WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
January Edition
Matt Savoie played one game for Buffalo. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – In the heat of a close game, with two precious points at stake, Sabres coach Don Granato did not feel comfortable putting prospect Matt Savoie on the ice.
So in his NHL debut, Friday’s 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild, Savoie, 19, skated just 3 minutes, 55 seconds over five shifts. He did not play in the third period.
On Saturday, the Sabres sent Savoie, who missed all of training camp, back to ... Read the full article
Ryan Johnson has played two NHL games. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Ryan Johnson needed barely eight minutes of ice time to convince the Sabres he deserved a bigger role. So, fresh off his impressive NHL debut, they awarded the defenseman duty alongside Rasmus Dahlin.
In limited action Saturday in Toronto, Johnson, 22, had quickly showcased maturity and poise that belied his neophyte status. His ability to acclimate in a hostile environment against a strong Maple Leafs team impressed the Sabres.
Still, despite giving ... Read the full article
Ryan Johnson earned a long look from Buffalo in the preseason. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
TORONTO – Ryan Johnson’s Saturday began in Rochester, where he was preparing to hop on a bus and play with the Americans in Syracuse. It ended in Scotiabank Arena, where the rookie celebrated a win with the Buffalo Sabres and his first NHL point.
Having lost Mattias Samuelsson to a lower-body injury Friday, the Sabres needed another defenseman, and they chose Johnson, 22, over more experienced options.
Johnson said when Rochester’s coaches told him ... Read the full article
Alex Tuch scored twice Saturday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
TORONTO – No, it wasn’t quite a piano off Alex Tuch’s back. The Sabres winger had scored this season before his two third-period goals Saturday secured a 6-4 win over the Maple Leafs. He said he believes he had been skating well.
Piano’s too heavy for the expression.
“Monkey more than piano,” said Tuch, bringing the weight he was carrying early this season down about 700 pounds.
Fresh off a breakout 36-goal campaign, Tuch hadn’t ... Read the full article
Ryan Johnson has played nine games with Rochester. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
TORONTO – Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s lower-body injury won’t sideline him long-term, Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato said.
“We got good news … but he’s going to be out for a little bit,” Granato said prior to tonight’s game against the Maple Leafs in Scotiabank Arena.
Samuelsson, 23, has been placed on injured reserved, meaning he will miss at least a week. He left Friday’s 5-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.... Read the full article
Erik Johnson is a mainstay on the penalty kill. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Through nine games, the Sabres have mostly utilized the same penalty killers as last season, with one exception. Newcomer Erik Johnson usually jumps over the boards first with defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, offering a stabilizing veteran presence.
So far, Johnson has helped, as the Sabres have killed 89.2 percent of their penalties, which ranked sixth in the NHL entering Monday’s games. Last season, they killed just 73 percent of their penalties, which ranked 28th ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen makes a save Sunday afternoon with teammate Jacob Bryson nearby. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Fair or not, the knock on Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is his inability to make big saves at critical times.
In his 50-game career, the Finn hasn’t delivered many of those momentum-changing stops that might preserve a lead or keep a contest tied or within striking distance.
That’s why Luukkonen’s superb save on star Mikko Rantanen with the game tied at 0 early in Sunday afternoon’s 4-0 win holds so much significance.
The ... Read the full article
Devon Levi tries to stop a shot Thursday with Calgary’s Adam Ruzicka in front of him. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Scoring goals won’t be a problem for the Sabres this season, veteran defenseman Erik Johnson said. It’s preventing them that worries him.
“Until we have a commitment to team defense we won’t accomplish much,” Johnson said following Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames.
To wit: with the game knotted at 2 late in the second period, the disjointed Sabres allowed a breakaway and an odd-man rush. They escaped the period tied, but ... Read the full article
Craig Anderson played two seasons in Buffalo. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In the first season following his retirement, former Sabres goalie Craig Anderson has occasionally dropped in and visited his old teammates.
It turns out he wasn’t just saying hello.
The Sabres on Thursday announced they’ve hired Anderson, 42, for a part-time position as a “hockey liaison.”
In his role, he will “continue to serve as a trusted voice in the Sabres’ locker room, providing insight, guidance, and support to the players and coaching ... Read the full article
Riley Stillman (left) and Nikita Novikov skated together Friday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
ROCHESTER – Instead of pouting over a surprising demotion, Americans defenseman Riley Stillman has chosen to embrace his first stint in the minors in three seasons.
Stillman, 25, believes the AHL offers an opportunity to evolve and play extra minutes he wouldn’t have received as the Buffalo Sabres’ sixth or seventh defenseman.
“For sure, it was a little shocking to me,” he told the Times Herald of getting waived, following Friday’s 4-3 season-opening overtime loss ... Read the full article