Granato - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Tage Thompson scores hat trick in dominant performance against Avs

BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson’s penchant for trying to score the so-called perfect goal has added more intrigue to his breakout season.

What might happen, say, if Thompson starts utilizing his quick release more frequently?

“When he realizes not to worry about scoring the perfect goal one inch under the bar, he’ll score double his goals,” Granato said after Thompson recorded his first NHL hat trick in Saturday afternoon’s 5-3 loss. “Just score, just ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Henri Jokiharju thriving on top defense pair with Rasmus Dahlin

BUFFALO – Having established himself as a top-pair defenseman for the rebuilding Sabres, it can be easy to forget how badly Henri Jokiharju struggled throughout much of last season.

This afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche, Jokiharju will almost certainly eclipse the 20-minute mark in ice time for the 11th consecutive game. The Finn, along with his partner, Rasmus Dahlin, will be tasked with trying to shut down Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt set to return from injury

BUFFALO – Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt will return from his upper-body injury Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche, coach Don Granato said this afternoon.

Mittelstadt, out the last five games, has been practicing and doing extra work following the sessions with assistant coach Matt Ellis.

“He survived Matt Ellis’ workouts and physical battles,” Granato joked following today’s practice at LECOM Harborcenter. “No, but he looks good. He recovered well from a couple of really difficult ... Read the full article

Sabres lay egg in loss to Senators: ‘Not enough work ethic’

BUFFALO –Fresh off consecutive wins for the first time in two months, the Sabres apparently started feeling a little too good about themselves.

Never mind they were only their 15th and 16th victories this season. Never mind the Sabres haven’t had even a three-game winning streak in four months.

“We’ve come in here a lot, we talk about young this, young that,” coach Don Granato said following Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. “This ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt could return from upper-body injury this weekend

BUFFALO – Understandably, Casey Mittelstadt wants to play right now. Having missed 41 of the Sabres’ 48 games this season, the center is likely running out of patience.

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Mittelstadt wants to return from his upper-body injury tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

“We’re trying to calm him down a little bit,” Adams said this morning inside KeyBank Center.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Drake Caggiula to undergo season-ending neck surgery

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Drake Caggiula will undergo season-ending fusion surgery today in Los Angeles to repair a herniated disc in his neck, general manager Kevyn Adams said this morning.

Caggiula, 27, has a six to eight month recovery, according to Adams.

“He’s been seeing some different specialists and gathered all the information and then made the decision a few days ago that he was moving forward with the surgery,” Adams said inside KeyBank Center.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Peyton Krebs displaying elite playmaking skills: ‘A special talent’

BUFFALO – In the waning minutes of Tuesday’s 6-3 win, Sabres winger Peyton Krebs grabbed the puck in the left circle and skated to the goal line before quickly finding linemate Victor Olofsson in the opposite circle.

Krebs caught the New York Islanders and perhaps even Olofsson, who was wide open, off guard. Olofsson converted the slick pass, putting the Sabres up 4-3.

“Saw him backdoor and just made a quick pass to him,” Krebs ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Craig Anderson ready to face Senators; Casey Mittelstadt out again

BUFFALO – For seven seasons, Sabres goalie Craig Anderson bounced around the NHL and minors, patiently waiting for an opportunity that might never materialize.

Anderson, 40, was property of five NHL teams during that uncertain stretch, six if you count two stints with the Chicago Blackhawks. The American once spent four days with the St. Louis Blues when Sabres coach Don Granato was a first-year assistant in 2005-06.

Then in 2009-10, Anderson seized his first ... Read the full article

Victor Olofsson ends slump, scores two goals in Sabres’ win: ‘That was huge’

BUFFALO – As Sabres winger Victor Olofsson’s marathon goal drought neared the three-and-a-half month mark, he started watching video to remind himself that, hey, sometimes a slump isn’t quite as bad as it feels.

In the games before he scored the late go-ahead goal in Tuesday’s 6-3 win over the New York Islanders, Olofsson began feeling better about his play. The clips illustrated the Swede has excelled in some areas despite his goal-scoring woes.

“That ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Mark Pysyk making teammates laugh as he hits 500-game milestone

BUFFALO – At first, Sabres winger Kyle Okposo wasn’t sure if Mark Pysyk, his new teammate, might be serious. The defenseman always delivers his quips with a straight face.

“If you just met him, you’d probably think he’s not a very nice person,” Okposo said prior to Tuesday’s game at KeyBank Center. “But he is. He’s just goofing around.”

Okposo has learned the quick-witted Pysyk, who played his 500th NHL game Tuesday, a 6-3 win ... Read the full article