Lindy Ruff Pregame Media | Buffalo Sabres vs St. Louis Blues | Tyson Kozak Injury Update
I know it’s back to back for the Blues, but do you almost expect maybe a desperate hockey club considering maybe what happened to them last night? Uh, for sure. I, you know, I think sometimes back to back has an impact on a team, sometimes it doesn’t. So, uh, for us it’s worry about how we got to play and, uh, know that just no easy games. As far as Rasmus and Matias together, just what have you liked about that combo? I mean, they’ve had success in the past, excuse me. Uh, well, you got a guy that’s really defending well and it frees up Raz to help get in on the offense for us. Um, and that’s really what the kind of connection is. When you see St. Louis, I mean, it looks like they’re getting ready to skate out here. You had to do this with the Sabres last year. What did what did you look to get from your team on the road Seattle Vancouver last year when you know you have a bad game and you’re like all right well we’re skating the next morning to get ready for a game. What did you want to change up with the team? Well, you know, you evaluate your game and what you’re giving up and how you’re giving it up. Like we spent a good part of time yesterday on on what we gave up and how we gave it up again. And then you just map out how here’s how we’re going to improve. This is what we need to change. This is where we need to get better. Um, you know, so we probably had 20 minutes of talking about where we need to get better. And that that is ongoing through the year. Some teams will be a more dangerous rush team. Some teams will be teams that hang on to the puck more. Um, you know, we’ll talk about what they’re doing and then we’ll talk about how are we going to defend it and how are we going to exploit them. I think they’ll look at our last game and and they’re probably doing the same. They’ll look at their own game and say, “Man, we failed here and here. Got to be better.” And then they’ll look at some of our stuff and say, “Here’s where we think we can take advantage of these guys.” Go ahead. It’s been a month now since you’ve had this condensed schedule and sometimes you have to miss game or practice. Sometime you have to optional your morning skates just to keep the team where they need to be which means you’re doing a lot of your coaching in meetings now aren’t you? And how do you feel that’s gone in the first month of the season? I think it’s gone well. Um you know I think where we started off with 0 and3 where we’re at now. Um, and you look at the number of bodies that have gone in and out, the number of players that we’ve had, even our, you know, you look at three of our six guys that were on the power play to start the year and no longer part of that power play. Um, you you use a lot of sports science now when it comes to trying to keep your team fresh. Um, you know, you don’t automatically practice. You know, I think if you think you can practice and get them better, then you can fatigue your team. So, you weigh what what is best for your team, sometimes you might bypass what you should do and say, “Hell with it. We’re going to practice anyways. Uh that’s all that’s all part of it. Uh but we’re trying to air on the side of keep your team fresh.” Is that harder on you though? The way the way you’re coaching like to have to coach in meetings? No, no. You know, I think we uh really try to divvy up that meeting. Um that just isn’t me standing there. Um Seth takes part in that. Marty takes part in that. Um you know, we’ll take different clips and and different coaches will talk about exactly what went wrong or what we need or what we can do better. It isn’t one guy for 20 minutes just standing there. Um, so we kind of branch off. We’ve divvied up areas of the game and we branch off and we let or I let the other coaches partake in in breaking down the game. And then when we’re going through our meeting, they will take part in breaking down with the team because I’m going to say probably 70% of what you improve on is going to have to be done off ice. With the players, you’ve had them change roles, change lines, change line mates. What is the key to flexibility for your players when they’re going through all these changes because of injuries, illnesses, or maybe not fulfilling their roles? You know, that that part is, you know, on a like for us on a nightto-ight basis has been just the rolling of lineups and and different guys fitting in different pieces. And you know, I think shortterm we’re still looking at that we’re, you know, looks like we may get Kak back for tonight. So, you know, lines will change again. I would love to have our lines just stay the same, but due to injury, uh, and you look at Benson, Zucker, Norris, you you take those guys out. Um, you’ve got to sometimes evaluate inside the game which which guys are producing, give them a little bit more or put another guy with a different guy to see if they can produce a little bit more. Um, I’m not big on just trying to put a round peg in a square hole, if I can use that analogy. If it is not working, why not change something a little different? And I don’t have to wait a whole game. I don’t even have to wait a period. Sometimes I waited half a period last game to switch things up. How much has your depth benefited you in this first month? Because I mean, you’ve gotten contributions from from recalls right away. I mean, you’ve gotten different kind. It’s going to continue to be so important for us. Um, we need u like Oscelin and Rosine, we we need the Mets that come up and play. We need them to play well for us. We need them to help produce and we need them to play important roles. When you take those important roles out of the lineup that are out, those guys that come in have to play important roles and they have to be guys that can help us win games and I and I think they’ve they’ve been h they’ve been able to. You look at Austin’s goal, you look at Rosine’s goal. Um they’ve played big parts for us. How how far off is he right now? Where’s he at? That is I mean it’s just to sort of evaluate dayto day. Um, he’s progressing, but it’s a little slower than I thought. I I don’t really have any days for you, but probably, you know, we’re hoping by end of the week maybe he can, but it, you know, he could all of a sudden just start feeling better, too. So I can’t really give you exactly Oh,
Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff spoke with the media ahead of the team’s game against the St. Louis Blues on November 6, 2025. He gave an injury update for Tyson Kozak, talked about the matchup, and more.
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