Saturday, 04.24.2010 / 3:44 PM / Sabres vs Bruins - 2010 Stanley Cup Conference Quarterfinals
By John McGourty - NHL.com Staff Writer
BUFFALO -- Thomas Vanek took a step forward Saturday in his fourth-straight day of skating since suffering an ankle sprain last Saturday in Game 2's 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins.

Vanek had only skated around the perimeter of his teammates during morning workouts and slapped at a few pucks. He gave coach Lindy Ruff a negative report after each session.

Vanek skated with the "Black Aces" -- five of the Sabres' reserves and some of the call-ups from the Portland Pirates -- at the suburban Amherst Pepsi Center, the team's practice facilty, while Ruff spoke at a noon press conference at HSBC Arena here. So he was unable to give a post-skate report.




Thomas Vanek
Left Wing - BUF
GOALS: 1 | ASST: 1 | PTS: 2
SOG: 6 | +/-: 2

"We're going to try to get him involved in some battle drills, which he hasn't been involved in," Ruff said. "We'll get a pretty good idea of where he’s at. I think you run the risk when you start getting him involved physically that you could set it back. We don’t know. I would hope today’s a good day, he gets through it and we can ramp up the type of practice that he can go through."

Jochen Hecht, who has undergone two surgeries on his left pinkie finger in the past few weeks, had his cast removed Friday and has been given the green light to resume fitness training.

"Still weeks away," Ruff said. "He's able to work out."
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=526910