Dahlin - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin returns from injury; Victor Olofsson out Wednesday

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin performed so well during his rehab skate this morning he left the ice early and joined his teammates for practice.

Now, will Dahlin, who missed Sunday’s 7-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets with a lower-body injury, be able to play in Wednesday’s road game against the Montreal Canadiens?

“They’re worried about strength in the area of the injury and potential vulnerability due to any of lack of strength,” ... Read the full article

Weary Sabres miss injured Rasmus Dahlin, implode against Blue Jackets

The Buffalo Sabres weathered the Columbus Blue Jackets’ early onslaught Sunday, escaping the opening 15 minutes with a 1-0 deficit despite being outshot 16-1.

Then defenseman Mark Pysyk scored on the Sabres’ second shot on goal, igniting his weary teammates. Center Tage Thompson followed at 17:14, scoring his 20th goal.

That lead lasted 10 seconds.

Boone Jenner tied it, and Dean Kukan’s second goal of the night – he entered the game with one all ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin to miss game against Blue Jackets with injury

Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin suffered a lower-body injury Saturday afternoon and will miss tonight’s road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, coach Don Granato said.

Granato said he doesn’t expect to injury to sideline Dahlin, 21, long-term.

“He was sore after a play that occurred last night and we’re going to hold him back to get some more observation,” Granato said on a Zoom call this afternoon. “Didn’t feel too good with it this morning.”... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tage Thompson scores hat trick in dominant performance against Avs

BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson’s penchant for trying to score the so-called perfect goal has added more intrigue to his breakout season.

What might happen, say, if Thompson starts utilizing his quick release more frequently?

“When he realizes not to worry about scoring the perfect goal one inch under the bar, he’ll score double his goals,” Granato said after Thompson recorded his first NHL hat trick in Saturday afternoon’s 5-3 loss. “Just score, just ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Henri Jokiharju thriving on top defense pair with Rasmus Dahlin

BUFFALO – Having established himself as a top-pair defenseman for the rebuilding Sabres, it can be easy to forget how badly Henri Jokiharju struggled throughout much of last season.

This afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche, Jokiharju will almost certainly eclipse the 20-minute mark in ice time for the 11th consecutive game. The Finn, along with his partner, Rasmus Dahlin, will be tasked with trying to shut down Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, ... Read the full article

Dynamic four-goal game shows Sabres’ Jeff Skinner back as elite scorer

In the two seasons following his scintillating 40-goal campaign in 2018-19, it appeared Sabres winger Jeff Skinner would never recapture the scoring prowess he possessed throughout that career year.

Skinner, who enjoyed a dynamic afternoon in Sunday’s 5-3 win, scoring a career-high four goals and adding an assist, looked finished as an elite NHL scorer.

Last season, Skinner scored just seven times in 53 games and was scratched three times. In 2019-20, he recorded 11 ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Asplund confident he can start scoring again

BUFFALO – Rasmus Asplund would catch himself falling into old habits. Before the Sabres winger went to sleep or when he woke up, the previous game might be weighing on him.

Asplund, 24, has worked to develop the mental side of his game. Following his arrival in the NHL two years ago, he became so tired mentally he learned exercises to help reset his mind. His new approach worked, and last season he would put ... Read the full article

Sabres blow late lead to Blue Jackets, lose in OT: ‘We started changing’

BUFFALO – The Sabres’ blueprint for success is no secret. For about 20 minutes against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they played confidently and loosely, opening up what felt like a commanding two-goal lead early in the third period.

“We got that 3-1 lead, we had a couple of good shifts afterward and then we started changing the way we were playing,” Sabres winger Alex Tuch said following Thursday’s 4-3 loss, a game Jakub Voracek clinched ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: NHL All-Star nod shows Rasmus Dahlin on right path

BUFFALO – For Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, earning a spot in the NHL All-Star Game is more than an honor. His first selection to the prestigious event is an affirmation.

“It’s very exciting and makes me proud, for sure,” Dahlin told the Times Herald following last Friday’s practice at LECOM Harborcenter. “And then it makes me get more confident. It’s accepting that I’ve done stuff right.”

Over the past two months, Dahlin, 21, has ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabres coach Dan Bylsma energized by new job as Kraken’s assistant in AHL

ROCHESTER – Dan Bylsma laughed and processed the question a little longer. He started to answer it but stopped again to collect his thoughts.

After three lean years as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings, did the ex-Buffalo Sabres head coach need a new adventure?

“We were in a different spot in Detroit with the team and the players,” Bylsma told the Times Herald on Wednesday following the Charlotte Checkers’ 5-1 loss to ... Read the full article