'Let's keep going' | Sabres embracing intense training camp

With seven days remaining until their regular-season opener at KeyBank Center, the Sabres wrapped up practice on Thursday after an hour and cleared room for the Zamboni.
Once the ice was resurfaced, they returned from the dressing room and practiced another 45 minutes.
"Guys that we have in there, they just love the game," Kyle Okposo said afterward.
"We just had a practice out there and guys are saying, 'No, let's keep going. We want to keep going.' And then guys are staying on the ice after, and guys just want to play hockey. I think that's going to be pretty infectious for our room."

The Sabres have embraced an up-tempo training camp as they work to establish an identity under coach Don Granato, the basic tenets of which are speed and relentless, fearless puck pressure.
Zemgus Girgensons, the longest-tenured Sabres player, said following the opening practice that it was the highest pace he had seen to begin a camp. Goaltender Craig Anderson echoed that sentiment, admitting the intensity has been a notch above what he's grown accustomed to during an 18-year career.
All of it has been for a purpose.

"The message has been play hard, play physical, play with enthusiasm," Anderson said. "I think that's kind of the message. If we sit on our heels, that's where problems happen. So, if you're gonna make a mistake, make it skating. Make it being aggressive, trying to make something (happen)."
Here are more notes from Thursday's practice.

Peterka considered day to day

JJ Peterka did not practice and is considered day to day with a lower-body bruise, Granato said. The 19-year-old has played a team-high four games during the preseason, tallying two goals and an assist.
Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Olofsson were also absent for maintenance days. Granato said he expects both players to miss practice again on Friday.
"I think we'll keep them out of the skate tomorrow, because we want to ratchet it up," he said. "So, I don't want the soft tissue stuff they're dealing with to be aggravated as it was playing back-to-back."

Tokarski earns a job

The Sabres opened camp with a four-man goalie competition, headlined by a pair of incoming veterans in Anderson and Aaron Dell and a talented prospect in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
The least discussed of the bunch may have been Dustin Tokarski, who returned after appearing in 13 games with the Sabres last season. That run marked his first NHL experience in four years.
Tokarski stopped 35 of 37 shots (.946) during three preseason outings, totaling 82:07 of ice time. The Sabres assigned Dell to Rochester Thursday, leaving Anderson and Tokarski as the two goaltenders on the training camp roster.

"I'm happy about his progress," Granato said. "I'm not surprised because he's just so competitive. He's ultra-competitive. Getting to know him last year, I had a hunch he would build on last year and taking that experience and finding another level, and I think he's done all of that.
"And so, he's earned the right to be here. Everything matters to him. He competes every moment. I'm happy for him. He's done a nice job."

Thursday's practice

Here's how the team lined up during the marathon session:
53 Jeff Skinner - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 29 Vinnie Hinostroza
38 Axel Jonsson-Fjallby - 28 Zemgus Girgensons - 21 Kyle Okposo
91 Drake Caggiula - 24 Dylan Cozens - 96 Anders Bjork
57 Brett Murray - 20 Cody Eakin - 22 Jack Quinn / 15 John Hayden
4 Will Butcher - 10 Henri Jokiharju
8 Robert Hagg - 33 Colin Miller
78 Jacob Bryson - 13 Mark Pysyk
88 Brandon Davidson - 45 Casey Fitzgerald
41 Craig Anderson
31 Dustin Tokarski
Brett Murray and Jack Quinn were reassigned to Rochester after practice.