Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

After weekend blizzard, NHL postpones Tuesday’s Sabres game in Columbus

Severe winter weather that has closed the Buffalo/Niagara International Airport forced the NHL to postpone Tuesday’s Sabres road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

No makeup date has been announced.

The devastating blizzard that battered Western New York over the weekend, dumping more than three feet of snow in some areas, has made many roads impassable. Driving bans remain in effect in Buffalo and other communities.

... Read the full article

At 30, resurgent Jeff Skinner enjoying one of Sabres’ greatest seasons ever

BUFFALO – It’s one thing to recapture your old form as Sabres winger Jeff Skinner did last year, scoring 33 goals during a remarkable comeback season.

But players Skinner’s age, 30, rarely showcase much growth. At that stage, they’re often nearing the end of their prime or past it.

Well, in Skinner’s case, maybe he’s just entering it.... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen maturing, making case to stick in NHL

BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen needed time to adjust. In his first outings after the Sabres recalled him, the goalie occasionally looked a little wonky.

The Finn wasn’t much of a difference-maker.

Luukkonen, 23, had played just 13 NHL games, the last coming more than 10 months earlier, before Eric Comrie’s lower-body injury thrust into the starting role in late November. Having been labeled as the Sabres’ goalie of the future, when he’s summoned to Buffalo, ... Read the full article

Winter storm forces NHL to postpone Friday’s Sabres game against Lightning

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

Sabres goalie Eric Comrie feels healthy, unsure of return from injury

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

Sabres reassign three prospects for World Junior Championship

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

Dynamic stretch earns Sabres’ Tage Thompson NHL Second Star honors

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

Sabres recall defenseman from Amerks

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

Sabres trade Oskari Laaksonen to Stars for Youngstown’s Joseph Cecconi

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

Why don’t the Sabres play goalie Craig Anderson more often?

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