BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Carrick returned to practice on Tuesday morning for the first time since getting injured on March 31st in a fight against the New York Islanders. Carrick called it a freak injury but said he didn't break any bones and is trying to view the absence as a positive.
"Everyone's kind of done a great job of just getting me to this point," Carrick said Tuesday. "I'm thankful for them and yeah, I feel good."
"You know, getting the OK yesterday from the doctors to join practice clears him," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "(If) you're cleared to practice, you know, you're within days of playing."
In 13 games with the Sabres, Carrick immediately brought a spark. He had five goals and six points along with an impressive 57-percent face-off percentage. Secondary scoring and success inside the face-off dot are two keys for the Sabres in this series, so Carrick could definitely provide a spark.
As for Carrick's teammates, the Sabres know they'll have their hands full with Montreal's high-end talent.
"Everyone's got their big guns, and I think you gotta ask your big guns to step up and be a little bit more than theirs," forward Josh Doan said. "But this is where you're going to need that secondary scoring. Obviously it's important this time of year that you're not going to be perfect every night, so you need the whole group to be able to carry their own weight and help out when they can."
"They've got as good of a top line as any team," Ruff added. "There's a reason that they advanced. They beat a real good team and you've got to find ways to win this time of year."
