Hutton - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Linus Ullmark received Sabres’ game puck following father’s death

BUFFALO – When coach Ralph Krueger finished addressing the Sabres following Monday’s 6-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers, he gave his captain, Jack Eichel, the floor.

Goalie Linus Ullmark was supposed to play that night, but after he learned his father had passed away earlier in the day, he and the coaches decided he should take some time off.

Ullmark, 27, stayed with the team, and when Eichel got up, he presented the Swede the ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark missed games following death of father

BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark missed the last two games following the death of his father in Sweden, he told the team’s website today.

Ullmark, whose father entered the hospital early last week, was scheduled to start Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers. After the morning skate – “I had my worst pregame skate in my whole life, probably,” – he told Sabres.com – he checked his phone and saw a missed call from his ... Read the full article

Sabres lose game to Flyers, goalie Carter Hutton to injury

Shortly after Ivan Provorov collided with Carter Hutton during the second period Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres goalie stymied James van Riemsdyk’s point-blank opportunity.

Despite taking a hit to the head from Provorov, who was checked into the crease by Sabres defenseman Brandon Montour, Hutton stayed in the game and remained sharp.

But when Hutton returned to the dressing room following the period, he started feeling the effects of the hit, so third-string goalie Jonas Johansson... Read the full article

Sabres coach Ralph Krueger wanted suspension for hit on Rasmus Dahlin

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who left Monday’s 6-1 win over the Flyers after Nicolas Aube-Kubel hit him in the head, will play tonight in Philadelphia, coach Ralph Krueger said.

Still, Krueger isn’t pleased. The NHL Department of Player Safety did not suspend Aube-Kubel for what Krueger called a “deliberate hit to the head.”

Instead, the department fined the winger $4,633.62, the maximum amount the collective bargaining agreement allows.

“We were hoping for a ... Read the full article

Curtis Lazar, fourth line help Sabres annihilate Flyers, earn first win

Late in the first period Monday, Buffalo Sabres center Curtis Lazar grabbed the puck at the blue line, skated into the left circle and backhanded a shot underneath the crossbar.

Then after the Sabres grabbed a commanding 3-0 lead over the Philadelphia Flyers, Lazar sealed the Sabres’ first win in the second period, connecting on a nifty pass from linemate Riley Sheahan in front of the net.

When the Sabres, NHL lightweights for nearly a ... Read the full article

Sabres recall goalie Jonas Johansson; Linus Ullmark out against Flyers

The Buffalo Sabres have recalled goalie Jonas Johansson from the taxi squad because Linus Ullmark is unavailable tonight for personal reasons, the team announced.

Carter Hutton will likely start tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Ullmark left the ice first this morning, according to The Buffalo News, a sign he would possibly start tonight. The Sabres also play the Flyers on Tuesday.

The Swede played in Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. Hutton started ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Sam Reinhart to be game-time decision against Flyers

Buffalo Sabres winger Sam Reinhart is questionable for tonight’s road game against the Philadelphia Flyers with the lower-body injury, coach Ralph Krueger said.

Reinhart skated this morning beside top center Jack Eichel and Taylor Hall inside Wells Fargo Center, according to The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski, a sign he could play.

If Reinhart can’t play, Krueger said Casey Mittelstadt, who’s on the taxi squad, would replace him.

Reinhart was injured in a collision behind ... Read the full article

Sabres look rusty early, fall to Capitals in season opener after late comeback

BUFFALO – If Thursday’s disjointed performance against the Washington Capitals turns out to be a harbinger, the Sabres could be in for another long season.

In their highly anticipated season opener, the Sabres, who had six new faces in the lineup, looked like the same old team, losing 6-4 inside KeyBank Center.

If fans had been allowed to attend the game, you can bet they would’ve voiced their frustration a few times.

After a 10-month ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Colin Miller rebounds to earn spot among top-six defensemen

BUFFALO – Last year, his first with the Sabres, defenseman Colin Miller sat out 18 times – more than one-quarter of the season – as a healthy scratch.

The Sabres, who possessed a surfeit of defensemen, often dressed an extra one. Still, Miller regularly ranked eighth on the depth chart and was the odd man out.

This year, however, Miller, 28, has quickly earned a spot among the top-six defensemen. He skated beside Henri Jokiharju... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Carter Hutton earns opening night start

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Ralph Krueger’s decision to award goalie Carter Hutton the opening night start against the Washington Capitals wasn’t surprising.

Yes, Hutton, 35, struggled most of last season, losing 12 straight decisions at one point. But his turnaround started at the end of 2019-20, when enjoyed a 6-2-0 run in February.

Hutton performed strongly throughout training camp this year, quickly morphing into one of the Sabres’ standouts. Meanwhile, goalie Linus Ullmark missed the ... Read the full article