Buffalo News

'For one thing, it's pretty easy to ask where did the team go that was playing well and piling up shot totals against Washington and Philadelphia? Because that group hasn't been around this week for most of the last three games against New York and New Jersey, two teams on a decidedly lower level who are plus-23 in shots on the Sabres over these trio of matchups.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Even as they struggle, Sabres finding the way to scoop up points

'Olofsson’s power-play goal from the right circle with 9:04 remaining gave the Sabres a 3-2 lead after Eichel left for the dressing room, and the Devils tied the score again when Janne Kuokkanen capitalized on a bouncing puck near Buffalo’s net. Eichel missed almost 13 minutes after taking a puck to the face.' … [Read more...] about Wraparound: Jack Eichel, Linus Ullmark send Sabres to shootout win

'"I had an inkling we'd be playing teams pretty close to us," Hall said, referring to the NHL's 2021 realignment. "The prospect of not having to travel all that much is always nice. Our travel in New Jersey was so awesome. We took a bus to three different teams (New York, Long Island and Philadelphia) and it really allowed us to recover and make the season a little bit … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: The multigame series is a fun part of this new schedule

'"I thought it was a reality that I may never be a head coach again," Ruff said Friday on a video call. "That definitely was on my mind. I spent three years with the Rangers, really enjoyed it. But I'm humbled by this opportunity. I feel lucky at times that I've been been given this opportunity and am working extremely hard to try to make this work and develop this young team … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Lindy Ruff thrilled with the chance to run the Devils

'Hall isn’t alone, though. The Sabres are tied for 16th in the National Hockey League in 5-on-5 scoring, as Buffalo has only two even-strength goals over the past three games. There are encouraging signs, most notably that the Sabres’ 23 high-danger scoring chances during that span rank 10th in the NHL, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.' … [Read more...] about Hall, Eichel separated as Sabres search for balanced 5-on-5 scoring

'“I think that’s huge for these kids because they grow up and we’re pretty isolated in Whitehorse,” said Jeff Frizzell, president of Whitehorse Minor Hockey Association. “We get to play each other, but their closest real rival is when we head down to tournaments in Vancouver. That’s 2,000 kilometers away, so the kids are definitely flying and they see the amount of work that it … [Read more...] about Back in Whitehorse, hometown fans go ‘bananas’ for Sabres’ Dylan Cozens

'The Sabres had no business being in this one. They were asleep for 40 minutes, getting just nine shots on goal. They flat-out stole a point thanks to Linus Ullmark, who stopped 36 of 38 shots through regulation.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: After an OT stinker, Sabres have to keep bouncing back

'"That was definitely Linus’ point today," said Sabres coach Ralph Krueger. "We had two of our rougher periods in the season thus far. The first two were extremely disappointing. … Linus played outstanding. Stayed calm in some of the chaos that we had in our end and really looked like a top goalie in the world today. It’s the most positive thing out of an overall disappointing … [Read more...] about Wraparound: Linus Ullmark stops 36 shots in Sabres’ overtime loss to Rangers

'Buffalo went 39-17 against the Broadway Blueshirts. A win percentage of 70%.' … [Read more...] about Sabres much improved in the faceoff circle

'The Sabres had a sluggish start and an uneven performance in the first period was capped by Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller scoring with 6.1 seconds remaining. Buffalo was then outshot 15-2 during a third period in which the Sabres could not manage to sustain pressure in the offensive zone.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ improved special teams units fend off Rangers for 3-2 win

'"I don't know how tough mentally it's been," Eichel said. "I've had a lot of chances, I think if I wasn't getting chances, I think I'd be more frustrated. But yeah, it's a relief to get one and kind of get that out of me. .... It was a good to make an impact offensively tonight."' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Breaking the ‘egg’ takes the piano off Jack Eichel’s back

'The Sabres (3-3-1) had not earned consecutive victories against the Rangers since Buffalo won three in a row from April 2, 2016 to Jan. 3, 2017. Goalie Linus Ullmark made 28 saves for the Sabres, who have earned five points in their last three games. Buffalo killed a penalty for the final 1:37 of regulation and went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.' … [Read more...] about Wraparound: Eichel finally enters goal column as Sabres defeat Rangers 3-2

'“I definitely felt it right away, but I think stubbornness takes over, too, in a sense. I’m competitive and I want to play,” acknowledged Hutton, who rejoined the Sabres for their morning skate Tuesday. “I kept communicating with (head athletic trainer Rich Stinziano), but I definitely didn’t put him in an easy spot, too, because I wanted to keep playing. I didn’t want to … [Read more...] about Carter Hutton rejoins Sabres after weeklong absence stemming from collision

'“Me and Risto, we’ve played a lot of hockey over the years together, so there’s a lot of familiarity,” said McCabe. “I love playing with him. He’s one of the best physical defensemen in this league and playing with a guy like that, we haven’t been spending too much time in our own end so I think we’ve done a really good job of killing plays and getting the puck moving in … [Read more...] about Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe an ‘outstanding,’ shutdown pair for Sabres

'The Sabres (2-3-1) outshot Washington 48-31 over the 65 minutes of play. The count was 5-4 in a wild overtime that saw Caps rookie Vitek Vanecek stone Jack Eichel twice and Buffalo's Linus Ullmark stop Justin Schultz in tight and Nicklas Backstrom on a breakaway.' … [Read more...] about The Wraparound: Eichel, Ullmark combine to lift Sabres to shootout victory