Alex Tuch has a three-game point streak. ©2024, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Alex Tuch earning respect as leader, starting to heat up offensively

BUFFALO – Coach Don Granato said the Sabres had discussed temporarily awarding winger Alex Tuch a letter before he gutted out more than 16 minutes of ice time and registered two assists battling illness.

The affable Tuch, a heart-and-soul player who’s also a top scorer, checks so many of the boxes the Sabres desire in a leader.

“There are lots of guys in the locker room that look up to Alex and that was probably ... Read the full article

From left, Zach Benson, Casey Mittelstadt, Mattias Samuelsson and Rasmus Dahlin celebrate Mittelstadt’s game-tying goal Saturday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Kevyn Adams expresses faith in Don Granato; Seth Appert subs for ill coach in OT win

BUFFALO – Forty-five minutes prior to the Sabres’ 3-2 overtime victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets, general manager Kevyn Adams acknowledged he understands the frustration directed toward himself, coach Don Granato and the assistants.

The Sabres have woefully underachieved this season, morphing from one of the NHL’s up-and-coming young teams into perhaps its biggest disappointment.

They’re wildly inconsistent, regularly get outworked, often fall behind early in games and have trouble scoring and preventing goals. Nearly ... Read the full article

Seth Appert filled in as an assistant coach for Buffalo in 2020-21. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans

Sabres’ Don Granato to miss game because of illness; Seth Appert to fill in

Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato is ill and won’t be available for this afternoon’s home game, the team announced this morning. Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert will assume his duties behind the bench for the day.

Granato, 56, conducted Friday’s practice and addressed the media after the Sabres prepared for their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at KeyBank Center.

When Granato went into COVID-19 protocol in 2020-21, general manager Kevyn Adams subbed behind the ... Read the full article

Ryan Miller had to learn how to limit his workload in practice. ©2023, Dan Hickling

Practice habits helped make former Sabres goalie Ryan Miller legend

BUFFALO – Having played with Dominik Hasek in Detroit, Matt Ellis learned firsthand how his legendary work ethic helped make him perhaps the greatest goalie in history.

When Ellis arrived here in 2008, he quickly noticed that goalie Ryan Miller, whose No. 30 was retired by the Sabres prior to Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win against the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center, possessed a similar drive to be the best.

“The thing that jumped ... Read the full article

Jack Quinn has scored three goals this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres rookie Jack Quinn developing confidence, starting to score goals

BUFFALO – The first quarter of Sabres rookie Jack Quinn’s season can be broken down into three parts.

In the early going, Quinn, 21, looked overwhelmed. So he embraced sitting out two games as part of the Sabres’ forward rotation, using it as an opportunity to catch his breath and study the game from a fresh perspective. The time helped him develop a better understanding of the team’s system and the intensity needed to ... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt has miss the last five games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt set to return from injury

BUFFALO – Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt will return from his upper-body injury Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche, coach Don Granato said this afternoon.

Mittelstadt, out the last five games, has been practicing and doing extra work following the sessions with assistant coach Matt Ellis.

“He survived Matt Ellis’ workouts and physical battles,” Granato joked following today’s practice at LECOM Harborcenter. “No, but he looks good. He recovered well from a couple of really difficult ... Read the full article

Casey Mittselstadt has been going through hard practices. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt could return from upper-body injury this weekend

BUFFALO – Understandably, Casey Mittelstadt wants to play right now. Having missed 41 of the Sabres’ 48 games this season, the center is likely running out of patience.

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Mittelstadt wants to return from his upper-body injury tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

“We’re trying to calm him down a little bit,” Adams said this morning inside KeyBank Center.... Read the full article

Craig Anderson hadn’t played since Nov. 2. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

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

Rasmus Dahlin missed Buffalo’s pregame skate. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

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

Rasmus Dahlin has become perhaps Buffalo’s most consistent presence. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu

NHL All-Star Rasmus Dahlin becoming Sabres’ best player: ‘Elite defenseman’

BUFFALO – This is all new, you know. In the past, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin wasn’t awarded more than 25 minutes of ice time and given the difficult task of shutting down the opposition’s best talent.

At times, Dahlin, 21, has struggled in his new role as the No. 1 defenseman. The Swede often puts too much pressure on himself, and when things turn sour, he can respond by pressing and trying to impose his ... Read the full article