The Buffalo Sabres, the NHL's hottest team since early December, are suddenly facing a key turning point in their quest to emerge as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Buffalo lost Game 2 of its first-round playoff series at home against a Boston Bruins squad that's been highly effective at keeping the Sabres' high-flying offense in check. The Blue and Gold are also facing goaltending questions after the recent struggles of starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Then the list of hurdles grew again Thursday morning as a key contributor was sidelined by injury as the tied series (1-1) shifts to TD Garden in Boston.
Sabres' Josh Norris ruled out for Game 3 vs. Bruins
Norris, who possesses a long injury history dating back to his time with the Ottawa Senators, took an awkward hit into the boards in Game 2. He continued to play, and it's unclear whether that's when the injury occurred or if it happened at a different time.
Regardless, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed the center wouldn't be available Thursday.
"We don't know exactly what it is," Ruff told reporters. "Just not feeling right and unable to play."
Norris missed two months earlier in the campaign with an injury suffered in the season opener. He was terrific upon his return, scoring 23 points over the next 24 games, but he struggled down the stretch with just 11 points over the final 19 contests.
He'd failed to make much of an impact across the first two games against the Bruins, posting no points and just two shots on goal.
Norris carries a $7.95 million salary-cap hit through 2029-30 and probably won't be easy to move if the Sabres want to consider a trade over the summer.
Alex Lyon in starter's net at Thursday's morning skate
Unsurprisingly, it appears Ruff is going to give Luukkonen a chance to press the reset button by giving Lyon at least one start in Game 3. The journeyman netminder had his own net Thursday morning (via Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic), which typically points to the starting role.
Lyon stopped all seven shots in relief of UPL in Game 2. He was also the Sabres' most steady goalie for a vast majority of the year before a late lull prior to a minor injury that sidelined him for the final few weeks of the regular season.
Luukkonen stopped just 33 of 40 Boston shots over the first two games in Buffalo (.825 save percentage) and he allowed a dump-in goal from center ice on Tuesday. Even outside of that mistake, he looked shaky while making his first foray into postseason hockey.
Giving Lyon a start is an effort to bring some stability as the Sabres head into a hostile road environment, but it doesn't necessarily mean UPL is benched for the remainder of the playoff run.
Noah Ostlund set to rejoin Buffalo lineup against Boston
Ostlund, who's been out injured since late March, replaced Norris in the forward group at the morning skate and Ruff confirmed he'll draw back in to the lineup.
The standout rookie recorded 11 goals and 16 assists across 60 appearances this season. His impact was typically far greater than those modest numbers may suggest.
He'll play alongside Zach Benson and Josh Doan in Game 3. All three of them are aggressive forecheckers with tireless motors, so it'll be interesting to see how they play together. They were on the ice at the same time for just eight 5-on-5 minutes during the regular season.
Ostlund brings plenty of versatility with the ability to play center or wing, which will help if Ruff decides to start shaking things up if the Sabres offense doesn't heat up soon.
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