Islanders games in Buffalo on Monday and Tuesday will go on as scheduled

It’s game on for the Sabres.

Finally.

That means the Islanders’ two games in Buffalo on Monday and Tuesday nights will proceed as scheduled. It will be the start of a four-game road trip for the Islanders, with games in Pittsburgh on Thursday and Saturday nights. The Islanders are on a six-game point streak (3-0-3).

The Sabres have not played since Jan. 31 and had a six-day stretch through Friday in which nine players were on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list. Coach Ralph Krueger, 61, also tested positive.

Krueger briefly returned to the ice to lead Sunday’s practice before watching the rest of the session from the stands. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin also returned to practice, but the Sabres still had seven players — Dylan Cozens, Curtis Lazar, Jake McCabe, Casey Mittelstadt, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder and Rasmus Ristolainen — on Sunday’s COVID protocol list.

"I’m definitely feeling better," said Krueger, adding that he will decide on Monday whether he will be behind the bench or let assistant coach Steve Smith run the team. "I had moderately severe symptoms. I never did end up having a fever. But I did end up with a lot of aches and sleeping and fatigue for more than a week. So definitely time to realize how lethal this COVID is."

Krueger said his wife repeatedly tested negative while he was ill.

The Sabres’ first two postponed games during their eventual two-week layoff were against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum on Feb. 2 and Feb. 4. Those games have been rescheduled for Feb. 22 and March 4.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.