Hecht - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Bruins send Sabres to fourth straight loss

BUFFALO – In coach Ron Rolston’s mind, the Sabres’ 2-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Sunday “was probably one of our best games” since he took over the struggling club on an interim basis 40 days ago.

Never mind the Sabres’ fourth straight loss (0-2-2) dropped them to 13^th place in the Eastern Conference, three points behind the eighth-place New York Rangers. Forget that Anton Khudobin, a relatively unknown backup goalie, only made ... Read the full article

Struggling Sabres facing possible make-or-break weekend with trade deadline approaching

BUFFALO – A stone-faced Ryan Miller was in no mood to dissect his team’s season-long struggles. The 13^th-place Sabres still have 14 games left in what has again become a forgettable year. Technically, they’re not finished yet. When and if the time comes, the goalie will breakdown what went wrong.

“We’re trying to figure it out and battle,” Miller said Friday after the Sabres prepared for the Washington Capitals inside the Northtown Center ... Read the full article

Slumping Stafford benched as Gerbe returns for Sabres

MONTREAL – In just 32 days on the job, interim coach Ron Rolston has quickly put his mark on the Buffalo Sabres, scratching five regular forwards.

Prior to Saturday, struggling winger Drew Stafford had escaped a benching, only receiving some fourth-line duty for his poor play. With a two-goal effort last Saturday and the shootout-tying score Thursday, it appeared the assistant captain would keep dressing.

But Stafford, who has only four goals and a ... Read the full article

Struggling Stafford to sit tonight as Gerbe returns for Sabres

MONTREAL – Naturally, getting benched for tonight’s game against the Canadiens is disappointing, Drew Stafford said. The struggling Buffalo Sabres winger, who has only four goals in 31 games this season, hasn’t been a healthy scratch in years.

But the 27-year-old veteran, an assistant captain, understands why interim coach Ron Rolston will sit him.

“I mean, it’s no secret I haven’t been getting on the score sheet,” Stafford said this afternoon following Buffalo’s skate ... Read the full article

Which Sabres forward would Rolston sit if Kaleta returns?

Considering the Buffalo Sabres have lost two straight, six of seven (1-3-3) and rank 14^th in the Eastern Conference with only 10 wins and 24 points, this shouldn’t be hard, right?

So, assuming the Sabres put agitator Patrick Kaleta back in the lineup Tuesday in Montreal, which forward should Ron Rolston scratch?

The Sabres’ interim coach didn’t want to bench anyone Sunday in Washington when Kaleta was eligible to play following a five-game boarding ... Read the full article

Leino looking for chance to show his worth to Sabres

BUFFALO – Last season, in the first year of a six-year, $27 million contract, Ville Leino bombed. For a cool $6 million, the Sabres received eight goals and 25 points in 71 games, paying out $240,000 a point.

The Sabres initially tried converting Leino into a center again, an experiment that failed miserably. Leino was back on the wing after just a few weeks, generating little as a third- or fourth-liner.

Before the season ended, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ennis ‘dinged up’ from Simmonds hit, not concussed

BUFFALO – Tyler Ennis, whose face was crunched into the boards by Wayne Simmonds 15:48 into the Sabres’ 3-2 loss Sunday in Philadelphia, missed practice Monday and is day-to-day, interim coach Ron Rolston said.

“He’s a little dinged up,” Rolston said after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s contest against the New York Rangers inside the First Niagara Center.

Ennis, who left the game, didn’t suffer a concussion, Rolston said. The slick center received some stitches ... Read the full article

Hecht’s benching related to Sabres’ personnel, not play

BUFFALO – Hours before scratching Jochen Hecht on Thursday, Ron Rolston praised the veteran’s play. Following practice a day later, the Sabres’ interim coach complimented the 35-year-old forward again.

So why did Rolston make Hecht, the Sabres’ longest-tenured player, a healthy scratch for the first time in his 10 seasons here?

“We had a lot of scenarios going on with players,” Rolston explained Friday after the Sabres practiced inside Cazenovia Ice Rink. “We have ... Read the full article

Hecht benched so Sabres could add toughness

BUFFALO – Hours before scratching Jochen Hecht on Thursday, Ron Rolston praised the veteran’s play. Following practice this afternoon, the Sabres’ interim coach complimented the 35-year-old forward again.

So why did Rolston make Hecht, the Sabres’ longest-tenured player, a healthy scratch for the first time in his 10 seasons here?

“We had a lot of scenarios going on with players,” Rolston explained after the Sabres practiced inside Cazenovia Ice Rink. “We have a lot ... Read the full article

With Rolston in charge, Hecht’s long Sabres tenure could be ending

Judge him differently, his supporters said. Sure, Jochen Hecht’s no longer a 20-goal, 45-point player. But the 35-year-old forward’s a veteran asset. He’s a good guy in the room and can still contribute something on the ice.

No way, the detractors said. The German was declining before he suffered three concussions in a 10-month span. The Buffalo Sabres shouldn’t have re-signed him in January. The move shows they can’t move on from the ... Read the full article