Florida Panthers - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Tim Murray ready to tackle Sabres’ ‘extremely attractive’ GM job

BUFFALO – Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray recently approached his nephew, Tim Murray, and told him the rebuilding Sabres, the NHL’s worst team, wanted permission to interview him for the vacant GM position.

Murray would be leaving what he called “comfortable situation” as the Senators’ assistant GM. The 50-year-old’s from the Ottawa area. His wife and children live there. Many speculated he would replace his uncle someday. At the very least, he acknowledged, he would’ve ... Read the full article

GM Tim Murray on interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan: ‘Ted is my guy right now’

BUFFALO – Pat LaFontaine believes you put people together and let them do what they do best.

“They’re good at what they do and together they’ll be better,” the president of hockey operations said Thursday after naming Tim Murray the Sabres’ new general manager.

Murray’s now together with Ted Nolan, the interim coach LaFontaine named in November.

What’s going to happen?

“Ted is my guy right now,” Murray said inside the First Niagara ... Read the full article

Sabres grateful for snow day; Swedish Olympian Jhonas Enroth to start in goal

BUFFALO – Steve Ott noticed he didn’t have any food for a pregame meal Tuesday. The Sabres captain figured his “pasta place” was probably closed, too.

So even with a ferocious snowstorm battering the area, Ott “took a chance” and drove to a Wegmans supermarket for some spaghetti.

“It was a miserable chance, to be honest with you,” Ott said Wednesday after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers inside the First ... Read the full article

Kevin Porter clears waivers, assigned to Amerks

BUFFALO – Kevin Porter cleared waivers today and will go to the Rochester Americans, where the center starred last season before the Sabres summoned him in February.

With forward Cody McCormick returning from a two-game absence tonight after blocking a shot last week, the Sabres created room on the 23-man roster by waiving Porter on Thursday.

The 27-year-old was pointless in nine games this season and had been scratched twice.

He captained the Amerks last ... Read the full article

Sabres’ John Scott apologizes for head hit, defends reputation and role

BUFFALO – Sabres tough guy John Scott acknowledges that, yes, almost six minutes into the third period Wednesday, his powerful blindside headshot that concussed winger Loui Eriksson, while not intentional, was illegal.

“It happened pretty fast,” an apologetic Scott said Thursday inside the First Niagara Center after the reeling 1-9-1 Sabres prepared for tonight’s tilt in Florida against the Panthers. “I just thought I was completing a check. But, obviously, I hit his head. It ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta has suspension appeal denied; Kevin Porter waived

BUFFALO – In a strongly worded 19-page document released Thursday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman rejected Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta’s appeal of his 10-game suspension.

Kaleta, who’s been suspended four times in the last four seasons, including twice in his last 21 games, hit Columbus’ Jack Johnson in the head Oct. 10.

Clearly, Bettman wants to send Kaleta a message.

Kaleta, Bettman wrote, “has demonstrated a total disregard for the safety of other players, and, ... Read the full article

Sabres will be cheering for Panthers

AMHERST – For one night at least, the Sabres will become huge Florida Panthers fans.

“Absolutely,” winger Steve Ott said following the 10^th-place Sabres’ short practice inside the Northtown Center. “We need help. With (teams ahead) having games in hand, we definitely need help.”

The NHL’s worst club faces the eighth-place Rangers tonight in New York, a tilt the Sabres desperately need the Blue Shirts to lose in regulation.

“Any opponent that’s playing ... Read the full article

Former Sabres prospect T.J. Brennan feeling comfortable with Panthers

BUFFALO – Ron Rolston’s Feb. 20 promotion to the Sabres as interim coach meant more comfort for T.J. Brennan, who was playing sparingly under Lindy Ruff. The 23-year-old had just spent almost two seasons thriving under Rolston in Rochester, developing into one of the AHL’s slickest defenseman.

“(Rolston) knew my style and knew my type of play,” Brennan said by phone Wednesday. “I think that was a good change for me. But, I guess, at ... Read the full article

Which Sabres player should Rolston sit against Panthers?

While interim Buffalo Sabres coach Ron Rolston wouldn’t confirm it, defenseman Andrej Sekera, out the last five games, essentially told reporters in Florida he planned to play tonight against the Panthers following a five-game absence.

Slick winger Thomas Vanek (muscle strain) is out and struggling winger Drew Stafford, a healthy scratch the last two games, will return, Rolston told reporters.

Assuming Sekera returns, what should the Sabres do? Should Rolston simply sit ... Read the full article

Sabres trade T.J. Brennan to Panthers for draft pick

BUFFALO – The Sabres traded defenseman T.J. Brennan to the Florida Panthers tonight for a fifth-round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The 23-year-old had appeared sparingly this season, playing only 10 of the Sabres’ 27 games, scoring one goal.

Brennan, the 31^st overall pick in 2007, enjoyed a monster AHL season with Rochester before the NHL campaign began, compiling 14 goals and 35 points in 36 games.

The New Jersey native’s AHL ... Read the full article