Archives for September 2011

'“You can’t even begin to measure the optimism he has brought in such a short time,” fan Kyle Renner said. “The biggest thing is the feeling that the Sabres will one day win a Stanley Cup.”' … [Read more...] about Pegula’s spending spree raises Sabres expectations

'Pegula has helped get the Sabres back to thinking of themselves as Cup contenders, but a more realistic goal for 2011-12 is a Northeast Division title. Buffalo should challenge the Boston Bruins -- last year's Stanley Cup champions -- for the division crown and a deep playoff run is not out of the question. The important thing for the Sabres is that they've once again begun to … [Read more...] about 2011-12 Buffalo Sabres Preview

'The hit was shocking to me because it's the hardest I've ever seen Vanek hit somebody and it was a teammate! To me, it totally crossed the line because Kaleta is not expecting that kind of contact in practice so he's not braced for it. Ruff agreed, "The obvious answer is yes, it went too far, but whether Van leaned in too much or whether Patty kept coming with too much … [Read more...] about Sabres Vanek hammers Kaleta in open practice

'Gaustad was livid after the game and didn't want to address it until Tuesday and even then was measured in his comments, "I'm going to try to bite my tongue as much as possible, I'm just a little disappointed by it because I'm not the type of player that stays down, if I can get up, I get up. The NHL hasn't asked me how I'm doing so they don't know if I'm injured or not. They … [Read more...] about Sabres Gaustad wants suspension consistent

'Head coach Lindy Ruff said he thought the hit was too heavy for a practice situation, but suggested it was inadvertent and said that Kaleta should be alright.' … [Read more...] about Kaleta Shaken in Sabres Scrimmage

'Wednesday night hundreds of fans filled the First Niagara Center to send off the Sabres in style with chants of 'Let's go Buffalo.' The first 3,000 fans got to line-up for autographs before players and prospects hit the ice for a full-team scrimmage.' … [Read more...] about Fans wish Sabres a fond bon voyage

'“The team contingent will be about 80 people, about double what we normally send out for a typical road game,” says Sabres spokesman Mike Gilbert. “We have a number of spouses coming along, and in addition team senior management and other front office personnel who will be making this trip.". … [Read more...] about A Road Trip Like No Other

Amerks rookie Marcus Foligno much like his father (Rochester D&C) … [Read more...] about Thursday’s Rochester Coverage

'“It’s unfortunate because Brad Boyes gets suspended for two games and there’s not even a review on some of the other hits. Disappointed a little bit, but move on.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres ‘disappointed’ with inconsistent suspension rulings

'The Sabres believe NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan got the call on Boyes right and totally missed the call on Armstrong.' … [Read more...] about Sabres ”One Up, One Down” For Shanahan

Greece native Derek Whitmore playing for Amerks (WHEC-TV) Pace picks up on Day 2 of Amerks' training camp (Amerks.com) Amerks sign forward Phil Varone (Amerks.com) Amerks to host exhibition game vs. The University of Western Ontario (Amerks.com) … [Read more...] about Wednesday’s Rochester Coverage

'"Players get more reps and the less numbers you have, you can go into more detail with what you want to work on," Ruff said. "We've kept the groups down to practice size but it's nice to get into four lines and more scrimmage-like and game-like situations."' … [Read more...] about Sabres pared to more normal numbers

'"I'm going to try to bite my tongue as much as possible," Gaustad said. "I'm just a little bit disappointed by it because I'm not the type of player that stays down. If I get up, I get up. They haven't asked how I'm doing. The NHL hasn't asked me. They don't know if I'm injured or not. They didn't check on it, at least to my knowledge."' … [Read more...] about NHL discipline brings mixed feelings to Sabreland

'Kotalik, a native of the Czech Republic, apparently is pursuing playing options in Europe instead of calling Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community War Memorial his hockey home for the 2011-12 season.' … [Read more...] about Former NHL players’ future in Buffalo Sabres organization unclear

'Of course, with that newfound financial wealth comes expectations. The Sabres can no longer play the poor-and-broke cousin card. They have to win now, and there are no more excuses. Just how the Sabres deal with that will be an important storyline over the next few years.' … [Read more...] about Buffalo Sabres Preview