WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Post-Deadline Edition
Colten Ellis made 37 saves Thursday. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When the Sabres claimed rookie goalie Colten Ellis off waivers six months ago, it felt like his first trip to the NHL might be fleeting.
After all, they grabbed Ellis to provide insurance after Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen suffered another injury late in the preseason. Carrying three goalies, of course, is a luxury, and that roster spot can often be better utilized on a forward or defenseman.
But Ellis, who dazzled Thursday in his first ... Read the full article
Alex Lyon has won 20 games this season. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Injured Sabres goalie Alex Lyon could be sidelined for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, coach Lindy Ruff said prior to Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Right now, (he’ll be out) a week, and we’ll go from there,” Ruff said of the strained muscle Lyon recently suffered during practice.
The postseason begins April 18 and 19. A schedule won’t be released until next week.... Read the full article
Radim Mrtka played four games with Rochester earlier this season. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday reassigned top defense prospect Radim Mrtka from his junior team, the Seattle Thunderbirds, to the Rochester Americans.
Mrtka, the ninth overall pick in 2025, began the season in Rochester before the Sabres sent him to Seattle.
Seattle’s season ended Friday in the first round of the Western Hockey League Playoffs.... Read the full article
Luke Schenn played Monday after sitting out 10 straight games. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Luke Schenn, the physical, stay-at-home defenseman, figured his NHL career could be over. As the game became evolved and became faster, he never adapted.
Early in 2018-19, his 11th season, the Anaheim Ducks waived him. When he cleared, he reported to the San Diego Gulls having never played a game in the minors.
“When you get passed up by 31 NHL teams, you go on waivers, and it’s not because it’s a ... Read the full article
Josh Norris (second from left) celebrates his goal Monday. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In a grueling six-month, 82-game NHL season, slumps are inevitable. That the Sabres avoided losing two straight games in regulation for almost four months illustrates how dynamically they performed for more than half of the schedule.
But a slump finally materialized last week – albeit a short one – when in dropping back-to-back contests, the Sabres looked nothing likes themselves.
One of the league’s elite teams looked out of whack defensively and struggled ... Read the full article
Beck Malenstyn has scord a career-high seven goals this season. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In their exit meeting last season, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff challenged Beck Malenstyn to convert more of the offensive opportunities his role as a heavy presence on the fourth line offered him.
Ruff told the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Malenstyn he saw about seven or eight opportunities “that were like, ‘Hey, you really need to execute that.’”
Showcasing subtle finish around the net or putting a softer touch on a pass would help him finish ... Read the full article
Luke Schenn has sat out 10 straight games. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Right now, the Sabres have a deep roster – 26 healthy bodies, to be exact – meaning a whopping six players must be scratched each game.
Coach Lindy Ruff has tried to keep the extras involved, moving guys in and out. Still, two players – defensemen Luke Schenn and Michael Kesselring – have recently sat out for weeks.
Tonight, Schenn, who arrived March 6 in trade with the Winnipeg Jets, is expected to ... Read the full article
The Sabres and Lightning had a memorable game when the teams last met March 8. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – A visit from the heavyweight Tampa Bay Lightning tonight might be enough to shake the Sabres out of their recent funk.
In losing consecutive games in regulation for the first time since early December, the Sabres often looked uninterested, failing to match the desperation and tenacity of opponents fighting to get into the postseason.
The Sabres, of course, have been firmly entrenched in a playoff spot for months. They officially clinched their first ... Read the full article
Celebrations have become common for the Sabres. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
The longest postseason drought in NHL history is over. For the first time in 15 years, the Buffalo Sabres have clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Sabres secured their first spot since 2011 thanks to the New York Rangers’ 4-1 win this afternoon over the Detroit Red Wings.
Almost fittingly, a guy named Perreault – Rangers rookie Gabe Perreault, that is – scored a hat trick to help punch the Sabres’ ticket.... Read the full article
Mattias Samuelsson scored Buffalo’s only goal Thursday. ©2026, Micheline Veluvolu
OTTAWA – Barring a collapse of epic proportions, in the near future, the Buffalo Sabres will secure their first berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 15 years, and Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Senators will become an afterthought.
That they failed in their first attempt to clinch, losing to a desperate and depleted Senators team before the crowd of 17,086 fans in the Canadian Tire Centre, certainly stings a bit.
In their biggest game ... Read the full article