BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres assigned forwards Justin Bailey, Nicholas Baptiste, and Evan Rodrigues to the Rochester Americans on Monday. The Sabres on are their manditory 5-days off this week with no practice or skating allowed.
The Amerks play their annual game in Buffalo on Wednesday night at the KeyBank Center against the Utica Comets.
The Sabres enter the bye week with 62 points after 60 games and are within striking distance of a playoff spot. They’re four points behind Boston with one more game played for third place in the Atlantic Division and three points back of Toronto with two more games play for the second and final Wild Card spot.
It’s been a busy three weeks for the Sabres as last night’s loss to Chicago wrapped up a 12-game-in-20-day stretch since the All-Star Break. They went 6-5-1 over that span that includes a 4-2-0 record over the last nine days.
That’s a lot of hockey. And although they have a few days off now, the pace doesn’t lighten up much once they come back. They play seven games in 11 days after the bye, starting Saturday night at Colorado.
It’s going to be one heck of a ride.
With his goal (his 21st of the season, surpassing his total from last year), Evander Kane has 15 points (9+6) in his last 14 games. The goal tied Kane for fifth in the NHL with 20 even-strength goals this season. So far in the month of February, no one has more goals than Kane’s seven and he’s second in shots with his 40 (Brent Burns has 46).
Jack Eichel’s assist gave him 18 points (5+13) in his last 18 games and 19 points (7+12) in 20 home games this season. Eichel leads all NHL players with 11 assists in February.
And Rasmus Ristolainen’s assist gave him points in seven straight home games (1+6).
“We’ll forget about this one,” said goalie Robin Lehner, who made 32 saves in the loss. “It’s unfortunate, a hell of a hockey club out there. We’ve got a lot to learn from a team like that, how they play and how they do things. You know what, we’ve been playing good hockey lately and we can’t get away from ourselves here for one game.
“After the break, it starts again. We’ve got to string games together and I think we’re going to do that. I think we have the ability to do that. We’re back in the race, so, this game, it would be nice to win but it doesn’t change anything.”
Resting up
Buffalo won’t practice again until Friday afternoon in Denver as they get set for Saturday night’s contest against the Avalanche. That opens up a back-to-back on the road that ends Sunday evening in Arizona. Then Buffalo heads back home for a match next Tuesday against Nashville.
And then guess what? The Trade Deadline is March 1.