Michael Kesselring felt the benefits of listening to his body during the Buffalo Sabres’ win over the New York Islanders on Saturday – which he and coach Lindy Ruff agreed was one of his best games of the season.
Kesselring has been in and out of the lineup since mid-November due to an ankle injury. He returned from his most recent absence against Minnesota on Jan. 17 (a game in which he fought Wild forward Marcus Foligno), then sat out two games in Carolina and Nashville to ensure his ankle was well enough to play.
The decision paid dividends in Buffalo’s last two games, wins in Montreal and New York. In the latter contest against the Islanders, Kesselring skated 13:45 with three blocked shots and an assist for his first point in a Sabres uniform.
Most importantly, he emerged from the two games without setbacks.
“I thought I made a good decision to wait in Nashville,” Kesselring said after practice on Monday. “I was not feeling great great, so I waited the two days, felt a lot better and then played fine in Montreal. And then I thought last game was one of my better games.”
The right-shot defenseman, acquired from Utah alongside Josh Doan this past offseason, has spent his first year in Buffalo learning to navigate the first serious injuries of his career.
Kesselring initially tried to play through a knee injury in training camp before it forced him to miss the start of the regular season. He made his debut on Oct. 28 but sustained his ankle injury weeks later, during a comeback win in Detroit on Nov. 16.
His presence – physically imposing at 6-foot-5 with one of the league’s hardest shots – only bolsters a defense corps that’s been a season-long strength for the Sabres.
“He’s coming, now,” Ruff said after the win over the Islanders. “I thought his skating, by far [his] best tonight. Not an easy task; I still think it’s gonna take him a while, but I thought it was a big step in the right direction.”
The defenseman is finding his rhythm at an important time of year, with the Sabres looking to maintain their playoff position down the stretch. Kesselring and Doan both embraced their fresh starts in Buffalo upon being acquired from Utah, where the two players were roommates and close friends.
Doan spoke glowingly about his new situation after signing a seven-year contract extension last week. Kesselring, too, has found a comfortable fit in Buffalo – bolstered by the excitement of a playoff hunt.
“It’s been really fun,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time, honestly, I’ve been looking at the standings so much and looking at what other teams are doing and cheering for certain teams on certain nights. It’s a pretty exciting time.
“Obviously, I haven’t gotten to play playoff hockey. I thought World Championships (last May with Team USA) was a pretty good taste of the pressure and how it feels. You can feel it in all these games, too. It’s exciting. Keep building from here.”
