Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres prospect Phil Varone named AHL All-Star with Amerks

Rochester Americans center Phil Varone, who’s on recall to the Buffalo Sabres, has been named to the AHL All-Star Game, the league announced today.

Varone has enjoyed another strong AHL season, compiling eight goals and a team-high 29 points in 35 games with the Amerks.

The 24-year-old is set to make his NHL season debut tonight in New Jersey.

Two former Sabres also earned spots in the game. Hershey Bears forward Tim Kennedy, ... Read the full article

Tyler Myers ready to return to struggling Sabres

Without Tyler Myers, the Sabres quickly became a mess, losing six of the seven games without their ace defenseman.

Opponents exploited Myers’ absence, outscoring the Sabres 33-13 during the past two weeks.

Yikes.

Thankfully for the Sabres, who have lost four straight games and eight of nine overall, Myers will return from his lower-body injury tonight against the Devils.

“I’m not going to be the savior coming in,” Myers told reporters Monday in New ... Read the full article

Sabres recall Tim Schaller and Phil Varone from Amerks

BUFFALO – The struggling Sabres, losers of four straight games and eight of the last nine, recalled forwards Tim Schaller and Phil Varone from Rochester tonight.

At this point, the Sabres need any spark they can find.

The team also assigned center Johan Larsson to Rochester.

Schaller, 24, had three stints with the Sabres earlier this season, scoring one goal. He has a team-high 10 goals and is second on the AHL Americans with 23 ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Zemgus Girgensons leading vote-getter, elected to NHL All-Star Game

With lots of help from the rabid fans in his native Latvia and Buffalo, 20-year-old Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons earned an NHL-high 1,574,896 votes and has been elected to the All-Star Game Jan. 25 in Columbus, the league announced tonight.

Girgensons is just 109 games into his career.

The other five players voted in are all Chicago Blackhawks stars: forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook and goalie Corey Crawford.... Read the full article

Sabres fall apart early against Panthers, get blanked by Roberto Luongo again

BUFFALO – It’s getting ugly again. In fact, it’s starting to feel like October. The Sabres are losing every game. They can’t score. Opponents keep outshooting them.

Following an exciting 10-3 run, the Sabres have lost three straight games and seven of the last eight.

A wretched start, an early-season staple, doomed the Sabres in Friday’s boring 2-0 loss to the Florida Panthers before a capacity crowd of 19,070 fans inside a quiet First Niagara ... Read the full article

Former Sabres star Brian Campbell enjoying Panthers’ revival

BUFFALO – Don’t tell 35-year-old former Sabres All-Star Brian Campbell he’s the oldest member of the Florida Panthers.

“No, no, no, no,” Campbell said Friday prior to the Panthers’ 2-0 win against the Sabres inside the First Niagara Center. “I’m not even top two. I’m third. I might even be later.”

Campbell then turned to Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo.

“Louie, what month were you born in?” he asked.

Luongo replied he was born in April.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tyler Myers could play next week

BUFFALO – In five games without ace defenseman Tyler Myers, the Sabres have struggling badly, imploding late in four losses. They need the 24-year-old minute-muncher back badly.

When could Myers return?

“I’m pretty close,” he said this morning after skating inside the First Niagara Center. “I don’t know when I’ll be back. But it’s been better each and every day. I would assume it’s pretty close.”

Myers, out with a lower-body injury since ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Ristolainen ready to play; Michal Neuvirth to start

BUFFALO – As injuries recently weakened his defense corps, Sabres coach Ted Nolan spread out the wealth a bit, breaking up Rasmus Ristolainen, 20, and Nikita Zadorov, 19, arguably his best tandem.

“Our defense corps was a little bit in disarray for a while, and those two were probably our two shining lights,” Nolan said this morning inside the First Niagara Center.

The struggling Sabres desperately need another strong defense pair, so with Ristolainen ... Read the full article

Sabres need to clean up defensively, help goalie Jhonas Enroth

BUFFALO – Jhonas Enroth, the quiet, mild-mannered Sabres goalie, finally lost his cool Wednesday.

Following Tampa Bay’s final goal late in Sabres’ 5-1 loss, the diminutive Swede angrily whacked the left post with his stick like he was chopping down a tree. When the final horn ended the Sabres’ sixth loss in seven games, Enroth heaved his stick and skated off.

Minutes later, he was visibly upset in the dressing room.

In the ... Read the full article

Sabres mix up lines; Rasmus Ristolainen ready to return

BUFFALO – While the top line remained intact, Sabres coach Ted Nolan rearranged his other three trios today, an attempt to jumpstart the struggling team.

The new lines, left to right: Brian Flynn beside Mikhail Grigorenko and Chris Stewart; Cody Hodgson with Cody McCormick and Drew Stafford; Nick Deslauriers beside Johan Larsson and Patrick Kaleta.

Injuries and illness have ravaged the Sabres recently. They haven’t had a second line with Marcus Foligno and Brian Gionta ... Read the full article