WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
February Edition
Rasmus Dahlin has enjoyed a dynamic season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will replace injured teammate Tage Thompson on the Atlantic Division roster for Saturday’s NHL All-Star Game, the league announced this morning.
Thompson, 25, left Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes after the second period with an upper-body injury and did not return. Coach Don Granato did not have an update following the game.
Of course, Dahlin, 22, is a worthy replacement for Thompson, a center whose 34 goals and ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin had a five-point night on Saturday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – A dynamic five-point outing, the Sabres’ first by a defenseman since 1989, has earned Rasmus Dahlin NHL Third Star honors for the week ending Sunday.
Dahlin, 22, performed dominantly in Saturday’s thrilling 6-5 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild, recording two goals and three assists. His second goal tied the game late regulation before he assisted on winger Victor Olofsson’s game-winning score.
A Sabres defenseman hadn’t recorded a five-game game since Phil ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin had two goals and five points on Saturday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – By the end of one of the most brilliant performances by a Sabres defenseman in their 53-year history, Rasmus Dahlin was exhausted.
Dahlin, having surpassed a minute on the ice, desperately wanted to get to the bench for a breather late in Saturday’s frantic overtime against the Minnesota Wild.
“I was going to, but I have to play defense,” Dahlin said following his dynamic two-goal, five-point performance in the Sabres’ thrilling 6-5 win. ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin has already scored four goals this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
Right now, you might be watching Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin take his first steps into superstardom.
Dahlin, 22, scored again in Thursday’s 6-3 road win over the Calgary Flames, slipping into the slot and beating goalie Jacob Markstrom 10:49 into the game.
In putting the Sabres up 2-1, the Swede made history, becoming the first NHL defenseman to score a goal in each of his team’s first four games to start a season.... Read the full article
Dan Bylsma spent two seasons coaching Buffalo. ©2021, Dan Hickling
Ex-Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma on Tuesday landed a new job as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate the expansion Seattle Kraken will temporarily share with the Florida Panthers.
Bylsma, 50, left the Detroit Red Wings in May to pursue other opportunities after spending three years as an assistant on head coach Jeff Blashill’s staff.
As part of the agreement between Seattle and Florida, the Kraken provided an assistant coach ... Read the full article
New Jersey’s Miles Wood and Buffalo’s Brandon Montour battle in front of goalie Linus Ullmark on Thursday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – A few weeks ago, an early two-goal deficit like the Sabres experienced Thursday against the New Jersey Devils would’ve been insurmountable.
They would’ve folded and gone down meekly.
But over the past week or so, the Sabres have morphed into, well, a somewhat normal team. Yes, they’re still one of the NHL’s lightweights, but they’re much more competitive.
While Thursday’s 6-3 loss inside KeyBank Center ended their two-game winning streak and five-game point ... Read the full article
Steven Fogarty has an opportunity to stick in Buffalo. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – There was no wild celebration. Not even a fist pump.
When Sabres winger Steven Fogarty scored his first NHL goal on Wednesday, he reacted as if he had done it 100 times. A smiling Fogarty simply raised his stick, pointed to defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and shared a few fist bumps with his teammates.
By the time he started skating back to the bench, his grin had disappeared.
“It just happened so quick and ... Read the full article
Don Granato has extensive experience as a head coach. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
For the time being, Don Granato, a 53-year-old hockey lifer who has spent the last 27 years coaching or scouting in pro, college and junior, is leading the hapless Buffalo Sabres.
The Sabres on Wednesday named Granato their interim coach after firing Ralph Krueger in the midst of a 12-game losing streak.
Granato, who joined Krueger’s staff as an assistant last season, will be behind the bench tonight against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner practiced on a regular line again. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – A day after getting jettisoned to the taxi squad, winger Jeff Skinner practiced in his regular fourth-line spot with the Sabres’ main group Friday, a sign his three-game benching could end this afternoon.
“I just want to underline again that we are not going to reveal any lines or roster until tomorrow morning,” coach Ralph Krueger said on a Zoom call after the Sabres prepared for this afternoon’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner has scored zero goals this season. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Over his first nine NHL seasons, Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner produced one season of at least 31 goals for each of the four head coaches he played under.
Skinner scored 31 times as a rookie 10 years ago for Paul Maurice. He enjoyed a 33-goal campaign in 2013-14 under Kirk Muller and recorded 37 goals in 2016-17 for Bill Peters.
Following his arrival from the Carolina Hurricanes in 2018, Skinner scored a career-high 40 ... Read the full article
