WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Marcus Foligno (82) battles Tampa Bay’s Sami Salo. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Buffalo Sabres winger Marcus Foligno will likely miss the final six games of the season after his right leg buckled early in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
The injury 1:58 into the game looked gruesome – Foligno got tangled with St. Louis’ Roman Polak, causing his leg to bend awkwardly as he fell – but Sabres coach Ted Nolan said it wasn’t as bad as it appeared.
“But he’s going to be ... Read the full article
Jake McCabe signed a three-year contract Wednesday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Buffalo Sabres rookie Jake McCabe knows he’ll feel more nerves tonight during his NHL debut tonight in St. Louis against the Blues.
“Even out in the pregame skate, I’m sure my heart rate was getting up there, for sure,” the defenseman told reporters this afternoon in St. Louis. “This is a whole new level.”
The 20-year-old, the 44th overall pick in 2012, played three NCAA seasons before signing a three-year, entry level contract ... Read the full article
Ryan Miller has played 14 games with St. Louis. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Sorry, Buffalo fans. Thirty-four days after the blockbuster trade between the Sabres and Blues, star goalie Ryan Miller has earned a well-deserved break tonight against his old club in St. Louis.
Backup Brian Elliott will replace Miller.
Of course, the Blues also have former captain Steve Ott, another key piece of the deal. Expect the agitating winger, who didn’t practice Wednesday, to have some fun and try to get under the Sabres’ skin.... Read the full article
Jake McCabe is expected to join the Sabres immediately. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres today signed defenseman Jake McCabe, the 44th overall pick in 2012, to a three-year, entry-level contract.
McCabe is expected to join the Sabres immediately.
The 20-year-old compiled 14 goals and 58 points in 100 games over three seasons at Wisconsin. The American scored a career-high eight goals and 25 points in 36 games in 2013-14, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors.
McCabe, 6-feet and 195 pounds, captained Team USA’s 2013 ... Read the full article
Ville Leino fires his shootout-clinching goal past New Jersey goalie Cory Schneider on Tuesday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Nine rounds into Tuesday’s shootout, Sabres coach Ted Nolan turned to John Scott on the bench.
“Watch the crowd go crazy on this one,” Nolan told the winger after sending out Ville Leino, the fans’ No. 1 whipping boy, with a chance to win the game.
Sure enough, instead of booing Leino, who has zero goals in 53 games this season, the capacity crowd of 19,070 fans inside the First Niagara Center ... Read the full article
Cody Hodgson had played center his entire career. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Ted Nolan doesn’t want to project his lineup too far into the future. But the Sabres coach said he must evaluate his top six forwards these last two weeks so they receive enough ice time next season.
If Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons are his top centers, where does that leave Cody Hodgson?
For the time being, on the left wing, a position Hodgson had played once in his career before ... Read the full article
Justin Kea will likely go to the AHL soon. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres today signed forward Justin Kea to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Kea, the 73rd overall pick in 2012, compiled 51 goals and 117 points in 253 games over four seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit. The 20-year-old had a career-high 22 goals, 49 points and plus-14 rating in 58 games this season.
Kea, 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, is expected to report to AHL Rochester soon on an amateur tryout ... Read the full article
Nathan Lieuwen will make his third start tonight. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – To Ted Nolan, Nathan Lieuwen has the technical aspect of goaltending down. The Sabres coach just wants the 22-year-old rookie, who will start tonight against the New Jersey Devils, to be a little bit more aggressive in net.
“The one thing we always say with forwards, we want to see how competitive you are. And same thing with goaltenders,” Nolan said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “You have to come out. ... Read the full article
Ted Nolan has helped elevate the play of Drew Stafford (left) and Tyler Ennis (right). ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Drew Stafford’s first conversation with Sabres coach Ted Nolan lasted no more than two minutes, the winger said. It was a straightforward, “man-to-man” chat.
“Looking-at-me-in-the-eyes kind of conversation,” Stafford said Monday, hours after the Sabres removed Nolan’s interim tag and gave him a three-year contract extension.
Stafford was struggling badly back in mid-November. He had one goal and had just lost his alternate captaincy. Nolan didn’t care. As a veteran, Stafford deserved respect... Read the full article