Crosby - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid downplay first NHL meeting

BUFFALO – The so-called rivalry between top draft picks Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid, well, that’s simply a “made-up scenario,” Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said.

Bylsma, as he’s known to do, said that with a sly grin. Like just about everyone else, he wants to see the youngsters dubbed generational talents face each other for the first time tonight when the Sabres host the Edmonton Oilers.

“The hype is produced,” Bylsma told a packed ... Read the full article

Sabres know Ryan O’Reilly’s loss will hurt

BUFFALO – For about 20 minutes, the Sabres responded to the loss of No. 1 center Ryan O’Reilly, their most versatile and important asset, by playing one of their best first periods in weeks.

But by the second period of Sunday afternoon’s 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, O’Reilly’s absence became very evident as the Sabres began chasing the game and fell behind.

“He’s your No. 1 guy, and that’s something … you can’t ... Read the full article

Justin Bailey confident in return to Sabres

BUFFALO – At a few points in the first period of the Sabres’ 4-3 loss Sunday afternoon, rookie winger Justin Bailey’s first NHL goal felt imminent.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Bailey, thanks his size and speed, kept generating scoring chances around Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in his fifth NHL game.

While the Williamsville native didn’t score in 11 minutes, 55 seconds of action, he finished the contest confident he’ll net that elusive first goal ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel, rest of Sabres have become close-knit group

BUFFALO – Within minutes Friday, screen grabs of Robin Lehner’s fierce eyes – wide and hellbent on sending a message – started spreading all over the Internet after the goalie’s emphatic response to an ugly hit on Sabres teammate Zach Bogosian.

“That should be one of those big heads and make it for the fans to wear,” coach Dan Bylsma joked Saturday after the Sabres prepared for this afternoon’s tilt against superstar Sidney Crosby and ... Read the full article

Ryan O’Reilly grateful for NHL All-Star berth, opportunity with Sabres

BUFFALO – Right away, everything has clicked for center Ryan O’Reilly. In just half a season here, the 24-year-old has quickly become the Sabres’ MVP and perhaps their most popular player.

O’Reilly plays more minutes than any other NHL forward. He leads the Sabres in scoring and has 17 points in the last 17 games. No one in the league has taken more faceoffs. Following losses, he regularly takes responsibility for his performance and ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Jack Eichel ready for return to Boston

BUFFALO – Sabres rookie Jack Eichel has played big games in his hometown rink, Boston’s TD Garden, before. As a college freshman last season, the center starred as his Boston University Terriers captured The Beanpot, a prestigious tournament between local schools.

Google “Eichel” and “Beanpot” and a slew of pictures of an ecstatic Eichel clutching the Beanpot trophy will pop up.

But tonight’s tilt against the Bruins, Eichel’s first appearance in Boston with the Sabres, ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabres tough guy John Scott wants NHL All-Star spot

BUFFALO – The sight, of course, would be odd. Just imagine 6-foot-8 former Sabres tough guy John Scott, who has five goals in his eight-year career, competing against superstars like Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos in the new three-on-three NHL All-Star Game format.

If fans keep casting online ballots for Scott, that could happen Jan. 31 in Nashville.

Right now, Scott, a healthy scratch 19 times with the Arizona Coyotes this season, is the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Brian Gionta and Zemgus Girgensons starting to showcase offensive skills

BUFFALO – Just over six minutes into the third period Sunday, Sabres captain Brian Gionta deftly backhanded the puck along the left boards through the neutral zone into Islanders territory. Center Zemgus Girgensons then barreled in, retrieving the pass in the circle before slickly feeding Matt Moulson for the tying goal.

For Girgensons, the nifty assist in the Sabres’ 2-1 victory against New York was his first this season and just his second point. For ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Dan Bylsma disappointed to see Connor McDavid injured

BUFFALO – Besides being a coach, the Sabres’ Dan Bylsma counts himself as a hockey fan.

So Oilers phenom Connor McDavid’s first meeting with Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby on Friday in Edmonton, one of the most anticipated matchups on the NHL schedule this season, was circled on Bylsma’s calendar.

Now, with McDavid sidelined “months” with a broken clavicle he suffered late Tuesday in the Oilers’ 4-2 win against Philadelphia, Bylsma, like most hockey fans, ... Read the full article

Sabres can’t complete comeback against Penguins

PITTSBURGH – A year or two ago, as the Buffalo Sabres rebuilt their lineup from the ground up, a game like their exciting 4-3 loss to the Penguins on Thursday would’ve turned into an utter annihilation.

But against a team that usually destroys them, the Sabres roared back from an early 2-0 deficit inside the Consol Energy Center, their personal house of horrors, tying it before the first period ended.

When the Penguins went up ... Read the full article