Foligno - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres notes: Josh Norris scoring after slow start, showcasing grit

BUFFALO – Following a freak collision with Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in overtime last Thursday, Sabres center Josh Norris said he did not want to leave the game.

But Norris, 27, had no choice. So as his teammates finished off their come-from-behind 5-4 victory in Toronto, he was in concussion protocol.

“It was just a small thing,” Norris told the Times Herald prior to Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in KeyBank Center. ... Read the full article

Tage Thompson taking his place among Sabres’ all-time greats

Early in his tenure in Buffalo, the idea of Tage Thompson someday taking his place among some of the Sabres’ all-time greats seemed ludicrous.

In 104 games over his first three years, he scored just 15 goals.

But Thompson matured rapidly after former Sabres coach Don Granato switched him from wing to center five years ago.... Read the full article

As he battles injuries, Sabres’ Michael Kesselring ‘starving’ to make impact

MONTREAL – Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring said it three times.

“I’m starving,” he said this afternoon following the Sabres’ pregame skate in the Bell Centre. “I’m starving. I’m starving.”

The oft-injured Kesselring, having played just 17 games this season, is starving for some action and to make an impact. More than three months into his first campaign with Buffalo, he’s starving to simply record his first point.

Following a two-game absence, Kesselring, 25, could ... Read the full article

In midst of slump, Sabres’ Jack Quinn looks like scoring threat again

BUFFALO – For one of the few times this season, you couldn’t miss Jack Quinn. The Sabres winger dazzled throughout the night, aggressively creating offense.

Quinn, 23, was often the best player on the ice.

While he did not score, similar efforts will almost certainly produce the goals that have been so difficult to come by this season.

“I thought it was my best game by far,” Quinn said of Friday’s 3-2 overtime road ... Read the full article

Jeff Skinner among Sabres greats as he keeps evolving, scoring goals

BUFFALO – These days, you rarely hear about that hefty contract Sabres winger Jeff Skinner signed five years ago. The 14-year veteran has not only recaptured his scoring prowess under coach Don Granato, he has evolved into a consistent, multi-faceted threat.

In averaging 34 goals and 73 points over the past two seasons, the struggles Skinner, 31, endured three and four years ago – he mustered six goals and 11 points during a wretched 66-game ... Read the full article

Brilliant outing by Rasmus Dahlin leads Sabres past Wild in OT: ‘He was a force’

BUFFALO – By the end of one of the most brilliant performances by a Sabres defenseman in their 53-year history, Rasmus Dahlin was exhausted.

Dahlin, having surpassed a minute on the ice, desperately wanted to get to the bench for a breather late in Saturday’s frantic overtime against the Minnesota Wild.

“I was going to, but I have to play defense,” Dahlin said following his dynamic two-goal, five-point performance in the Sabres’ thrilling 6-5 win. ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: John Hayden thriving in gritty fourth-line role

BUFFALO – Barring injury, winger John Hayden will establish a new career high in games played later this month. After bouncing around the NHL, often as a spare forward, the Yale product has earned regular duty throughout most his first season with the Sabres.

Hayden, 27, has thrived under Don Granato, a coach he knows well from their days together at the U.S. National Team Development Program and later with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Donny’s made ... Read the full article

To acquire Michael Frolik from Flames, Sabres had to trade Marco Scandella

BUFFALO – When the Sabres traded defenseman Marco Scandella to the Montreal Canadiens shortly before Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers, it felt like another deal could be imminent.

The Sabres need help at forward. Why would they dish Scandella, 29, for or a fourth-round pick in 2020? They’re trying to win now, right?

Well, shortly after the Sabres announced the deal, they traded the pick they received from the Canadiens to the ... Read the full article

Former Sabre Uwe Krupp loved starting career in Buffalo: ‘It was a special time’

BUFFALO – Their relationship started in 1986. Uwe Krupp was a teenager who had just joined the West Germans for the World Championship in Moscow. Ralph Krueger was the team’s veteran star.

“I was a really young player on a very experienced German team,” said Krupp, a 6-foot-6 defenseman who played 327 games with the Sabres in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “Ralph was one of the older players. There wasn’t so much talking ... Read the full article

Marcus Johansson, Jake McCabe named Sabres’ alternate captains

BUFFALO – New Sabres coach Ralph Krueger announced today he has named center Marcus Johansson and defenseman Jake McCabe alternate captains for the 2019-20 season.

“We feel that that’s a strong group for the ice,” Krueger said following today’s practice inside KeyBank Center.

Johansson and McCabe replace defenseman Zach Bogosian and winger Kyle Okposo.... Read the full article