Johan Larsson didn’t like his linemates his last trip up. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald

Sabres’ Josh Gorges and Patrick Kaleta out against Flyers; Johan Larsson up

BUFFALO – The lower-body injury Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges has been nursing could sideline the veteran for a while.

Sabres coach Ted Nolan wouldn’t say Gorges’ season is over, however.

“I’m not too sure about that,” Nolan said this morning after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers inside the First Niagara Center. “We’ll see. He’s going to get a second opinion.”

Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta, meanwhile, had played 21 consecutive games, a long streak for the oft-injured agitator. But the Angola native, who practiced Saturday, has also been battling a lower-body injury.

Kaleta will be evaluated again and sidelined a “little while.”

“He was trying to skate through it,” Nolan said.

With Kaleta out, the Sabres summoned winger Johan Larsson from Rochester. Larsson skated on the left wing beside center Matt Ellis and the struggling Cody Hodgson, who will return from a two-game benching.

Nolan chatted with Hodgson this morning on the ice.

“The hardest part about this business is players got to allow themselves to be coached,” Nolan said.

Nolan also talked to Larsson, who angered him by complaining about his linemates after his last demotion.

“Yeah, I was upset,” Nolan said. “Players play. The tail can’t wag the dog.”

Larsson said he doesn’t “really talk about that” when asked if the Sabres told him to keep quiet about his linemates.

In other news, expect defenseman Zach Bogosian, part of Wednesday’s trade with Winnipeg, to play some big minutes tonight.

“He’s going to get thrown right into the fire,” Nolan said. “He’s going to play a lot of minutes. Plus he’s a big boy. I’m quite sure he’s used to those minutes. Maybe he’s going to look at it a whole different way. Maybe he wasn’t getting as much minutes as he thought before. So there won’t be (any) question about minutes here.”

Why did Bogosian pick No. 47?

“Four and 44 were gone,” he said. “My favorite player growing up was (Chris) Chelios, and he wore seven. So four and seven, I guess that’s the meaning behind that one.”

Bogosian wore No. 44 with Winnipeg and No. 4 in Atlanta.

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