The Rolston era is upon us.

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Ennis
The Sabres acquired Cody Hodgson at last season's trade deadline. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:02:13
Bernier, Biron, Boyes, Brennan, Briere, Campbell, Conklin, Drury, Ennis, Enroth, Gaustad, Girgensons, Gragnani, Hodgson, Kassian, Kotalik, Lydman, MacArthur, Miller, Moore, Noronen, Novotny, Pegula, Regier, Rolston, Ruff, Sulzer, Tellqvist, Torres, Zubrus
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

PITTSBURGH – With the NHL trade deadline hitting at 3 p.m. Wednesday, here’s the Buffalo Sabres’ Eastern Conference standing and their activity since 2006:

2006, third place, 83 points

General manager Darcy Regier made no additions, only trading No. 3 goalie Mika Noronen to Vancouver for a second-round pick (current backup goalie Jhonas Enroth). Some argued the inactivity bit the surprising Sabres, who lost four defensemen to injury during their run to the Eastern Conference final. They lost Game 7 with just …

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Ryan Miller made 38 saves Saturday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:24:13
Ehrhoff, Ennis, Miller, Montreal Canadiens, Ott, Rolston, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

MONTREAL – This one could’ve gotten ugly early as the Buffalo Sabres bumbled around their own zone and the Canadiens kept relentlessly applying pressure.

Somehow, though, the Habs missed a slew of prime chances during the first period Saturday.

If they didn’t misfire in front of Ryan Miller, the franchise goalie gobbled it up. His play and a little luck kept the Sabres in the game.

Just a few weeks ago, the struggling team might’ve trudged through the game and crumbled eventually, blowing …

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Drew Stafford battled Clarke MacArthur (16) in his last appearance Thursday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:24:13
Ennis, Foligno, Gerbe, Hecht, Kaleta, Leino, Montreal Canadiens, Rolston, Scott, Sekera, Stafford, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

MONTREAL – In just 32 days on the job, interim coach Ron Rolston has quickly put his mark on the Buffalo Sabres, scratching five regular forwards.

Prior to Saturday, struggling winger Drew Stafford had escaped a benching, only receiving some fourth-line duty for his poor play. With a two-goal effort last Saturday and the shootout-tying score Thursday, it appeared the assistant captain would keep dressing.

But Stafford, who has only four goals and a team-worst minus-12 rating in 31 games, was a …

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Drew Stafford has only four goals this season. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:23:13
Ennis, Foligno, Leino, Montreal Canadiens, Rolston, Ruff, Stafford
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

MONTREAL – The rumors, Drew Stafford said, are simply not true. The struggling Sabres winger doesn’t want to be traded. The 27-year-old would like to stay in Buffalo, his only NHL home.

Right now, Stafford’s focusing on busting out of his long offensive slump. Asking to be dealt with two years and more than $8 million left on his contract, well, that would be the easy way out.

“No matter how bad it gets, as far as the lack of offense, the …

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John Scott (32) declares victory after bloodying Toronto’s Frazer McLaren during the first period Thursday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:22:13
Ehrhoff, Ennis, Foligno, Kaleta, MacArthur, Miller, Ott, Pominville, Rolston, Scott, Toronto Maple Leafs
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO –For 65 wildly entertaining minutes Thursday, the Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs fought, traded goals and battled for every inch as they zoomed up and down the ice before a noisy bipartisan crowd of 19,070 fans inside the First Niagara Center.

The Sabres’ 5-4 shootout victory was NHL hockey at its fiercest and most exciting.

“They got their money’s worth tonight,” interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston said about the capacity crowd.

Fittingly, Sabres agitator Steve Ott, who buzzed around all night thumping …

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Thomas Vanek (26) will be skating with Tyler Ennis (63) tonight. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:19:13
Ennis, Gerbe, Hodgson, Kaleta, Leino, Miller, Montreal Canadiens, Pominville, Rolston, Ruff, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

In reality, the Buffalo Sabres’ top trio – Thomas Vanek, Cody Hodgson and Jason Pominville – should’ve been broken up or tweaked weeks ago.

Since roaring out of the gate as the NHL’s best line in January, the line has cooled off considerably.

Vanek, once hockey’s most lethal scoring threat, has only three goals and eight points in the last 15 games. Pominville has three goals and eight points in the last 19 contests.

Not the kind of production you’d expect from your …

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Ville Leino played his first game since April 7 on Saturday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:17:13
Brennan, Dineen, Ennis, Grigorenko, Kaleta, Leino, Ott, Ottawa Senators, Portland Pirates, Regehr, Rochester Americans, Rolston, Ruff, Scott, Sekera, Weber
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Ron Rolston wasted no time, throwing Ville Leino right into the fire Saturday afternoon, the winger’s first game since April 7.

The Sabres’ interim coach put Leino, sidelined by a hip injury the first 27 games this season, out for the opening faceoff inside the First Niagara Center.

“It was good for me,” Leino said about starting the game after the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. “It made me feel comfortable. Sometimes you want to have a …

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Darcy Regier wants to focus on the current season and build for the future. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:16:13
Ennis, Miller, Ottawa Senators, Pegula, Pominville, Regier, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – With the trade deadline hitting April 3 and the Sabres mired in 14th place, general manager Darcy Regier said he has no plans to blow the team up and start fresh.

“I’m not in a blowing-up mindset,” Regier said late Friday afternoon inside the First Niagara Center. “Blowing up to me means blowing up. I mean, nothing left.”

It appears goalie Ryan Miller and wingers Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek, the team’s biggest stars, will stay it Buffalo.

“Organizationally, we have …

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Kevin Porter has played 10 games with the Sabres. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:15:13
Ennis, Flynn, Foligno, Leino, Porter, Rochester Americans, Rolston
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Right now, the Sabres’ roster is at the 23-man limit. Center Tyler Ennis and winger Ville Leino are set to return from injuries, so moves will have to be made before the Sabres host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon.

“We’re actually meeting this afternoon on it to figure it out,” interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston said this afternoon following practice inside the First Niagara Center. “But it will be solved by tomorrow.”

What might the Sabres do?

Would they send …

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Brian Flynn already has two goals. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:15:13
Ennis, Flynn, Foligno, Hodgson, Kaleta, Leino, Porter, Rochester Americans, Rolston, Stafford
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – It appeared their time together could be brief. When interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston put Marcus Foligno, Kevin Porter and Brian Flynn together on a line March 5, he united two recent recalls with Foligno, a struggling rookie fresh off his first NHL benching.

All three had never played together during nearly four months with the Rochester Americans.

But Rolston, the Amerks’ coach until his Feb. 20 promotion, knew their talents. With the Sabres struggling to stay out of the …

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