Bill Hoppe - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Best Sabres photos of 2013: Mikhail Grigorenko’s first NHL goal

Over the next few days, ace photographer Dan Hickling will be sharing and talking about some of his favorite shots from 2013.

Take it away, Dan …

Mikhail Grigorenko’s rookie season was dismal by every measure, except for one. Goal celebration. The highly skilled Sabres’ first-rounder of 2013 (12th overall) scored just once during the truncated lockout season — Jan. 29 on a backhander against Toronto goalie James Reimer. But he didn’t get cheated on ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller to rest, happy with Jhonas Enroth playing regularly

BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will take a well-deserved break tonight in Winnipeg, giving way to backup Jhonas Enroth for the 13^th time this season.

Miller, fresh off a career-best 49-save effort in Sunday’s 2-1 shootout triumph against Washington, is fine with sitting. The Sabres, like all NHL teams, have a loaded schedule this Olympic campaign.

Their tilt against the Jets, the start of a two-game road trip, begins a stretch of 19 ... Read the full article

Best Sabres photos of 2013: Zemgus Girgensons’ left eye

Over the next few days, ace photographer Dan Hickling will be sharing and talking about some of his favorite shots from 2013.

Take it away, Dan …

Sabres rookie Zemgus Girgensons is plenty fortunate to still have his left eye after taking a puck in the face during the club’s first win of the season at the New York Islanders. This shot was taken two days after the accident, and is painful just to look ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller to rest Tuesday, named NHL’s second star

BUFFALO – After a career-high 49-save performance in Sunday’s 2-1 shootout win against Washington, Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will get a well-deserved night off.

Backup Jhonas Enroth will start Tuesday in Winnipeg, interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan said today.

“You get a rested Ryan Miller, you’re going to get a better player,” Nolan said inside the Riverside Ice Rink.

Miller’s recent play – 2-0-1 with a 1.55 goals-against average and .961 save percentage – earned ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller dynamic in shootout win against Capitals

BUFFALO – Even after Ryan Miller’s scintillating, career-best 49-save performance in the Sabres’ 2-1 shootout victory against the Washington Capitals, the goalie wouldn’t vouch for a spot on Team USA’s Olympic squad.

“It’s not up to me,” the humble Miller, who also stopped all six Capitals in the shootout, said Sunday inside the First Niagara Center.

The United States’ entry for the upcoming Sochi Games will be named following Wednesday’s Winter Classic outdoor game in ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tyler Ennis on thunderous hit: ‘No idea that I was coming down’

BUFFALO – Sabres center Tyler Ennis was entering the Washington zone on the forecheck Sunday when he noticed Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov had his head down trying to keep the puck in near the right circle along the boards.

A second later, the 5-foot-9, 169-pound Ennis laid a thunderous hit on Orlov 14:56 into the third period, knocking his helmet off and drawing a roar from the 19,070 fans inside the First Niagara Center.... Read the full article

Sabres to use same lineup against Capitals; Kevin Porter ‘a little sore’

BUFFALO – The Sabres will field the same lineup today against the Washington Capitals, meaning defenseman Alexander Sulzer will sit again.

“To make a change just to make a change doesn’t seem right,” interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan said this afternoon inside the First Niagara Center. “Defense weren’t on problem last game.”

The Sabres lost a 4-3 shootout Friday in Toronto.

Goalie Ryan Miller will likely start again, Nolan said. The Sabres will “pretty much” ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Zemgus Girgensons developing into offensive threat

BUFFALO – Sometimes, Sabres winger Matt Moulson said, he forgets Zemgus Girgensons is a still a teenager. Take, for example, the rookie’s brutish assist early in Friday’s 4-3 shootout loss in Toronto.

Girgensons held the puck almost eight seconds, skating from the bottom of the right circle into the left dot. The Maple Leafs’ Peter Holland began hectoring Girgensons behind the net.

Still, he couldn’t knock the 6-foot-2 Latvian winger off the puck. Girgensons skated ... Read the full article

Sabres know stopping Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will be difficult

BUFFALO – In Alex Ovechkin’s world, this might qualify as a slump. The slick Washington Capitals winger hasn’t scored in his last two games.

Whoa!

Ovechkin, who will face the Sabres on Sunday, hasn’t gone three straight contests without a goal all season. The Russian already has 30 goals in 36 appearances.

How do you stop him?

“Those type of players … you don’t try to say they won’t get any chances because they ... Read the full article

Sabres get rare score from John Scott, blow 2-goal lead before falling to Leafs in shootout

TORONTO – John Scott’s second career goal came early in his 200^th NHL game, 1,503 days after the hulking Buffalo Sabres tough guy scored his first one.

At 7:53 of first period in Friday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs, Matt Ellis’ rebound trickled to Scott in the slot, and – much to the shock of the 19,405 fans watching – he beat Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier.

“I seem to do ... Read the full article