After Saturday's complete clunker in Detroit, it would make sense if Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato wanted to shuffle some personnel. As it turns out, he's getting a big injection for the teams' matinee rematch Monday in KeyBank Center.
Center Peyton Krebs, who landed in Covid-19 protocol Jan. 4, returned to practice Sunday on a line between Vinnie Hinostroza and Kyle Okposo and is reclaiming his spot in the lineup.
The Red Wings raced out to a lead during an ugly first period for the Sabres, frustrated Granato’s power play throughout Saturday night and held on for a 4-0 win to end Buffalo’s two-game road trip on a sour note.
"He looked good. He had good jump, and, obviously, he's a skilled player," Granato said. "I like the chemistry with him and Hinostroza and Okposo. ... He's excited, enthused and he's skilled, so he can help us."
"I think he's a really smart hockey player," fellow center Tage Thompson added. "And when you get someone like that, no matter who he plays with, it just makes the game easier for his linemates."
Krebs, a centerpiece acquisition from Vegas in the November trade for Jack Eichel, played three games for the Sabres before he was sidelined and recorded a spectacular assist on Alex Tuch's goal on New Year's Day in Boston. He said he had no symptoms during his 10-day quarantine, necessitated by a string of positive tests. He spent it at his rented house in Rochester along with his girlfriend, who also tested positive, and his dog.
"It was a long 10 days there and trying to test out of it. I felt great," said Krebs, 20. "I was working out every day at my house. You've just got to kind of look at the things you can control. And that was not one of them."
Aaron Dell will get his third consecutive start in goal for the Buffalo Sabres on Monday afternoon against Detroit.
Krebs said the timing of his first positive test was frustrating, coming in the wake of the Boston game, where he made his first real impact on the club. He said his return to the lineup is a relief.
"I'm just getting my stride up here and starting to feel good. I want to keep the things rolling and showing what I got," he said. "So, yeah, it was definitely tough. You just try not to think about it too much. My goal tomorrow is to go out there and have some fun. I missed making passes, making plays, skating hard."
A different look is what the Sabres absolutely need to show after Saturday's 4-0 defeat. They were outshot 39-22, and the count was 22-6 in the first period. Too many of their forwards struggled badly to have much impact on the outcome. Anders Bjork, Mark Jankowski, Rasmus Asplund and Okposo all had no shots on goal, with Okposo getting a donut while playing 15:58. Thompson, Victor Olofsson and Dylan Cozens all had just one shot apiece, and Cozens struggled mightily in the faceoff circle, going 1-10.
"That was a game where it was very, very clear and evident that they set the pace," Granato said of the Red Wings. "They dictated the pace and we did not do enough from the work ethic side or the tactic side to make it harder on them."
"A lot of it is probably just a mindset," Thompson said. "I think, obviously, we were pretty hungry in Nashville after losing to Tampa Bay, and then we have a good win in Nashville. Maybe we get a little too high on ourselves going into Detroit. I think probably just being a little more even keel and not riding high or riding the low too much is better. Just come in with a business focus."
