Buffalo News

'Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Kale Clague, Casey Fitzgerald and Lawrence Pilut performed admirably on the opener of a three-game road trip in support of the marquee NHL performance by Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Samuelsson played a game- and career high 31:31, Dahlin clocked in at 28:37 and Clague was at 23:34. Samuelsson and Dahlin each had four blocked shots as the … [Read more...] about Observations: Short-handed Sabres get huge night from Luukkonen in stunner over Avalanche

'"It's for the medical team now. There's a lot you're gonna know day by day," Granato said. "The last phase, because of his position, is much different. Lots of up and down, lots of lateral movement, lots of pushing in the lower body area where he was injured.' … [Read more...] about Injured goalie Eric Comrie rejoins Sabres on road trip, looks for reset of his season

'Though they're not in the Calder Trophy discussion, Quinn and Peterka have been among the most impactful rookies in the NHL this season. According to Evolving-Hockey’s goals above replacement metric, which weighs a player’s overall contribution to his team, Quinn and Peterka rank first and eighth, respectively, among all rookies. Defenseman Owen Power was fourth entering play … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka showing off ‘swag’ and ‘confidence’ as rookies

'"That’s great to see from a young team ," said Anderson, who, at 41 years old, became the second-oldest goalie in NHL history to record a 40-save shutout. "I think a lot of times younger teams that haven’t played the right way for too long get off their game, they start trying to do too much, be individual. And we didn't do that tonight, which is a huge stepping stone in our … [Read more...] about Observations: Sabres ace latest test, score six goals in the third period in 6-0 win

'Halfway through an eight-season, $72 million contract, Skinner has 13 goals and 32 points in 27 games. He’s one-third of a game-changing line that also includes Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. And the Sabres will be without Skinner again Tuesday at home against the Los Angeles Kings, who have scored only three fewer goals than Buffalo, then Thursday in Colorado against the … [Read more...] about Sabres press on with different lineup as Jeff Skinner awaits end of suspension

'By scoring five goals, including four in the first 16:40 of the first period in Columbus, Thompson became only the second player in franchise history to reach that mark in a single game. He finished with five goals and an assist with nine shots on goal in only 13:56 of ice time. Dave Andreychuk scored five for the Sabres in an 8-6 win in Boston on Feb. 6, 1986.' … [Read more...] about Sabres notebook: Tage Thompson named NHL’s second star of the week

'Kyle Okposo, their captain, said: “We just talked about stepping up before the game, and we have to be able to withstand injuries. It’s part of the league. It’s part of the NHL. It ’s part of being a good team."' … [Read more...] about Observations: Sabres earn opportunities, fail to capitalize in 3-1 loss to Penguins

'"It is important to note that this isn’t the case of a stick riding up unintentionally as players battle for position in front of net or come together naturally during the course of play," George Parros, director of the NHL's department of player safety, said in a video explaining the ruling. "Skinner initiates an altercation here that ends with him aggressively and … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Jeff Skinner suspended three games for cross-checking Penguins’ Jake Guentzel

'The three-game suspension Skinner received Saturday was appropriate. Skinner engaged Guentzel when the Penguins' winger foolishly tapped Craig Anderson's glove after the Buffalo goalie had frozen the puck, but things escalated by the boards as Skinner chased down Guentzel and they exchanged slashes. Guentzel started to go to the ice and that's when Skinner's high stick hit … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: Jeff Skinner went too far in the moment, but he had the right idea

'The Sabres say they wanted to create something unique and dynamic, and with the evolution of the game, including more of a focus on player safety, they thought it might be prudent to stop highlighting the biggest hit of the game.' … [Read more...] about Why there’s no more ‘collision of the game’ on Sabres broadcasts

'The Sabres (12-13-2) saw their comeback halted by a retaliation penalty. They tied the score twice, capped by Kyle Okposo’s power-play goal as the extra attacker with 1:30 left in regulation. Skinner’s goal late in the second period, his 13th of the season, gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead, which it held until Pittsburgh scored twice in the third.' … [Read more...] about Observations: Jeff Skinner’s match penalty costs Sabres in OT loss to Penguins

'Anderson played well most of the night. He made several key stops, and a 10-beller on Evgeni Malkin late in the second period prevented the Sabres from falling into a 2-0 hole. Instead, it set the stage for Victor Olofsson and Skinner to score in a 67-second span late in the frame to give Buffalo a 2-1 lead.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: It was a crazy finish for Craig Anderson, who needs to get more action in Sabres’ net

'"I think the main goal is you want to win, right? It's a team sport," Thompson said Thursday as reporters swarmed his locker for extended chat in the dressing room. "We're playing good hockey lately. I think we still have a long ways to go and we can continue to get better as a group and there's still things ... we can continue to do to help our team, whether it's being better … [Read more...] about On the day after, Tage Thompson reflects on historic night but focuses more on what’s next for Sabres

'In a statement to the News on Thursday, Lara Pritchard, the senior director for Northeast communications for Charter Communications, wrote, "We had a signal disruption, originating out of the Carolinas, due to recent weather events in that area. Our engineers worked quickly to resolve and we sincerely apologize for the service interruption."' … [Read more...] about Why screen was frozen for start of Sabres game, Tage Thompson’s heroics

'Thompson is the leading scorer on the top offensive team in the NHL. As of late Wednesday night, his 21 goals ranked third in the NHL, only two fewer than Dallas’ Jason Robertson, and his 40 points in 26 games were fourth. This performance, broadcast nationally on television, showcased the skill and remarkable right-handed shot that earned Thompson a seven-year, $50 million … [Read more...] about Observations: Tage Thompson makes history again, scores 5 goals in rout