Michael Kesselring Set To Make Buffalo Sabres Debut Against Blue Jackets | Coach Lindy Ruff Media

Here’s the is castle good. He’s good to go. When you look at the impact of a guy like that coming in and you’ve seen that this month with the number of guys who’ve returned, just how much more do you feel like as the games have gone, you’ve become closer to the team you thought you were going to be in August, September. Yeah. And you know, I think it’s like I said to Mr. It’s nice to get guys back. Um, you know, on defensive side, getting him back, you know, gets us a look at what we picture our defense going to look like. So, um, big first game for him, but it’ll, uh, it’ll give us an indication for sure. You touched upon a little bit yesterday, but why hasn’t, um, Rasmus and and Byron worked as well this year, do you feel? uh you know just uh you know I think some of the puck play you know got two guys that are you know maybe trying a little bit too much offensively you know where you know we know DS can do can can do some of the same obviously u but uh some of the puck decisions I you know I think have led to have led to poor events against us know you played three games you put him on a pretty midable line. Just what have you noticed in those three games from him? Uh, defensively, um, he hasn’t been in on a lot. And, you know, I thought offensively he had great opportunities to be in on some real good stuff, but, you know, that’s when he starts to feel a little more com comfortable. You know, I don’t think he handled the puck. You know, he had tight play that he didn’t quite connect with. um is a play you’d like to see in and carry it to, you know, a grade a chance. Um there’s better plays you can make and I think that’s just a a feeling of, you know, I’m I’m getting rooted in with these guys. I’m playing with a couple really good players and uh um I can make those plays. And like you you kind of said last week, I think you expect that to come eventually, I guess, right? Yeah, I do. I you know, I saw a little bit of that last year. Uh uh you know I’m seeing some good stuff. It just we haven’t turned that into anything yet. How much as a young kid does he just need that one goal to kind of lift some of that pressure off his mind? Yeah, I think that is part of it. Uh you know that’s the ultimately that that feel good you know it’s you want look we use taste as an example you know you know you get one all of a sudden the next game you get two you know you start to feel good starts going to the net for you but um you know we’ve talked about staff when you can get him involved you know penalty killing wise giving them you know a little bit bigger assignment with you know when we got Danforth out and we got Norris out So, uh, there’ll be times when, you know, one of those guys we’ve been using, uh, will be in the penalty box when we need another guy, so we’re we’re going to use him a little bit, too. Strictly from a goal standpoint, I mean, the kid’s only in his third year. Do you still see an offensive goal upside? Yeah. Um, you know, I think there’s a little bit of when he plays with Tage to kind of defer to Tage, which is good because we know, uh, Tage’s shot is probably a lot more dangerous than than Zach’s. But I think when he gets around the net, he gets he gets opportunities. He’s going to score. Um, you know, I think if you looked at Yuri the first few games, we were wondering whether he’s going to find his game. He’s found his game and shot the puck pretty well, too. Um, you know, even the disallowed goal the other night in Toronto, you know, getting getting around the net, sort of incidental contact, but knew that there’s no way we would win a challenge if we we went to try to challenge because the goalender was in the blue. But, uh, he’s around it and and it will start going in for him. Seen out of uh, Jack Quinn the last few games skating really well. U, you know, we’re using him penalty killing. His penalty killing has been good. But I I think the biggest difference he’s he’s coming up the ice. He’s really skating well. He’s out skating people. He’s making things happen on his own. I think, you know, probably the play I’d want back the most would be the overtime play where, you know, he’s got a shot where he can score. You know, we’ve seen him. He doesn’t miss many when he gets in somewhere like that. Uh but I think you know you got a guy to the left that’s got two goals and you kind of defer and probably the wrong decision or you know you just caught the defenseman skate blade at the end seen him skate. Was he on schedule to return tonight or Thursday? I’ll finish this. Go ahead. Is this the best you’ve seen him skate since he started coaching? Yeah. Really skating well. He had a great summer. Um, you know, the focus was, uh, more power, more endurance, and he had a great summer, and it’s showing. Jacob Bryson, is he on schedule to return tonight or more for Thursday? Um, well, with 6D in the lineup, it’ll, you know, he’ll more assume that seven D role. Do you find when you award guys penalty like like Jack has recently, does that boost them because like they feel, you know, the coach the co the staff believes in them more or whatever? Do you know what I mean? boost. Uh, you know, I think players relish any type of extra ice time, whether it’s, uh, you know, obviously we think that, uh, his reads are going to be good enough to go out there. Um, and I think that’s where the position Jack has put himself in is that, uh, his hockey IQ is real good. Uh, his legs can get him there now and, uh, um, we’ve we’ve feel very comfortable using him. Is there any more of an update on Kak and how long he might be out? Uh, still week to week. Um, you know, he’s been in um I I can’t give you any any timetable, but um I I don’t think we’re going to see him on the ice for a little while. You see Columbus, they got a couple of guys that are up there points, but they seem other than that just kind of a those uh that top line really dangerous. Um, you know, I I look watch them. They’re, you know, five on five. That’s one of the better lines you’re going to face in the league. We got a heavy guy around the net. You got Marenko who can carry the puck and he’s got a great shot, good speed. Um, and then they got some D that join. Um, very dangerous team. Uh, it’s going to be a real be a real test, real hard game. They don’t give you much ice and they don’t give you much time. Uh I think that’s the goal of a lot of teams. That’s how we’re trying to play night in night out. Um so I look at their top two lines uh you know Fantelli and you’ve got some real good skill and you’ve got uh some real good pace uh which can make it difficult and you know I’ve watched a couple games them play. They’re they’re playing good hockey right now. Thanks.

Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff spoke to the media on October 28, 2025 ahead of the team’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ruff confirmed that Michael Kesselring would be in the lineup that evening.

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