Ullmark to miss season finale in Pittsburgh

Linus Ullmark will miss the Buffalo Sabres' final game of the season against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, interim head coach Don Granato announced.
Ullmark has missed the last 13 games with a lower-body injury. He returned to practice ahead of schedule on Monday and had not been ruled out for a return to game action prior to Friday.
Ullmark concludes his injury-shortened season with a 9-6-3 record and a .917 save percentage in 20 games. His .937 save percentage at 5-on-5 ranks sixth in the NHL (minimum 500 minutes played), according to Natural Stat Trick.

The Sabres will turn to Michael Houser to make his fourth straight start in Ullmark's absence. Houser, the ninth-year pro who won his first two NHL games against the New York Islanders earlier this week, allowed eight goals on 34 shots during a loss to the Penguins on Thursday.
"I would expect the guys around him, all of us, putting in a better effort and focus," Granato said. "You know, we're all in it together. And I believe collectively, we all took responsibility that we didn't help him the way we should've last night.
"And you can break the game down in a lot of different ways, but any way you do it, you can't overlook the fact we gave our opposition too much time and space, and too many free pucks. And Michael was the guy, as every goalie, who pays the biggest price."
Granato expects to have further updates on the lineup Saturday morning.

Onto the finale

Granato said he continue to get a positive sense from his players during practice on Friday in anticipation of their season finale.
The Sabres were mired in a winless streak that would eventually reach 18 games when Granato took over in March. The playoffs were already out of reach and veterans like Eric Staal, Taylor Hall, and Brandon Montour were traded soon after.
In spite of it all, the Sabres have managed to go 8-10-2 since the beginning of April with young players like Casey Mittelstadt, Tage Thompson, and Rasmus Dahlin enjoying some of the most productive hockey of their careers. They hope to keep it going one day longer.
"I think everyone feels the same way," Thompson said. "Obviously, you don't want to waste a day, you don't want to waste a practice. I think that's the mindset everyone has. The season may not have gone the way we wanted it, but there's still games left."

Reinhart receives inaugural Rick Martin Award

Granato presented Sam Reinhart with the Rick Martin Award after practice, voted on by fans to recognize the player that best demonstrates on-ice excellence, resiliency, and dedication to the community.
Reinhart has matched his career high with 25 goals in just 53 games this season. He served as an alternate captain while the team integrated more and more young players as the season progressed, all while adjusting back to his natural position at center for the first time in years.
Following his hat trick on Fan Appreciation Night, Reinhart had his game stick delivered to the family of Fan of Year Teddy Steeg. Revisit the moment in the video below.