The Sabres held a team meeting and an optional skate at KeyBank Center on Thursday morning. Injured defensemen Zach Bogosian, Rasmus Ristolainen and Matt Tennyson skated for the second day in a row along with a group that included Evander Kane, Matt Moulson and Kyle Criscuolo, among others.
Coach Phil Housley said Wednesday that Ristolainen was nearing a return to the lineup, but Bogosian, who has been out since training camp, said he expects to need a few full practices before seeing game action.
Postgame comments following a 5-4 loss to Minnesota for the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night included a call from some veteran players for increased accountability in the dressing room. It's that same brutal honesty, players said Thursday, that the team hopes will lead them out of their current 0-5-2 rut.
"I think we have a better idea of what we need to do," alternate captain Ryan O'Reilly said. "We can think about it as much as we want, but it comes down to that game and the next game doing it. It's something that we're all focused on.
"It was a good reflection meeting. I feel, to a man, everyone knows a little bit more what we need to do and how to change."
The problem for the Sabres, according to players and coach Phil Housley alike, has been their tendency to deviate from their game plan when things don't go their way in a game. Whether it's a bad habit or a sign that the team needs the more mental toughness, the players still believe it can be corrected.
"At the end of the day you can sit here and talk about it but you've got to go out there and you've got to show up and you've got to be ready for that," forward Sam Reinhart said. "I think there's one part of that being physically ready to play, which at times can be easier than being mentally ready.
"I think we've got to have that mindset that whatever's thrown at you throughout the game to stick with the game plan."
Kyle Okposo's comments are particularly worth checking out:
