November Edition
BUFFALO – For three or four weeks after Brandon Montour injured his left hand, the Sabres defenseman would dress in his full gear and skate around the ice without a stick.
“You can imagine how frustrating and how tough that was,” Montour said after returning to practice today inside KeyBank Center.
Montour, out since Sept. 17, couldn’t grip a stick at first. But he has graduated to full-contact practices and is officially day-to-day.
“I ... Read the full article
Injuries will sideline defenseman Marco Scandella and winger Jimmy Vesey tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, the Buffalo Sabres announced this afternoon.
Scandella (lower body) and Vesey (upper) were hurt in Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers, the start of a two-game road trip.
The Sabres said the players will be evaluated this weekend in Buffalo.
Defenseman John Gilmour, a healthy scratch the first 11 games this season, and winger Evan Rodrigues... Read the full article
The Buffalo Sabres assigned top goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to the Rochester Americans today, another step in his recovery from offseason hip surgery.
Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said last month he hopes Luukkonen can start playing games in early November. The Finn spent the early part of the season rehabbing in Buffalo.
When Luukkonen underwent surgery in April, the Sabres said he would need six months to recover.... Read the full article
The Buffalo Sabres sent forward Curtis Lazar back to the Rochester Americans this afternoon.
Winger Conor Sheary returned from his upper-body injury for Thursday’s 3-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings, giving the Sabres two extra forwards.
The Sabres, who close their three-game road trip Saturday against the San Jose Sharks, scratched Lazar all three games he was with them.... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Other than switching to goalie Carter Hutton this afternoon against the Dallas Stars, the Sabres will utilize the same lineup as the past two games inside KeyBank Center.
That means forward Curtis Lazar, who was recalled from Rochester Americans on Sunday, will be scratched.
Despite the Stars’ sorry 1-4-1 record, they possess a lot of talent.
“They’re a much, much better team that their record,” said coach Ralph Krueger, whose Sabres have ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – The Sabres recalled forward Curtis Lazar from the Rochester Americans this afternoon.
Lazar, 24, will likely accompany the Sabres on their three-game western road trip that begins Wednesday to serve as their extra forward.
The Amerks scratched Lazar from today’s road game against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Sabres have had only 12 healthy forwards since winger Conor Sheary suffered an upper-body injury last week. Sheary skated on his own today.... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Winger Kyle Okposo still remembers the first time he and some other Sabres watched rookie Victor Olofsson shoot the puck.
It was training camp in 2018, and Olofsson had just arrived for his first North American season after leading the Swedish Hockey League in goals.
What Okposo and the others saw wowed them.
“We were just like, ‘Who is this kid who can shoot the puck like this?’” Okposo said Thursday inside KeyBank ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Six years ago, Ralph Krueger’s job as a consultant for Team Canada’s Olympic entry at the Sochi Games offered the Sabres coach a chance to discuss hockey with some the game’s greatest minds.
Mike Babcock, Ken Hitchcock, Claude Julien and former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff all served on Canada’s coaching staff.
“It was the best hockey coaching symposium you could go through with that group because of the way everybody exchanged everything,” Krueger ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Right now, the Sabres don’t plan to recall a forward to replace winger Conor Sheary, who’s week-to-week after suffering an upper-body injury Monday, the team announced this morning.
The Sabres have 12 healthy forwards for tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, which is enough for coach Ralph Krueger and general manager Jason Botterill.
Evan Rodrigues, a healthy scratch the first three games, practiced Tuesday in Sheary’s spot at right wing beside ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – After outplaying Carter Hutton last month, Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark took a backseat Thursday, watching his partner’s splendid 28-save performance from the bench.
Coach Ralph Krueger said everything would be up for competition during training camp, and based on their preseason numbers, Ullmark deserved to start the Sabres’ 50th anniversary season opener.
But the decision, of course, wasn’t quite that simple.
Hutton, 33, played a career-high 50 games and started regularly for the ... Read the full article
