"Thomas Vanek has no plans to change the way he plays or the equipment he wears. His game-day philosophy, though, has been modified.

An abdominal injury kept Vanek out of his second straight game Monday when the Buffalo Sabres visited Toronto. The left winger tested the ailment at the morning skate, twisting his torso and bouncing up and down, but he wasn't well enough to join the action in Air Canada Centre.

"When I try to take off, it doesn't feel right, so we're going to keep working on it," Vanek said. "It's better than it was two days ago, so hopefully it keeps progressing."

Vanek was struck in the midsection by teammate Tyler Myers' shot against Toronto last Friday night and played through the injury. Coach Lindy Ruff decided he could no longer keep Vanek in the lineup at half speed and sat him for Saturday's 2-1 shootout loss to Pittsburgh.

Though Vanek understands the decision, it goes against his hockey belief system.

"I hate missing games," he said. "I'm not a big fan of it. My theory, I guess, was as long as I could walk I could play. But Lindy came to me and said it's not good enough, which is tough to argue. I didn't feel right out there, but at the same time it's tough not to play."

Vanek has a tendency to get nicked because of his role. He can usually be found at the top of the crease, a spot where pucks are flying and opposing defensemen are hacking. There is equipment that could help — former Sabres forward Rick Vaive wore notoriously bulky protective gear — but Vanek also is involved in rushes and too much padding would slow him.

"You can wear different things, but it's about how comfortable you can get. I've never worn anything extra," Vanek said. "I've never backed down from a beating and stuff. It's something I actually enjoy. Bumps and bruises, they're part of the game, and I understand that.

"I've gotten hit there before in the past, and it's never turned out this way. I don't know if the shot was that hard, or if it's the way I positioned myself. It just got me perfectly, I guess.""