The Sabres' Torrey Mitchell splits the Vancouver defense Thursday. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldBUFFALO – Of course, the Sabres’ best stretch in two months could end soon. The trade deadline is three days away. The rebuilding club will almost certainly deal some of its top assets.
If Thursday’s 6-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks was the final game for a few players, they gave the Sabres one heck of a goodbye before a capacity crowd of 19,070 fans inside the First Niagara Center.
Consider the exploits of these players with expiring contracts in the Sabres’ …
Nikita Zadorov will likely sit out tonight. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldBUFFALO – Each time Nikita Zadorov violates a team rule, it’s important to remember the Sabres defenseman wasn’t drafted by Tim Murray. The gruff general manager isn’t tied to the Russian.
Sure, Zadorov, the 16th pick in 2013, is an elite prospect. At just 19 years old, he’s already a big contributor to the Sabres. Zadorov recently compiled seven points in seven games. The Sabres scored only 16 times in that stretch. He could be a franchise cornerstone very soon.
But Murray’s …
Ryan Miller was once the face of the Sabres. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldFor Ryan Miller, tonight’s game in Vancouver will be a special experience. The Canucks’ starting goalie hasn’t played against Buffalo since the Sabres traded the franchise cornerstone 11 months ago.
“I mean, it’s going to be a little bit strange,” Miller told reporters Thursday in Vancouver. “I’ll pay special attention not to pass the puck toward the Buffalo symbol. It’s going to be nice to see some of the faces that were there, but part of hockey is having fun competing …
Patrick Kaleta left Monday's game but will play tonight. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldBUFFALO – Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta said he had no clue he punched himself in the head Monday during his ferocious fight with Ottawa’s Jared Cowen until someone informed him.
Kaleta’s cool with his unusual move, though.
“Hey, if that’s what it takes to win a fight, then that’s what happens,” he said Tuesday after the Sabres practiced in HarborCenter.
Naturally, friends have been sending Kaleta the video. What happened? How does a veteran who has fought regularly throughout his career send his …
Jhonas Enroth has become the Sabres' No. 1 goalie. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldBUFFALO – Following a one-game rest, Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth will likely start tonight against the Colorado Avalanche, his 11th nod in the last 13 contests and 22nd appearance overall this season.
At his current pace, the 26-year-old would play 52 times. But given the frequency of his recent action, it’s not crazy to think the diminutive Swede, one of the NHL’s smallest netminders at 5-foot-10 and 166 pounds, could hit the prestigious 60-game mark.
Enroth has never played more than 28 …
Chris Stewart has struggled this season. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldBUFFALO – Instead of walking into the dressing room following a long skate Tuesday morning, struggling Sabres winger Chris Stewart veered off and undressed somewhere else.
A few minutes later, a staff member wheeled in Stewart’s equipment on a shopping cart and placed it in his locker.
Clearly, Stewart, a healthy scratch for the Sabres’ 1-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings, wasn’t in the mood to discuss his benching.
“All players have to play to the best of their ability,” Sabres coach …
Chris Stewart scores Nov. 26, his second goal this season. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldBUFFALO – Less than two weeks ago, Chris Stewart appeared to turn a corner. The 6-foot-2, 231-pound Sabres winger scored two nifty breakaway goals during a three-game stretch, just his second and third goals this season.
But Stewart has done little since then, so Sabres coach Ted Nolan will make the 27-year-old a healthy scratch for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Kings inside the First Niagara Center.
“All players have to play to the best of their ability,” Nolan said this …
Steve Ott joined the Blues in February. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldBUFFALO – Part of Steve Ott will always remain with the Sabres. The gritty 32-year-old quickly became one of the city’s most popular athletes during his two-year tenure, his blue-collar style resonating in a hardworking fan base.
“I like to think that I was a part of that organization for the right reasons,” Ott, whose St. Louis Blues host the Sabres tonight, said by phone Monday morning. “When you wear a sweater of a team, it will always hold a piece …
Randy Moller played 126 games with the Sabres from 1992-94. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldWith play-by-play man Randy Moller and the Florida Panthers in town, I thought I’d flashback to one of my favorite stories of the last five years, Moller talking about his, shall we say unique, style of calling a goal. This story ran April 1, 2010. Give it a read. I’ve posted plenty of audio below.
BUFFALO – One minute, 51 seconds into the Sabres’ 6-2 win Wednesday, Florida Panthers winger Jeff Taffe grabbed a pass from Steve MacIntyre in the slot …
Anaheim's William Karlsson scores before the Sabres' Mike Weber can reach him Monday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times HeraldBUFFALO – Three straight losses. Two goal scorers. One hapless Sabres team barreling toward another lottery pick.
Five days into the new campaign, the Sabres, the NHL’s laughingstock last season, look just as bad as the wretched 2013-14 outfit that finished 30th overall.
Monday afternoon’s embarrassing 5-1 loss to the powerhouse Anaheim Ducks might rank as one of the ugliest home losses in team history.
The Western Conference power throttled the Sabres from the get-go, outshooting them 17-3 in the first period and …
