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John Scott (32) declares victory after bloodying Toronto’s Frazer McLaren during the first period Thursday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:22:13
Ehrhoff, Ennis, Foligno, Kaleta, MacArthur, Miller, Ott, Pominville, Rolston, Scott, Toronto Maple Leafs
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO –For 65 wildly entertaining minutes Thursday, the Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs fought, traded goals and battled for every inch as they zoomed up and down the ice before a noisy bipartisan crowd of 19,070 fans inside the First Niagara Center.

The Sabres’ 5-4 shootout victory was NHL hockey at its fiercest and most exciting.

“They got their money’s worth tonight,” interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston said about the capacity crowd.

Fittingly, Sabres agitator Steve Ott, who buzzed around all night thumping …

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Alexander Sulzer played 17 games this season. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:22:13
Ehrhoff, Enroth, Gerbe, Gragnani, Miller, Rolston, Scott, Sulzer, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
1

BUFFALO – When defenseman Alexander Sulzer caught his skate in a rut and twisted his knee early in the Sabres’ 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Feb. 23, the defenseman immediately knew something wasn’t right.

“I felt that something happened,” Sulzer said prior to the Sabres’ 5-4 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday inside the First Niagara Center. “It was really painful. I didn’t know how bad it was. But I could tell it didn’t feel …

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Nathan Gerbe skates this morning. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:21:13
Gerbe, Rolston, Scott, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – With slick Sabres winger Thomas Vanek too sore to play tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, either Nathan Gerbe or John Scott will return after being healthy scratches.

The two have three goals and six points combined, all from Gerbe. Vanek, of course, is the Sabres’ leading scorer with 14 goals and 31 points.

Scott, a hulking tough guy, will likely play after three straight scratches. The Leafs sport a lot of toughness.

Gerbe, a scratch last game, scored his three …

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Ryan Miller was prepping for his 27th appearance this morning. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:21:13
Enroth, Miller, Rolston, Toronto Maple Leafs
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Following goalie Jhonas Enroth’s strong 34-save performance in the Sabres’ 3-2 overtime triumph Tuesday in Montreal, interim coach Ron Rolston and his staff considered giving the backup another start.

Ultimately, though, Rolston awarded tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs to Ryan Miller.

“We like what Jhonas is doing and how he’s building his game and building confidence, and certainly he’s given us two big wins here recently,” Rolston said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “But we wanted …

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Steve Ott said he wanted to "earn" his Sabres jersey. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:21:13
Hodgson, Ott, Pominville, Rolston, Ruff, Toronto Maple Leafs, Weber
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Not surprisingly, Steve Ott jelled with his new Sabres teammates immediately after nine seasons with the Dallas Stars. Having Mike Weber, a friend so close he calls him a brother, helped the transition. And Ott’s infectious personality would probably make the 30-year-old fit in quickly anywhere.

Still, back in January, Ott felt a bit like an outsider. In his mind, he had to earn his Sabres jersey following the offseason trade. The versatile winger felt he hadn’t proven anything …

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Thomas Vanek will miss his fourth game of the season tonight. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:21:13
Ehrhoff, Gerbe, Rolston, Scott, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Thomas Vanek will miss tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after taking a shot off the hip Tuesday.

Interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston said Vanek is simply too sore to play.

“He’s better today,” Rolston said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “He feels actually good. He’s starting the process. So we’re hoping to get him on the ice tomorrow.”

Vanek could play Saturday in Montreal.

Christian Ehrhoff’s hard point blast hit Vanek early in the Sabres’ 3-2 …

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Thomas Vanek has missed three games this season. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:21:13
Cassidy, Ehrhoff, Ott, Pysyk, Rochester Americans, Rolston, Ruff, Sekera, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Thomas Vanek, who took a lethal Christian Ehrhoff point shot off the hip early in Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win in Montreal, missed practice Wednesday and is questionable for tonight’s tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“He’s a little bit better but still going to be day-to-day, what he can tolerate,” interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston said Wednesday inside the First Niagara Center. “He’s certainly a possibility.”

Meanwhile, defenseman Andrej Sekera practiced Wednesday but will likely miss his third …

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Pavel Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings will now be visiting Buffalo regularly. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
03:07:13
Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

BUFFALO – The NHL Players’ Association consented to the NHL’s realignment plan this afternoon, meaning the league will use a four-division format next season.

The Sabres will play in a new Eastern Conference division featuring four Northeast Division holdovers – the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs – and three newcomers – the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Western Conference transfer Detroit Red Wings – pending the approval of the Board of Governors.

Realignment also means a …

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James van Riemsdyk fires in his second goal of the game past Tyler Myers and Ryan Miller on Thursday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
02:22:13
Ennis, Foligno, Miller, Ott, Porter, Rolston, Ruff, Sulzer, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vanek
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

TORONTO – Well, maybe it wasn’t Lindy Ruff’s fault after all. Perhaps the Buffalo Sabres are simply a bad hockey club.

If they couldn’t cobble together a strong, 60-minute effort Thursday, a day after the Sabres axed the NHL’s longest-tenured coach, will they ever?

With the franchise reeling and Ron Rolston making his debut as interim coach, the Sabres played another terrible second period, allowing two goals, the difference in the 3-1 loss before a capacity crowd of 19,743 fans inside the …

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Ron Rolston coaches his first NHL game Thursday. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
02:22:13
Brennan, Foligno, Gerbe, Grigorenko, Leopold, McCormick, Ott, Pegula, Pominville, Porter, Regier, Rochester Americans, Rolston, Ruff, Sekera, Stafford, Toronto Maple Leafs
Bill Hoppe     Olean Times Herald
0

TORONTO – Ron Rolston walked to a podium Thursday afternoon inside the Air Canada Centre, surveyed the landscape before him – about 30 reporters and a dozen cameras – and immediately cracked his first joke as the Buffalo Sabres’ interim coach.

“It looks like the same media coverage as Rochester,” joked Rolston, who replaced Lindy Ruff on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Rolston was preparing his Rochester Americans for an AHL tilt against the Texas Stars. A day later, he was in charge of …

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