It was around noon Saturday in the service level of KeyBank Center, about an hour before his team succumbed meekly in its 11th straight loss. The woebegone Philadelphia Flyers were having their pregame soccer contest when Rasmus Ristolainen jogged toward the circle to join his teammates.
Flyers forward Travis Konecny saw Ristolainen coming and made sure not to restart the game. Instead, he flipped the ball to him with a smile and the message, "Welcome back to God's country."
There were chuckles from the others and the game was back on. The big Finn was back in The 716 Saturday and he was more than happy to be here.
We know from all those offseason tire-flipping sessions we've seen on Instagram how passionate he is about the game. And we know from too many games like Saturday that he just hasn't won anything since he turned pro after the Sabres drafted him at No. 8 overall in 2013.
Krebs’ backhander to beat Carter Hart, who replaced Martin Jones in the first period, punctuated the Sabres’ 6-3 win, snapping a nine-game skid at home that dated back to Nov. 26.
Ristolainen said he connected with friends in Buffalo on Friday night. Prior to Saturday's game, he was spotted in the locker room hallway chatting with longtime equipment managers George Babcock and Keith Hayes as well as media relations director Chris Dierken.
"It is weird," he said in a session before the Flyers absorbed their 6-3 drubbing. "Even last night, landing and going to the hotel. But obviously it's nice to be back, see some close people to me last night and very excited about this game this afternoon."
The feeling didn't last. It was a typical Ristolainen game. He played 18:54, scored his second goal of the season and was on the ice for three against (since two were on the power play, he had an even rating). He made a few plays and you didn't notice him at other times.
The Flyers looked fire-the-coach bad in this one. One problem: They already did that, sacking Alain Vigneault and leaving poor Mike Yeo to be the interim of a team that's going to be heavy sellers at the trade deadline.
And that probably includes Ristolainen.
"We are not where we want to be as a team but still kind of for me personally, it's been exciting," he said. "Everything is new. All the people, city, staff, everything. I've really enjoyed being with the Flyers and in Philly.
Nazem Kadri won the Central Division's Last Man In vote for the red-hot Colorado Avalanche.
"We just haven't been consistent enough. You have to bring the work ethic every night."
Ristolainen added he hoped the turnaround would be here Saturday. Oooof. The Flyers have injury issues, little defensive structure and got no saves Saturday from backup goalie Martin Jones, who was pulled in a four-goal first period.
He insisted he hasn't thought about the trade deadline but he better. As a pending UFA and a right-shot defenseman, he can help some team provided he's no more than a second-pair guy. And maybe a third pair. The Sabres, of course, over-extended Ristolainen for too many years. But you have to credit him for giving all he had to the organization.
Ristolainen, 27, is No. 10 in Buffalo franchise history among defensemen in games played (542). Still, when he was announced in the starting lineup, there was nary a peep in the building.
During a first-period TV timeout, the Sabres did a quick PA announcement and scoreboard graphic welcoming Ristolainen back and there was some good applause. He waved to the crowd and that was that.
Ristolainen said he's texted some since the trade with Sabres coach Don Granato, whom he greatly respects ("He's really good with people, great human skills.").
Granato pointed out Ristolainen's end-of-season news conference may have came off as a trade-me plea but that wasn't totally the right perception of his view to GM Kevyn Adams.
Said Granato: "It was more of 'I don't really want to be traded, but I know the business side of it. I know I'm on an expiring contract. I don't necessarily want to leave. But Kevyn, I know you, I respect you have to do what you have to do.'
"He felt an obligation here to, to everything that was given to him here from the fans, to the ownership to the teammates, and I have a lot of respect for that. He's a good man, he works hard. Obviously, wish him well, like many other guys that were here once."
Philly's Rasmus Ristolainen protects his net during the Buffalo Sabres vs. Philadelphia Flyers NHL game at KeyBank Center on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022.
Ristolainen knew a trade was the likely outcome and probably best for both parties.
"I think it was time for me to see something new," he said. "First there was a little bit sadness, but then obviously, I think it was good for me to go somewhere else. I liked being in Buffalo. I liked living here. I liked the fans. They were great. So obviously some good memories. But you know, I'm here to play hockey and the hockey part, it was tough.
"We weren't even close to making playoffs so I think it was time for a change. That core was here for a while and things didn't work out. So you gotta make some changes. We were the people who got traded, and it's part of the business."
Think of the names. Eichel. Reinhart. Ristolainen. McCabe. Ullmark. All gone in a four-month span.
There's a new core now. You saw Saturday how important Peyton Krebs will be, saw Thursday how key Jack Quinn is. There are more names here, in Rochester, in college hockey and in Europe. In another year or two, you won't even recognize this team.
The new core will have the chance to get the Sabres into the postseason. Ristolainen's group tried hard but couldn't get there.
"When I was 18 I came to Buffalo I think it was a perfect place for me," he said. "I didn't speak too good English. Before, I lived with my parents. I was mentally a little kid. And now I believe I'm a grown man. And it's been nice to see a little bigger city."
