Girgensons - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres rookie Zemgus Girgensons developing into offensive threat

BUFFALO – Sometimes, Sabres winger Matt Moulson said, he forgets Zemgus Girgensons is a still a teenager. Take, for example, the rookie’s brutish assist early in Friday’s 4-3 shootout loss in Toronto.

Girgensons held the puck almost eight seconds, skating from the bottom of the right circle into the left dot. The Maple Leafs’ Peter Holland began hectoring Girgensons behind the net.

Still, he couldn’t knock the 6-foot-2 Latvian winger off the puck. Girgensons skated ... Read the full article

Sabres get rare score from John Scott, blow 2-goal lead before falling to Leafs in shootout

TORONTO – John Scott’s second career goal came early in his 200^th NHL game, 1,503 days after the hulking Buffalo Sabres tough guy scored his first one.

At 7:53 of first period in Friday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs, Matt Ellis’ rebound trickled to Scott in the slot, and – much to the shock of the 19,405 fans watching – he beat Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier.

“I seem to do ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Cody McCormick out 4-6 weeks after blocking shot

BUFFALO – Sabres forward Cody McCormick suffered an upper body injury blocking a shot in Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss to Calgary and will miss four to six weeks, interim coach Ted Nolan said this afternoon.

“One thing about doing what Cody does, unfortunately, sometimes that’s going to happen,” Nolan said inside the First Niagara Center. “He’s fearless. He puts himself in front of shots that are coming 90 mph. Sometimes they hit you in the ... Read the full article

Sabres muster little offense against Flames, fall in OT

BUFFALO – An announced crowd of 18,368 fans trudged through the snow Saturday afternoon to watch the hapless Sabres face the Calgary Flames, a matchup of anemic NHL lightweights.

About three hours later, after the Sabres fell 2-1 in overtime, many of them had to be asking themselves why they bothered showing up.

Incredibly, the Sabres scored one goal or less for the 17^th time in 33 games this season.

Their 51^st goal, ... Read the full article

Jared Cowen suspended 2 games for hit on Sabres’ Zemgus Girgensons

BUFFALO – The NHL has suspended Ottawa Senators defenseman Jared Cowen two games for an illegal check to Zemgus Girgensons’ head late in the Sabres’ 2-1 shootout win Tuesday.

In a video explaining the ban, NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan noted that while Cowen had tucked in his elbow, he drove his left shoulder into Girgensons’ head, the main point of contact, as the winger entered the Ottawa zone. Girgensons made no sudden movements, Shanahan ... Read the full article

Sabres overcome blown call, adversity to beat Senators in shootout

BUFFALO – The best part of the Sabres’ 2-1 shootout win, interim coach Ted Nolan said, came 15:30 into the second period, when officials disallowed what appeared to be his team’s go-ahead goal.

Wait, what? Why would Nolan say that?

The Sabres have crumbled under adversity all season. But on Tuesday, after a delayed penalty possession whistle wiped out Jamie McBain’s score, they kept fighting against the Ottawa Senators inside the First Niagara Center.

“It ... Read the full article

Sabres to use new lines against Senators; Brayden McNabb back in lineup

BUFFALO – Ted Nolan wanted to give his lines a long look. The interim Sabres coach figured he couldn’t ask his players for consistency if he kept shuffling the trios.

But after a string of losses and more meager offensive production, Nolan switched up his combinations Monday.

“Our top line is having a little bit of trouble, maybe the chemistry wasn’t quite right,” Nolan said following practice inside the First Niagara Center. “We talked to ... Read the full article

Ted Nolan changes Sabres’ lines; Brayden McNabb to return Tuesday

BUFFALO – Ted Nolan wanted to give his lines a long look. The interim Sabres coach figured he couldn’t ask his players for consistency if he kept shuffling the trios.

But after a string of losses and more meager offensive production, Nolan switched the lines up today.

“Our top line is having a little bit of trouble, maybe the chemistry wasn’t quite right,” Nolan said this afternoon following practice inside the First Niagara Center. ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Zemgus Girgensons ends goal drought, knows he must score

MONTREAL – It was here, Sept. 15 inside the Bell Centre, that Buffalo Sabres rookie Zemgus Girgensons first sent notice he wouldn’t be leaving the NHL.

The ferocious Latvian winger scored twice in the Sabres’ first exhibition game, a 5-4 shootout win against the Canadiens. Of course, preseason openers are often filled with junior and AHL players with little or no chance of making the big club.

Still, Girgensons’ performance impressed the Sabres.

“That ... Read the full article

Sabres outplay Canadiens most of night, still lose tight game

MONTREAL – Finding silver linings in defeats can be difficult, Ted Nolan said. But the interim Buffalo Sabres coach is beginning to see progress in his rebuilding club.

Mistakes, of course, are still part of the team’s game.

“But not as frequent as they were,” Nolan said Saturday following the Sabres’ 3-2 loss to the Canadiens before 21,273 fans inside the Bell Centre.

The hapless Sabres, losers of eight of their last nine games, outplayed ... Read the full article