Johnson - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Chad Johnson one of NHL’s hottest goalies

BUFFALO – When Chad Johnson hit free agency last summer, the goalie said he could’ve pursued opportunities to join teams much better than the Sabres.

Ultimately, Johnson said his heart led to him re-signing here as a backup following a season with his hometown Calgary Flames, tonight’s opponent at KeyBank Center.

Johnson, 31, said he trusted new Sabres general manager Jason Botterill and the organization.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Kyle Criscuolo out four to six weeks with upper-body injury

BUFFALO – Sabres center Kyle Criscuolo will miss four to six weeks after suffering an upper-body injury in Monday’s 5-3 win against Toronto, the team announced today.

The injury, of course, is a blow to the entire organization. Criscuolo, who was recalled Sunday, is one of the Rochester Americans’ leading scorers with 15 goals and 34 points in 50 games. The Harvard product certainly would’ve been returned to the Amerks for the AHL playoffs ... Read the full article

Sabres start fast, beat Maple Leafs

BUFFALO – In an otherwise awful season, the Sabres and their fans can look forward to this: Monday’s entertaining 5-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs was just the first tilt between the longtime rivals.

The Sabres play the Leafs three more times over their next 13 contests. Just ask Leafs center Nazem Kadri.

Kadri appeared to correct Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen on the number of game left during an argument from their respective ... Read the full article

Sabres want Brendan Guhle to utilize speed during recall

BUFFALO – For a chunk of the season, Sabres defensemen Brendan Guhle and Casey Nelson formed a strong AHL tandem, showcasing their speed and slick puck-moving skills together.

Then the Sabres recalled Guhle, 20, in early January for two games. A week later, the Sabres summoned Nelson, 25, and he quickly earned a regular spot.

So the two haven’t played together for about two months. Tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Guhle, who was brought ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Kyle Okposo on minus-29 rating: ‘It’s absolutely gross’

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Kyle Okposo heard the question coming and groaned, likely out of embarrassment.

The veteran owns a ghastly minus-29 rating, the NHL’s worst number among forwards.

“It’s gross, it’s absolutely gross,” Okposo said this morning inside KeyBank Center. “It’s something, whether the goal’s my fault or not, it just seems like it goes in, they’re just going in this year. It’s something I wanted to get better at. It’s something that’s very ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Bruins land Rick Nash, Brian Gionta before trade deadline

BUFFALO – Shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday, Rick Nash walked into KeyBank Center to meet his new teammates. Several minutes later, the veteran winger emerged from the dressing room clad in Boston Bruins apparel to chat with the media.

“I’ve only been here for five minutes and I can kind of sense that buzz, sense that excitement, the energy that a winning team has,” an excited Nash said prior to Sunday afternoon’s 4-1 loss to ... Read the full article

Sabres to sit Evander Kane again; Chad Johnson to start against Bruins

BUFFALO – As expected, Sabres winger Evander Kane, who will almost certainly be traded before Monday’s 3 pm deadline, will sit out this afternoon’s tilt against the Boston Bruins.

The Sabres, of course, don’t want to risk injury to their most valuable trade asset. Kane also was scratched for Saturday’s 5-1 loss in Washington.

Goalie Chad Johnson will start, so does that mean the Sabres have something brewing with starting netminder Robin Lehner, ... Read the full article

Sabres fall to Capitals after late surge

BUFFALO – With 26 seconds left in Monday afternoon’s 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals and the Sabres readying for one last rush with goalie Chad Johnson pulled, Rasmus Ristolainen tried leaving a drop pass for Evan Rodrigues.

Ristolainen, however, fanned and Rodrigues overskated the puck, allowing Evgeny Kuznetsov to score an easy empty-net goal.

With the Sabres’ third straight loss cemented, Ristolainen lost his cool, swinging his stick into the corner boards – it ... Read the full article

Barry Trotz believes Phil Housley has plan for Sabres

BUFFALO – Barry Trotz was working late Sunday, so the Washington Capitals coach sent a trainer to see if Phil Housley, a former assistant, was still in his office inside KeyBank Center.

Housley was there, so Trotz and his old friend caught up for a little while.

Trotz, a mentor to Housley, is the NHL’s dean of coaches, having continuously led a team since 1998-99, when he took over the expansion Nashville Predators.... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Robin Lehner day-to-day with lower-body injury

BUFFALO –With Sabres goalie Robin Lehner day-to-day with a lower-body injury, Chad Johnson will start this afternoon’s tilt against the Washington Capitals and Linus Ullmark has been recalled, coach Phil Housley said.

Housley said Lehner’s injury built up over time. The Swede wasn’t hurt in Saturday afternoon’s 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

The injury, of course, could hurt Lehner’s trade value. The Sabres likely want to deal Lehner, who has an expiring contract, ... Read the full article