WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Don Granato parlayed one season in Peoria into an AHL job. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
When Trevor Baker learned the Buffalo Sabres had promoted Don Granato to interim head coach, the enduring memories of the championship season they spent together flooded into his mind.
Twenty-one years earlier, Baker was a raw rookie forward for the Peoria Rivermen, an ECHL team led by Granato, a 32-year-old head coach and general manager.
Baker would enjoy a successful eight-year pro career, but in 1999-00 he was learning the rigors of pro hockey. Granato ... Read the full article
Linus Ullmark was injured April 13. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Buffalo Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark will miss Saturday afternoon’s season finale against the Pittsburgh Penguins, interim coach Don Granato said.
Granato said earlier this week that Ullmark, 27, likely wouldn’t be ready to return from his lower-body injury before the season ends. The Swede was injured April 13 and resumed skating with his teammates Monday.
So goalie Michael Houser, fresh off Thursday’s 8-4 loss to the Penguins, will start his fourth straight game. Houser, ... Read the full article
Michael Houser won his first two NHL games before Thursday’s blowout loss. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Almost eight minutes into Thursday’s second period, after the Penguins scored twice in a minute and grabbed a two-goal lead, it became apparent Sabres goalie Michael Houser wouldn’t enjoy a warm homecoming in Pittsburgh.
After winning his first two NHL games in Buffalo, Houser, 28, became the league’s feel-good story. A victory before about 20 family members and friends watching inside PPG Paints Arena would’ve made the most incredible week of his career even more ... Read the full article
Buffalo drafted Brett Murray in 2016. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Buffalo Sabres rookie Brett Murray experienced an unconventional path to the NHL, moving backwards before taking small steps forward.
Three years ago, Murray, who made his NHL debut in Thursday’s 8-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, left Penn State and returned to junior. Before last season, after making a stronger commitment to his conditioning, he received an AHL contract.
Murray, a fourth-round pick in 2016, 99th overall, parlayed a solid rookie campaign with the ... Read the full article
Anders Bjork has played 13 games with Buffalo. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In a 14-minute stretch Tuesday, Sabres newcomer Anders Bjork erased the New York Islanders’ lead, scoring two goals.
First, Bjork redirected defenseman Colin Miller’s point shot past Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin late in the second period. Then Bjork scored from the right circle 10:56 into the third period, tying a game the Sabres would win 4-3 in a shootout.
What do both goals have in common? Bjork, 24, created them by tenaciously ... Read the full article
Michael Houser stops a shot in Tuesday’s win. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Hours before Michael Houser’s second NHL start, interim Sabres coach Don Granato said he wasn’t concerned about his goalie becoming fatigued.
Coaches, of course, rarely use the same goalie on back-to-back nights. The position is simply too taxing.
But Granato, having lost his other goalies, needed Houser again Tuesday, a night after his big league debut. It was also his first game at any level in nearly 14 months.
Granato was confident ... Read the full article
Stefanos Lekkas recently joined Rochester. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – On April 10 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, goalie Stefanos Lekkas played his last game for the Komets, an ECHL team, allowing five goals in a loss to the Indy Fuel.
Twenty-three days later, Lekkas was in the NHL, serving as Sabres rookie Michael Houser’s backup for Monday’s 4-2 win over the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center.
The memories of the night will forever be seared in Lekkas’ head.
“Just to go through ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen recently played his first four NHL games.
The Buffalo Sabres will be without goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Dustin Tokarski and Carter Hutton for the final three games this season, interim coach Don Granato said.
Luukkonen, 22, left Saturday afternoon’s 6-2 loss to the Boston Bruins after getting his left skate caught on the goal post.
Granato did not have much information on the Finn, who was examined Monday.
“As far as the details of the report, I don’t have those,” Granato said ... Read the full article
Buffalo goalie Michael Houser is embraced after Monday’s win by teammates Will Borgen (left) and Rasmus Ristolainen. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Eight teams, nine seasons and 284 games into his pro career, Sabres goalie Michael Houser made his NHL debut, stopping 34 shots in Monday’s 4-2 come-from-behind win over the New York Islanders.
In a dreadful year in which the Sabres could finish dead last again, Houser’s first big league start created a feel-good story that provided some excitement and intrigue to a meaningless late-season game.
Houser, 28, has spent most of his career ... Read the full article
Stefanos Lekkas has played seven games with Rochester. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres this afternoon signed Rochester Americans goalie Stefanos Lekkas to a professional tryout contract and he will back up Michael Houser tonight against the New York Islanders.
Sabres assistant coach Mike Bales, a former NHL goalie, will serve as the emergency backup, according to the team.
Goalie Dustin Tokarski, who was expected to start tonight, did not skate this morning. Tokarski relieved goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen when he was injured in Saturday ... Read the full article