Sabres to Debut Kesselring in Tonight’s Matchup Against Blue Jackets
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring is expected to make his season debut tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, marking a potential shift in the team’s defensive pairings and adding much-needed size to the blue line.
Kesselring has been sidelined with a nagging ailment since training camp, delaying his integration into the Sabres’ system. He expressed his eagerness to contribute, stating, “I definitely didn’t want to miss with new systems and everything… I really feel that this is the year that I can prove myself, but it just got to the point where I was going to hurt myself more.” Head coach Lindy Ruff has adjusted defensive pairings as a result, breaking up the duo of Rasmus Dahlin and Bo Byram due to offensive struggles, with Dahlin now projected to play alongside Mattias Samuelsson and Byram with Kesselring. This comes as the Sabres look to solidify their defensive structure after a somewhat inconsistent start to the season.
Forward Jack Quinn has also shown significant improvement, attributing his enhanced skating ability to a new stride developed with the help of a German coach recommended by teammate JJ Peterka. “JJ set me up with him and it’s his guy from Germany… I love the way JJ skates and I tried to get a little bit of that,” Quinn said. Ruff has noted Quinn’s progress, saying, “He’s been skating really well… the biggest difference is he’s coming up the ice and he’s really skating well.” Quinn’s improved skating has already translated to offensive success, with six points in his last seven games, and is a key component of the Sabres’ offensive strategy, as detailed in the team’s official website.
The Blue Jackets, currently 4-4-0, pose a challenge with a dangerous top line led by Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko. Ruff acknowledged their threat, stating, “That top line is really dangerous… one of the better lines you’re going to face in the league.” Alex Lyon will start in goal for the Sabres, boasting a .923 save percentage, while Jet Greaves is expected to start for Columbus. The Blue Jackets historically have a strong record against Buffalo, leading the series 27-16-1-3, according to Hockey-Reference.com.
The Sabres and Blue Jackets face off tonight at 7:00 PM EST, with Ruff, Quinn, and Timmins scheduled to provide pregame insights on WGR starting at 5:45 PM.
