BUFFALO, N.Y. \u2014 For two and a half years, Jordan Greenway has been looking for a solution. Twice (once in the middle of last season and once in the summer before this season), the Buffalo Sabres\u2019 veteran winger has undergone surgery for a core muscle injury. And twice, the surgery has failed to eliminate the pain from the injury.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why Greenway recently decided to visit an outside specialist and seek an alternative treatment. This time, he didn\u2019t have surgery or require any procedure. It was a non-traditional rehab method, and he couldn\u2019t believe how well he responded to it. He\u2019s back on the ice practicing and getting closer to being available for game action.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the last two and a half years, there\u2019s been a lot of question marks on what the play is,\u201d Greenway said. \u201cWe\u2019ve done so many things and everyone was searching for something and collectively we all came to the same decision that we wanted to do the program that I went through and truthfully, I\u2019m absolutely shocked on how much better I feel, how great the outcome was because there were a lot of times where it was dark, I didn\u2019t know what the outcome was going to be, if I ever was going to get better, so the excitement, the shock, but ultimately I feel 100 times better than I did even two months ago and it\u2019s just so positive and so reassuring.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greenway could be a useful player for the Sabres in the postseason. He\u2019s one of the team\u2019s strongest penalty killers and plays a heavy, defensive game that can come in handy in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
But getting him into the lineup won\u2019t be easy. The Sabres already have a full line of forwards (Tyson Kozak, Josh Dunne, Tanner Pearson) who are healthy scratches and waiting for an opportunity. That\u2019s in addition to the full forward lineup that has played together for most of the games since the Olympic break.<\/p>\n
Greenway has been a quiet leader in Buffalo\u2019s locker room the last few years. Unsurprisingly, he\u2019s thinking more about the team than he is himself when it comes to his return from injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy ultimate goal is for us to continue to win games in the regular season and into the playoffs over and over again,\u201d Greenway said. \u201cThese guys have shown that they\u2019re able to do that right now, and I don\u2019t know a team that can beat us right now, truthfully. I\u2019m ready, not at this moment, but I\u2019m ready to come back whenever I can help us accomplish that goal. If it\u2019s a week from now, two weeks from now, whatever the case is, I\u2019m ready. Obviously, I have individual goals and individual things I want to do, and I will continue to do what I need to do to get there. But ultimately, this team comes first. I\u2019m here to help in any way that I can when the time comes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greenway said the run the Sabres have been on the last few months has afforded him the time to be patient with his injury in a way he typically wouldn\u2019t be in season. That\u2019s part of why this latest rehab method worked. He didn\u2019t rush back.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow seeing the guys rolling helps me mentally for sure,\u201d he said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t be more proud of what these guys are accomplishing. I don\u2019t read a lot of stuff, so I don\u2019t see what everyone is saying and this and that. But I don\u2019t even know if these guys are getting the credit that they deserve. From where we\u2019ve been to what it is now, I mean, you guys can write it. You know what I\u2019m saying. It\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greenway is one of the players in Buffalo\u2019s locker room who has experienced the postseason. So he understands what\u2019s coming better than most. And he sees no reason why the Sabres can\u2019t continue this run through April and beyond.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t be beat right now,\u201d Greenway said. \u201cTruthfully. I could give you so many reasons on why it\u2019s going to be tough. We haven\u2019t been there before in a long time, guys haven\u2019t played, whatever you want to say. At the end of the day, we go out there every single night, and yes, we may lose games here and there. But I would say nine out of the 10 games that I\u2019m watching, we are playing dominant hockey. We may not have it for a period, we may not have it for two periods, but we\u2019re going to find a way to get it done. I\u2019ve seen that repeatedly over and over again. I\u2019ve seen teams get deflated. I\u2019ve seen teams go up on us 3-0, think we\u2019re out of it, and we come back. I\u2019ve seen us take the lead, keep the lead. We can win in a lot of different ways against a lot of different teams. Whether that\u2019s March 15 or June 15, I don\u2019t know the big difference. I guess we\u2019re going to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quick hits<\/p>\n
1. Noah \u00d6stlund wasn\u2019t on the ice for practice on Thursday. He\u2019s dealing with an upper-body injury and is currently being evaluated. It\u2019s too early to press the panic button, but \u00d6stlund has quickly become a critical player for Buffalo. The rookie is up to 27 points in 60 games, and the Sabres are outscoring teams 35-22 during his five-on-five minutes.<\/p>\n
If \u00d6stlund needs to miss time, that will give Lindy Ruff a chance to mix up some lines and work another player into the lineup. \u00d6stlund\u2019s line with Josh Norris and Josh Doan has an on-ice expected goal share of 49.5 percent, according to Money Puck. But the Sabres are outscoring opponents 7-2 during their five-on-five minutes. Norris, though, has just two goals in March. Finding a way to get him scoring again would be ideal.<\/p>\n
Last time the Sabres had an injury at forward, Kozak was the one to jump into the lineup. Pearson could be due for a game and played well on Buffalo\u2019s fourth line in the one game he got since coming over in the trade with Winnipeg.<\/p>\n