The post-Pominville era begins Friday.

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Luke Adam (right) celebrates his first-period goal Friday as Brian Flynn congratulates him. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:06:13
Flynn, Hasek, Hecht, Miller, Ott, Ottawa Senators, Pardy, Pominville, Rolston, Weber
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – On Friday morning, hours before their 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators, new assistant captain Steve Ott promised the Sabres would keep fighting for that unlikely playoff berth until the bitter end.

Two days after management jettisoned captain Jason Pominville at the trade deadline with the message the Sabres’ plans have shifted to the future, players emphatically say they’re still focused on the present.

They want to win now.

Ten games remain for the 12th-place Sabres, who trail the eighth-place New …

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Luke Adam spent more than a year in the minors. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
04:03:13
Adam, Biega, Crosby, Flynn, Hasek, Leino, Miller, Pardy, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pominville, Porter, Portland Pirates, Regehr, Rochester Americans, Scott, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

PITTSBURGH – One day this winter, Luke Adam finally had enough. The 22-year-old cleared his head and stopped wondering about his future with the Buffalo Sabres.

In just a few months last season, Adam suffered a stunning decline, morphing from a first-line NHL scoring threat into a forgotten AHL player repeatedly bypassed for recalls.

But fretting wasn’t helping Adam’s career.

“That’s what got me in trouble,” Adam said Tuesday prior to the Sabres’ 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins inside Consol Energy Center, …

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Jhonas Enroth played well Saturday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:31:13
Boston Bruins, Enroth, Flynn, Hasek, Leino, Leopold, Miller, Rochester Americans, Rolston, Scott, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Slick winger Thomas Vanek (muscle strain) will miss his third straight game tonight when the Sabres host the Boston Bruins. Naturally, with their fierce Northeast Division rival in town, tough guy John Scott will dress.

But what about the rest of the lineup?

Backup Jhonas Enroth, who stopped 35 shots in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout loss to Washington, has played four strong games under Rolston after struggling more than a year. The Swede deserved to win against the Capitals.

Could Rolston turn …

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Darcy Regier speaks to the media Saturday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:31:13
Flynn, Leopold, McNabb, Miller, Pominville, Pysyk, Regier, Rochester Americans, Rolston, Scott, St. Louis Blues, Vanek, Washington Capitals
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
6

BUFFALO – Given their 12th-place standing with Wednesday’s trade deadline approaching, the Sabres must listen to “anything and everything” available to them, general manager Darcy Regier said Saturday after trading veteran defenseman Jordan Leopold.

Yes, that means Regier could envision himself dealing franchise cornerstones like goalie Ryan Miller and captain Jason Pominville.

“I am listening. I have talked to all 30 GMs over the last, if I say week, it certainly takes in all of them,” Regier said Saturday prior to the …

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Jhonas Enroth skates this morning. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:30:13
Enroth, Flynn, Miller, Pysyk, Rolston, Scott, Washington Capitals
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – In just over three weeks, Jhonas Enroth has morphed from a seldom-used backup to a strong No. 2 goalie called on regularly to spell starter Ryan Miller.

Since his March 7 start in New Jersey, a 3-2 shootout loss he left early, the 24-year-old is 2-0 while stopping 64 of 67 shots.

The Swede will get another nod tonight against the Washington Capitals inside the First Niagara Center.

“His confidence is a lot better than it was,” interim Sabres coach Ron …

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Mark Pysyk has played five games. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:28:13
Florida Panthers, Flynn, Gerbe, Pysyk, Rolston, Scott, Sekera, Stafford, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

While interim Buffalo Sabres coach Ron Rolston wouldn’t confirm it, defenseman Andrej Sekera, out the last five games, essentially told reporters in Florida he planned to play tonight against the Panthers following a five-game absence.

Slick winger Thomas Vanek (muscle strain) is out and struggling winger Drew Stafford, a healthy scratch the last two games, will return, Rolston told reporters.

Assuming Sekera returns, what should the Sabres do? Should Rolston simply sit rookie defenseman Mark Pysyk?

That’s not a given, Rolston said Monday. …

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Jochen Hecht was recently scratched. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:18:13
Flynn, Foligno, Gerbe, Hecht, Kaleta, Porter, Rolston
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

Considering the Buffalo Sabres have lost two straight, six of seven (1-3-3) and rank 14th in the Eastern Conference with only 10 wins and 24 points, this shouldn’t be hard, right?

So, assuming the Sabres put agitator Patrick Kaleta back in the lineup Tuesday in Montreal, which forward should Ron Rolston scratch?

The Sabres’ interim coach didn’t want to bench anyone Sunday in Washington when Kaleta was eligible to play following a five-game boarding suspension. Of course, sitting a sixth game irked …

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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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Steve Ott (9) wants more support from the home crowd. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:14:13
Ehrhoff, Flynn, Foligno, Gerbe, Grigorenko, Hodgson, Leopold, Miller, Ott, Porter, Rolston, Scott, Stafford
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

BUFFALO – The Sabres’ power play is awful, and their legions of fans know it. Not only does it rank 30th, it’s operating at a paltry 11.2 percent. No one else is lower than 13 percent.

In Tuesday’s 3-1 triumph over the New York Rangers, the Sabres blew all five opportunities and allowed another short-handed goal, their NHL-high fifth this season.

During one third-period chance, they iced the puck and went offside in the first 61 seconds, drawing the ire of the …

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