Dunne - Buffalo Hockey Beat

After strong stint in Buffalo, Isak Rosen scoring in Rochester, ready for another recall to Sabres

ROCHESTER – Eight of the nine skaters followed the puck to the corner boards, leaving Buffalo Sabres prospect Isak Rosen, the Americans’ top scoring threat, with half the ice to himself during a power play.

So when Amerks center Konsta Helenius dug the puck out and fed his linemate, it felt like Rosen had enough time and space to tie his skates before he shot it.

With no defenders around, Rosen, 22, moved from ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Peyton Krebs looking for first goal; Buffalo makes roster move

BUFFALO – As the goose egg attached to his stat line illustrates, Peyton Krebs doesn’t score much. The Sabres center has played 322 NHL games because he evolved and embraced a new identity as a tenacious checker and sandpaper presence.

Krebs, 24, had registered zero goals and seven assists in 25 games this season entering Monday’s contest against the Winnipeg Jets in KeyBank Center. Among regular Sabres forwards, only Krebs and winger Zach Benson, who ... Read the full article

With Josh Norris ready to play, Sabres must make lineup change, roster move

BUFFALO – The night before his first game in 53 days, Sabres center Josh Norris acknowledged he couldn’t sleep well – “I was a little anxious,” he said – and woke up early.

The oft-injured Norris, 26, hasn’t played since Oct. 9, opening night, when he suffered an upper-body injury in just his fourth appearance with the Sabres.

After missing the last 24 games, he’s ready to face the Winnipeg Jets tonight. Norris pivoted Zach ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Colten Ellis likely to start again; Noah Ostlund uses ‘sick’ move

BUFFALO – Following a four-game break, goalie Colten Ellis looked sharp throughout Saturday’s 3-2 shootout victory in Minnesota, stopping 22 shots, including the last 14 he faced, as the Sabres ended the Wild’s seven-game winning streak.

Ellis, 25, received an early taste of Minnesota’s firepower, stopping superstar Kirill Kaprizov’s wraparound attempt barely a minute into the contest.

In overtime, the rookie calmly denied two shots from Brock Faber in close.... Read the full article

Tage Thompson fights Stefan Noesen in Sabres’ shutout loss to Devils; Mattias Samuelsson leaves injured

BUFFALO – Before their first game against the New Jersey Devils since the Sabres let winger Stefan Noesen get away with hitting Tage Thompson in the head and concussing him last season, some of the center’s teammates volunteered to fight.

“There was a lot of guys in the room asking, but I said I wanted to do it,” Thompson said following Friday afternoon’s 5-0 loss to New Jersey in KeyBank Center.

Thompson appreciates his teammates’ ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shines in win, could be seizing No. 1 job; Isak Rosen sent to Rochester

BUFFALO – It took more than six weeks – just over one-quarter of the season – for Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to make back-to-back starts.

The Finn missed time battling an injury, mind you. Still, if he was the best option most games, he would’ve taken over the net a long time ago.

The Sabres couldn’t wait for him to find his game, so he has been sharing time with Alex Lyon and rookie Colten ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Jack Quinn confident he can start scoring; Buffalo trims roster

BUFFALO – Over the past month, Sabres winger Jack Quinn has often fought what he called “a battle I kind of have within myself.”

Quinn, 24, carried a 13-game goal drought into Friday’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored his last goal Oct. 22, his third in the first seven games.

“I’m very frustrated I haven’t scored,” Quinn said Friday morning in KeyBank Center. “But there’s also some positives I am creating.”

Actually, Quinn ... Read the full article

Rookies Noah Ostlund, Colten Ellis lead Sabres to complete win over Oilers: ‘Probably our best game’

BUFFALO – In the next week or so, two of the Sabres’ top forwards, Josh Norris and Jason Zucker, should be ready to play, meaning some difficult roster decisions will likely materialize.

After center Noah Ostlund’s slick two-goal performance in Monday’s 5-1 shellacking of the Edmonton Oilers, it’s hard to imagine the Sabres will create room by sending the rookie back to the Rochester Americans.

Ostlund, 21, dazzled in his 11th NHL game this season ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius taking ‘big jump’ in development, playing big minutes for Rochester Amerks

ROCHESTER – Having lost three of their most talented forwards to recalls, the Americans have recently been forced to lean heavily on center Konsta Helenius, playing the Sabres prospect a whopping 23 or 24 minutes some games.

“He’s playing probably too much right now, to be honest,” Amerks coach Mike Leone told the Times Herald prior to Wednesday’s 6-4 loss to the Belleville Senators in Blue Cross Arena.

The Amerks, who have lost Josh ... Read the full article

Sabres Josh Norris skating again; Tyson Kozak close to returning from injury

BUFFALO – Sabres center Josh Norris, who suffered an upper-body injury opening night, is progressing and has started skating again, coach Lindy Ruff said.

“I’ve talked to him, he said he’s feeling better,” Ruff said following Wednesday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “He’s not in that feeling great category yet, but he’s feeling better. And (we) really just want to keep progressing him with no setbacks.”

Ruff said has he no timetable for Norris’ return. He ... Read the full article