Kane switches lines as Sabres seek to ignite offense

Coming off a disappointing end to their three-game winning streak, the Buffalo Sabres took the ice for practice on Wednesday with some tweaks to their lineup. Namely, Evander Kane was moved to the top line alongside Jack Eichel and Kyle Okposo.
Kane got off to a scorching start to his season with 12 goals in his first 21 games, but he's scored just four goals in 29 games since. He spent last week's Western Canada road trip playing on a line with Johan Larsson and Jason Pominville, where he remained for Tuesday's 3-1 loss to New Jersey.
He'll have a chance to reignite his offense alongside Eichel, with whom he's had success in the past.

"I think they had good chemistry early," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "It was just a change to maybe spark Evander a little bit, reunite those guys. I think we're going to need 5-on-5 scoring moving ahead here, especially playing some tight teams, some good checking teams."

Kane admitted to being frustrated with his production of late, but remained confident that he'll rediscover his scoring touch. When he has had chances, they simply haven't found the back of the net. Housley pointed to a shot off the crossbar in Vancouver last Thursday as one that might have sparked Kane had it gone in.
"I haven't created much offensively the last little bit, and when I have they haven't gone in or I hit some bars," Kane said. "Obviously, it's not fun when you're not producing, but it's part of the long year."
Kane insisted that his contract status has not been a factor in his production. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, and his name has been mentioned in trade rumors as February's deadline approaches.
"Two totally different things," he said. "I think all I can focus on is each day and each and every game and trying to be the best player I can be."
The area Kane can improve, according to Housley, can be said for his teammates as well.
"One area we can all get better at when things aren't going well is just going to the net," Housley said. "Maybe you get a tip, maybe you get something off your shin pad that's going to create and turn directions in the right way."

New Jersey's Hall fined for hit on Okposo

Devils forward Taylor Hall was fined $5,000, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, for his hit from behind on Kyle Okposo on Tuesday. Hall was assessed a two-minute boarding minor at the time of the hit, but Housley thought it was deserving of more.
"The thing that was concerning to me was the distance that it came from and [Okposo's] numbers [showing] when he's looking at the player going for the puck in a vulnerable position," Housley said. "That's why I thought it should have been five and a game."
Okposo, who missed the end of last season with a concussion, said Wednesday that he was upset with the hit. Both he and Housley felt that the fact that Okposo was able to get back on his feet immediately after the hit was a determining factor in Hall only being assessed a minor penalty.
"I had no idea he was coming," Okposo said. "Like, I was not ready for contact at all. If I stayed down then the ref says it's a five. But why should that matter? It's the same play, in my opinion. I got up because I was mad. I was looking around for who did it, and I saw him, and it didn't register. Like, I was looking for somebody else.
"Obviously, I know him a little bit," he continued. "I know he's not that kind of player. But still, that was a bad hit. I didn't turn or anything. I was going to get the puck, he buried me behind into the boards."

Future goals

The Sabres were joined for practice by more than 3,000 area students as part of the NHL's Future Goals program, which aims to teach critical STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills through the game of hockey.

More information on the program can be found here.

Wednesday's practice

Nathan Beaulieu (upper body) and Jacob Josefson (lower body) continued to practice with the team, and Housley did not rule either player out for Thursday's home game against the Florida Panthers. Here's how they factored into the lineup:
9 Evander Kane - 15 Jack Eichel - 21 Kyle Okposo
20 Scott Wilson - 90 Ryan O'Reilly - 23 Sam Reinhart
28 Zemgus Girgensons / 67 Benoit Pouliot - 22 Johan Larsson - 29 Jason Pominville
17 Jordan Nolan - 10 Jacob Josefson - 13 Nicholas Baptiste
71 Evan Rodrigues
6 Marco Scandella - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
19 Jake McCabe - 93 Victor Antipin
82 Nathan Beaulieu - 41 Justin Falk
4 Josh Gorges - 8 Casey Nelson
40 Robin Lehner
31 Chad Johnson