‘”You know what, it’s going to be a good test for us,” Sabres forward Kyle Okposo said Monday afternoon as the Sabres returned to practice in HarborCenter after the NHL All-Star break. “I think that we need to keep taking steps as a team. I think that was probably step No. 1. We needed to put a few games together where we really showed what we can do and really played well for three games. Now we’ve got to take another step. We’ve got to come back home and be really good on home ice. We’ve got to start being better on home ice and defending our building.”‘
Archives for January 30, 2018
Sabres Notebook: Team success leads to individual honors; Beaulieu back at practice
‘”It’s always nice but my teammates made it easy for me,” said Lehner on Monday after he was named the NHL’s third star of the week. Forward Jack Eichel was the second star while Vancouver forward Brock Boeser was the first star. “The honors that both me and Jack got, every single one of us is a part of that.”‘
Hot Sabres want to reward fans with home wins
‘“People were like, ‘Oh, great job this week, this road trip you guys were awesome,’” Pominville said. “So that’s how it is. They’re pretty passionate and they like it and hopefully we can give them a little more.”’
Sabres’ Jack Eichel, Robin Lehner earn second, third star of week
‘Lehner, meanwhile, posted consecutive shutouts, stopping 33 shots Wednesday and 30 in Thursday’s 4-0 win in Vancouver. The Swede became the first Sabres goalie to blank consecutive opponents since Ryan Miller on Feb. 29 and March 1, 2012.’
Tuesday’s New Jersey Coverage
Sabres on roll heading into home matchup with Devils (The Sports Xchange)
Tonight’s game: Devils vs. Sabres, 7 p.m. (SportsNet New York)
Devils at Sabres preview (NHL.com)
1/30 Pregame Notes: Devils at Sabres (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Sabres, shmabres: Ex-Bills coach Rex Ryan back to loving Leafs
‘“As soon as I got fired by the Pegulas, I was like, no chance. I got rid of all my Sabres stuff. I had the (Roger) Crozier jersey, the French Connection jerseys … I got rid of every damn one of them.”’
Sabres’ Eichel is back from a fun All-Star weekend
‘Eichel loved playing the 3-on-3 format, but there was one thing that he really enjoyed from the weekend, “It was nice to just hangout with the guys during the skills competition and get to know some players that you don’t know and spend some time with the league’s best and guys I’ve looked up to my whole life.”’
Sabres’ Eichel and Lehner earn league honors
‘Jack Eichel is the league’s second star. Eichel led the NHL with two goals and three assists for five points in the three wins out west. Eichel scored the overtime game-winner in Calgary on Tuesday night.’
Sabres hope to carry momentum of road trip into 5-game homestand
‘”I think it’s really important,” coach Phil Housley said. “… We’re playing a lot of teams that are in playoff contention or are in the playoffs, which is a great challenge for us. We need to put our foot down here and have the same type of effort. We don’t need to change anything. We have to just play a simple game.”‘
Tuesday’s Rochester Coverage
Brian Gionta to play for the Amerks Friday, then head to Olympics soon to captain Team USA (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
US captain Gionta to play AHL game prior to Olympics (AP)
Former Sabre Gionta is going to play another professional game (WGR-AM)
Gionta signs one-game contract with Amerks (WKBW-TV)
Gionta to suit up for Amerks in Olympic tuneup on Friday (WIVB-TV)
Ullmark, Smith hope to be on cusp of joining Sabres (NHL.com)
Amerks sign Gionta to one-game professional tryout (Amerks.com)