Practice Report | News and notes from Sunday's skate

Nicolas Aube-Kubel is expected to be in the lineup on Monday against the Florida Panthers, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff announced after practice at KeyBank Center on Sunday.

Aube-Kubel has been out since sustaining a lower-body injury against New Jersey on opening night. The winger spent Sunday’s practice on a line with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn.

"I don’t know if we’re convinced we’re going to use (the line against Florida) but that was what we wanted to see today,” Ruff said. “Speed, one of the strongest guys we have on the puck. Was really playing well coming out of his injury. It could be a look. The Panther team is hard, they’re heavy, physical. It could create a little bit more forecheck pressure for us.”

Aube-Kubel was signed to a one-year deal this summer with the intention of adding his phsyicality (159 hits last season), skating (his top speed ranked in the 94th percentile of NHL players), and experience (a Stanley Cup championship with Colorado in 2022) to the bottom of the Sabres' forward group.

He was a standout performer during training camp and the preseason, which he spent on a line with fellow newcomers Beck Malenstyn and Sam Lafferty.

“(I was) feeling great,” Aube-Kubel said last week. “Hopefully that injury doesn’t slow me down a little bit. That’s why I’ve got to take time to get back to 100 percent."

Here’s more from Sunday’s skate.

Sunday's practice lines

News and notes

1. Owen Power was limited to one shift during the third period on Saturday due to an illness, Ruff said. Power was a full participant in Sunday’s practice.

“It was debatable whether he would get out this morning, and our medical staff thought it would be OK if he got out,” Ruff said. “I believe he’s doing better. He got through practice. But we know playing against a Florida team, we need 100 percent.”

2. Following the win over Detroit on Saturday, Ruff pointed to Alex Tuch’s knack for stealing the puck from opponents in the offensive zone as a key element to his line’s success.

Tuch ranks second in the NHL with 91 takeaways since the start of last season, trailing only Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin (93). Auston Matthews and Leon Draisaitl are next on the list with 89 apiece.

Ruff expanded on Tuch’s takeaway ability after practice Sunday, crediting it to a mix of the forward’s reach, skating, and work ethic.

“It’s something that you have to take a lot of pride in if you want to be good at it, because it takes extra effort, too,” Ruff said. “You can be that tracking guy and be a foot away, but you can give that extra one or two strides and get in position to take a puck away. It’s combined. It’s work, it’s reach.”

3. Ruff was asked after practice how he teaches players not to extend their shifts. He smirked, put two fingers in his mouth, and whistled loudly into the podium microphone.

“That’s how we deal with it,” he said. “And they know that means, ‘Oh, I must be out here a little too long.’ So, I mean, if we’re going to play a fast game – and that is our game, that is the identity we want – you’ve got to realize that probably when you’ve gone up, back, and up, your shift is over.”

Ruff said the Sabres’ commitment to short, up-tempo shifts has been an a key area of improvement since their 0-3 start to the season.

“One area that I didn’t like early on was our changes,” he said. “Some of our changes were horrendous because we stayed on the ice too long. We’ve really cleaned that part of our game up. I think every guy in that room understands when I’ve said 40 to 45 seconds, that should be max.

“Unless you have one of those [shifts] where you got stuck in your own end, which will happen maybe once a game, the understanding is you’ve got a short period of time to do your work at a really high rate. So, if you’re not tired after 40 to 45 seconds, I’m assuming you haven’t done too much.”

4. The Sabres tweaked their second power-play unit for practice, with Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway joining Tuch, Power, and Jack Quinn.

Here’s how the units shaped up:

Practice sound

Up next

The Sabres host the Panthers on Monday. Tickets are available here.

Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7.