Why Sabres are playing Luke Schenn tonight instead of Kesselring, Metsa as he replaces fellow Jets discard

Why Sabres are playing Luke Schenn tonight instead of Kesselring, Metsa as he replaces fellow Jets discard originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Buffalo Sabres are making changes all over the ice for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Montreal Canadiens.

Konsta Helenius is in with the forwards. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is back in goal. And maybe the most surprising: Luke Schenn is going to see his first action of the playoffs.

On the one hand, Schenn brings something none of these Sabres really have. He's a 36-year old, two-time Stanley Cup winners. He's seen everything there is to see in the NHL.

On the other hand, Schenn's career is winding down, and he hasn't played in the postseason yet this year.

It's one of a few bold calls by head coach Lindy Ruff, and some Sabres fans are upset it's not Michael Kesselring or Zach Metsa into the lineup instead.

MORE: The Sabres are making a goalie change tonight, too

Why is Luke Schenn playing for Sabres tonight?

The reality is that Ruff clearly wanted to go with the experience of Schenn on the road in a big playoff game.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun agrees with that plan:

The Sabres took Logan Stanley, the other defenseman who began this season with the Winnipeg Jets, out of the lineup to make room for Schenn.

MORE: The Mitch Marner irony of Auston Matthews' future with the Maple Leafs

Sabres defense pairings for Game 4

This is how the Sabres' defensemen worked at morning skate:

Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Luke Schenn – Connor Timmins

There was also some question from fans about going with seven defensemen and scratching Jason Zucker after very limited Game 3 playing time, but at least based on the lines Tuesday morning, that won't be the case.