Cody Eakin's strong start to the season will take a detour. The veteran center will miss the Buffalo Sabres' two games this weekend due to an undisclosed injury suffered Thursday in practice when he crashed into the net during a drill.
In three games at center for the undefeated Sabres (3-0), Thompson has been among the club’s most impactful forwards.
Eakin will sit out Friday night's game against Boston in KeyBank Center and Saturday's trip to New Jersey. Coach Don Granato is confident, however, that the injury is short-term and Eakin will return to the lineup next week. Granato held out the possibility Eakin could play here Monday against Tampa Bay but said the return could also come Thursday in Anaheim.
"It's certainly disappointing from the coaching side to see guys get in a groove and you have another hurdle here," Granato said.Â
Eakin has a goal and an assist while winning 60.1% of his faceoffs thus far while centering Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo. Girgensons will shift to center, where he played most of the preseason, and John Hayden will make his Sabres debut. Girgensons centered Anders Bjork and Okposo in practice Thursday while Hayden played on a line with Drake Caggiula and Arttu Ruotsalainen.
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#Sabres skating with 11 Fs, Girgensons is at C with Eakin out. Hayden likely to make debut tomorrow. Lines today are:Skinner-Cozens-HinostrozaAsplund-Thompson (w/no RW)Bjork-Girgensons-OkpsosoCaggiula-Ruotsalainen-Hayden---Dahlin-ButcherBryson-MillerHagg-PysykWolanin
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) October 21, 2021
"I think it's nice that I played most of the preseason at center," Girgensons said. "So it's definitely gonna be easier just to jump right back into it. I feel comfortable with playing both positions. So I don't think it will be that hard of a transition."
The loss of Eakin is a tough one given his strong start over the first three games and the challenge coming Friday from Boston's top line of Patrice Bergeron between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. The Sabres haven't gone with major matchups thus far and likely will continue that method vs. the Bruins' heavyweights. Losing an experienced center like Eakin is a hit to that effort.
"It's an unbelievable line they have and they have had it for years," Girgensons said. "It's never easy to play them, but we don't really have matchups. I think every line is capable of playing against them if we stick to our system."
"Gotta be on our toes," added defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. "Play hard and play fast against them. Take away their time, maybe take some advantage that they want to play offensive hockey and maybe we can do something offensively on them."
Eight Sabres games won’t be carried on cable’s MSG and instead will be carried exclusively on the streaming service ESPN+.
No MSG, only ESPN+/Hulu
Fans are reminded that Friday's game will be televised on ESPN+ and Hulu, the streaming services that have exclusive rights to many games as part of the NHL's new broadcast deal. It will not air on MSG or any other over-the-air outlet. The game will be broadcast as normal on WGR Radio.
The Sabres will appear on ESPN+ eight times this year. The service costs $6.99 a month or $69.99 for a full year and has many other events, including college sports, UFC bouts and original ESPN programming.
John Buccigross will be on hand to do the play-by-play and the analyst will be Ryan Callahan, the longtime New York Rangers forward and Rochester native.
Sabres missing another Hughes
Standout center Jack Hughes will be out of the New Jersey Devils' lineup for an undetermined period with a dislocated left shoulder and thus will miss the Sabres' trip to Newark on Saturday night.
Hughes, the NHL's No. 1 overall pick in 2019, had two goals and an assist in his first two games, including an overtime winner in the season opener against Chicago. He was injured in Tuesday's win over Seattle at Prudential Center when he was checked to the ice by Kraken defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.
Hughes was placed on injured reserve Thursday and the Devils said he will be re-evaluated next week. The team added that Hughes has begun physical therapy and will not require surgery.
The injury means the Sabres will have missed both Hughes brothers this week. Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes, Jack's older brother, missed the Canucks' game here Tuesday with an undisclosed injury.
The Devils are also thin in goal. MacKenzie Blackwood is on IR with a heel injury and Jonathan Bernier missed Thursday's game against Washington with a lower body ailment. That leaves the net to former Sabres prospect Scott Wedgewood and 2020 draft pick Nico Daws, who was called up Thursday.
Around the boards
• The Sabres announced Friday morning that Craig Anderson will start against the Bruins, meaning Dustin Tokarski is likely to get the call in New Jersey.Â
• Dahlin took a puck to the face Tuesday and sported an ugly gash below his lip when he met with reporters Thursday. He dropped the full face shield he wore in practice Wednesday and said he won't be wearing it in games.
"I was excited to wear it but after probably two minutes I wanted to take it off," Dahlin said. "So it was a pretty easy choice."
• The Bruins will be without veteran forward Nick Foligno on Friday after he suffered an upper-body injury Wednesday in Philadelphia.
