The Buffalo Sabres took to the ice for a 25-minute skate this morning following their 2-0 loss the Ottawa Senators last night. However, several players did not participating in the workout, including several defensemen. Steve Montador, Tyler Myers and Henrik Tallinder were the three defensemen missing from the skate. All three were in the building but did not take to the ice. Patrick Kaleta was not on the ice after suffering a neck injury in the loss. Head coach Lindy Ruff said the forward is day-to-day right now.

Kaleta is suffering from what Ruff termed a real stiff neck and "vision issues." Several teammates spoke out about Jarko Ruutu's hit to Kaleta's head. No one was more vocal than captain Craig Rivet:

"It's coming from a player that has a background for that type of stuff. How he was not ejected from the game is beyond me...You look at on the replay it's just total blatant that he was going for his head, used his shoulder but they're [The NHL] trying to take that out of the game but I feel that they missed one last night."

When asked if Ruutu should have been ejected for the blow to the head, Rivet added, "guess he [Kaleta] didn't look hurt enough on the ice for him [Ruutu] to get kicked out." The blue liner also said the referees are "human" and do make mistakes.

Paul Gaustad will return to the lineup following three weeks in the press box with a knee injury. One aspect Gaustad can help out in is face-offs. That is one area in which the team has struggled. The center has won 64% of his face-off chances this season, by far the best of the normal centermen on the team.

Myers and Tallinder were two of the players suffering from food poisoning in the loss. Another was backup netminder Patrick Lalime. Ruff said he is still planning to use Lalime in one of the two games this weekend. However, Lalime told us that he will not start in goal tomorrow against the Maple Leafs.

The Sabres have back-to-back home games this weekend. Friday Toronto comes to town; while the Penguins take on Buffalo Saturday night.

Myers and Tallinder were two of the players suffering from food poisoning in the loss.

Glad to see Rivet speaking out on Rutuu's goonery.

That was exactly the type of hit that I'd love to see gone from the game. The league won't do fuck about it because it's Kaleta though.

...Ruutu's a multiple-offender! Regardless of whether he hit Kaleta, or anyone else, he should have gotten some serious time off.

The guy is a dangerous, reckless, irresponsible menace. He's really over the top, with this kind of shit. He's a fucking idiot, who's going to paralyze someone, one of these days.

Next time we play Ottawa, I would like a brawl.

Ha that's what my dad said after Ruutu hit Kaleta....but of course, noone did anything...Gaustad was probally itching to go down there like crazy up there in the press box. You have to standup for your teammates....ridiculous..

Yeah....trying to be slightly realistic here. Hecht won't get benched.