Olean Times Herald

‘“He does everything right,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said on a Zoom call last week. “Like, from the very first day, we just said, ‘This guy’s a pro.’ … He just fits into our culture. He gets the plan.”’

‘The Buffalo Sabres today assigned goalie Jonas Johansson from the active roster to the taxi squad, a sign Carter Hutton could be ready for Tuesday’s home game against the New York Rangers.’

‘“And right now, I’m utterly grateful for getting a win.”’

‘“Just in the plan,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said on a Zoom call prior to the game. “We had mentioned preseason that we want to keep the taxi-squad players active and we need to watch the load on some of the other players. Dylan is one of them, so he has an opportunity to take a breath and watch the game. Casey has been outstanding in his work so far since the first of January. We need to get him involved, too, so we get a read. So it’s a combination of events.”’

‘The Sabres, of course, have plenty of experience to help Dahlin, the first overall pick in 2018, on the ice. He has established a strong relationship with ex-NHL defenseman Steve Smith, the assistant coach in charge of the blue line. Matt Ellis, the director of player development, also travels with the Sabres.’

‘“It was a special moment and also a grade A goal,” coach Ralph Krueger said on a Zoom call following the 4-3 shootout loss at Capital One Arena. “He really picked his spot top corner and the whole bench was really ecstatic. It’s a special moment when you see somebody with that skill set, that future with the Buffalo Sabres, you know that’s a historic moment.”’

‘“The players and staff feel that they’re part of the Bills’ journey, go ahead and show it if you want,” Krueger said on a Zoom call prior to tonight’s game against the Capitals. “So it wasn’t a big push or we didn’t need to sell anything. It was just a short conversation in one of our meetings prior to departure, and it was nice to see all the Bills clothing and paraphernalia on the plane. Everybody is excited.”‘

‘Johansson, 25, has developed into an intriguing prospect. He played his first six NHL games last season, compiling a 1-3-1 record. A breakout season in Rochester – he registered a 2.24 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage – helped him morph into an AHL All-Star and crack the big leagues.’

‘“When they gave me the puck, it took all my might and my power to not break down completely in the locker room,” Ullmark told Sabres.com. “We’re always speaking that we have two families. We have a family at home and we have our family in the team. That certainly was one of the confirmers about how I feel and hopefully how they feel about the team.”’

‘“It was really disappointing in a game, the way it was going, to lose midway through the game a very, very strong Carter Hutton,” Krueger said on a Zoom call from Wells Fargo Center. “After that, he didn’t feel the effects of the hit, actually, which can happen sometimes, until the intermission when he got in and he sat down.”‘