WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Jason Pominville has scored 15 goals this season. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Jason Pominville understands why he is sitting out. Having played 1,052 NHL games, the Sabres know what the veteran winger offers them.
Nine contests remain in a miserable season. The Sabres, who have fallen from first overall to sixth in the Atlantic Division, want to evaluate other players.
So the Sabres scratched Pominville, 36, for the second straight game Wednesday.
“It’s just the situation we’re at,” Pominville said prior to the 4-2 loss ... Read the full article
Jason Pominville also sat out Sunday afternoon. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – Jason Pominville understands why he is sitting out. Having played 1,052 NHL games, the Sabres know what the veteran winger offers them.
Ten contests remain in a miserable season. The Sabres, who have fallen from first overall to sixth in the Atlantic Division, want to evaluate other players.
So Pominville, 36, will be a healthy scratch for the second straight game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sabres coach Phil Housley inserted Vladimir ... Read the full article
Carter Hutton makes a shootout stop on St. Louis’ Ryan O’Reilly to secure Sunday afternoon’s win. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Kyle Okposo heard the crowd roaring and wanted in on the action.
For a 27-second stretch late in the third period of Sunday afternoon’s entertaining 4-3 shootout win, the Sabres started thumping every opponent in sight.
The normally docile fans inside KeyBank Center grew louder and louder with each hit.
So Okposo wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to hit St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.... Read the full article
Losing sapped Ryan O’Reilly’s love for hockey last season. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – The trade could go down as one of the worst in Sabres history.
For NHL All-Star Ryan O’Reilly, the Sabres received two overpaid veteran forwards, a prospect who has been in and out of the lineup and first- and second-round picks from the St. Louis Blues, this afternoon’s opponent at KeyBank Center.
The Sabres’ struggles this season can be sliced and diced a thousand ways. But getting rid of O’Reilly on July ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel will return from his suspension against Carolina. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – Having completed his two-game suspension, leading scorer Jack Eichel will return for tonight’s road contest against the Carolina Hurricanes. So maybe, just maybe, the hapless Sabres can end their embarrassing goal drought.
Forget about the Sabres’ six-game losing streak. At this point, simply scoring a goal – they’ve been shut out three straight games – would be a huge moral victory.
Incredibly, the Sabres haven’t scored in 197:40, a shocking stretch of futility ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel has recorded a team-high 72 points this season. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – After serving his two-game suspension, captain and leading scorer Jack Eichel will return for Saturday’s road game against the Carolina Hurricanes. So maybe, just maybe, the Sabres can end their dubious drought and score a goal.
Of course, Eichel’s last outing, Saturday afternoon’s miserable 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, was one of the Sabres’ worst offensive efforts in recent memory.
So forget about the Sabres’ six-game losing streak. At this point, ... Read the full article
Carter Hutton allowed five goals Thursday. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – Late in the second period of Thursday’s ugly 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, a disgruntled fan had enough of the Sabres’ awful performance and gave Jason Botterill his unvarnished thoughts.
“Botterill, this is garbage!” the fan yelled to the general manager, who was sitting in a nearby box, as the Sabres trudged to their third consecutive shutout loss, one of the lowest points in franchise history.
Right now, few would argue that ... Read the full article
Casey Nelson has played 26 games this season. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – The night after Nikita Zadorov drilled Sabres captain Jack Eichel high after the whistle, Casey Nelson said he couldn’t sleep.
The defenseman said he was looking through three players Saturday afternoon in Colorado and didn’t see Zadorov hit Eichel into the boards and rip off his helmet.
That’s why Nelson glided up to Zadorov and never went after the Avalanche defenseman.
On Thursday morning, Nelson’s tepid reaction was still bothering him.... Read the full article
Casey Nelson will return tonight. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – The night after Nikita Zadorov drilled Sabres captain Jack Eichel high after the whistle, Casey Nelson said he couldn’t sleep.
The defenseman said he was looking through three players Saturday afternoon in Colorado and didn’t see Zadorov hit Eichel into the boards and rip off his helmet.
That’s why Nelson glided up to Zadorov and never went after the Avalanche defenseman.
If Nelson had seen what happened to Eichel, he would’ve offered a ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner hasn’t scored since Feb. 15. ©2019, Janet Schultz
BUFFALO – Forget about Jeff Skinner scoring 50 times. Thanks to a four-week slump, the Sabres winger might fall short of the 40-goal mark.
Skinner, 26, showcased dynamic consistency over his first 57 outings, never going more than four games without a goal.
After scoring twice on Feb. 15, Skinner was producing at a 52-goal pace over a full season.
But Skinner been stuck on 36 goals for 27 days. The NHL All-Star has a ... Read the full article
