Evander Kane out 'weeks' with cracked ribs

BUFFALO -- Buffalo Sabres left wing Evander Kane has fractured ribs and will be out for weeks, coach Dan Bylsma said Friday.
Kane left the season-opening 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Thursday with 12 seconds left in the second period, after becoming tangled with Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin and going into the boards.

"Evander has, I think, three cracked ribs, and we're looking at weeks," Bylsma said. "He goes into the end boards hard and you're hoping for a bruise, but it's not. So it's cracked ribs and, again, it's weeks, and depending on the severity. It's in the oblique area. It's something you're going to deal with even when you come back, with rotation and the discomfort."

Kane needed help leaving the ice was taken to the hospital for observation. He was released later Thursday.
"It's 25 miles an hour going to a dead stop," Bylsma said. "All the crash tests are done at, what, 30 miles an hour? It's 25 miles an hour and both guys are going, he's going in hard. If you don't get any injuries it's still a huge collision into a completely stationary object … I don't think you can put any blame there."
Bylsma said the Sabres will recall at least one player from Rochester of the American Hockey League after Rochester plays its season opener Friday.
The Sabres already were without center Jack Eichel, who sustained a high left ankle sprain Wednesday, and Bylsma said it would be "more weeks than days" before he plays again. Buffalo may have right wing Kyle Okposo (bruised knee) and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (bruised tailbone) back Sunday, when they begin a four-game road trip at the Edmonton Oilers.