Olean Times Herald

'“He’s been in pro hockey for years and years,” coach Don Granato said Wednesday after Houser signed an NHL contract and joined the Sabres for the second straight season. “To still be preparing for a moment that, if you look at the years that have passed, it’s not coming. But he still believed and he believed and he believed and he did, because when he finally got the … [Read more...] about Sabres goalie Michael Houser beats long odds to return to NHL

'“Very pleased,” Sabres coach Don Granato said on a Zoom call. “I felt our guys deserved the win. They worked for it, they earned it from the first drop of the puck all the way to the end, all the way to Hinostroza’s goal. They battled and they stuck to a game plan, they had a real sense of objective and it was great to see."' … [Read more...] about Jeff Skinner, Aaron Dell star as Sabres end winless skid, beat Predators

'It’s a dream that seemed far-fetched 10 or 11 months ago as Dahlin regressed mightily under ex-Sabres coach Ralph Krueger. He looked lost and overwhelmed, losing his aggression while becoming a gaffe machine.' … [Read more...] about NHL All-Star Rasmus Dahlin becoming Sabres’ best player: ‘Elite defenseman’

'The Sabres, who have a six-game winless skid, had no other options.' … [Read more...] about Injuries put struggling Sabres in goalie crisis: ‘It is shocking’

'But Kyle Okposo and Alex Tuch have left protocol and appear to be ready to play Thursday against the Nashville Predators.' … [Read more...] about Sabres notes: Why was Jack Quinn sent back to Amerks after one game?

'In what has become another rough season – on Tuesday, the Lightning annihilated the Sabres and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen left the game injured – Quinn’s debut generated excitement and offered more hope for the future.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Jack Quinn looks strong in NHL debut: ‘A real good first game’

'“I see where we’re going, and that gives me a lot of confidence,” Granato said prior to Tuesday’s game. “There’s reason to be confident. This is going to correct. There’s no doubt about it. We’ve been able to convey that logically enough to our players that they see it, they feel it. And when you know it, you just know that we’re gonna turn this thing, you get really … [Read more...] about Coach Don Granato on Sabres’ future: ‘Inevitable it’s going to turn’

'“Forty minutes before practice we lose Tommer,” Granato said. “I was excited Jack Quinn was coming up and we can put him with (Dylan) Cozens and leave the Thompson line out, look at a potential threat there, and then it goes away really fast.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres lose Tage Thompson as Jack Quinn arrives in Buffalo for NHL debut

'“Jack has qualities that 30-year-old guys don’t have,” Granato said. “He knows, he has a sense of what’s going on that you wish some of your older players had. He just has that feel and that’s why he’s been able to accelerate his progress and development. You come into pro hockey and you’ve never experienced it, but he can internalize that faster and more rapidly to apply and … [Read more...] about Maturity accelerated Sabres prospect Jack Quinn’s development

'Overall this season, Bjork has compiled four goals, five points and a minus-6 rating in 29 games. His even-strength Corsi For of 44.3 percent ranks 21st among the team’s regulars. In 22 of his outings this season, he has registered just one shot on goal or zero. He did not record a shot in his last three games before entering protocol.' … [Read more...] about Talented Anders Bjork returns to Sabres looking for more consistency

'When everyone’s healthy, the Sabres have an intriguing group of defensemen. Dahlin and Jokiharju are solidifying themselves as a strong No. 1 tandem. Bryson, meanwhile, has established himself as a two-way, puck-moving defender.' … [Read more...] about Sabres have healthy, intriguing defense corps with Jacob Bryson, Robert Hagg

'The Sabres don’t play again until Tuesday, while the Amerks hosted the Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday and play a road game against the Syracuse Crunch tonight.' … [Read more...] about Sabres send three players to Amerks; Casey Mittelstadt ‘excited’ about rehab

'“It was not good,” said Sabres coach Don Granato, who sounded more agitated than he has all season. “We had some guys that made some mistakes that shouldn’t have been made. So I don’t want to fault the whole team for it. … The frustration you hear in my voice wasn’t the entire team. It was just some instances they were able to take advantage of."' … [Read more...] about Sabres fall in early hole, lose to Sharks: ‘It was not good’

'Granato, as he has been recently with a light schedule and a slew of players sidelined, utilized Dahlin shift after shift, skating him a season-high 28 minutes, 47 seconds, the second-highest total of his career. It was the third straight game in which Dahlin has played more than 27 minutes.' … [Read more...] about Sabres notes: Rasmus Dahlin responds to challenge of playing big minutes

'“It takes him longer to prep it because he doesn’t have that feel because of the injury he went through,” Granato said following Wednesday’s practice inside KeyBank Center. “And he might not even recognize that. I can see it because I can see the pattern that’s different in his release. The prep of the release of a shot, there’s that extra half a second or one second or one … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Victor Olofsson believes he will start scoring: ‘Knocking on the door’