The Buffalo Sabres will look to eliminate the Boston Bruins tonight with a mostly healthy roster. According to Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report, the Sabres will have Joshua Norris, Jason Zucker, and Tyson Kozak available to play tonight.
Zucker, 34, is the only one of the group who hasn’t missed any games in Round One against Boston. Still, he was banged up in Game 4 and didn’t return. There was concern that he might be unavailable for Game 5. However, Buffalo justified keeping him out due to the game’s lopsided score, which reduced the urgency to rush him back for the contest.
Norris and Kozak have replaced each other in the lineup halfway through the series. Norris hasn’t played since Game 2 due to an undisclosed injury. Like Zucker, Kozak was banged up in Game 4 after replacing Norris in the lineup, though he likely won’t play tonight unless the Sabres make an additional lineup change.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the New York Islanders will send Emil Heineman and Simon Holmstrom to Team Sweden for the 2026 IIHF World Championships. It’ll be the first appearance in the international tournament for Holmstrom. Heineman, on the other hand, played for Team Sweden last summer, scoring one goal and three points in 10 games with a +2 rating.
- Unfortunately, Team Canada will not get the same boost as Team Sweden from the Islanders. In a separate report from Rosner, he shared that rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer won’t be participating in the international competition. Still, after finishing his rookie season, it’s more important for Schaefer to rest, recover, and build up for next season to avoid a dreaded sophomore slump.