Matthews - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres goalie Carter Hutton game-time decision for Maple Leafs

BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Carter Hutton will be a game-time decision tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, coach Ralph Krueger said.

Hutton, who has won three straight starts, missed Saturday’s practice for maintenance.

“We’re testing him at the moment as a we speak here,” Krueger said this morning inside KeyBank Center.

If Hutton can’t play, Krueger said rookie Jonas Johansson will start.

The Sabres also recalled goalie Andrew Hammond from the Rochester Americans on Saturday.... Read the full article

Jack Eichel extends point streak, ignites Sabres late against Maple Leafs

TORONTO – It took more than 40 minutes, but captain Jack Eichel ignited the Buffalo Sabres again Tuesday, helping them roar back late in their 5-3 loss to the Maple Leafs.

After falling behind 3-0, Eichel assisted on defenseman Rasmus Dahlin’s power-play goal 1:29 into the third period, extending his point streak to 17 games.

Then after the Leafs restored their three-goal lead, Eichel scored at 6:30, his 24th goal in only 35 games this ... Read the full article

Sabres showing signs of progress, close month one point out of playoff spot

TORONTO – Following a few dismal weeks, the Buffalo Sabres have quietly started showing signs of snapping out of their long funk.

Sure, Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs closed a disappointing November in which they went 3-8-2, losing 10 out of 13 games.

But the Sabres finished the month strongly, going 2-1-2. Earning points in four out of five contests during a busy seven-day stretch illustrates progress.

They’ll begin December in fourth ... Read the full article

‘Full-time job’ eating helped Sabres’ Tage Thompson pack on muscle

TORONTO – In the offseason, Buffalo Sabres winger Tage Thompson started what he called a “full-time job.”

“I was eating a lot,” Thompson said prior to Friday’s 3-0 exhibition loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Yes, Thompson, 21, spent much of the spring and summer devouring food.

“I was probably eating five square meals a day with snacks in between,” Thompson said in Buffalo before the Sabres traveled to Scotiabank Arena.

Sound like fun? Well, ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Carter Hutton nearly steals show in loss to Maple Leafs

BUFFALO – For two periods, as the Toronto Maple Leafs kept pummeling the Sabres, it was reminiscent of tank-era games from several years back.

The Leafs pumped 11 shots on goal before the 10-minute mark Wednesday. At one point in the opening period, they held a 17-2 shot advantage.

Goalie Carter Hutton, meanwhile, turned away shot after shot, keeping the Sabres in a game they had no business being in.

Heck, thanks to center ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Jack Eichel named to second straight NHL All-Star Game

BUFFALO – Captain Jack Eichel has been the named the Sabres’ lone NHL All-Star Game representative for the second straight season.

Eichel, 22, has compiled 15 goals and team-high 49 points in 40 games this year.

Considering every team must be represented and teams are chosen by division, there are always some significant snubs. Incredibly, Sabres winger Jeff Skinner, whose 26 goals are tied for second in the NHL, was left off the Atlantic ... Read the full article

Sabres battled back, fall to Maple Leafs in overtime thriller

BUFFALO – The loss didn’t crush the Sabres. Sure, their fourth straight defeat certainly stung. They battled back and grabbed a late lead before Auston Matthews’ overtime winner with just 2.7 seconds left secured the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-3 victory.

But after arriving in Buffalo at 1 a.m. following Monday’s 2-1 loss in Nashville, the Sabres earned a point and had one of the NHL’s heavyweights on the ropes.

That’s probably why coach Phil Housley, ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Tyler Ennis happy in fourth-line role with Maple Leafs

BUFFALO – Instead of being relied upon to produce offense, ex-Sabres winger Tyler Ennis is now a fourth-liner.

Sure, Ennis, 29, skates on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ second power-play unit. The former first-round pick even started the season on the No. 1 line beside center Auston Matthews and Patrick Marleau.

But Ennis is no longer the ultra-slick presence from his early days. The concussions he suffered in his final seasons with the Sabres helped stymie ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabres star Tyler Ennis embracing new role with Maple Leafs

BUFFALO – Instead of being relied upon to produce offense, ex-Sabres winger Tyler Ennis is now a fourth-liner.

Sure, Ennis, 29, skates on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ second power-play unit. The former first-round pick even started the season on the No. 1 line beside center Auston Matthews and Patrick Marleau.

But Ennis is no longer the ultra-slick presence from his early days. The concussions he suffered in his final seasons with the Sabres helped stymie ... Read the full article

Sabres, Maple Leafs could become fierce rivals again

BUFFALO – Ask any Sabres player or fan to name the team’s biggest rival, and they would likely peg the Toronto Maple Leafs, tonight’s opponent at KeyBank Center.

Without any recent playoff series – the Sabres haven’t made the postseason since 2011 – or high-stakes regular-season meetings to ramp up intensity and generate hatred, the Sabres don’t exactly have a lot of opponents they detest these days.

The Leafs, their closest opponent at just 100 ... Read the full article