TORONTO – Winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin both participated in the Buffalo Sabres’ well-attended optional skate this morning.
So, will they play tonight against the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena? Sabres coach Don Granato said early this afternoon he hadn’t set the lineup.
“I don’t have any lineup decisions yet,” said Granato, whose Sabres have lost four straight games (0-3-1). “There’s a couple that need to be made.”
Tuch, out the last the last eight games recovering from a lower-body injury, practiced for the first time Sunday. He took his usual spot on the top power-play unit this morning, a sign he might be ready.
Meanwhile, Dahlin, who’s day to day with an upper-body injury, returned this morning after missing Sunday’s session.
“I’ll see how I feel now in the afternoon,” he said of his status for the game.
Clearly, Dahlin is nursing an injury that could require more maintenance.
“It’s the end of the season,” he said. “I’m sure everyone’s got their stuff going on. So it’s a part of it and you just got to keep pushing.”
If Tuch plays for the first time since Feb. 24, winger Victor Olofsson could be the odd man out. The Swede, a staple of the power play, knelt on the ice near the bench this morning as both units went through drills.
Olofsson has scored just one of his 24 goals in the last 17 games. His minus-22 rating ranks last on the Sabres.
In other lineup news, goalie Craig Anderson will be making his first start in a week. The veteran has compiled a 20-9-4 record with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in 37 career games against the Leafs.
