WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
Goalie Carter Hutton readies for a shot Wednesday. ©2019, Janet Schultz
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
Jason Pominville has scored 15 goals this season. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Jason Pominville understands why he is sitting out. Having played 1,052 NHL games, the Sabres know what the veteran winger offers them.
Nine contests remain in a miserable season. The Sabres, who have fallen from first overall to sixth in the Atlantic Division, want to evaluate other players.
So the Sabres scratched Pominville, 36, for the second straight game Wednesday.
“It’s just the situation we’re at,” Pominville said prior to the 4-2 loss ... Read the full article
Jason Pominville also sat out Sunday afternoon. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – Jason Pominville understands why he is sitting out. Having played 1,052 NHL games, the Sabres know what the veteran winger offers them.
Ten contests remain in a miserable season. The Sabres, who have fallen from first overall to sixth in the Atlantic Division, want to evaluate other players.
So Pominville, 36, will be a healthy scratch for the second straight game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sabres coach Phil Housley inserted Vladimir ... Read the full article
Ryan O’Reilly spent three seasons with the Sabres. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – St. Louis Blues center Ryan O’Reilly hasn’t experienced a season like this in five years, since he played for the Colorado Avalanche.
For the first time since 2013-14, O’Reilly, 28, has a legitimate chance to reach the playoffs.
Simply contending for a spot has helped rejuvenate O’Reilly, who was beaten down by the losing he endured in Buffalo so much he acknowledged following last season it sapped some of his love for hockey.... Read the full article
Jason Pominville also sat out Jan. 30. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – The Sabres cleared one huge hurdle in Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes by, uh, scoring a goal for the first time in more than three games.
“It certainly was a relief,” coach Phil Housley said of the Sabres ending their drought at 199:58. “I really like the way we started, and just taking a look at the game after the fact, I really liked the way we played. We had a ... Read the full article
Losing sapped Ryan O’Reilly’s love for hockey last season. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – The trade could go down as one of the worst in Sabres history.
For NHL All-Star Ryan O’Reilly, the Sabres received two overpaid veteran forwards, a prospect who has been in and out of the lineup and first- and second-round picks from the St. Louis Blues, this afternoon’s opponent at KeyBank Center.
The Sabres’ struggles this season can be sliced and diced a thousand ways. But getting rid of O’Reilly on July ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel will return from his suspension against Carolina. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – Having completed his two-game suspension, leading scorer Jack Eichel will return for tonight’s road contest against the Carolina Hurricanes. So maybe, just maybe, the hapless Sabres can end their embarrassing goal drought.
Forget about the Sabres’ six-game losing streak. At this point, simply scoring a goal – they’ve been shut out three straight games – would be a huge moral victory.
Incredibly, the Sabres haven’t scored in 197:40, a shocking stretch of futility ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel has recorded a team-high 72 points this season. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – After serving his two-game suspension, captain and leading scorer Jack Eichel will return for Saturday’s road game against the Carolina Hurricanes. So maybe, just maybe, the Sabres can end their dubious drought and score a goal.
Of course, Eichel’s last outing, Saturday afternoon’s miserable 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, was one of the Sabres’ worst offensive efforts in recent memory.
So forget about the Sabres’ six-game losing streak. At this point, ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner hasn’t scored since Feb. 15. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – Forget about Jeff Skinner scoring 50 times. Thanks to a four-week slump, the Sabres winger might fall short of the 40-goal mark.
Skinner, 26, showcased dynamic consistency over his first 57 outings, never going more than four games without a goal.
After scoring twice on Feb. 15, Skinner was producing at a 52-goal pace over a full season.
But Skinner been stuck on 36 goals for 27 days. The NHL All-Star has a ... Read the full article
Phil Housley is in his second season as coach. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Barely two years ago, Phil Housley was the NHL’s hottest assistant before the Sabres hired him as the 18th head coach in franchise history following the Nashville Predators’ run to the Stanley Cup final.
The move was almost universally lauded. Housley, a Hall of Fame defenseman and one of the greatest Sabres ever, was returning to a team and city close to his heart.
Housley’s defense corps in Nashville showcased the fast, aggressive ... Read the full article
