Johansson - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres newcomer Michael Frolik arrives in Buffalo ready for new opportunity

BUFFALO – Michael Frolik’s whirlwind Tuesday started around 6:30 a.m. in Toronto. After waking up, the Sabres newcomer headed to the U.S. Embassy.

After a trip back to the hotel, Frolik returned around 3 or 4 p.m. and picked up his visa – he said it was approved in just one day – and left for Buffalo. But traffic added nearly an hour to the drive, so the Czech arrived around 7:30 p.m.

Five days ... Read the full article

Sabres use special teams, secondary scoring to beat Panthers

BUFFALO – By the final minutes of Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 win, most of the crowd of 17,731 had seen enough of the Sabres and departed KeyBank Center.

It was nothing against them. The spirited fans enjoyed the Sabres’ second straight victory – it was one of the noisiest contests this season – but they had somewhere to go.

The Bills’ AFC Wild Card game against the Houston Texans would be starting soon, and fans wanted ... Read the full article

Replacing rookie Victor Olofsson will be tough for Sabres

BUFFALO – Winger Victor Olofsson’s absence for the next five to six weeks could extinguish the Sabres’ playoff hopes. From the get-go, they’ve relied on the Swedish rookie to score goals.

Now, the lower-body injury he suffered in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers could sideline him until mid-February, the Sabres announced Friday.

Having scored 16 goals and 35 points in 42 games, including six power-play goals in the first seven contests, Olofsson ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Conor Sheary finally starting to showcase more offense

BUFFALO – In his five-year NHL career, Sabres winger Conor Sheary said he had never experienced being a healthy scratch until last month.

“That was something different for me,” said Sheary, who sat out three times over a six-game stretch.

But in his first half season as Sabres coach, Ralph Krueger has established he’s willing to scratch anyone.

Krueger benched forward Evan Rodrigues on opening night and has kept sitting him out for months. In ... Read the full article

Stunner: Sabres blow three-goal lead, fall to Lightning

BUFFALO – Halfway through Tuesday’s shocking 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sabres captain Jack Eichel showcased why he might be underutilized as a penalty killer.

With the Sabres up 3-1, Eichel pounced on a loose puck in his own zone and zoomed down the ice. When the slick center hit the right circle, he undressed defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk before skating through the slot and backhanding a shot by goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for his ... Read the full article

With Jeff Skinner injured, Sabres revamp lines to generate offense

BUFFALO – Forget that Jeff Skinner hadn’t scored in 11 games before suffering an upper-body injury Friday. Forget that after enjoying his first 40-goal campaign, the Sabres winger has only produced 11 goals in 39 contests this season.

Skinner, who will be sidelined three to four weeks, the Sabres announced Saturday, can be a lethal scorer. In his last few outings, he channeled his 2018-19 form, showcasing the tenacious style that helped make him ... Read the full article

Sabres lose game to Bruins, Jeff Skinner to upper-body injury

BUFFALO – The Sabres have a way of making any recent progress quickly feel like a distant memory.

For the first two weeks of December, they channeled some of their early-season form, shaking off an awful November swoon and moving back into a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.

Now, having dropped five of their last six games (1-4-1), they’re struggling again.

To make matters worse, in addition to losing 3-0 to the heavyweight Boston ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Marcus Johansson says he hasn’t felt like himself all season

BUFFALO – Even during the opening weeks of the season, as Marcus Johansson scored goals and solidified himself as the Sabres’ No. 2 center, his play irked him.

“I didn’t feel like myself with the puck and stuff like that,” said Johansson, who scored four goals and seven points in the first nine games. “I mean, sometimes you still get points and the team wins. You kind of don’t think about it as much.”

These ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Jack Eichel out with upper-body injury against Flyers

Jack Eichel’s 17-game point streak ended tonight because an upper-body injury forced him to miss the Buffalo Sabres’ road contest against the Philadelphia Flyers.

After skating in the pregame warm-up, the Sabres announced their captain would miss his first game this season.

Eichel, 23, has been the NHL’s hottest scorer, compiling 16 goals and 31 points during the league’s longest point streak this season. The center was one game short of tying the franchise-record point ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Marcus Johansson frustrated by struggles: ‘I know how well I can play’

BUFFALO – In his first days here, Marcus Johansson quickly established himself as one of the Sabres’ most reliable presences on and off the ice.

Sabres coach Ralph Krueger named Johansson an alternate captain before he played a regular-season game. Krueger also switched the veteran to center, a position he hadn’t played regularly since his rookie year.

Johansson, 29, started the season scorching as the No. 2 center, scoring four goals in the first nine ... Read the full article