Buffalo News

'When you think back to the 2015 NHL Draft, it was all going to be so simple. Connor McDavid to Edmonton, Jack Eichel to Buffalo and Stanley Cup dreams for the Oilers and Sabres by, oh, 2018 or 2019. It obviously hasn't worked that way. ' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen earned a Cup his fellow 2015 first-rounders don’t have

'Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka, draft choices in 2020, could make the Sabres' roster out of training camp in the fall. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will compete for the starting job.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ prospect depth strong in Rochester, elsewhere if top guys graduate to NHL

'From this view, it's Holtby or Campbell in goal. St. Louis' Ville Husso is going to want dollars and terms the Sabres won't be interested in. They'll get to the floor. It's not an issue. The point continues to be this: The Sabres used to spend all the money and it got them nowhere. They're not a cap team right now and that's fine. They need to spend the right money. And they … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Ben Bishop move was for accounting and Sabres should floor it to spend real money in goal

'Rosen will try to make the Sabres’ roster out of training camp, where he’ll line up with or against proven players Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Jeff Skinner, Alex Tuch and Kyle Okposo. An immediate jump to the NHL is unlikely.' … [Read more...] about Isak Rosen readying for ‘big opportunity’ with Sabres after tough year in Sweden

'Game 2 was no contest, a 7-0 Avalanche blowout that rolled downhill and never stopped until Colorado had taken a 2-0 lead in the series and moved within two wins of its first Cup since 2001.' … [Read more...] about Avalanche get rolling early, crush Lightning to take 2-0 lead in Cup final

'A stealth pick by GM Tim Murray in the sixth round in 2016, the Sabres let the 5-foot-9 Hagel go for nothing in 2018 when GM Jason Botterill opted not to sign him. That's even though Hagel had put up seasons of 71 and 59 points the previous two years at Red Deer of the Western League.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Cup finalists J.T. Compher and Brandon Hagel were Sabres picks who never got to Buffalo

'After dropping Game 1 on Andre Burakovsky's overtime goal Wednesday night, the Lightning hope to join the 1991 Penguins, 2011 Bruins and 2018 Capitals as the only teams to win the Cup after losing the opening game of three series in their postseason.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: It’s Game 2 and that means the Lightning can count on Vasilevskiy to keep them afloat

'"I still felt like we were creating, just whether or not we were getting the pucks through or not," Makar said after practice Friday in Ball Arena. "But I still felt even when they're blocking shots our forwards are doing a good job retrieving those. For us, it's just trying to get past that second layer."' … [Read more...] about Stanley Cup notebook: Colorado’s Cale Makar looking to find the right lane to drive his shots through

'This is the kind of development opportunity the Sabres wanted for Nadeau when they selected him with the No. 97 pick. For much of the season, Nadeau played left wing on a line with NHL first-round draft choices Xavier Bourgault (Edmonton Oilers) and Mavrik Bourque (Dallas Stars). The trio combined for 63 points during the QMJHL playoffs.' … [Read more...] about Sabres prospect Olivier Nadeau can cap ‘incredible’ season with Memorial Cup run

'There's no animosity built up yet between the two sides, as was the case for both teams through their conference playoffs. And there's only 61 1/2 minutes of real-time scouting, too. Remember, both clubs look a good deal different than when they saw each other in February, thanks to their trade deadline acquisitions, but they produced an opener that was scintillating hockey … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: With a day to rest, both sides ponder the takeaways from memorable opener to Cup Final

'If this is what the Stanley Cup final is going to bring us for the next two weeks, the entire hockey world should sign up for seven games. … [Read more...] about In Game 1 thriller, Avalanche use quick thunder in OT to stun Lightning

'"Those of us who were here will never forget what a tough season we had," Rantanen said. "But they kept the core together, and Joe honestly believed that his core could take us here, take us deeper in the playoffs. So it happened pretty quick. We made the playoffs the next season after all that, and it's been upwards from there."' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: From a 48-point season to the Cup final in five years, Avalanche show it can be done

'"Thankfully, she has made progress over the last few days, and has an exceptional team of medical experts at her side," Bettman said in words that almost directly mirrored a statement issued Tuesday morning by the teams. "I ask that you continue to keep Kim and the Pegula family in your prayers, and ask that you respect their need and desire for privacy."' … [Read more...] about Stanley Cup notebook: Gary Bettman offers best wishes to Kim Pegula

'"It's been great. You learn a lot those first 12 years, too. Don't think you don't," Bogosian, 31, said during a chat with The Buffalo News at Stanley Cup Media Day on Tuesday in Ball Arena. "I look back on some of the years (with the Sabres) that we didn't really have a chance of even making the playoffs, to go into a team that was a veteran group that knows how to win and … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: A dead end with the Sabres turned into Stanley Cup quests for Zach Bogosian

'Francouz grew up idolizing Sabres legend Dominik Hasek and sports his uniform number as a tribute. "The first thing was just his passion for the game," Francouz said during Stanley Cup Media Day Tuesday in Ball Arena. "He was the main reason I started to play hockey, because I was 7 years old when we won the (1998) Olympic Games in Nagano. That was a huge thing for us and for … [Read more...] about Stanley Cup Notebook: Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz wears the number, idolizes the game of Dominik Hasek