Okposo - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres add three more players to NHL’s COVID-19 protocol

BUFFALO – Coach Don Granato said dealing with COVID-19 and the chaos it creates has become “almost a new normal.” For two weeks, the virus has been ravaging the Sabres, forcing players and staff members into the NHL’s protocol and five games to be postponed.

On Tuesday, three more players – forward Anders Bjork, Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch – went into protocol. Granato said the Sabres also held defenseman Henri Jokiharju out of practice ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Kyle Okposo leaves practice to enter NHL’s COVID-19 protocol

BUFFALO – Just when the Sabres appeared to be getting over their COVID-19 problems, two players today, winger Kyle Okposo and defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, entered the NHL’s protocol.

“There’s no question this has been ridiculously challenging,” said Sabres coach Don Granato, who received three players back from protocol for this morning’s practice.

Okposo, 33, started practicing before the Sabres yanked him off the KeyBank Center ice when they learned his test results.

“Everything’s a concern ... Read the full article

Weakened Sabres don’t have answers for Islanders

It was a recipe for disaster Thursday. The Buffalo Sabres played the second game of a back-to-back missing a whopping 11 players because of injury or illness.

Not surprisingly, the Sabres, who had four players make their debut a night earlier, struggled early and fell 4-1 to the New York Islanders.

In COVID times, of course, teams can find themselves down several players in a day or two.

The Sabres have built up some nice ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Matt Ellis debuts against Lindy Ruff, coach he knows best

BUFFALO – Of all the coaches the Sabres’ Matt Ellis could’ve faced in his first game filling in for Don Granato, it turned out to be the one he knows best, Lindy Ruff.

These days, Ruff, 61, coaches the New Jersey Devils, the Sabres’ opponent Wednesday at KeyBank Center.

Ellis, 40, played under Ruff for parts of five seasons, growing from a forward the Sabres plucked off waivers into an NHL regular. ... Read the full article

COVID-19 keeps hitting Sabres; Ethan Prow could make NHL debut

BUFFALO – Make that four. In addition to forwards Peyton Krebs, JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch, it appears another player, defenseman Ethan Prow, will be making his Sabres debut tonight.

Like Peterka, Prow, 29, has never played in the NHL. Ironically, Peterka and Prow were teammates last season with Red Bull Munich, a Deutsche Eishockey Liga team.

The Sabres this morning recalled Prow to the taxi squad and Casey Fitzgerald to the active roster because ... Read the full article

Debuts of Peyton Krebs, JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch offer Sabres some hope

BUFFALO – In the Sabres’ recent history, games as significant as tonight’s can be counted on one hand. How often have three highly regarded young players – in this case, forwards Peyton Krebs, JJ Peterka and Alex Tuch – all made their debuts together?

Their presence illustrates that after a decade of futility, maybe – just maybe – a franchise known for dysfunction is starting to get things rights.

In less than a year, the ... Read the full article

Sabres move forward without Don Granato, five players: ‘I feel for the guys’

BUFFALO – Following the Sabres’ first practice in eight days, winger Kyle Okposo acknowledged that, yes, at times he recently wondered if they would ever skate together again.

On Sunday, Okposo arrived at the KeyBank Center excited the NHL’s Christmas/COVID-19 break had ended. But after coach Don Granato and forwards Dylan Cozens and Mark Jankowski tested positive for the virus, the Sabres canceled their scheduled afternoon practice.

“I was ready to go yesterday,” Okposo said ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams impressed by Owen Power’s hat trick

BUFFALO – Having represented Team USA at the World Junior Championship 28 years ago, general manager Kevyn Adams understands what a special experience the tournament can be for a youngster like Sabres prospect Owen Power.

A year ago, Michigan refused to release Power to participate in Team Canada’s selection camp. If he made the squad, he would’ve been away from school about 50 days.

That was too long for the university.

So this year’s ... Read the full article

Sabres being careful with two players sidelined by non-COVID illness

PITTSBURGH – The concern over the growing number of positive COVID-19 cases forced the NHL on Friday to postpone games involving the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers through Dec. 26.

So Wednesday’s Buffalo Sabres home game against the Avalanche has been shelved. No makeup date has been announced for the Sabres’ first COVID-related postponement this season.

The NHL on Friday also extended the Calgary Flames’ postponements through Thursday.

COVID is tearing through the NHL. The ... Read the full article

Sabres showcase growing confidence, maturity, beat Wild in shootout

In the not-so-recent past, the Buffalo Sabres might’ve lost a game like Thursday’s 3-2 shootout win over the first-place Minnesota Wild.

The Sabres trailed 2-1 after two periods because Kirill Kaprizov scored a late, potentially deflating goal. They outshot the Wild 21-6 in the first yet ended the period down 1-0. And then there was the noisy crowd of 18,022 fans inside Xcel Energy Center. The Sabres, of course, have often fared poorly in hostile ... Read the full article