Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Ted Nolan on Sabres: ‘Not going to be like sacrificial lambs’

BUFFALO – The NHL’s worst team is down its top defenseman, starting goalie and No. 3 scorer after Wednesday’s trades. How rough will the Sabres’ final 27 games be without Tyler Myers, Jhonas Enroth and Drew Stafford?

Coach Ted Nolan told his Sabres they’re “not going to be like sacrificial lambs, just go out there and get slaughtered.”

“We have to make sure we play together, we protect one another and we work together – ... Read the full article

Sabres pay steep price, land Evander Kane from Jets

BUFFALO – The Sabres’ acquisition of winger Evander Kane and defenseman Zach Bogosian from the Jets in Wednesday’s blockbuster trade that sent defenseman Tyler Myers to Winnipeg makes the rebuilding club closer to contending, general manager Tim Murray said.

“My plan was to do something like this to speed it up,” Murray said inside the First Niagara Center after pulling off the NHL’s biggest deal this season.

The Sabres paid a steep price, however, dealing ... Read the full article

Former Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth could fit well with Stars

BUFFALO – The market for goalies this season is small. Most teams are set in net. Tim Murray had two soon-to-be free agents with starting experience on his roster, yet the Sabres general manager only received one call from an interested club.

“There’s very few that need a goalie right now,” Murray said Wednesday inside the First Niagara Center after trading goalie Jhonas Enroth to the Dallas Stars for 6-foot-6 goalie Anders Lindback and a ... Read the full article

GM Tim Murray believes Evander Kane trade speeds up Sabres’ rebuild; Goalie Jhonas Enroth dealt to Stars

BUFFALO – The Sabres’ acquisition of winger Evander Kane and defenseman Zach Bogosian from the Jets today in the blockbuster trade that sent defenseman Tyler Myers to Winnipeg makes the rebuilding club closer to contending, general manager Tim Murray said.

“My plan was to do something like this to speed it up,” Murray said this afternoon inside the First Niagara Center after pulling off the NHL’s biggest deal this season.

The Sabres paid a steep ... Read the full article

Sabres acquire Evander Kane from Jets in blockbuster trade, send Tyler Myers to Winnipeg

BUFFALO – The Sabres pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets this morning, acquiring winger Evander Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and a goalie prospect for defenseman Tyler Myers, winger Drew Stafford, prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux and a 2015 first-round pick.

Stay tuned for more updates. The Sabres are scheduled to start practice at 11:45 a.m.

The two big pieces are Kane, a 23-year-old former 30-goal scorer, and Myers, a 25-year-old former ... Read the full article

Sabres dominate Senators for stretches, still lose

BUFFALO – The Sabres have played 165 periods this trying season. Most, given their 15-36-3 record and 30^th overall standing, have been poor or even awful.

In the opening period of Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, the Sabres, fresh of a pathetic 10-shot outing, performed terribly again, getting outscored 1-0 and outshot 14-8.

Early on, some fans in the announced sellout crowd of 19,070 inside the First Niagara Center responded to ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta regaining old form after injury

BUFFALO – Finally, 33 games into his season, Patrick Kaleta is buzzing around the ice regularly looking to thump opponents, a sign the aggressive Sabres winger has recovered from a torn ACL.

“It looks like he got his legs underneath him,” coach Ted Nolan said Tuesday prior to the Sabres’ 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators inside the First Niagara Center. “He’s searching for those big hits. You can just tell … his timing’s getting ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Cody Hodgson out again, could sit for a bit

BUFFALO – Cody Hodgson’s benching could last for a bit.

“Maybe two or three (games). Maybe four or five. Who knows?” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said this morning inside the First Niagara Center.

The struggling Sabres winger, who has two goals and eight points in 51 games, will sit out tonight’s tilt against the Ottawa Senators, the second straight game he has been scratched.

The 24-year-old must wait to return, Nolan said.

“We’re going to ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Cody McCormick had blood clots in lungs, hopes to return next season

BUFFALO – On Jan. 3 in New York, gritty Sabres forward Cody McCormick blocked a shot, something he has done 126 times in his career.

This time, however, the pain felt different. It lingered.

Something was wrong.

“I had pain in my calf after for no real reason,” McCormick told the Times Herald during the first intermission of Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the New York Islanders inside First Niagara Center.

McCormick didn’t know it then, ... Read the full article

Sabres have franchise-low 10 shots, fall to Isles

BUFFALO – Even by Sabres standards, it was ugly. Almost 32 minutes into Sunday’s 3-2 loss, the New York Islanders led by three goals. The Sabres, meanwhile, had five shots total and zero in the second period to that point.

Then, like so many other times this season, they got going. After Sabres coach Ted Nolan called a timeout, Marcus Foligno buried Nikita Zadorov’s rebound.

Just like that, the Sabres had two shots in about ... Read the full article