Practice Report | Thompson 'ready to go' for Wednesday's home game 

Tage Thompson said he is ready to play in Wednesday’s home game against the Minnesota Wild following practice at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.

Thompson, who has missed the last five games with a lower-body injury, practiced in his usual spot on Buffalo’s top line and power play unit.

“I feel good, I had a good day today and I’m ready to go tomorrow,” Thompson said.

The 6-foot-8 forward, with 11 goals and seven assists in 16 games this season, felt ready to return Saturday night at San Jose but recognized the benefits of exercising caution.

“It’s smart for sure to take an extra few days, especially where our team was at – hot on the road and feeling good about the game,” Thompson said. “It was more of a precautionary thing, making sure I was 100 [percent], ready to go and not stepping in too early, re-aggravating it.”

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said the team’s lack of a practice day ahead of the San Jose game – they had played in Anaheim the night prior – factored into the decision to delay Thompson’s return. The Sabres beat the Sharks to complete a three-game sweep of their California road trip.

Forward Jordan Greenway, meanwhile, didn’t practice Tuesday and remains week-to-week with a middle-body injury that has held him out of four games to date. He underwent a non-surgical procedure that should clarify his return timeline.

“We’ll know within the next couple days,” Ruff said, “and then we’ll see where he’s at.”

Here’s more from Tuesday’s practice at KeyBank Center.

Tuesday’s practice lines

News and notes

1. Buffalo had one of its longest practices of the season Tuesday following two days away from the ice, with Ruff vocally demanding the team to push the pace in drills. The veteran coach won’t accept complacency from his team despite this recent surge, with three straight wins and a 7-2 record since Nov. 5.

“There was a lot of good in those three games, but there’s a lot of opportunity to improve,” Ruff said. “I think the intensity and dirty goals have kind of dried up. We’ve got to get back to getting inside and getting more people right around the net front.”

That tougher style of play will be crucial, Ruff expects, in upcoming games against defensively stingy opponents like Minnesota.

“They’ve put together a really nice year,” Ruff said of the Wild. “It’s going to be a really, really tough game.”

2. Jiri Kulich, who scored the overtime winner in Anaheim, continues to earn minutes centering the third line. The 20-year-old, a regular center with AHL Rochester, has excelled at faceoffs with a 66.0-percent win rate and breakouts from the defensive zone.

“He’s gained a lot of confidence, understands where the next play is and has taken advantage of that,” Ruff said.

Practice sound

Up next

The Sabres host the Wild on Wednesday. Tickets are available here.

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