The Buffalo Sabres announced centreman Curtis Lazar is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Lazar skated only five shifts in the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. He did not return from the second intermission to play the third period.
The Sabres' Curtis Lazar is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
With Lazar, Dylan Cozens and Jack Eichel out, Sam Reinhart will remain at center.
— John Vogl (@BuffaloVogl) April 1, 2021
Buffalo Sabres’ Curtis Lazar Out With Injury
Lazar scored Buffalo’s second goal on Wednesday to give his team a 2-0 lead in what became a 6-1 victory against the Flyers. The nature of his injury remains unknown as it wasn’t clear what happened on the ice.
The 26 year old is third in team goals with five, behind teammates Victor Olofsson (9), and Sam Reinhart (13). During is eight-year NHL career, Lazar has score 25 goals and 45 assists for 70 points in 317 games. This season he has five goals and four assists in 33 games.
He was drafted 17th overall in the 2013 by the Ottawa Senators, where he stayed from 2014 to 2017. In March 1, 2017 he was traded to the Calgary Flames at the trade-deadline. Lazar stayed with the Alberta team bouncing between the Flames and their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat until 2019. The Canadian player signed with Buffalo after not receiving a qualifying offer from Calgary when he became a restricted free agent.
What This Means For The Future
Buffalo just ended their 18 winless streak with a win against Philadelphia on Wednesday. However, the strikes against the team don’t stop. They have already lost their key-defenceman Jake McCabe late in February, with a season ending knee injury. They’re also without their captain Jack Eichel, who sustained an upper-body injury against the New York Islanders back in March 7. Their star rookie Dylan Cozens was injured on Monday against the Flyers. It almost feels like the hockey gods don’t want them to succeed.
A good news for their fans is that since their game against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, the team has been looking a lot better. Even though they blew a 3-0 lead on Monday, it was likely their best game of the season both offensively and defensively. Another good news is that interim head coach Don Granato and General manager Kevyn Adams are confident about Cozens. He’s considered a week-to-week but they are optimistic the rookie won’t be out for long.
The bad news is they won’t make the playoffs and still have enough games to break the NHL record for longest winless streak during the OT era. With how the team has played the last three games, that’s unlikely and they have enough talented players to win some more games and not go into the same spiral from the past 18 games. All Buffalo needs to do now is stay healthy and keep the momentum going forward.
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