WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth makes a second-period save Thursday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres have lived oh-so dangerously in their victories this season. Getting outshot by double digits and handling the puck for just a small portion of the game is usually a recipe for disaster.
Somehow, the rebuilding club has managed to find success with opponents controlling most of the play.
Despite getting outshot 45-19, the Sabres won again Thursday, using two third-period goals to rally and beat the Calgary Flames 4-3 before an ... Read the full article
Chris Stewart knows he must play physically if he’s not scoring. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Struggling Sabres winger Chris Stewart has three goals in 27 games this season, skated less than 10 minutes in each of his last two appearances and recently had his coach accuse him of doing “pirouettes” on the ice.
Still, a seething Stewart said getting scratched for the Sabres’ 1-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday was “a big surprise.”
“I’m not happy about it,” Stewart said Wednesday following a long skate. ... Read the full article
Chris Stewart has three goals this season. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Struggling Sabres winger Chris Stewart has three goals in 27 games this season, skated less than 10 minutes in each of his last two appearances and recently had his coach accuse him of doing “pirouettes” on the ice.
Still, a seething Stewart called getting scratched for Tuesday’s 1-0 win against Los Angeles a “big surprise.”
“I’m not happy about it,” Stewart said today inside the First Niagara Center. “I don’t agree with being ... Read the full article
The Sabres’ Tyler Ennis (63) scores the game’s lone goal Tuesday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – While there has been no official designation, Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth started again Tuesday, his seventh nod in the last eight games.
Two months into the season, the 26-year-old Swede has quietly become the rebuilding team’s No. 1 netminder, showcasing a calm, steady style each night.
Enroth dazzled again Tuesday in the Sabres’ 1-0 win against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings, stopping 34 shots and outdueling counterpart Jonathan Quick, a ... Read the full article
Chris Stewart scores Nov. 26, his second goal this season. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Less than two weeks ago, Chris Stewart appeared to turn a corner. The 6-foot-2, 231-pound Sabres winger scored two nifty breakaway goals during a three-game stretch, just his second and third goals this season.
But Stewart has done little since then, so Sabres coach Ted Nolan will make the 27-year-old a healthy scratch for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Kings inside the First Niagara Center.
“All players have to play to the ... Read the full article
Rasmus Ristolainen put his stick in his face Monday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – As players trickled off the ice Monday following practice, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen suddenly bolted down the hallway holding his nose and went to the trainer’s room.
What happened?
Ristolainen apparently got caught in a rut on the ice, and his stick hit him in the face as he fell backward. The youngster will be OK, Sabres coach Ted Nolan said.
It’s a good thing, because the Sabres are running low on defensemen. ... Read the full article
Tyson Strachan could return Tuesday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – As players trickled off the ice today following practice, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen suddenly bolted down the hallway holding his nose and went to the trainer’s room.
What happened?
Ristolainen apparently got caught in a rut on the ice, and his stick hit him in the face as he fell backward. The youngster will be OK, Sabres coach Ted Nolan said.
It’s a good thing, because the Sabres are running low on defensemen. ... Read the full article
Josh Gorges wears No. 4 because of Jean Beliveau. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Josh Gorges considers himself old school. He believes defensemen should wear single-digit numbers. So after sporting No. 26 with the Montreal Canadiens for years, the veteran wanted a low number when the Sabres acquired him.
Gorges had a couple of choices. He settled on No. 4, partly because iconic Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau, who died Tuesday at age 83, wore it during his illustrious Hall of Fame career.
Beliveau is hockey royalty.
“What ... Read the full article
Josh Gorges played for Montreal before the Sabres acquired him. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Josh Gorges considers himself old school. He believes defensemen should wear single-digit numbers. So after sporting No. 26 with the Montreal Canadiens for years, the veteran wanted a low number when the Sabres acquired him.
Gorges had a couple of choices. He settled on No. 4, partly because iconic Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau, who died Tuesday at age 83, wore it during his illustrious Hall of Fame career.
Beliveau is hockey royalty.
“What ... Read the full article
Cody Hodgson scores the shootout-winning goal against Tampa Bay goalie Evgeni Nabokov on Tuesday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – At this rate, Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons, the NHL’s 119th-leading scorer, will be an All-Star later this season.
Latvians have seemingly been voting non-stop for their favorite player online, helping the 20-year-old open up a stunning 158,994-vote lead. Montreal’s P.K. Subban is a distant second with 240,362 votes. Girgensons has a whopping 399,356 votes!
But if the tenacious Girgensons, who has only 16 goals in 95 NHL games, can’t get ... Read the full article