Ehrhoff - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Robyn Regehr thriving with Kings, grateful for time with Sabres

BUFFALO – Robyn Regehr and the rest of the Kings had a team function at the Los Angeles Zoo last week, at a time when the city’s infamous traffic was awful.

The players all got there, albeit two and a half hours late.

“Very different living,” Regehr said Tuesday prior to the Kings’ 3-2 shootout loss inside the First Niagara Center, the defenseman’s first game here since the Sabres traded him for two second-round draft ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ville Leino set to return, not sure why he was scratched

BUFFALO – So, does Sabres winger Ville Leino know why coach Ron Rolston scratched him for Friday’s 6-2 loss in Anaheim?

“Not really,” Leino, who will return tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, said after skating this morning inside the First Niagara Center.

Can Leino, who has one point and one shot in seven games, guess why he sat?

“There’s no point guessing,” he said. “I don’t know if it really matters at this ... Read the full article

Sabres hoping to finally win at home, earn crowd’s support

BUFFALO – Fifteen days ago, as the Sabres began clawing back from a three-goal deficit against the Dallas Stars, the atmosphere inside the First Niagara Center shifted dramatically.

For one of the few times this trying season, the building buzzed with positive energy. The same fans who had booed and groaned all month cheered the Sabres’ strong effort.

The players felt the crowd’s support.

“That’s how it should be every game. We got to bring ... Read the full article

Ron Rolston switches up Sabres’ lines

BUFFALO – Top NHL lines rarely get benched long, especially on anemic teams with little or no depth.

So why did coach Ron Rolston sit the Matt Moulson, Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis trio the final 26 minutes of the Sabres’ 6-2 loss Friday in Anaheim.

“I’m not going to discuss that,” Rolston said Monday inside the First Niagara Center after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings.

As expected, ... Read the full article

Ron Rolston moves Steve Ott to Sabres’ top line

BUFFALO – Top NHL lines rarely get benched long, especially on anemic teams with little or no depth.

So why did coach Ron Rolston sit the Matt Moulson, Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis trio the final 26 minutes of the Sabres’ 6-2 loss Friday in Anaheim.

“I’m not going to discuss that,” Rolston said after practice today inside the First Niagara Center.

As expected, the 3-15-1 Sabres, who have just 31 goals, mixed up their ... Read the full article

Sabres change lines after embarrassing loss

BUFFALO – When you’re 3-15-1 and have 31 goals, why should any line stay intact?

The Sabres, fresh off Friday’s embarrassing 6-2 loss in Anaheim, have changed their forward combinations for practice this morning inside the First Niagara Center.

The top trio coach Ron Rolston benched the final 26 minutes against the Ducks – Matt Moulson, Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis – is no longer.

Captain Steve Ott is skating on the right wing beside ... Read the full article

Matt Moulson endures long day to debut for Sabres

BUFFALO – Having grown up in nearby Mississauga, Ont., about a 90-minute drive, Sabres winger Matt Moulson said he’s well-acquainted with his new city.

“I used to love coming to Bills games,” Moulson said Monday inside the First Niagara Center prior to scoring twice in his Buffalo debut, a 4-3 loss to former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff and the Dallas Stars. “So it’s a great city. Who knows, it could be for a long time. ... Read the full article

Rookie Mark Pysyk quickly developing into one of Sabres’ top defensemen

BUFFALO – First, as Mark Pysyk was sitting in his stall talking to a reporter Tuesday, Zemgus Girgensons approached the defenseman, extended his hand and smacked his roommate across the cheek.

“What’s that about?” Pysyk said as Girgensons scurried off.

Girgensons, the likable Pysyk said, was “going to get it bad.”

“He might get a tape ball,” he said.

Moments later, a laughing Nikita Zadorov approached Pysyk and slapped him again.

Three Sabres rookies. Two ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Corey Tropp practicing again, not upset with Jamie Devane

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Corey Tropp holds no grudges against Jamie Devane, the 6-foot-5 tough guy who broke his jaw during a Sept. 22 preseason fight in Toronto.

The scrap ignited a huge brawl and became the talk of hockey world. Sabres enforcer John Scott, who immediately went after Maple Leafs star Phil Kessel, has said Devane shouldn’t have punched Tropp a final time and driven his head into the ice.

But the gritty ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tyler Myers, Mike Weber finally skate as defense partners

BUFFALO – In their three years as Sabres teammates, Tyler Myers and Mike Weber have rarely kept the same defense partner long.

Myers has spent significant time beside almost every established defenseman in recent seasons, a result of personal and team struggles. Weber, meanwhile, has only established himself as a regular presence in the last year.

Still, the two had never been paired together for more than a few shifts before Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss ... Read the full article