Granato - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres goalie Eric Comrie to start first game; Devon Levi, Zach Benson out

BUFFALO – Even if Sabres rookie Devon Levi felt 100 percent, goalie Eric Comrie likely would’ve earned tonight’s start against the New York Islanders.

Levi, 21, played the first four games, a heavy workload for a youngster. He struggled a bit in Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames, allowing a weak go-ahead goal as the Sabres fell to 1-3-0.

Sooner or later, Comrie or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who have been alternating as the backup, needed ... Read the full article

Sabres change lines in midst of slow start, insist they won’t panic

BUFFALO – For the time being, Dylan Cozens might be a winger again, having joined Sabres center Tage Thompson and Jordan Greenway on a line during Friday’s practice.

Of course, in the near future, Cozens will likely shift back to center, his natural position. The Yukon native, fresh off a 31-goal breakout season, is a budding star. Thompson and Cozens give the Sabres one of the NHL’s best one-two punches down the middle.

But having ... Read the full article

Sabres keep rallying, fall short in sloppy loss to Flames: ‘Wanted an easier game’

BUFFALO – Scoring goals won’t be a problem for the Sabres this season, veteran defenseman Erik Johnson said. It’s preventing them that worries him.

“Until we have a commitment to team defense we won’t accomplish much,” Johnson said following Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames.

To wit: with the game knotted at 2 late in the second period, the disjointed Sabres allowed a breakaway and an odd-man rush. They escaped the period tied, but ... Read the full article

Sabres bring back former goalie Craig Anderson as ‘hockey liaison’

BUFFALO – In the first season following his retirement, former Sabres goalie Craig Anderson has occasionally dropped in and visited his old teammates.

It turns out he wasn’t just saying hello.

The Sabres on Thursday announced they’ve hired Anderson, 42, for a part-time position as a “hockey liaison.”

In his role, he will “continue to serve as a trusted voice in the Sabres’ locker room, providing insight, guidance, and support to the players and coaching ... Read the full article

As goalie Devon Levi thrives as Sabres’ starter, Eric Comrie, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wait for chance

BUFFALO – Having started all three games, Sabres goalie Devon Levi earned a well-deserved break Wednesday, giving Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen an opportunity to practice in their own net.

Levi usually patrols his own crease, so for the first time this season, they each faced their own shots and found a rhythm they wouldn’t have during a three-goalie session.

Carrying three netminders creates problems, including limited practice reps. Each day, Comrie, 28, and Luukkonen, ... Read the full article

Sabres start fast, beat Lightning in OT: ‘They earned it’

BUFFALO – For more than half of Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win, it felt like the Sabres might throttle the Tampa Bay Lightning and cruise to their first victory this season.

In opening up a 2-0 lead by the 15:28 mark, the Sabres had the Lightning on the ropes. But they let their Atlantic Division rival hang around, and the struggling heavyweight tied it with seven seconds left in regulation.

In the end, center Dylan Cozens’ ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Victor Olofsson to be healthy scratch against Lightning

BUFFALO – Just three games into the new season, Sabres winger Victor Olofsson, a healthy scratch down the stretch last year, will be taking a seat again.

The 0-2 Sabres plan to scratch Olofsson for tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and insert center Tyson Jost, who sat out the first two contests.

Jost replaced Peyton Krebs this morning between Zemgus Girgensons and captain Kyle Okposo. Meanwhile, Krebs moved up to Olofsson’s spot ... Read the full article

‘Mature game’ helping Sabres rookie Zach Benson make fast impact

BUFFALO – Some top prospects carry what Sabres captain Kyle Okposo called “a naivety” into pro hockey. They’ve grown up as the best player on their team, so graduating to the sport’s highest levels doesn’t intimidate them.

“There’s no learning curve of the (AHL) where it’s like, ‘This is pro hockey,’” Okposo said following Monday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “It’s like, ‘No, I’ve always been the best player and this is what I do.’ And ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jordan Greenway healthy, ready to be heavy power forward

BUFFALO – In his short run here last season, Sabres winger Jordan Greenway rarely performed like he did throughout Thursday’s season opening loss.

Greenway – all 6-foot-6 and 231 pounds of him – couldn’t be missed during the 5-1 setback to the New York Rangers at KeyBank Center. He played aggressively all night, enjoying perhaps his best outing since his arrival from the Minnesota Wild.

By the end of game, he had skated 16 minutes, ... Read the full article

Sabres fall in early hole, lose opener; Zach Benson sharp in NHL debut

BUFFALO – A 2-0 deficit early in the first period. Just nine shots on goal more than halfway through the game.

At times, Thursday’s highly anticipated season opener felt like a throwback to the Sabres’ dreary days of the not-so-distant past.

They got going a bit as the game progressed, scoring late in the second period and making things interesting against the New York Rangers. Still, it was too little, too late, and they fell ... Read the full article