pucks into the goalies legs while some emergency lighting fired up. (I'm betting you'll see the wacky video on Ch. 7 today as they had the only camera in the house at the time).
Cracked a grinning Ruff, "We asked [for the darkness] because we saw the Boston coaches were watching. We asked them just for the power play [drills] to turn the lights off."
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
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Sabres game day
