The Buffalo Sabres' daily Covid-19 protocol list continues to be a revolving door, and the team took another big hit Monday.
Shortly before practice began in KeyBank Center, the team learned center and leading scorer Tage Thompson had a positive test and needed to be added to the list. That likely knocks him out for at least the next three games, starting with Tuesday night's visit by Tampa Bay.
Anders Bjork came off the list and returned to practice Sunday while defenseman Casey Fitzgerald likewise hit the ice Monday. Thompson joins holdovers Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs and Kyle Okposo on the Covid list. Meanwhile at Rochester, forward JJ Peterka was added to the Amerks' list Monday and is asymptomatic, coach Seth Appert said.
"Your mind is even going through this: When's it going to happen in the next guy, the next guy, the way it's going around the league and around the world," said coach Don Granato. "It happens today, it's tough for him (Thompson), for everybody.
"I was excited. We had four lines, four sets of 'D' going into practice, and 40 minutes before practice we lose 'Tommer.' "
In his first year as an NHL center, the 6-foot-7 Thompson has blossomed at the position with team-highs of 12 goals and 23 points. Rasmus Asplund took his spot between Jeff Skinner and Victor Olofsson at practice Monday.
In addition to the NHL debut of Jack Quinn, Granato said the Sabres will make a forward callup from Rochester for Tuesday's game. The likely candidates would be Brett Murray or Ryan MacInnis.
Schedule heating up
The Sabres have played four games in their last 24 days, but things will take a quick turn starting Tuesday as the visit by the Lightning will start a run of seven games in 12 days. The Sabres also play Thursday night in Nashville and Saturday in Detroit.
"It absolutely shifts the way we operate. We've had the practice time, and we've made use of that," Granato said. "Obviously it's more challenging when you're playing more games in rapid fire because you just don't get to decompress or step back. You're going to have to play a little bit more efficient."
"I don't really like breaks that much so I'm excited to look forward to playing these games," said center Dylan Cozens. "I think we know before Christmas, we ended off real well (putting together a 2-0-1 road trip). And we know we can get back to that, so all it takes is just get a little momentum going and we build off that every game and look to get hot here for a bit."
Granato said the Sabres have made sure to work their players hard off the ice during a down period in the schedule and have been closely monitored in those areas by the club's sport science department.
"We saw some real positive growth and efficiency for the guys coming off of Covid protocol, day by day getting back to normal quicker and then actually getting above normal than when they went into it because we've had so much time to practice and condition," Granato said. "So we feel we got guys even back above where they were when this practice sequence started. And that was an objective."
Around the boards
• Tampa Bay was supposed to be on a back-to-back but its game in New Jersey was postponed so the Lightning instead came directly here and practiced Monday. At 23-9-5, the Bolts are tied with Florida for first overall in the NHL standings but are just 2-3-1 in their last six games.
• The Sabres' 5-1 win here on Oct. 25 snapped a seven-game losing streak to Tampa Bay. Buffalo is 5-18-2 in its last 25 meetings with the Lightning. The Sabres are 0-3-2 in their last five games overall, with the last win coming Dec. 16 in Minnesota.
• Fitzgerald on his quick postgame chat following the Dec. 29 loss to New Jersey with his father, Tom, who is the Devils' general manager: "I wish I could have been a little bit more rubbing his face in it. Obviously, he got the better of it, they got the better of us there but you know what? We'll play them again and we'll get them back."
