WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Happy Holidays
The French Connection statue outside KeyBank Center will likely be snow-covered this weekend. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – A winter storm forecasters say could bring 65 mph wind gusts, lake effect snow, whiteout conditions and flash freezing to the region this weekend forced the NHL to postpone Friday’s Sabres game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at KeyBank Center.
The game will be made up at 12:30 p.m. on March 4. The Sabres’ home game against the Philadelphia Flyers originally slated for that date has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. ... Read the full article
Eric Comrie was injured on Nov. 16. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin checked Senators forward Mathieu Joseph into Eric Comrie five weeks ago, the goalie said he felt “a little bit of a pop in my knee.”
“It didn’t feel very good,” Comrie said following Wednesday’s practice, his second full session since getting injured midway through the Sabres’ 4-1 loss Nov. 16 in Ottawa.
Right away, Comrie, 27, knew something wasn’t right. Still, he tried to gut out the ... Read the full article
Isak Rosen has spent this season in Rochester. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres on Monday reassigned three of their top forward prospects – Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund and Isak Rosen – to their respective national teams for the upcoming World Junior Championship.
Kulich (Czech Republic) and Rosen (Sweden) have spent their first season in North America with the Rochester Americans, while Ostlund (Sweden) has played for Djurgardens, a pro team in HockeyAllsvenskan.
Kulich, 18, has scored six goals and 16 points in 24 games ... Read the full article
Tage Thompson also received star honors last week. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
A dynamic three-game stretch in which Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored four goals and eight points has earned him NHL Second Star honors for the second consecutive week.
Thompson, 25, continued his torrid production, recording multiple points in each outing as the Sabres went 3-0-0 during the week ending Sunday.
The American scored the game-winning goal in last Tuesday’s 6-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings and Saturday’s 5-2 road win against the Arizona ... Read the full article
Jeremy Davies was also recalled from Rochester once earlier this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
The Buffalo Sabres, who played Thursday’s game with just five healthy defensemen, have recalled Jeremy Davies from the Rochester Americans.
Lower-body injuries forced defensemen Jacob Bryson, Henri Jokiharju, Ilya Lyubushkin and Owen Power to all miss Thursday’s 4-2 road win over the Colorado Avalanche.
Power was a late scratch prior to Thursday’s game. Lyubushkin, meanwhile, resumed practicing on Wednesday and is working toward a return.... Read the full article
Joseph Cecconi (34) turned pro in 2019. ©2022, Mollie Kendall, Texas Stars
The Buffalo Sabres on Thursday swapped AHL defense prospects with the Dallas Stars, trading Oskari Laaksonen in exchange for Youngstown native Joseph Cecconi.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Cecconi, 25, played four seasons at Michigan and captained the Wolverines as a senior. He has compiled four goals, 33 points and 106 penalty minutes in 176 games over four seasons with the Texas Stars.
Cecconi, a right-shot defenseman like Laaksonen, has registered two assists and 10 penalty ... Read the full article
Craig Anderson has played 12 games this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Among goalies who have played at least 10 games this season, Sabres veteran Craig Anderson’s .921 save percentage ranks seventh in the NHL.
That’s 55 points higher than Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the rookie who has been receiving the majority of starts with Eric Comrie sidelined. Before Comrie suffered a lower-body injury, he compiled an .887 save percentage.
Anderson, 41, has performed a lot better than the Sabres’ other goalies this season. Overall, he ... Read the full article
Rookie JJ Peterka (left) and Jack Quinn celebrate a goal Nov. 28. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Winger JJ Peterka scored perhaps the most scintillating of the Sabres’ 114 goals this season because he possessed the confidence to thread the puck through Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty.
Think about it, a rookie just 31 games into his NHL career believed he could beat a 15-year veteran and the 2015-16 Norris Trophy winner.
“He’s not afraid to try those things and he’s confident in his abilities to execute them,” Sabres ... Read the full article
Ilya Lyubushkin has missed the last seven games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin practiced on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury Nov. 28 but likely won’t play in tonight’s road game against the Colorado Avalanche.
Lyubushkin, 28, has missed the last seven contests.
“He hasn’t had a lot of practice time, so that would be a concern,” Sabres coach Don Granato said of the Russian returning to the lineup right away.
Granato said he hadn’t spoken to the ... Read the full article
Craig Anderson made 40 saves Tuesday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – At 41, Sabres goalie Craig Anderson hasn’t shown many signs of graying. In fact, the NHL’s oldest player can even make hockey’s toughest position look easy.
Take, for example, the 20-year veteran’s splendid 40-save performance in Tuesday’s 6-0 shellacking of the Los Angeles Kings, the 43rd shutout of his decorated career.
Anderson was the Sabres’ backbone as they struggled to generate offense early, making 16-first period stops and 30 saves through 40 minutes ... Read the full article