Alex Tuch will make his Buffalo Sabres debut Monday versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Don Granato announced Sunday, according to team writer Jourdon LaBarber.

Tuch, 25, was a key piece of the November trade that sent former Sabres captain Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights. He hasn't played this season while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

The native of Syracuse, New York, grew up a Sabres fan, and his first game with the club will be in Buffalo.

"He's ready to go. He's as excited as anybody I've seen to play a game - because it's here. Because he's putting that jersey on," Granato said.

Originally a first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2014, Tuch joined Vegas in the expansion draft and posted 139 points in 249 games with the franchise.

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After his New Jersey Devils dropped a fifth straight game, head coach Lindy Ruff said it's on him to right the ship.

"The same things happen to our club over and over, ill-advised mistakes that turn into goals against," Ruff said after losing 5-2 to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night, according to team reporter Amanda Stein. "Careless decisions with the puck that turn into goals against."

He added: "All that's on me. That's my responsibility. The way this team plays is my responsibility."

The Devils have dropped nine of their last 10 contests to fall to 10-14-5 this season. After missing the playoffs for the last three campaigns, many expected New Jersey to be more competitive in 2021-22.

While Ruff did take plenty of the blame for the team's recent performance, he also didn't hesitate to call out some of his players.

"Our top (forwards) are the ones that hurt us," Ruff said. "I thought our bottom forwards gave us a good night - (they were) great on the kill, scored the first goal, shorthanded goal, all the good stuff. Our top guys have to be harder to play against."

He continued: "They have to be harder on the puck. They have to win more battles. They have to create more odd-numbered situations themselves, speed, drive in the middle. All those little things add up by the end of the game."

The Devils were missing a number of players Saturday, including Jesper Bratt, P.K. Subban, Nico Hischier, and Ryan Graves, as well as goaltenders Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier.

However, New Jersey has been outscored 44-23 over the past 10 games. Bratt leads the team with 24 points in 28 games, while Andreas Johnsson ranks second with 19 in 29 contests.

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Dallas Stars forward Tanner Kero was taken off the ice on a stretcher Saturday night after taking a forceful check from Chicago Blackhawks winger Brett Connolly.

Officials handed Connolly a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct after he plowed into Kero near the boards early in the first period. Kero laid on the ice while the Stars' medical staff attended to him, and they eventually took him off.

Dallas later said Kero was conscious, alert, and responsive. He'll be hospitalized as a precaution and for further evaluation.

The 29-year-old is in his second season with the Stars after playing parts of three campaigns with the Blackhawks.

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The Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators have been shut down until the Christmas break ends on Dec. 27, the NHL announced Saturday.

Additionally, The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks will not play this weekend due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Here's a look at each team's impacted games:

The Maple Leafs, Canucks, Bruins, and Predators each have at least four players in COVID protocol.

The virus is currently surging across the NHL. The league already shut down the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers on Friday due to outbreaks.

As of Friday, there are no known plans to halt the season.

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Buffalo Sabres goaltender Malcolm Subban isn't sure how he made that glove stop against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night, either.

Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues seemingly had the netminder dead-to-rights in the first period when Subban slid across the crease to make an incredible behind-the-back save, which the officials confirmed upon review.

"Honestly, I didn't even know it happened. I thought someone hit my glove or something," Subban said, according to NHL.com's Heather Engel.

He added: "I went to the bench and (goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen) asked if I got that with my glove. I was like, 'Oh, I don't know, maybe it hit the post and hit my glove. ...' Then I saw the replay, and it was a pretty lucky save."

When asked what his left hand was doing behind him on the sequence, the 27-year-old said, "I honestly don't know. I think it's a bad habit, but it turned out to be a good thing," per Wes Crosby of NHL.com.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan was also in awe of Subban's stop.

"We all thought it was in the net. It was an incredible save," he said, according to Penguins beat reporter Michelle Crechiolo. "(Rodrigues) was talking to himself on the bench, he thought it was in the net also."

Subban made 45 saves in Buffalo's 3-2 overtime loss to the Penguins. It was his second appearance as a Sabre this season.

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An emotional Friday for the Winnipeg Jets started with the resignation of longtime bench boss Paul Maurice and culminated in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals.

But for Jets sniper Nikolaj Ehlers, saying goodbye to the only NHL head coach he's ever played for was particularly difficult.

"It was a weird morning," Ehlers told the media postgame. "(Maurice) was the guy who gave me the chance to play in the NHL. I'll be forever thankful for the seven years and all the things that I learned from him, and for the chance that he gave me.

"He's not just a great coach but also a great person."

Ehlers, who the Jets drafted ninth overall in 2014, had played under Maurice since making his NHL debut in 2015-16. Maurice announced his decision to step down Friday after coaching Winnipeg for 600 games since 2014.

However, Friday wasn't just emotional for the players.

"It's been a whirlwind," interim bench boss Dave Lowry said prior to coaching his first NHL game, according to Mitchell Clinton of NHL.com. "For myself, it came out of the blue. I first had a conversation last night with (general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff), that was the first I had any inkling that something was going on."

Although the team dropped its first game under Lowry, Ehlers said the Jets are looking forward to what's next.

"We've got a great coaching staff here that we want to build this together (with)," he said. "We gotta look forward now. I know that, with this team, we've got more in us than where we're at right now. Even though right now it's a little tough, it should be exciting for us as well."

Lowry said he wants the Jets to play fast and hard moving forward. However, Ehlers said following Friday's contest that there wasn't much time for Lowry to implement those changes due to the sudden resignation.

The Jets are currently in fifth place in the Central Division with a record of 13-11-5.

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