Sabres eyeing key lineup additions in Timmins, Lyon

Patience will continue to be a virtue for the Buffalo Sabres while they’re nursed back to full health – but the past two days seemed to indicate a turned corner as defenseman Conor Timmins and goaltender Alex Lyon have been practicing with the team as full participants. 

Both Timmins (lower body) and Lyon (upper body) have been out since the preseason and have yet to make their season debuts. There’s still no exact timetable on when they’ll draw into the lineup, but things are surely looking up – and Buffalo could certainly use them. 

“It’s great, really exciting,” said teammate Jack Quinn of Timmins’ and Lyon’s looming returns. “They're gonna be a big help to us, so we're super excited to see them back. Obviously, I've been away from them a bit, so we miss having them around in the room and miss them on the ice as well.” 

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Lyon's return will give Buffalo more depth between the pipes following a strong road trip that saw Colten Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen both earn wins.  

The addition of Timmins, meanwhile, could be crucial for a Buffalo penalty kill that ranks 28th at 68.6 percent.

Last season, Timmins averaged 3:02 per game in shorthanded ice time – the highest mark on the Sabres and the 12th-highest in the NHL. Buffalo had the fourth-best penalty kill in the NHL (and had the top-ranked unit before Timmins sustained an injury in December).

Timmins also blocked 20 shots on the kill over the 33-game stretch before his injury, the most of any Sabre. This season, through 14 games, Mattias Samuelsson leads the way with seven blocks on the penalty kill, blocking shots shorthanded at a slightly slower pace than Timmins did to start last season. 

Timmins rotated in on the third pair with Louis Crevier and Zach Metsa at practice Tuesday, so his anticipated return likely won’t come Wednesday night against Ottawa. But, per coach Lindy Ruff, fans can expect him back in the lineup “fairly soon.” 

“He’s missed a lot of time. I think that’s the one thing we’ve got to get over, get (Timmins) as much practice time as we can,” Ruff said. “But he definitely was good on the kill last year for us. He’ll be a welcome addition once we get him back.”

Benson back

After an absence from Monday’s practice that Ruff attributed to “maintenance,” Zach Benson was a full participant at practice Tuesday, adding that he “felt really good” on the ice. 

Ruff confirmed that Benson will be available to play against Ottawa on Wednesday.

Ellis gets the net

Ellis manned the starter’s crease for most of Tuesday’s practice, indicating a start against the Senators on Wednesday, his third start in four games.  

After a 15-day stretch without any game action, Ellis pitched a shutout in San Jose last Tuesday and earned another win – albeit a 7-6 barnburner – in Anaheim two days later.  

Ellis has been steady for Buffalo, rocking an .880 save percentage and a 3-1 record. Before last Thursday’s high-scoring affair vs. the Ducks that included two Anaheim extra-attacker goals, Ellis had improved his save percentage to a .902. 

“He works really hard at this game,” Ruff said of Ellis. “He's prepared. Time off doesn't seem to affect him – maybe (time affects) other goaltenders a little bit more, but it doesn't seem to affect him as much.” 

Luukkonen started Buffalo’s most recent win against L.A., but with a stretch of six games in 11 days, Ruff said he’ll need both of his goaltenders to be successful.

Practice sound