NHL Notes: Sabres place goalie Robin Lehner on IR

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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed starting goaltender Robin Lehner on the Injured Reserve with a lower body sprain.

Lehner was injured making his Sabres debut in a 3-1 loss to Ottawa on Thursday. Coach Dan Bylsma says Lehner will be out at least one week.

The Sabres acquired Lehner and center David Legwand from Ottawa last summer in exchange for the 21st overall pick in June's Draft.

Buffalo has recalled Nathan Lieuwen from AHL Rochester to back up Chad Johnson.

The 24-year-old Lieuwen went 1-4 with the Sabres last season, with 2.98 goals against average and .906 save percentage.

Goaltender Linus Ullmark has been activated from Injured Reserve and loaned to Rochester, and defenseman Jake McCabe has been loaned to Rochester (see full story).

Oilers: Ex-coach Eakins feels at home in minors
SAN DIEGO -- There are far worse places to coach minor league hockey than sunny San Diego.

Yes, Dallas Eakins seems to have won a lottery of sorts, being hired to coach the San Diego Gulls after the American Hockey League team moved from Norfolk, Virginia, as part of a shift to California to get several affiliates closer to their NHL parents clubs.

The Gulls are the top minor league team of the Anaheim Ducks. Players will be just a phone call away from the NHL, which is a 90-minute drive up Interstate 5.

Even so, Eakins professes not to be in a rush to get back to the NHL despite being fired in the middle of last season by the Edmonton Oilers.

"I believe that if I do a great job today and tomorrow and the next day, just as I preach to the players, that eventually that day will come," Eakins said. "But I will tell you this, my family has lived in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver and now here in a very short amount of time, and I have very little interest right now in picking them up and moving anywhere (see full story)."

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