Buffalo News

'They need to manage situations in games the way they did Saturday night. It was only the second time since Dec. 23 that Buffalo earned a point by losing in overtime or a shootout. The Sabres’ 38 wins are more than the Metropolitan Division’s third-place New York Islanders (37), but the latter is in a playoff spot because they have 16 loser points. The standings would look … [Read more...] about Observations: Sabres’ OT loss to Panthers a reminder that loser points matter

'Then Quinn wrecked his ankle in the January win at San Jose and needed surgery. He will play only 27 games this season and you see the glimpses of what he was going to be for the season. He’s on a 26-goal pace even with several games just to get up to speed. No stretch to say Quinn could have been a 30- to 35-goal scorer this year if healthy.' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: A look at 13 moments that led to Year 13 of Sabres’ playoff drought

'The Sabres finished above .500 at KeyBank Center (21-19-1) for the first time since 2019-20. They won nine of their last 12 in Buffalo and finished with a plus-7 goal differential on home ice, a vast improvement from the negative-18 from last season.' … [Read more...] about Observations: Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens score in third to help Sabres win home finale

'What should Thursday have been in KeyBank Center? Probably the most important hockey game the Buffalo Sabres have played downtown since the failed playoff race of 2012.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Fan Appreciation Night and this whole season should have meant so much more for Sabres

'Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers is the only player remaining in the league to have suited up in a playoff game for the Sabres. Myers, now 34, was traded in 2015 and is nine games away from playing in the 1,000th of his career.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: As they enter home finale, Sabres’ playoff drought has now become a teenager

'“We’re a young team and that shouldn’t be an excuse anymore,” said Dahlin, an alternate captain. “We are looking ourselves in the mirror and we have to be better, so this is something we have to learn from this season and make sure it doesn’t happen again. We want to do something special in Buffalo and everyone is on the train. This summer is going to be very, very important … [Read more...] about Observations: Sabres’ playoff drought officially reaches 13 years with loss in Dallas

'“It’s tough, obviously,” Power recalled, his voice muffled by the stitches. “You don’t want to leave the game at any time and not come back, but especially big games like that. When we’re down, it definitely hurts a little more, but it was just bad luck and nothing you can do about it.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres notebook: Owen Power ‘pushed through’ inconsistent play to earn top-pair role

'The Sabres were without Jacob Bryson and Owen Power for the final 6:08 of regulation Sunday in Detroit when they failed to mount a comeback against the Red Wings and lost 3-1 in Little Caesars Arena.' … [Read more...] about Injuries on defense cause Sabres to cancel practice as city of Dallas prepares for eclipse

'The red flags that have emerged since October suggest that the Sabres need a new voice, though. Young forwards are repeating the same mistakes. They are 7-21-1 when allowing two more goals in the first period, and they’ve allowed a league-worst 93 goals in the first period of games this season.' … [Read more...] about Sabres mailbag: Inconsistent play raises more questions about Don Granato’s future

'“It stinks. Plain and simple,” said winger Alex Tuch. “Honestly. There’s no sugarcoating. We’ve had multiple chances. If you can’t win more than three in a row, you’re probably not going to be in the playoffs.”' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: There’s no runway left for Sabres after disastrous start grounds them vs. Red Wings

'But here we are. Five games to go, starting Sunday in Detroit. And they matter. Teams around them are imploding. Friday’s 4-2 Buffalo win over Philadelphia dropped the Flyers to 0-4-2 in their last six heading into their game Saturday in Columbus. Washington is 0-4-1 in its last five. The Red Wings enter Sunday 1-3-2 in their last six.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: In an utterly wacky season, there are five games left and the Sabres are still alive

'The Sabres have better personnel than the Wings and Senators, better prospects and have established this season they have far superior goaltending in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi. They might start next season just where they opened this one: As the team most projected to take a big jump. But how many chances will this core get?' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: Which Atlantic Division rebuild is finally going to make a playoff breakthrough?

'"We’re a team that never gives up," said Dahlin. "We don’t listen to the outside noise. We’re a strong core in here. We will look at the result once the last game has been played. All we can do is play our best every game."' … [Read more...] about Observations: Jack Quinn sparks turnaround, Sabres beat Flyers to stay alive in race

'Luukkonen was named as the Sabres’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the members of the Buffalo chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, and joined defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and forward Alex Tuch as the three nominees for the Rick Martin Memorial Award presented annually by the club.' … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets nominations for pair of awards

'“Honestly, he was a little off the radar once he moved to Salzburg,” said Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, a fellow German who has played against Peterka since they were teenagers. “He’s always had a really good shot. He’s always trusted his feet and his instincts. I think it was just a matter of time to grow into his body. He was never one of the taller guys, so he … [Read more...] about JJ Peterka’s path to NHL helped the Sabres winger become a ‘real scoring threat’