Buffalo News

'Not only do they need to gain strength, but they must learn which technique works best and how to avoid getting kicked out of the faceoff dot by an official. A few of the Sabres’ centers have improved from last season, most notably Krebs and Cozens, but the team’s 48.2 winning percentage on all faceoffs ranks 26th out of 32 teams. They had won at least 50% in only 24 of 55 … [Read more...] about Sabres are ‘getting better’ at faceoffs, but they’re still not winning often enough

'“A lot of it is confidence,” said winger Tage Thompson, whose two goals pushed his season total to 28. “Goal scoring comes in waves, but I think we’ve been doing a better job getting to the net with simple pucks, not trying to look for too much. Sometimes, we pass up some shots to try to find that extra pass, extra play. Coming through the neutral zone, playing pucks behind … [Read more...] about Sabres look to keep rolling on offense as top players are piling up points

'Goaltender Devon Levi was named the league's player of the week after posting back-to-back shutouts against Cleveland and Toronto.' … [Read more...] about Red-hot Amerks goalie Devon Levi named AHL Player of the Week

'"All week in practice as you guys probably saw we were looking to get up and down the rink a lot," said Greenway, an absolute beast in his first game since mid-December. "Play quick. I think that's a big strength of our game. We said, 'Let's go out there, transition quick, get the puck going, don't let them set up. Just keep them on their heels the whole game, especially in … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Sabres are still bought in, no matter what the standings say

'Ruff implored his players to treat the final 28 games of the season as their playoffs. He wants the Sabres to gain at least seven standings points every five games. His message was to play fast, responsible hockey with an emphasis on team defense. His words resonate, but they’re more impactful when they’re put into action by his team captain and the face of the Sabres.' … [Read more...] about Rasmus Dahlin leads with ‘special’ plays in Sabres’ rout of Rangers: Takeaways

'This was no All-Star Game, no exhibition hockey. NHL stars waited more than 8½ years for a best-on-best chance, and they took advantage of it more than anyone inside or outside the league could have imagined. The hockey was magnificent, and the word-of-mouth impact was instant.' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: 4 Nations was great hockey and a great showcase for the sport

'But the past two years in Buffalo have tested Cozens’ resolve and challenged him to find the scoring touch that he has shown everywhere he’s been. The confidence, speed and tenacity that he has shown everywhere else have wavered in the NHL as he’s tried to become an elite goal scorer and defender. The center has successfully fine-tuned certain aspects of his performance. He … [Read more...] about Dylan Cozens determined to score again for Sabres as ‘noise’ of trade rumors continues

'But what about Alex Tuch? The 28-year-old winger is having an excellent campaign with 19 goals, 24 assists and a team-best plus-15 rating. He’s signed through next season at a very reasonable $4.75 million but only has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to nix a deal to five teams.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Alex Tuch’s commitment to Sabres has not wavered. Will they commit to him?

'"I always say I feel like you can learn something from every goalie and they’re both really good goalies," Luukkonen said after the Sabres practiced for more than hour in KeyBank Center. "I think there’s lots to learn from them and how they play and how they practice. So overall, it was good to spend some time with them. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any playing time but in the … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen finds value in 4 Nations even though he didn’t play

'Peterka’s 23 points over the past 24 games are only one behind Tage Thompson for the most on the Sabres during that span. After enduring a difficult stretch of games, Peterka has emerged as one of their most consistent difference-makers. His 15 goals are 13 fewer than the career-best mark that he set last season, but his 41 points have him on pace to surpass his output from … [Read more...] about Sabres need JJ Peterka to build on his impressive performances

'Thompson and Pesce will only be eligible to play if the Americans have another player suffer an injury or get struck by illness. The pair is not even allowed to dress and take the morning skate unless that situation arises. The Sabres are not practicing Thursday.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Tage Thompson invited to 4 Nations Face-Off final as injury insurance

'Nothing has gone as planned with this season. There's no way Ruff imagined he would be coaching the last-place team in the Eastern Conference. And if you look at the standings, the Sabres are legitimately the only team in the East out of the playoff hunt.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: How will Lindy Ruff react to big decisions Sabres have ahead?

'Jordan Greenway, a power forward and penalty killer for the Sabres, practiced with the team again Monday and received clearance from the medical staff to play against the New York Rangers on Saturday in KeyBank Center. "Right now, all plans are as if he's ready to go," Ruff said of Greenway.' … [Read more...] about Jordan Greenway on track to return to Sabres’ lineup; Mattias Samuelsson practices

'The Sabres aren’t interested in acquiring more draft picks or prospects, though they may have to accept such an offer for Greenway and/or Jason Zucker if the club is unable to sign the pending unrestricted free agents to contract extensions. Henri Jokiharju also will draw interest because he’s a right-shot defenseman on an expiring contract who has lost ice time since Ruff … [Read more...] about Sabres’ trade-deadline strategy among the storylines to watch the rest of the season

'Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju was a late addition to Finland’s roster, yet he scored a goal while playing 19:11 in its 6-1 loss to the United States on Thursday. The performance should be enough to keep Jokiharju on the country’s radar for the Olympics, and it may lead to teams trying to acquire the pending unrestricted free agent before the NHL’s trade deadline on March … [Read more...] about Lance Lysowski: Fights, highlight-reel goals at 4 Nations represent monumental day for NHL