Dahlin - Buffalo Hockey Beat

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

Sabres battle to end of crazy weekend; Casey Mittelstadt leaves loss to Avs

Considering the chaos the Buffalo Sabres endured over a wild 36 hours, the end result, a weekend split capped by Sunday’s 4-1 road loss to the Colorado Avalanche, wasn’t too bad.

The Sabres, despite playing without center Tage Thompson and losing center Casey Mittelstadt early in Sunday’s contest, hung tough against the heavyweight Avalanche.

At one point late Sunday, when winger Victor Olofsson briefly left the game after taking a high stick, the Sabres had ... Read the full article

Craig Anderson backstops Sabres past Coyotes to cap ‘chaotic day’

By 7 p.m. Saturday, the chaos the Buffalo Sabres had experienced earlier in the day became an afterthought. They could forget about COVID-19 and finally play their game.

As Sabres goalie Craig Anderson, 40, settled into his crease for the first time in 88 days following the national anthem, the energy he felt inside the rink brought back a special feeling.

“That’s kind of the moment where you’re like, ‘All right, this is still enjoyable, ... Read the full article

Sabres awaiting retest results following several positive COVID-19 tests

Several members of the Buffalo Sabres tested positive for COVID-19 prior to tonight’s road game against the Arizona Coyotes, coach Don Granato said.

“Every one of those is retesting, and the only one that we’ve gotten back has returned negative,” Granato said on a Zoom call this afternoon following the Sabres’ pregame skate. “So obviously a pretty active situation. I can tell you all of these test that have gone through, everybody feels normal.”

Sabres ... Read the full article

Halfway through season, Sabres feel progress, excited about future

BUFFALO – When Don Granato took over the Sabres on interim basis 10 months ago, he said he treated the job like it would be his in the future.

So in his first days, Granato thrust some young players who had been getting scratched or skating short minutes down the lineup – centers Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson, for example – into prominent roles.

Granato, of course, knew the Sabres would be trading or losing ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Rasmus Ristolainen has warm memories of Buffalo

BUFFALO – In his first nine seasons, ex-Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has endured more chaos and losing than any NHL player.

The Sabres employed six coaches and four general managers during Ristolainen’s eight-year tenure, finishing dead last four times.

When the Sabres traded Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers on July 23, it appeared he might finally have an opportunity to play for a contender and experience postseason hockey.

Instead, the Finn joined a team that ... Read the full article

Rasmus Dahlin, Jack Quinn and others give glimpse of Sabres’ future in loss

BUFFALO – Sabres rookie Jack Quinn scored his first NHL goal Thursday, a lethal wrist shot he wired under the crossbar from the right circle, four minutes after defenseman Rasmus Dahlin’s highlight-reel goal opened the scoring.

Dahlin, who slickly moved in from the point to score, created Quinn’s goal by deftly feeding him a between-the-legs backhand pass.

Early in the second period, center Dylan Cozens put the Sabres up two goals, zooming through the slot ... Read the full article