BUFFALO – Sabres center Tyson Kozak, who left Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers with an upper-body injury, is questionable for this afternoon’s home game against the New York Islanders, coach Lindy Ruff said.
Ruff said Kozak, who did not practice Friday, will skate early today before the Sabres decide if he can play.
If Kozak, 22, can’t go, forward Josh Dunne will likely move into the lineup.
Update: Kozak is scratched. Dunne is in the lineup.
Meanwhile, Ruff said winger Jordan Greenway missed Friday’s practice as part of his load management plan.
In other news, having lost defenseman Conor Timmins to a broken leg for six to eight weeks in Thursday’s victory, either Jacob Bryson or rookie Zach Metsa will move into the lineup.
Timmins, 27, has enjoyed regular duty after arriving in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins, registering zero goals, six assists and a minus-11 rating while averaging 19 minutes, 14 seconds of ice time in 33 games.
“He’s been a real steady D for us, been great on the kill, been physical,” Ruff said in KeyBank Center. “He’s played well. It’s going to be next man up now. (He) has to come in and play well for us.”
Defenseman Michael Kesselring, a right-handed shot like Timmins, returned from a sprained ankle Thursday, so that softens the blow of losing a top-six defender.
“So we lose one but we got one back,” Ruff said.