Cozens - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ JJ Peterka evolving, becoming one of NHL’s best rookies

BUFFALO – JJ Peterka spotted imminent danger coming the Sabres’ way, so as the puck slid around the boards as they enjoyed a power play, he began hightailing it back toward his zone.

“I got on my horse,” the rookie winger said following Saturday’s practice.

Peterka’s instincts and speed allowed him to close in on Logan O’Connor at center ice, and he thwarted the Colorado Avalanche winger’s scoring attempt with the Sabres trailing by one ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Don Granato believes scratches can help Peyton Krebs

BUFFALO – The Sabres inserted center Peyton Krebs for Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, just his second appearance in the last six games.

To make room for Krebs, a healthy scratch the previous three contests, the Sabres sat out winger Vinnie Hinostroza.

That Krebs, 21, had been bumped out of the lineup wasn’t surprising. He sat out two games in late October when the Sabres briefly began rotating forwards. He had mustered zero ... Read the full article

Sabres implode late, fall to Lightning in OT: ‘We backed off’

BUFFALO – With less than six minutes left in Monday’s 6-5 overtime loss, winger Jeff Skinner grabbed the puck near the goal line and beat goalie Brian Elliott short side, giving the Sabres what felt like a commanding two-goal lead.

After falling behind 2-0 early to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres roared back, tying the game before the first period ended and grabbing a second-period lead. When Brayden Point’s second-power play-goal knotted the game ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Jack Quinn developing confidence, starting to score goals

BUFFALO – The first quarter of Sabres rookie Jack Quinn’s season can be broken down into three parts.

In the early going, Quinn, 21, looked overwhelmed. So he embraced sitting out two games as part of the Sabres’ forward rotation, using it as an opportunity to catch his breath and study the game from a fresh perspective. The time helped him develop a better understanding of the team’s system and the intensity needed to ... Read the full article

Sabres ride wave of excitement from ‘Goathead’ jerseys, throttle Blues

BUFFALO – Was it the jersey, the popular black and red “Goathead” the Sabres have brought back this season and sported for the first time Wednesday? Did some of the energy they showcased a night earlier in ending their eight-game losing streak carry over?

Maybe a combination of both?

For the second straight game, the Sabres enjoyed a supercharged start, getting a goal from scorching winger Jeff Skinner at the 18-second mark that helped buoy ... Read the full article

Sabres fall to Maple Leafs, losing skid hits eight: ‘It boils down to compete’

TORONTO – A frustrated Don Granato kept talking, expounding for two and a half minutes on the Buffalo Sabres’ recent lack of competitiveness following their eighth consecutive loss.

“It’s pretty simple,” the coach said after Saturday’s uninspired 5-2 setback to the Maple Leafs. “You compete, you play with energy and you’ll feel better about your game. And I think right now, you don’t feel good about your game because you’re just not going hard enough, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson out against Maple Leafs; Jack Quinn set to return

TORONTO – Following Friday’s practice, Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato said if defenseman Mattias Samuelsson wanted to return from an 11-game absence tonight against the Maple Leafs, he would have to convince him he was ready right now.

But Granato had already made up his mind that Samuelsson needed more practice time after suffering a lower-body injury Oct. 22.

“He wasn’t going to convince me, he wasn’t,” Granato said after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s ... Read the full article

Rest helping Sabres’ Craig Anderson thrive as backup to Eric Comrie

BUFFALO – Following a terrific 27-save outing, Sabres goalie Craig Anderson will likely return to the bench tonight, backing up Eric Comrie against the Vancouver Canucks.

At 41, Anderson, the NHL’s oldest player, has tended some remarkable goal during the first month of the season, defying his advanced age.

Among goalies who have played at least five times this season, his 2.40 goals-against average ranks 13th in the NHL and .922 save percentage 11th. Despite ... Read the full article

Sabres look sluggish in loss to Coyotes: ‘We wanted an easier game’

BUFFALO – Barely 20 seconds into Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes, Sabres defenseman Owen Power left the puck behind the net, and his partner, Kale Clague, overskated it, creating an easy goal for Lawson Crouse.

The gaffe turned out to be a harbinger for the Sabres, who looked disjointed and sluggish throughout the night, often drawing the ire of the announced crowd of 10,296 fans at KeyBank Center.

The Sabres’ third straight loss ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin set to play after one-game absence

BUFFALO – Rasmus Dahlin’s absence last game wasn’t just related to getting sucker punched in the face by the Carolina Hurricanes’ Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

“It was an accident after,” the Sabres defenseman said this morning of the upper-body injury that sidelined him Saturday. “I was hit kind of late. My neck was a little bit off. I don’t know, it was a mix of everything. So it wasn’t that situation.”

Dahlin, 22, will return for tonight’s ... Read the full article