This week marks the return of Lyon, but there’s troubling news regarding Norris.
In Raleigh, NC (WGR 550) – Just before the Buffalo Sabres embarked on their trip to Raleigh, they skated in Buffalo and received a mix of encouraging and discouraging updates.
Goaltender Alex Lyon rejoined his teammates on the ice, which was a positive sign. However, Josh Norris's situation has taken a turn for the worse; he is no longer listed as day-to-day. Coach Lindy Ruff informed reporters that Norris is now classified as week-to-week, stating, "I can’t really pinpoint a specific timeframe, but unfortunately, he’s not recovering as we had hoped."
Norris has been sidelined for 27 games this season due to three separate injuries.
On the other hand, Lyon has missed nine games due to injury, but with four games scheduled over the next six days, Ruff confirmed that Lyon will be back in the goal, saying, "He’ll definitely play sometime this week for sure; we’re finalizing our goaltending strategy, but he will certainly be in the lineup."
Prior to his injury, Lyon showcased an impressive performance, boasting a record of 6-0-0 with a goals-against average of 2.12 and a save percentage of .921 in his last seven games.
Colten Ellis has been sharing the goaltending duties with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, although it appears that Ellis’s performance may be declining a bit.
Ruff also announced that Konsta Helenius will make his NHL debut in Carolina. The 19-year-old has been selected for the AHL All-Star game alongside Isak Rosen and Zac Jones. In his 34 games with the Rochester Americans, he has scored nine goals and provided 21 assists for a total of 30 points. Over the past two seasons, he has played 99 games, netting 23 goals and assisting on 42 others for a combined 65 points. Ruff expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I’m very excited. We’ve seen the impact that (Noah) Ostlund has had on our team—a young prospect we hold in high regard. He should be thrilled to join the lineup."
Helenius was the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, while Ostlund was chosen 16th overall in 2022.
Typically, Lindy Ruff sticks to discussing hockey, but he couldn’t help but share his disappointment following the Bills' loss to the Denver Broncos in overtime on Saturday. The team and its fans are buzzing with frustration over a controversial call regarding a pass thrown to Brandin Cooks, which was ruled an interception instead of a catch. Ruff weighed in, saying, "The play Sean (McDermott) was referring to feels eerily similar to our infamous ‘No Goal’ from '99. What exactly is the rule? That’s a debate I fully understand.
To put it into perspective, during the football game against the Jaguars, it took two or three minutes to determine if the clock had run out; so why wouldn’t it take just as long to confirm whether the receiver was down after being touched and if it constituted a catch? Why was that decision made so quickly? Honestly, I don’t have enough knowledge to even be here commenting on it, but I think most Buffalo fans felt like they were stabbed in the gut."
Ruff openly acknowledged his bias as a Bills fan, much like everyone else.
The Sabres have earned points in six out of their last seven games, achieving a record of 5-1-1. As of Sunday, Buffalo occupies a top Wild Card position, holding a points percentage of .606. Meanwhile, Boston is riding a six-game winning streak, sitting at .592.
Carolina leads the Metropolitan Division and ranks second in the Eastern Conference with a points percentage of .653. The Hurricanes have also performed well lately, going 5-1-1 in their last seven contests.
Historically, Buffalo struggles in Carolina, having lost their previous matchup 6-3 in November. However, they pleased their home crowd in Buffalo with a convincing 4-1 victory.
The Sabres have faced a daunting challenge in Raleigh, losing 12 consecutive games there, with a record of 0-10-2 since 2016.
In goal for Carolina, Brandon Bussi boasts an impressive record of 17-3-1, with a goals-against average of 2.25 and a save percentage of .905. Conversely, Freddie Andersen has a record of 7-10-3, with a goals-against average of 3.25 and a save percentage of .869.
Sebastian Aho stands out as their leading scorer, accumulating 17 goals and 33 assists for a total of 50 points across 49 games.
Don’t miss our pregame coverage starting at 12:30, where Brian Koziol and I will discuss insights from Ruff and hear from Helenius.
