Detroit Red Wings - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Tage Thompson back against Red Wings; Linus Ullmark to start

BUFFALO – Some quick notes on this afternoon’s Sabres tilt against the Detroit Red Wings inside KeyBank Center:

– The Sabres will make one lineup change, inserting winger Tage Thompson, a healthy scratch for Thursday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, for rookie C.J. Smith.

“I liked C.J.’s game, but it’s part of his development,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said this morning. “I thought Tage had a really good, solid game against Detroit ... Read the full article

Sabres clarify comments following tough loss

BUFFALO – Calm down, everyone. Sam Reinhart said he simply misspoke following Thursday’s 6-5 overtime loss. The winger never meant to call out the performances of Sabres goalies Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark.

Reinhart issued a mea culpa Friday, saying when he learned how his comments were being construed on Twitter, he became rattled thinking his words came off the wrong way.

“That’s not what I meant at all,” Reinhart said after the Sabres prepared ... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt records assist in debut, Sabres lose to Red Wings

BUFFALO – Sabres rookie Casey Mittelstadt’s first NHL point wasn’t created by his dynamic speed, adroit passing or supreme hockey sense.

No, 4:51 in the third period of Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the hapless Detroit Red Wings, Mittelstadt, 19, simply won a draw cleanly back to linemate Evan Rodrigues, who beat goalie Jimmy Howard to get the Sabres within one goal.

One game, one assist for the eighth overall pick in 2017.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ryan O’Reilly roaring toward NHL faceoff record

BUFFALO – Ryan O’Reilly’s faceoff skills are so dynamic he takes and wins more than any NHL player. Yet the Sabres center thinks draws are, well, overrated.

Overrated?

Sabres coach Phil Housley constantly relies on O’Reilly’s faceoff prowess, utilizing him an average of 26 times a game. Through 75 appearances entering Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings inside KeyBank Center, O’Reilly had won 1,181 of the 1,949 draws he had taken, a healthy ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Casey Mittelstadt ready for NHL debut

BUFFALO – As puck drop approaches, Sabres rookie Casey Mittelstadt said he might experience some nerves.

“It might be a bit of a long day,” the speedy center said this morning after preparing for his NHL debut, tonight’s tilt against the Detroit Red Wings.

Still, hours before the game, the Sabres’ top prospect seemed unfazed by the life-changing day and all the attention being paid to him.... Read the full article

Warm welcome helps Sabres rookie Casey Mittelstadt

BUFFALO – Right away, center Casey Mittelstadt’s new teammates reached out and welcomed the slick prospect to the Sabres.

So shortly after Mittelstadt signed his entry-level contract Tuesday, center Jack Eichel took him to lunch. Hours later, winger Sam Reinhart had dinner with Mittelstadt, his new linemate.

Mittelstadt, 19, will make his NHL debut tonight against the Detroit Red Wings inside KeyBank Center. In a miserable season widely regarded as the franchise’s worst ever, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Casey Nelson earning regular duty on blue line

BUFFALO – Earlier this season, if you had asked Casey Nelson if he could play 20 minutes a night in the NHL, often against the opposition’s top line, the Sabres defenseman would’ve given you a straightforward answer.

“I’d say there’s no chance, there’s no way,” Nelson said Wednesday inside KeyBank Center.

But in tonight’s tilt in Detroit, Nelson, 25, will likely play big minutes on the second defense pair, meaning he’ll face some of the ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Scott Wilson has winning background

BUFFALO – On paper, the Sabres acquired a third- or fourth-line forward with 13 goals and 32 points in 123 career NHL games. But in Scott Wilson, they have a player who developed in a winning culture and raised the Stanley Cup six months ago.

For a team currently dead last in the NHL, that means something.

Shortly after the Sabres waived Matt Moulson on Monday, general manager Jason Botterill sent the Detroit Red ... Read the full article

Sabres acquire Scott Wilson from Red Wings for pick

BUFFALO – The Sabres weren’t done making moves after waiving Matt Moulson earlier today. The NHL’s worst team also acquired forward Scott Wilson from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2019 fifth-round pick.

Sabres general manager Jason Botterill knows Wilson from their days together with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where Wilson won a Stanley Cup last season.

The Penguins traded Wilson, 25, to the Red Wings on Oct. 21. The 5-foot-11, 183-pound Wilson has zero points ... Read the full article

Sabres look to Kyle Criscuolo for spark

BUFFALO – Center Kyle Criscuolo left a pretty good gig to join the Sabres.

The undrafted Harvard product enjoyed a terrific rookie season in 2016-17, scoring 17 goals in the AHL and winning a Calder Cup with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Leaving the Detroit Red Wings organization to sign a two-year, two-way contract with the Sabres on July 1 “was really tough,” he said.... Read the full article