The two defensemen credited their preparedness to the tutelage of Sabres director of player development Matt Ellis, who has taken a hands-on role with the taxi squad this season. Borgen and Davidson had both spent the entirety of the season on the taxi squad prior to Monday, when the absences of Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe, and Brandon Montour created a void on the back end.
The taxi squad is a roster feature unique to 2020-21, introduced to have players available to NHL clubs without having to travel from an AHL site. The group travels with the active roster, with individuals occasionally being called upon to fill in with the larger group at practice.
On many days, however, the taxi squad practices amongst itself. It is in these scenarios where Ellis has become a crucial presence, implementing drills to keep skills sharp and fitness levels up to the standard needed to join an NHL game. Buffalo's sports science department monitors players to help ensure the latter.
"We really push the pace every single day," Davidson said. "I think it's a huge [credit] to Matt just the way that he's kind of prepared us. I felt good last night. I felt like my lungs were great. I think that that contributes to the taxi squad, what we're kind of doing down there.
Added Borgen: "We get a good skate in every single time we're out there with him. He's a good coach, really good."
Borgen and Davidson were tasked with stepping in against an Islanders lineup that boasts depth through all four forward lines, leaving no easy matchups for third-pairing defensemen. Davidson skated 4:16 at even strength against Mathew Barzal, the Islanders' leading scorer, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Davidson finished the night with two shots in 11:36. Borgen skated 14:43, tallying one shot and three hits. Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said it was a positive first impression for a team that may need to rely on its taxi squad more moving forward as it navigates a condensed stretch of 46 games in less than three months.
"They've put a healthy pressure on our D corps," Krueger said. "They keep you honest. When you watch them step in and play a game like they did last night, that does give us confidence in our depth. We didn't know what we had. Certainly, a healthier depth than what many might perceive from the outside.
"Both of them, what they did last night is a compliment to the work ethic they've had in practices. The attention they have to detail and how we want them to play, they stepped right into the system as if they had played all 11 games, not just yesterday. That's just a really good find out of a disappointing loss last night. You try to find the sunshine, but they were certainly big parts of it."
