BUFFALO – Center Jiri Kulich, who left Saturday afternoon’s 4-3 shootout win after getting hit in the head, is in concussion protocol and did not accompany the Sabres to Boston, where they begin a four-game road trip tonight against the Bruins.
The rookie could eventually join the team.
“That could be tomorrow,” Ruff said following Sunday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “It’s a day-by-day (situation) to see where it’s at.”
Kulich left Saturday’s game after Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden hit him 9:25 into the second period. Following the contest, Ruff said the Czech was “doing pretty good.” He wasn’t, however, feeling as well Sunday.
Meanwhile, injured forwards Josh Norris and JJ Peterka were expected to travel with the Sabres. Neither player practiced Sunday.
Ruff said Norris, who missed Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury, would make the trip if responded well to treatment.
Peterka, who has missed the last two contests with a lower-body injury, skated on his own Sunday. Ruff said the German “was feeling really good.”
“(He) hasn’t practiced,” he said. “But got a really good report on him today.”
The Sabres also added reinforcements up front Sunday, recalling forwards Brett Murray and Isak Rosen from the Rochester Americans.
Murray, 26, has played 23 games for the Sabres over the last four seasons, scoring two goals and six points. He has scored 23 goals and 40 points in 55 games for the Amerks this season, offensive numbers that only trail the 27 goals and 51 points Rosen has compiled in 52 outings.
Rosen, 22, has played three games for the Sabres this season and 10 contests in the last two years, compiling zero points. The Sabres sent him back to Rochester on Thursday following a short recall.
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To find some road games he liked, Ruff reached back almost three months, to the Sabres’ last visit to Boston, a 3-1 loss Dec. 21, and their 7-1 win over the New York Islanders on Dec. 23.
“Yeah, we’re talking a long time,” he said.
They won their last road contest Jan. 21, a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. They’ve dropped their last eight games (0-7-1), including Thursday’s 7-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
“The Detroit game was not good in any sense,” Ruff said. “We got to simplify our game, we got to take care of the puck better, we got to stay out of the penalty box on the road.”
The Sabres are just 9-19-3 on the road this season. Only three teams – the Western Conference’s bottom-feeders: the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks – have fewer wins.
“I go back to the last time we were in Boston, we played a really good game,” Ruff said. “… We went to (Long Island) right after that and played a really good game. That’s the type of hockey we need to play. Patient, and then when you get your opportunity, take advantage of it.”
That’s what the Sabres have done at home, where they’re 8-2-0 since Jan. 28.
“I think we play better defensively – a lot better defensively – at home for the most part,” Ruff said. “We got to take that on the road with us.”
The Sabres have allowed an average of five goals per game during their road winless streak. Meanwhile, in their last 10 home outings, they’ve allowed just 2.9 goals per contest.
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Early in Saturday’s win, Howden got by Sabres winger Sam Lafferty on the back side and converted Tanner Pearson’s pass at the net to put Vegas up 1-0 at 12:07.
Lafferty, however, responded with one of his best outings this season, utilizing his speed all afternoon alongside center Tyson Kozak and Beck Malenstyn.
“He took one hard to the net, he made a couple plays offensively where he was on a puck,” Ruff said of Lafferty. “That’s really what we’re looking for. Like, just be tough to play against, use that that speed.”
Lafferty said he wanted to make up for the early goal against.
“I felt we were kind of rolling them over as a line,” he said. “We had good energy, kind of feeding off each other.”
Lafferty impressed Ruff so much he awarded him a shift in overtime.
“I was a little worried with (Jack) Eichel with his speed, thought we’d throw our speed guy out there,” he said. “He was having a good night. So I thought let’s give him a look three-on-three.”