Preceded by their annual team photo, the skate was not your typical late-season non-game day for the group. Intense, detail-oriented and longer in duration than most practices, Rod Brind'Amour and staff took advantage of the day, one that they'll have few and far between opportunities like the rest of the way.
"We just don't have a ton of practice time anymore and when you look ahead, there's really no time to practice then either," the head coach explained afterward when he met with the media. At this moment there are only six scheduled practices remaining this regular season, but those are always subject to change. Five of them either are also either travel days or will be held on the road.
Over the course of about an hour today the team gave focus to a little bit of everything, including special teams and ramping up the pace during some compete drills.
"This time of year it becomes a little tricky. We don't do a ton of compete drills], it's a lot of repetition and video work, but we had a day off yesterday so we decided to get the juices flowing again," Brind'Amour continued.
As for the players, they were put to work, but they also understand that days like today come with the nature of the calendar.
"Towards the end of the season you don't get a lot of practices, but it's always nice to grind it out with the fellas and get in their faces a little bit," Jordan Staal shared. "We enjoy the competitiveness in the room."
In terms of personnel at the skate, 20 skaters and both goalies were in attendance - everyone on the active roster outside of Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Kotkaniemi is expected to miss at least the next two weeks, however, Ethan Bear, who suffered a lower-body injury last week, remains practicing with the group as he works his way back. Bear also skated with the team last Friday at their skate in preparation for the Wild.
With just 13 games between tomorrow and April 28, Brind'Amour continued to say that the team will probably still hold a morning skate Tuesday in Buffalo. His club did not skate Saturday morning before taking on Minnesota, the first time all season they elected to do so, outside of the second half of back-to-backs and afternoon contests.
Now the attention turns to tomorrow's affair in Buffalo, an ESPN+ / Hulu telecast.
Although the Sabres are on the cusp of being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, Staal and the group see them as just as much of a threat as a team that will be playing into May.
"They can be loose, they can play a game that's chance for chance and be comfortable with that," the Captain went on to say. "When you roll that dice you never really know if you're going to win the game or not. We just have to be aware of that style not creeping into our game."
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