Johnson - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres end home stand with loss to Lightning; Don Granato confused by late penalty on Zach Benson

BUFFALO – When their six-game home stand began, the Sabres had an opportunity to ignite a run and roar into playoff contention. Instead, they blew perhaps their best chance to make up ground against their Eastern Conference foes.

The Sabres finished their longest stint at KeyBank Center this season 3-3-0. Kind of meh.

Overall, having gone 5-3-0 in their last eight outings, they’ve showcased improvement, most notably defensively. Still, they must make up seven points ... Read the full article

Erik Johnson misses practice as other injured Sabres near returns

BUFFALO – Now, the Sabres have four players who are day to day with upper-body injuries.

Defenseman Erik Johnson, who missed Friday’s practice in LECOM Harborcenter, has joined the list. Phillipp Kurashev hit Johnson, 35, awkwardly into the end boards in the third period in Thursday’s 3-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, earning a five-minute major for boarding. Johnson immediately departed the game.

Two of the Sabres with upper-body injures – defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and ... Read the full article

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen posts another shutout win, Sabres stay hot: ‘Playing with mojo right now’

BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s stellar goaltending is just one part of the Sabres’ improved defense.

Right now, Luukkonen, 24, is the NHL’s hottest goalie, having posted back-to-back shutouts after making 19 saves in Thursday’s 3-0 win over the hapless Chicago Blackhawks.

The Finn’s current shutout streak of 157:55 is the longest by a Sabres netminder since Ryan Miller blanked opponents for 161:35 from Nov. 27 to Dec. 7, 2010. Only five goalies in franchise history ... Read the full article

JJ Peterka establishing himself as one of Sabres’ top scorers in second year

BUFFALO – When winger JJ Peterka’s rookie season ended nine months ago, the Sabres challenged the youngster, telling him “you got to be better.”

He contributed 12 goals and 32 points in 2022-23, strong signs he belonged in the NHL. Still, as his minus-15 rating and long offensive droughts illustrated, he was a raw work in progress.

Peterka was pretty good, but hardly good enough.

... Read the full article

Sabres generate offense, still lose to Canucks; Mattias Samuelsson leaves game with head injury

BUFFALO – In the second period of Saturday afternoon’s 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, the Sabres had just three defensemen available, so they utilized winger Zemgus Girgensons on the back end for a few shifts.

The Sabres, of course, started the game with six defensemen. But 13 seconds into the second period, Filip Hronek elbowed Mattias Samuelsson in the head, knocking him into concussion protocol out of the contest. At 4:02, J.T. Miller elbowed ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tage Thompson bounces back, scores twice in win before leaving with injury: ‘He was on a mission’

BUFFALO – Some one-on-one chats with Tage Thompson following his worst outing this season left Sabres coach Don Granato feeling like his star center would bounce back in a hurry.

“He was on a mission to play better than he played the other night,” Granato said after Thompson scored twice twice in the first period of Thursday’s 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center. “… And he did with urgency, and obviously he’s ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner week to week with injury; Buffalo makes lineup change

BUFFALO – In a best-case scenario, the Sabres will be without winger Jeff Skinner, their leading goal scorer, for about three or four games.

Skinner, 31, is week to week after suffering an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Coach Don Granato said the veteran will be re-evaluated in a week.

So perhaps Skinner, who has rarely been injured during his six seasons in Buffalo, will be back soon.

Still, the ... Read the full article

Jeff Skinner suffers injury; Sabres could make change on defense

BUFFALO – Winger Jeff Skinner, the Sabres’ leading goal scorer, suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken and could miss tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center.

The Sabres are awaiting results of the imaging Skinner, 31, underwent Wednesday morning to determine how long he could be sidelined.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be long,” Sabres coach Don Granato following Wednesday’s practice.... Read the full article

Ten months after trade, Sabres’ Jordan Greenway playing big minutes

BUFFALO – In his seven-year career, Sabres winger Jordan Greenway has never earned this much ice time.

In each of the last two games entering Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, Greenway, a third-liner and top penalty killer, led the team’s forwards in ice time.

In Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, he skated 20 minutes, 19 seconds, marking the second time in his last 11 games he has eclipsed the 20-minute mark. ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stars in win over Penguins: ‘Stood on his head’

PITTSBURGH – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen calmly faced each breakaway, patiently waiting in position in his crease as Penguins roared toward him. Each time, the Buffalo Sabres goalie stymied his opponent, barely moving and making the stops look easy.

In Saturday’s first period, shortly after Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored 2:53 into the game, superstar Sidney Crosby became Luukkonen’s first victim. In the second period, the Finn thwarted Rickard Rackell’s attempt. Later in the second, he stoned ... Read the full article