Practice Report | Samuelsson, Comrie feeling good in return to practice

Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and goaltender Eric Comrie returned to practice with the team on Thursday, taking the next steps in their recoveries from lower-body injuries.

Comrie sustained his injury during the second period of the Sabres’ 5-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 27, in what was his third start of the season.

“It just kind of happened, I guess. It was a weird, little play,” Comrie said. “I mean, the day before the game, I had a jump test and it was my best jump ever. So, I was pretty proud of where my body was and the fitness was. So, it wasn't like I was in a low spot or anything like that. I was in a good spot, so I was excited to be playing that game and I was ready to go. And just unfortunately, people get injuries.”

Last season, Comrie dealt with a lower-body injury which held him out of the lineup from Nov. 16 until Jan. 10. He was happy to have received good news this time around and be back on the ice with his teammates so soon after his injury two weeks ago.

“Yeah, it was really nice. I mean, just nice to get back out in the rhythm of things and get back to practicing. And it was a lot of fun just to be out there,” he said.

“I feel good. I feel good again today in practice. I just feel like I'm going to continue doing the little things all year that I've been doing.”

Comrie posted a .923 save percentage in his first two games of the season before exiting the game against the Devils. Both Comrie and Granato want him to get some more practices in so that he can pick up where he left off prior to his injury.

“I'd like a couple more practices, for sure. I mean, I definitely need to get back into the rhythm of things and get back into the swing of things, but I feel like I'm getting closer every single time I get on the ice,” Comrie said. “I think this is my third skate—first one back with the team—but it's my third skate so I feel better and better every skate so far.”

Granato thought that Samuelsson looked good as well in his first practice back with the team since leaving last Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers with his own lower-body injury after skating 2:30 in the first period.

“He's an incredible team guy and elevates the mood in a positive way, in a competitive way,” Granato said. “By no means do I want to overlook the fact that this guy is really competitive, ultra-competitive, but he has a way about him that just energizes those around him. So, you miss him when he's not in there. To have him back at practice, practice elevates, he elevates it because he's competitive.”

Samuelsson hopes to be back in the lineup for Saturday’s contest in Pittsburgh when he can come off injured reserve.

“It feels good. I always have fun out there, so just to be back on the ice out there with everyone, it’s good,” Samuelsson said. “Just trying to get the body going and just have fun and enjoy it.”

Here are more notes from Thursday’s practice.

1. Alex Tuch was absent from practice for the second day in a row and is day to day with an upper-body injury, Granato announced.

The coaching staff will evaluate Tuch as well as Dylan Cozens, who skated in his non-contact jersey, Friday morning ahead of the team’s game against the Minnesota Wild at KeyBank Center.

2. Here’s how the group lined up for practice, with Matt Savoie once again skating in Tuch’s place.

Forwards

53 Jeff Skinner – 72 Tage Thompson – 93 Matt Savoie

12 Jordan Greenway – 37 Casey Mittelstadt – 77 JJ Peterka

71 Victor Olofsson – 19 Peyton Krebs – 13 Lukas Rousek

28 Zemgus Girgensons – 17 Tyson Jost – 21 Kyle Okposo

24 Dylan Cozens

Defensemen

26 Rasmus Dahlin – 33 Ryan Johnson

25 Owen Power – 10 Henri Jokiharju

75 Connor Clifton – 6 Erik Johnson

23 Mattias Samuelsson – 78 Jacob Bryson

Goalies

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

27 Devon Levi

31 Eric Comrie

3. Granato said the coaching staff is leaning toward using Savoie and that the forward is a possibility for Friday’s game, depending on how everyone is feeling in the morning.

“…Because of guys coming back and looking better and some question marks to answer tomorrow morning, we’ll see how everybody feels. That decision won’t be made until tomorrow. But, yes, we’d like to get Savoie," Granato said.

Savoie appeared on the Sabres’ top power-play unit at practice with Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner, Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin. The other power-play group consisted of Kyle Okposo, JJ Peterka, Peyton Krebs, Victor Olofsson, and Owen Power.

4. In Tuesday’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Sabres erased two deficits in regulation to force overtime. Following practice, Granato emphasized the team’s growing confidence as the season moves further along and how getting to their game has allowed the players to respond to any situation.

“I'd love to say it says something about our mental toughness but the first thing that comes to mind when you bring that up is where we are now compared to where we were two weeks ago,” Granato said. “And we were worried two weeks ago in situations now that we're confident. I think that just comes with reps and settling into the regular season. More of a rhythm.”

5. The Sabres host the Wild for Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Friday.

Tickets are available here. 

All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative Hockey Fights Cancer scarf, co-branded with the Sabres and Roswell Park logos, at their seats along with an “I Fight For …” placard with a space to write the name of someone who has been affected by cancer. The crowd will be asked to raise their placards in unison during the game.

For more information on the night, including the pregame ceremony and ceremonial puck drop, click here.