The Buffalo Sabres announced Friday that defenseman Tyler Myers broke a bone in his leg during the team's 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday and will miss the remainder of the season.
The injury likely occurred while Myers was helping kill off a 5-on-3 Montreal power play late in the second period. Myers blocked two straight shots by the Canadiens' P.K. Subban right before Andrei Markov scored.
Despite the injury, Myers played a team-high 25:37.
Sabres interim coach Ron Rolston said Friday it's unlikely Myers will need surgery.
"He played the rest of the game, so it's not a major thing," he said. "It's just that he can't continue on it. It's just going to be more time than anything. He finished, he played the rest of the game, but can't move forward from there. Just get him healed up and get him strong."
Myers, the 2010 Calder Trophy winner, had eight points in 39 games. His 21:18 average ice time per game is second on the team, but his minus-8 is the worst among the team's blueliners. However, Rolston said he's been happy with Myers' play.
"I thought he was doing good," he said. "You got a couple really big blocks that gave him the injury. It was good to see him sacrificing like that."
The injury leaves the Sabres with five defensemen on the roster. Rolston said he had not discussed with general manager Darcy Regier if the team would call up a player from its American Hockey League team or use forward John Scott on defense. Scott has played defense in the NHL in previous stints with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers.
The Sabres, who next play Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers, are 11th in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the eighth-place New York Rangers.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.