Mattias Samuelsson said his focus remains on improving his play following the Buffalo Sabres’ practice at KeyBank Center on Wednesday.

Samuelsson was scratched along with Henri Jokiharju for the Sabres’ win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. The two defensemen had played every game this season to that point.

Dennis Gilbert and Connor Clifton entered the lineup Tuesday in their place.

“It’s basically just a kick in the butt,” Samuelsson said. “I mean, if you asked me before I got scratched, I would have told you that I needed to be better anyways. So, it’s not like it was a secret beforehand. You could say (it’s) a little added motivation, but get back to work. I plan on playing in the NHL a long time. You’re gonna have your ups and downs, so I’m not too worried about it.”

Samuelsson missed the final three months of last season after having surgery to repair a shoulder injury. He’s averaged 16:52 of ice time through 12 games, including a team-leading 40:25 on the penalty kill.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said he met with both Samuelsson and Jokiharju on Tuesday to discuss ways to improve their games.

“I think just playing physical, being more direct, harder to play against, moving the puck quicker,” Samuelsson said. “I think I could be better in a lot of ways. Raise the standard in a lot of ways.”

In addition to returning from injury, Samuelsson has started the season adjusting to a new third-pair role. He averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time each of the past two seasons.

“It’s been a hard adjustment,” he said. “I think when you’re playing more minutes you don’t really think much out there. You kind of just get into a rhythm and play. When you play less, you find yourself thinking a lot, which can definitely be bad when you’re in your head a bit. It’s been an adjustment, for sure, but figuring it out every day.”

Here’s more from Wednesday’s practice.

Lines at practice

News and notes

1. The Sabres held a 37-35 advantage in his on Tuesday, becoming just the fourth team to outhit the Senators in a game this season.

Ruff spoke about the importance of that physicality after practice.

“I think the play sends a message that we’re going to be hard to play against,” Ruff said. “We’ve talked about physicality to be an element to start the game with that gets you into the game. It gives you a good first period. You get physically, emotionally engaged in the game. That (mentality of), ‘OK, I’m going to come in and battle you. I’m going to win the battle I’m going to cut you off. I’m going to make it hard for you to get up ice.’

“Some of the hits and some of the bumps aren’t devastating, but it’s stuff that gets you involved in the game.”

2. Ruff also commented on the increased opportunity for Sam Lafferty, who skated a season-high 14:16 in the win over Ottawa.

“His speed has really been noticeable,” Ruff said. “I think his down-low cutbacks and evasiveness have been a lot better, probably two areas I’ve noticed the most.”

3. The ice time for the Sabres forwards against the Senators ranged from 10:14 (Zach Benson) to 16:21 (Tage Thompson), the result of a concerted effort to roll four lines.

“To me, it looks like (with) a little bit more of a four-line approach, our energy is higher, more guys stay involved,” Ruff said. “We seem to play better. The numbers kind of say the same thing, too.”

Practice sound

Up next

The Sabres play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7.