2015 NHL Draft
SHARE
Share with your Friends


At the Rink blog

Miller back in net for Sabres

Thursday, 10.10.2013 / 1:36 PM

By Joe Yerdon - NHL.com Correspondent / 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

Share with your Friends


2013-2014 At the Rink Blog
Miller back in net for Sabres

BUFFALO -- After missing the past two games, Ryan Miller will be back in goal Thursday for the Buffalo Sabres when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets. Miller had sat out with a lower-body injury.

That won't be the only change in Buffalo's lineup, as a pair of rookies will be changing places. Forward Johan Larsson will start on the third line in place of Mikhail Grigorenko. Larsson said he's ready to go after being a healthy scratch Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"I just have to go out there and play my game and do the hard work and do the small details good and then we'll see from there," he said.

Sabres coach Ron Rolston said Larsson will have some challenges against better competition, but he likes the makeup of the 21-year-old.

"I like his competitive nature and what he brings," Rolston said. "He'll battle. He's a smart player. He's in good position all the time, so I think he'll continue to make those adjustments."

Rolston said Grigorenko has to pick up his pace if he wants to get back in the lineup.

"Right now he needs to pick up his urgency in his game," he said. "There hasn't been a lot of urgency to it. At times there has been, but not consistent enough."

As for the Blue Jackets, they'll have rugged forward Jared Boll back in the lineup. He said he's anxious to return, and will be on a line with Mark Letestu and Derek MacKenzie.

"I'm used to playing with those guys and we know each other pretty well, so I'm excited," he said. "I'm just really excited to get back into the lineup."

Columbus coach Todd Richards said Boll's return isn't just about him adding a physical element to the team.

"I think everyone knows about the toughness side of it and what he brings, but to me he gives everyone else confidence on the bench," he said. "As I said to our radio guy, the big brother is kind of back. He knows his job, he knows his role. … He allows guys to go out there and play a bit more freely."

Here are the lineups each team likely will use Thursday:

SABRES

Steve Ott - Cody Hodgson - Thomas Vanek

Marcus Foligno - Tyler Ennis - Drew Stafford

Brian Flynn - Johan Larsson - Zemgus Girgensons

Cody McCormick - Kevin Porter - Patrick Kaleta

Christian Ehrhoff - Mark Pysyk

Mike Weber - Tyler Myers

Jamie McBain - Rasmus Ristolainen

Ryan Miller

Jhonas Enroth

Scratched: Alexander Sulzer, Mikhail Grigorenko

Injured: Henrik Tallinder (upper body), Ville Leino (rib)

BLUE JACKETS

Cam Atkinson - Brandon Dubinsky - Marian Gaborik

Nick Foligno - Ryan Johansen - R.J. Umberger

Matt Calvert - Artem Anisimov - Blake Comeau

Mark Letestu - Derek MacKenzie - Jared Boll

Jack Johnson - Dalton Prout

Ryan Murray - James Wisniewski

Nikita Nikitin - David Savard

Sergei Bobrovsky

Curtis McElhinney

Scratched: Boone Jenner, Tim Erixon

Injured: Fedor Tyutin (lower body)

NHL.TV™

NHL GameCenter LIVE™ is now NHL.TV™.
Watch out-of-market games and replays with an all new redesigned media player, mobile and connected device apps.

LEARN MORE

NHL Mobile App

Introducing the new official NHL App, available for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones and tablets. A host of new features and improved functionality are available across all platforms, including a redesigned league-wide scoreboard, expanded news coverage, searchable video highlights, individual team experiences* and more. The new NHL App on your tablet also introduces new offerings such as 60fps video, Multitasking** and Picture-in-Picture.

*Available only for smartphones
** Available only for suported iPads