WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
Evander Kane was injured Oct. 13. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – For the next little bit, Evander Kane will likely have to endure some pain on the ice. The Sabres winger, out since breaking four ribs Oct. 13, hasn’t quite healed 100 percent.
“I don’t think anything is really healed kind of right when I get back, but it’s healed enough to where I can play and come back,” said Kane, who will return tonight against the Ottawa Senators. “I’m sure there’ll be ... Read the full article
Sabres goalie Robin Lehner stops Toronto’s Leo Komarov on Thursday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – With just under 12 minutes left and Toronto clinging to a one-goal lead, the Sabres, as they consistently did throughout Thursday’s 2-1 loss, pumped a string of shots on Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen in close.
After Andersen denied Sam Reinhart, Tyler Ennis backhanded a shot on net, grabbed his own rebound and released a quick wrist shot through traffic from the slot.
When Andersen’s quick left glove hand snared the puck, Ennis, ... Read the full article
Sam Reinhart smiles after scoring Saturday afternoon. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – As the seven-game mark approached, Sabres forward Sam Reinhart figured after all his missed opportunities, his first goal would be fluky.
“The way the year has been going, that’s the way the first one had to go in, because the chances have been there,” Reinhart said after scoring a power-play goal late in Saturday afternoon’s 3-0 win against the Florida Panthers inside KeyBank Center.
Sure enough, 8:48 into the third period, Reinhart tried ... Read the full article
Mark Pysyk was a first-round pick in 2010. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Being back here felt “weird,” Mark Pysyk, clad in Florida Panthers workout gear, said Saturday morning as he took a break from preparing for his first game as a visitor at KeyBank Center.
Pysyk, 24, grew up with the Sabres, developing from a first-round pick in 2010 into an NHL defenseman.
“The last six years I’ve been coming here for … everything,” Pysyk said prior to the Sabres’ 3-0 win against ... Read the full article
Tyler Ennis (63) battles Minnesota’s Zac Dalpe on Thursday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Just six games in, it already feels like past seasons. The Sabres are going nowhere fast again. Thursday’s embarrassing 4-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild, their fourth straight defeat and fifth overall, proved that.
Few expected the Sabres would be this bad again, but two weeks into another trying year, they still rank among the NHL’s bottom-feeders.
Clearly, the Sabres carried Tuesday’s brutal 4-3 shootout loss in Philadelphia, a game in which ... Read the full article
Jason Pominville spent eight seasons with the Sabres. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Minnesota Wild winger Jason Pominville thought for a moment, scanned his mind for some names. The former Sabres captain came up with two.
“Uh, like, Foligno, Ennis,” Pominville said Thursday prior to the Wild’s 4-0 win inside KeyBank Center. “Umm, that might be it.”
That’s it. Only two players from Pominville’s long tenure here, which ended April 3, 2013, are still with the Sabres: wingers Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno.
“There’s not ... Read the full article
Jason Pominville’s role has changed in recent seasons. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Minnesota Wild winger Jason Pominville thought for a moment, scanned his mind for some names. The former Sabres captain came up with two.
“Uh, like, Foligno, Ennis,” Pominville said this morning inside KeyBank Center. “Umm, that might be it.”
That’s it. Only two players from Pominville’s long tenure here, which ended April 3, 2013, are still with the Sabres: wingers Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno.
“There’s not a lot of guys ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo is excited for his home debut. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – It’s simple, really. If the Sabres have any hope of making the playoffs, they must become a strong home team, something they haven’t been in years.
The Sabres, who host the Minnesota Wild tonight at KeyBank Center, are 0-1 at home this season. They went 16-19-6 last season, when only two teams earned fewer home wins.
“It’s something we didn’t do last year and something we talked about doing this year, making this ... Read the full article
Sam Reinhart thrived as a winger last season. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – It was only a matter of time before Sam Reinhart switched positions.
With center Jack Eichel injured, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma loaded up his top line early, keeping Reinhart at right wing, this time beside Ryan O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo.
Reinhart, however, produced only two assists in four games. The 1-2-1 Sabres, meanwhile, have just 11 goals as a team, six of them in one outing.
They clearly miss the talented ... Read the full article
Matt Moulson revamped his approach last season. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The genesis of Sabres winger Matt Moulson’s revival began in the wintertime, long before he started a productive summer of training in which he reshaped his body, helping him add some much-needed speed.
Eight or nine months ago, at the behest of management, Moulson changed his work habits as he struggled through an awful eight-goal season.
When the Sabres challenged Moulson, they hoped he would reap benefits this season. So far, ... Read the full article