Greenway returns to practice with Sabres in yellow non-contact jersey

Jordan Greenway returned to practice at LECOM HarborCenter on Saturday, appearing in a yellow non-contact jersey after missing the Buffalo Sabres’ last two games with an upper-body injury.

Sabres coach Don Granato said Greenway has a chance to play in Sunday afternoon’s matchup with the Detroit Red Wings but that the staff still needs to gather more information before making a decision on his availability.

“He has a chance for tomorrow, but I’ll talk to him now and see where he’s at,” Granato said. “I don’t have enough information to tell you at this point. Obviously, went through practice and now we’ll have that conversation.”

Greenway leads all Sabres skaters in shorthanded ice time in 2023-24, averaging 2:57 on the penalty kill per game. He rotated in with the Sabres’ third and fourth lines during the skate.

Rasmus Dahlin was given the day off on Saturday and is expected to play Sunday in Detroit.  

“Just gave him a rest day today and a re-charge day,” Granato said. “So, fully expect him in full tomorrow.”

The Sabres will take on the Red Wings, who are also in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and sit three points above Buffalo in the standings.

Granato expects Detroit to play a tight, physical game similar to Friday’s contest against Philadelphia, which the Sabres emerged from victorious with a 4-2 win inside KeyBank Center.

“It’s totally different now, obviously,” Granato said. “Things are a lot tighter; you’re running out of runway and road. We’ve seen the entire league play differently, buckle down differently. Players concentrate differently, focus differently. Again, it’s typically a tighter game. … So yeah, it’s definitely different because of the time of year.

“You look at all the teams that are on the cusp of a playoff spot and the numbers of how many teams are not going to make it, and those are some pretty damn good teams that aren’t going to make it. So, everybody’s in the same situation, fighting for those last couple spots.”

Defenseman Connor Clifton said the team is focused on what it can control: winning hockey games.

“At the end of the day, we can watch, we can pray, we can hope that they lose some games – the teams in front of us – but what we can control is going out there, playing our game, and winning hockey games,” he said.

To follow along with the wild card race, check out Sabres.com’s wild card hub.

Sunday’s game will be nationally televised on TNT with puck drop scheduled for 1 p.m. Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray will have the radio call on WGR 550.

Here’s more from Saturday’s practice.

1. The defense rotated pairs in Dahlin’s absence. Here’s how the forward group lined up before heading to Detroit:

77 JJ Peterka – 72 Tage Thompson – 89 Alex Tuch

9 Zach Benson – 24 Dylan Cozens – 22 Jack Quinn

53 Jeff Skinner – 19 Peyton Krebs – 12 Jordan Greenway

28 Zemgus Girgensons – 17 Tyson Jost – 13 Lukas Rousek

Eric Robinson and Victor Olofsson rotated in with the bottom six.

2. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been selected as the Buffalo Sabres’ nominee for the 2023-24 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey." 

He was also voted by Sabres fans as one of three finalists for the Rick Martin Memorial Award, given annually to the Sabres player who “best demonstrates on-ice excellence, resiliency, and dedication to the community.” 

Following practice, Granato emphasized how the 25-year-old has overcome adversity to become one of the league’s top goaltenders and earn recognition for both awards. 

“Lots of guys persevere through situations but this is a big one,” Granato said. “He has established himself since January 1 as a – he’s performed as one of the best goalies in the league since January 1. And that’s a big stretch and a big segment. And it took a lot of work, a lot of commitment and dedication, and fighting through a lot of adversity.

“There’s one spot in the NHL every night – one spot in net for each team. And it’s not easy to get that spot and it’s not easy to keep that and maintain that, and he’s done a tremendous job. But yes, the road to that was not an easy one.”

3. Dahlin earned a rest day after skating 23:26 and recording a goal and a plus-4 rating in Friday’s win over Philadelphia.

Dahlin’s tally came with 5:09 remaining in the second period, when the defenseman returned to the ice after getting banged up, to break a 1-1 tie. 

“I mean, it’s Rasmus Dahlin,” Granato said. “So, he does a lot for us, obviously. And those are big situations. Obviously, he left for a moment, comes back and steps up. So, he’s an inspiring guy. It’s obvious. It’s an inspiring moment from a player that consistently does what happened last night.”

Clifton, who signed a three-year contract with the Sabres on July 1, has enjoyed getting to know Dahlin both on and off the ice.

“He’s a competitor,” Clifton said. “He’s a leader on this team for a young player. He’s obviously – he has a lot of games. He has the most skill in the world, and you know, he’s a danger on the ice in all zones. So, playing with him is a lot better than playing against him, obviously, with his dynamic abilities.”