Ovechkin - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres recall Phil Varone; Mark Pysyk in against Capitals

BUFFALO – Just a couple of weeks ago, the chances of Phil Varone earning another recall to the Sabres appeared to be slim. The center, 25, was struggling with the Rochester Americans, getting scratched thanks to a glut of veterans and a terrible minus rating.

When the Amerks played a game on Dec. 30 at the First Niagara Center, Varone sat out.

But Varone, the Amerks’ leading goal scorer with 10, has recently been the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Sam Reinhart emerges from slump

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Sam Reinhart doesn’t care how his tying power-play goal late in Saturday afternoon’s 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings went in the net. The rookie only cares about scoring his first goal in 11 games.

Just before Detroit’s Tomas Nosek hit the puck into his own net 8:58 into the third period, Reinhart narrowly missed beating Petr Mrazek in front. Reinhart was credited with his ninth goal since he was ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tyler Ennis week-to-week

BUFFALO – Struggling Sabres winger Tyler Ennis is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, coach Dan Bylsma said this morning.

Ennis, who absorbed a big hit Wednesday from Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, is enduring a miserable season. The 26-year-old recently missed 14 games with an upper-body injury that is unrelated to his current one, Bylsma said. He has only three goals and 11 points in 23 games and hasn’t scored since Oct. 27, a 14-game stretch.

“He ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Matt Moulson returns from scratch

BUFFALO – Struggling Sabres winger Matt Moulson understands that after going 24 games without scoring a goal – a career-long stretch that dates back to Nov. 1 – sitting out as a healthy scratch Wednesday was probably a good thing.

“I think … maybe (it) was a good time to just get my mind right and make sure I’m playing the way I’m capable of to help this team,” Moulson said Thursday inside the First ... Read the full article

Sabres’ power play fruitless in loss to Capitals

BUFFALO – At some points this season, the Sabres’ power play was their backbone, generating critical goals when they couldn’t score five-on-five.

But these days, the Sabres are awful on the man advantage. After going scoreless in three opportunities in Monday’s chippy 2-0 loss to the Washington Capitals before a sellout crowd of 19,070 fans inside the First Niagara Center, the Sabres have converted zero of their last 17 chances over the past six games.... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Jack Eichel ready for return to Boston

BUFFALO – Sabres rookie Jack Eichel has played big games in his hometown rink, Boston’s TD Garden, before. As a college freshman last season, the center starred as his Boston University Terriers captured The Beanpot, a prestigious tournament between local schools.

Google “Eichel” and “Beanpot” and a slew of pictures of an ecstatic Eichel clutching the Beanpot trophy will pop up.

But tonight’s tilt against the Bruins, Eichel’s first appearance in Boston with the Sabres, ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabres tough guy John Scott wants NHL All-Star spot

BUFFALO – The sight, of course, would be odd. Just imagine 6-foot-8 former Sabres tough guy John Scott, who has five goals in his eight-year career, competing against superstars like Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos in the new three-on-three NHL All-Star Game format.

If fans keep casting online ballots for Scott, that could happen Jan. 31 in Nashville.

Right now, Scott, a healthy scratch 19 times with the Arizona Coyotes this season, is the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Evander Kane sets lofty goal

BUFFALO – The way Sabres winger Evander Kane sees it, after scoring 30 times four seasons ago, he firmly established his goal-scoring prowess.

“Thirty is just kind of a set number,” Kane said Thursday after training camp opened inside the First Niagara Center. “I’ve already scored 30. So maybe I want to score 40 or 50.”

Yes, Kane, seven months removed from shoulder surgery, has set the bar extremely high for his first season with ... Read the full article

Sabres play Capitals tough, fall in shootout

BUFFALO – After getting throttled nine days earlier in Washington, the Sabres wanted another crack at the Capitals oh-so badly. The blowout loss left the rebuilding club bitter.

“It was a stinker last time we were in Washington,” winger Tyler Ennis said Monday following the Sabres’ entertaining and spirited 4-3 shootout loss. “They had their No. 1 unit out when it was 5-1, and they scored to make it 6-1 and celebrated pretty hard.”

The ... Read the full article

Struggling Sabres could win some games down the stretch

BUFFALO – At this point, it’s a fair question to ask. Given the Sabres’ sorry state – they’re on a 0-5-1 run with AHL players filling out the NHL’s weakest roster following the trade deadline – can they win again this season?

A few more losses could cement 30^th place and secure the rights to draft either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel, the mega-prospects the Sabres covet so dearly.

The Sabres have 14 ... Read the full article