Gionta - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Wild third-period outburst helps Sabres beat Jets

BUFFALO – If the last-place Sabres go on a three-month tear, roar up the standings and do the unthinkable – that’s secure a playoff spot – remember their offensive outburst late in Saturday afternoon’s thrilling 4-3 come-from-behind win.

Down 3-1 against the Winnipeg Jets and trudging toward their eighth loss in 10 games, the Sabres suddenly exploded for three goals in just 4:42, sending the capacity crowd of 19,070 fans into a frenzy.

The wild ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Johan Larsson out indefinitely after surgery for dislocated elbow, wrist

BUFFALO – Sabres center Johan Larsson has undergone surgery for his dislocated elbow and wrist is out indefinitely, coach Dan Bylsma said.

Larsson, who was injured when Adam McQuaid hit him early in Saturday afternoon’s 3-1 loss to the Bruins, flew back from Boston today.

Update: According to The Buffalo News, Larsson told Gotland Newspapers in his homeland of Sweden through a text message his season is over.

The Swede’s absence leaves the Sabres woefully ... Read the full article

Sabres must start ’emotionally attached’ against Hurricanes tonight

BUFFALO – For the past few weeks, the Sabres have rarely broken a disturbing trend of starting slowly and falling behind.

Some nights, they’ve roared back to win. Other nights, however, their penchant for stumbling out of the gate bites them.

In Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss in Florida, the Sabres trailed 2-0 before zooming back to take a late 3-2 lead.

What must the Sabres change early tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes?

“We need to ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Brian Gionta thriving in 15th season

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Dan Bylsma can’t tell you how old Brian Gionta is, which illustrates how much he cares about his captain’s age.

“I don’t even know,” Bylsma said Thursday after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s tilt against the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center.

Gionta, for the record, is 37 years old, an advanced age when most NHL players are long retired, or, at best, reduced to a bit role.

Occasionally, winger Marcus ... Read the full article

Ryan O’Reilly ignites Sabres in comeback win over Kings

BUFFALO – For almost 30 minutes Tuesday, KeyBank Center felt like, well, just about every other Sabres home game this season.

The 18,375 fans barely made a peep as the home team, as it often does, generated little offense and fell behind 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings.

Those goals irked Ryan O’Reilly, especially the first one, a nifty score in which Kings star Anze Kopitar blew by the Sabres center.

“I was just getting ... Read the full article

Rasmus Ristolainen clinches Sabres’ overtime win against Oilers

BUFFALO – For more than one-quarter of the season, Rasmus Ristolainen, the Sabres’ workhorse defenseman, compiled the team’s oddest stat line: zero goals, 15 assists and 62 shots.

Despite averaging almost 27 minutes of ice time a night, Ristolainen, like the team’s other defensemen, couldn’t score.

Chalk it up it to bad luck. Chalk it up to his penchant for breaking sticks, which has often made him timid with the puck.

“We’ve been urging ... Read the full article

Sabres’ offense struggles again in loss to Bruins

BUFFALO – Back to reality. Following two high-scoring, entertaining wins last week, the Sabres reverted back into their regular form Saturday afternoon, losing 2-1 to the Boston Bruins in a drab affair inside KeyBank Center.

Incredibly, it was the Sabres’ ninth 2-1 game this season. They’ve only played 24 times. It marked the 12th time they’ve scored one goal or less.

After three early shots, the Sabres went the final 15:16 of the first period ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Brendan Guhle stands out in NHL debut

BUFFALO – Early in his NHL debut Saturday afternoon, Sabres rookie Brendan Guhle, like any youngster thrust into the spotlight, said he felt “a lot” of nerves.

Who could blame him? A day earlier, the defenseman was in British Columbia preparing for a junior Western Hockey League game.

On Saturday, after the Sabres made an emergency recall, they threw Guhle headfirst into the action, skating him 16 minutes, 20 seconds in their 2-1 loss ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel’s heroics push Sabres past Rangers

BUFFALO – For the first time this season, energy filled the KeyBank Center all night. Jack Eichel, the Sabres’ dynamic young star, was making his long-awaited home debut Thursday, and the normally quiet building buzzed with excitement.

Eichel couldn’t generate much early against the New York Rangers. The second-year center had some skate issues, Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said.

But by the second period, it looked like Eichel might bust loose.

“He showed some ... Read the full article

Sabres lose to Red Wings in shootout, miss chance to reach .500

BUFFALO – Coach Dan Bylsma heard the words – his Sabres had just missed a chance to hit .500 – and banged the podium out of frustration before a reporter could finish his question.

In a season full of close losses, Wednesday’s 2-1 shootout setback to the Detroit Red Wings might’ve hurt the most. The Sabres couldn’t convert several prime scoring chances throughout the night, including a few in overtime.

The 7-8-5 Sabres, a team ... Read the full article