With each passing game, Nelson continues to build confidence

In their loss to Florida at home on Thursday, the Buffalo Sabres were robbed of a potential comeback mostly by their inability to hit the net. The Sabres tallied 67 shot attempts to the Panthers' 50, but 16 missed the net and 19 were blocked.
One of the few players to buck the trend was defenseman Casey Nelson, who recorded a career-high five shots on goal.
"I really like the way Casey's playing," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "I think he moves the puck really well, he's defending really well, his gaps are really tight. That's why he remains in the lineup. It's always nice to have a right-hand shot as well.
"You look at his shots from the point, he finds ways to get pucks through to the net. He's uncanny in that way."

Against the Panthers, Nelson's shots came from all over the offensive zone. He showed an ability to create a shot lane and deliver the puck from the blue line, like on this play that created a scoring chance for Kyle Okposo at the net-front:
At the same time, he also picks his spots to pinch down low in the offensive zone to sustain possession or create scoring chances. On this play, he cut to the net for a point-blank shot and drew a cross-check in the process:
Nelson made his season debut against the New York Rangers on Jan. 18, and while others have moved in and out of the lineup on defense, he's been a mainstay ever since. He began this season with 19 games of NHL experience under his belt - seven upon the conclusion of his NCAA career late in 2015-16 and 12 more last season - but said he feels like a new player this time around.
He feels his biggest improvement has come in his own end, a jump he made in 37 games with Rochester this season. He led the Amerks with a plus-11 rating.
"I feel defensively, like I've been saying, I can be out there against some of the top players and be good against them," Nelson said. "Just shut them down. I think my plus/minus down in Roch has showed that."
His greatest sources of confidence are the situations when he's found himself on the ice for matchups with opposing teams' best players and held his own, opportunities he relishes. Nelson has been used primarily on a third-pair role, averaging 14:43 per game.
"We play against a few different lines, usually not their top line but sometimes we're out there against them," he said. "You've just got to be confident in what you can do and just shut them down, I guess."
If he keeps playing the way he has been, there will be more opportunities to come.

Larsson to have hearing for cross-check

Johan Larsson will have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Friday for his cross-check to the head of Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck. Larsson was assessed a five-minute major and a match penalty for the play.
"It's a heat-of-the moment battle where emotions are running high," Housley said. "It's unfortunate, but we'll know more today."
UPDATE (4:51 p.m.) -Larsson has been suspended two games by the NHL. It is the first suspension of his career.
More on the decision can be found in the video below:

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Friday's practice

Rasmus Ristolainen was absent for a maintenance day after skating a team-high 27:24 on Thursday. The rest of the lineup remained the same as in the loss to Florida, with the exception of Nathan Beaulieu replacing Josh Gorges on a defensive pair with Nelson.
Beaulieu has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury, but Housley left the door open for a potential return when the Sabres host the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
"[I'm] thinking about it," Housley said. "Just trying to change the lineup. We've lost two games in a row here now. It's a possibility."
Here's how the rest of the lineup looked at practice, with Justin Falk filling in for Ristolainen and Benoit Pouliot - a healthy scratch on Thursday - taking reps on defense:
9 Evander Kane - 15 Jack Eichel - 21 Kyle Okposo
20 Scott Wilson - 90 Ryan O'Reilly - 23 Sam Reinhart
28 Zemgus Girgensons - 22 Johan Larsson - 29 Jason Pominville
17 Jordan Nolan - 10 Jacob Josefson - 13 Nicholas Baptiste
71 Evan Rodrigues
6 Marco Scandella - 41 Justin Falk
19 Jake McCabe - 19 Victor Antipin
82 Nathan Beaulieu - 8 Casey Nelson
67 Benoit Pouliot - 4 Josh Gorges
40 Robin Lehner
31 Chad Johnson