Griffith - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Jason Pominville losing ice time on third line

BUFFALO – Moving Jason Pominville off the Sabres’ top line wasn’t related to the veteran winger’s performance, coach Phil Housley said.

“He was playing terrific,” Housley said this afternoon inside KeyBank Center. “We’re trying to spark some other lines and find some balance.”

Housley shifted Pominville to right wing beside center Johan Larsson and Seth Griffith or Matt Moulson last Saturday. Sam Reinhart, meanwhile, moved from his third-line center role to Pominville’s place with center ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Justin Falk earning keep on top defense tandem

PITTSBURGH – Buffalo Sabres veteran Justin Falk has carved out a solid 229-game NHL career by showcasing a gritty, no-frills style.

The 6-foot-5, 223-pound Falk is a defensive defenseman.

“In this league, I’ve always been pretty conservative as far as where I go on the offensive side and the rush and skating and all that,” Falk said prior to Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Penguins inside PPG Paints Arena.

But Sabres coach Phil Housley ... Read the full article

Sidney Crosby, Penguins struggling entering tilt with Sabres

PITTSBURGH – Right now, superstar Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions, look nothing like their normal selves.

Crosby, 30, has scored zero goals in the last 11 games. If the slick center doesn’t score tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, a team he has dominated over the years, it would equal a career-long goal drought.

Incredibly, the most prolific scorer of his generation hasn’t created much, either, mustering only three assists ... Read the full article

Sabres recall Zach Redmond for hobbled Matt Tennyson

BUFFALO – For four seasons, Sabres defenseman Zach Redmond shuttled between the St. John’s IceCaps and the NHL, first as a Winnipeg Jets prospect and later as a Montreal Canadiens depth veteran.

When the NHL called, Redmond, 29, couldn’t simply drive an hour or so down the thruway. Winnipeg, for example, is about 3,000 miles away. Redmond had limited flights to chose from and sometimes a five- or six-hour travel time from Newfoundland.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Nick Baptiste likely to make season debut Tuesday

BUFFALO – After failing to earn a significant look during NHL training camp, Sabres prospect Nick Baptiste started his AHL season slowly, going pointless in his first five outings.

Finally, Baptiste, who potted 25 goals in 59 AHL contests last season, scored in his sixth game. The winger followed up by scoring twice in the final 2:25 of the Rochester Americans’ 4-3 come-from-behind overtime win against the Laval Rocket on Oct. 27.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Benoit Pouliot moving around

BUFFALO – When the Sabres signed Benoit Pouliot to a one-year contract July 1, it was expected they would utilize the veteran as a utility winger all over the lineup.

Sure enough, nine games into the season, Pouliot has already skated on a slew of lines.

In Saturday’s 5-4 come-from-behind overtime win in Boston, Pouliot mostly played at left wing with center Ryan O’Reilly and Jason Pominville, a top scoring trio. Pouliot scored his ... Read the full article

Injuries force Sabres to recall Taylor Fedun; Chad Johnson to start

BUFFALO – The Sabres’ rash of injuries forced them to recall Taylor Fedun this morning. Will the defenseman play tonight against the Vancouver Canucks?

“I was the odd man out in practice today, so I assume I will not be,” Fedun said this morning after skating inside KeyBank Center.

The 1-4-2 Sabres are so banged up, they summoned Fedun from the Rochester Americans just so they have an extra player tonight.... Read the full article

Sabres return from road trip banged up

BUFFALO – Up top in the press box, with a view of the entire ice surface, hockey can look pretty simple.

“It’s obviously a lot easier watching games than it is being on the ice,” said Sabres winger Seth Griffith, a healthy scratch the last two games. “You see stuff that you wouldn’t normally see necessarily on the ice.”

Thanks to a glut of injuries, Griffith, the team’s biggest surprise during training camp, should ... Read the full article

Sabres move struggling Sam Reinhart

BUFFALO – Sam Reinhart’s run at center lasted three games.

Following two wretched losses in which opponents outscored the Sabres 12-5, coach Phil Housley, as expected, mixed up his lines and defense pairs Wednesday, making changes to every combination.

Most notably, Reinhart, who moved to his natural position in training camp, skated at right wing again, his spot most of the last two years. Housley also yanked from Reinhart off the power play. Reinhart has ... Read the full article

Sabres switch up lines; Zach Bogosian not traveling with team

BUFFALO – Following two wretched losses in which opponents outscored the Sabres 12-5, coach Phil Housley, as expected, mixed up his lines and defense pairs today, making changes to every combination.

“You change the lines to try to get the other guys going or maybe there’s some chemistry you’re looking for,” Housley said this morning inside KeyBank Center. “That’s why I made that change today. They could change tomorrow.”

The 0-2-1 Sabres face the ... Read the full article