BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Conor Timmins said when he and teammate Jordan Greenway got their skates tangled and he fell to the ice almost three months ago, he could feel his leg break.
“When I fell there, it became unbearable,” Timmins said of the pain experienced Dec. 18 late in the Sabres’ 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Earlier that night, Timmins, 27, said he had blocked a shot that “did a little damage.” Still, he gutted it out until he fractured his leg.
“Just a freak accident,” he said after participating in this morning’s optional pregame skate, his first session since going down.
The Sabres host the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.
The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Timmins, who has missed the last 33 games, will accompany the Sabres on their four-game road trip that begins Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. While there’s no firm timeline for his return, coach Lindy Ruff said he could be a week or 10 days away from being available to play.
Timmins has recorded zero goals, six assists and a minus-11 rating in 33 games this season. After arriving last summer in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he established himself as one of the Sabres’ top penalty killers.
From the sidelines, he said he has watched the team’s confidence blossom. Following a middling start this season, the Sabres have roared into first place in the Atlantic Division.
“At the beginning of the year, we were kind of just finding our way,” he said. “Guys have really found that confidence in closing out games, playing with leads, not panicking when we’re behind, just sticking to our system.”
In others news, Ruff said winger Alex Tuch, who missed Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Washington Capitals with a lower-body injury, “looks like he can play” tonight.
Meanwhile, Ruff said defenseman Mattias Samuelsson is doubtful for the game.
Rookie Zach Metsa, one of the Sabres’ biggest surprises this season, is expected to move back into the lineup.
Metsa, 27, has mostly earned regular duty since mid-December, developing into a consistent presence on the third defense pair after beginning the season with the Rochester Americans.
“He’s played incredibly well,” Ruff said. “He’s exceeded my expectations. His numbers say that. He breaks the puck out really well, makes very few mistakes when it comes to defending. So he’s earned his right to be here.”
Meanwhile, Ruff said goalie Colten Ellis, who missed Thursday’s practice for maintenance, won’t dress for tonight’s game.
Ellis has recently served as the backup, allowing Ruff to give the next game’s starter the night off.
Alex Lyon is expected to start in goal and be backed up by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.