Absent Carrick, Sabres weigh 4th-line options

ARLINGTON, Va. – It takes a special fourth liner to become an integral piece of his team as quickly as Sam Carrick did with the Buffalo Sabres. In 13 games after being acquired from the Rangers, the 34-year-old contributed five goals, one assist, 20 hits, two fights and, most notably, a 57.3-percent showing at the faceoff dot.

But the second of those fights, Tuesday against the Islanders, resulted in a left-arm injury that has Carrick out week to week.

“It’s the ‘next man up,’ his loss,” coach Lindy Ruff said. “He really played well for us. He had found a real good role. We were looking at him helping us with faceoffs. That fourth line was scoring important goals. It’s a loss, but you’ve got to have somebody step in and make up for a body that’s going out.”

While the draws will be tough to replace – Carrick has by far the best record on the team – the Sabres still have some pieces to mix and match on that line.

A constant, of course, has been winger Beck Malenstyn, who’s played all but one game this season while accumulating 257 hits, tied for sixth most in the NHL. He’s physical, he’s one of the league’s fastest skaters, and he’s flashed some serious skill in scoring six goals.

Jordan Greenway has returned from his middle-body injury to play the last two games. Defense is his calling, but the 6-foot-6, 231-pound winger can also be a handful in the offensive zone when he’s right.

“Playing with [Malenstyn] and Greenway, they do such a good job protecting pucks that they’re good players to have a lot of O-zone time, because when they get the puck, it’s hard to take it from them,” said Josh Dunne, who centered those guys Thursday in Ottawa, his first game in a month.

Dunne won four of seven draws and is 53.4 percent this season. Like his wingers against the Senators, he can hold onto the puck below the goal line, box out defenders with his 6-foot-4 frame and wear down opponents.

But Friday’s practice at Medstar Capitals Iceplex saw another guy, Tyson Kozak, between Malenstyn and Greenway. A smaller, speedier option, Kozak always brings the energy when back in the lineup, and he ranks fourth on the team in hits (103) despite playing in just 41 games.

“He definitely gives us the speed option,” Ruff said of Kozak. “I thought Dunner, for stepping in after a long time out, gave us a good effort – we always get a good effort out of him. … Overall, we know what the different guys can bring us when we put the different pieces in.”

And veteran winger Tanner Pearson, who’s played two games since being acquired from Winnipeg before the deadline, could offer a bit more scoring touch (7 goals with the Jets this season) if/when he gets back in the lineup.

So, while Carrick will certainly be missed, the Sabres still have the depth to keep deploying effective fourth lines. Now, some notes from Friday’s practice as Buffalo prepared to face the Capitals on Saturday night.

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Back up to speed

At their best, the Sabres play with great speed, and they felt they got away from that in Ottawa. That’s why they got back on the ice for a high-paced, high-compete practice on Friday.

“Today was about just getting up to pace, playing fast, playing our game,” Ruff said. “I thought the energy was great. I thought the pace was great. I thought we skated better today than we did last night.”

Friday’s practice lines

Held to one goal and few offensive chances in Ottawa, the Sabres shuffled their lines for practice. Notably:

• Josh Doan was up with Tage Thompson and Peyton Krebs. That trio has played 175 minutes at 5-on-5 this season with an even (9-9) goal differential (Evolving-Hockey). As Ruff noted, they were together for much of the 10-game winning streak in December.
• Jason Zucker was separated from Ryan McLeod and Jack Quinn, his linemates since the Olympic break. Zucker instead took line rushes with Josh Norris and Alex Tuch.
• Zach Benson replaced Zucker on McLeod’s left wing.

“When I look at our 5-on-5 scoring, I think it just needs a little freshness," Ruff said. "The lines have been together a long time. It’s time just to tweak them a little bit and just let them go out and play.”

Lyon in line to start

Alex Lyon had a net to himself, indicating he’ll start against the Capitals on Saturday. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has gotten the last three games after Lyon allowed 10 goals on 52 shots (.808 save percentage) in his last two appearances, both losses.

“When things aren’t going the way you want, it’s really important to get back to ground zero, reset the gears a little bit and just focus on the things that make you good,” Lyon said. “Also, just simplify a lot and just be really competitive.”

Though he lost in overtime in Anaheim, Lyon is on an 11-game road point streak (10-0-1) with a .926 save percentage.

Up next

Puck drop between the Sabres and Capitals is 7 p.m. on Saturday. MSG’s pregame coverage starts at 6:30.

Stay tuned to Sabres.com for the game preview and Saturday’s playoff clinching scenarios.