Housley - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Casey Nelson to be scratched against Stars

BUFFALO – After playing three straight games, Sabres defenseman Casey Nelson will sit out tonight’s contest against the Dallas Stars as a healthy scratch.

Why? Well, Sabres coach Phil Housley said Nelson will be scratched mainly because his play “has dipped the last couple games.”

“We’ve got some other guys there available and we haven’t had a lot of success, so we’ve made some changes,” Housley said this morning inside KeyBank Center.... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Alexander Nylander ready to seize chance in NHL

BUFFALO – On Feb. 27, Sabres prospect Alexander Nylander played his 13th straight game without scoring a goal. At that point, nearly five months into his third AHL campaign, the chances of the slick winger earning a recall looked slim.

Nylander, 21, enjoyed a strong training camp this season, nearly forcing the Sabres to keep him. The Swede parlayed that into a terrific start with the Rochester Americans, scoring six goals and 17 points ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Eichel frustrated by suspension: ‘I don’t agree with it’

BUFFALO – Phil Housley wouldn’t go there. The Sabres coach simply said he disagreed with the two-game suspension the NHL slapped on center Jack Eichel, his captain and leading scorer, and left it at that.

But an aggravated Eichel offered a detailed description of the illegal check to the head he laid on Avalanche forward Carl Soderberg in Saturday afternoon’s 3-0 loss in Colorado.

The hit, Eichel said Monday, was legal and he shouldn’t ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Eichel unhappy with suspension, says hit was legal

BUFFALO – Sabres captain Jack Eichel and coach Phil Housley don’t like the two-game suspension the NHL slapped on the team’s leading scorer for an illegal check to Carl Soderberg’s head in Saturday afternoon’s 3-0 loss in Colorado.

“We have to stand by it, but I don’t agree with it,” an irked Eichel said this afternoon following practice inside KeyBank Center. “Obviously, if you look at the hit and you look at their rule book, ... Read the full article

Players say Phil Housley has changed Sabres for better

BUFFALO – Barely two years ago, Phil Housley was the NHL’s hottest assistant before the Sabres hired him as the 18th head coach in franchise history following the Nashville Predators’ run to the Stanley Cup final.

The move was almost universally lauded. Housley, a Hall of Fame defenseman and one of the greatest Sabres ever, was returning to a team and city close to his heart.

Housley’s defense corps in Nashville showcased the fast, aggressive ... Read the full article

Sabres have been awful on road for three months

BUFFALO – Since their 10-game winning streak ended Nov. 29 in Tampa Bay, the Sabres have been downright awful on the road, compiling the NHL’s worst record, a wretched 3-14-3 mark.

Road games, of course, can be tougher. For example, the visitor has the last change. The environment can be unsettling.

Still, every other team has won at least six road contests over that stretch and earned at least 13 points.... Read the full article

Second-period outburst helps Oilers down Sabres

BUFFALO – Late in the second period Monday, barely two minutes after Zack Kassian’s goal ignited the Edmonton Oilers, Sabres winger Jason Pominville committed a rare defensive-zone gaffe.

Pominville sensed a battle coming along the left boards, so he zeroed in on the puck. As he followed the play, he lost track of his man, allowing Darnell Nurse to slip past him from the point into the left circle.

A second later, the Oilers defenseman ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Casey Nelson returns after three-month absence

BUFFALO – Three months ago Monday, Casey Nelson suffered an upper-body injury in the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The defenseman spent about seven weeks recovering and rehabbing before waiting another six weeks for an opportunity to play NHL games.

Nelson, who dressed for 22 of the Sabres’ first 29 contests, began practicing again in late January and completed a five-game AHL conditioning assignment with the Rochester Americans on Feb. 17.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Casey Nelson quietly waiting for opportunity to play

BUFFALO – Three months ago today, Casey Nelson suffered an upper-body injury in the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The defenseman hasn’t played an NHL game since then.

Nelson, who dressed for 22 of the Sabres’ first 29 contests, is healthy again. The Sabres just haven’t used him. He began practicing again in late January and completed a five-game AHL conditioning assignment with the Rochester Americans on Feb. 17.

For the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jake McCabe likely out for season

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe will likely miss the rest of the season after suffering an upper-body injury in the second period of Saturday’s 5-2 road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Sabres announced this morning McCabe, 25, will miss five to six weeks. The regular season ends April 6.

“He’s a warrior,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said this morning inside KeyBank Center. “He always puts his body in harm’s way, brings a ... Read the full article