WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Ryan Miller dazzled Monday while making 34 saves. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
TORONTO – Remember this one. The Buffalo Sabres’ gritty 2-1 triumph over the Maple Leafs on Monday could be their blueprint for success in this lockout-shortened season.
Against a team fresh off a big opening-night win and playing its first home tilt, the Sabres showcased unyielding muscle, capitalized on their few chances early and received splendid goaltending from Ryan Miller before a capacity crowd of 19,475 fans inside the Air Canada Centre.
“We came in ... Read the full article
Marcus Foligno poses for a photo with a fan this morning inside the First Niagara Center. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – All seems forgiven. The hockey-deprived Sabres fans look amped for this afternoon’s season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. Thanks to the NHL 113-day lockout, it’s been 288 days since the Sabres last played a game.
Right now, however, it feels like the NHL never left. The First Niagara Center will be packed and jumping today. Fans spent the week gobbling up discounted merchandise and wondering if 18-year-old Mikhail Grigorenko could crack the lineup ... Read the full article
Ville Leino’s questionable for this afternoon’s season opener. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres have their first injury of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
“A nagging little” problem that flared up kept Ville Leino from practicing Saturday, coach Lindy Ruff said.
The winger’s questionable for this afternoon’s season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers inside the First Niagara Center.
Leino, who left practice early Friday, plans to skate this morning before making a decision. It’s believed he’s nursing a leg injury.
“If he feels like he’s good, ... Read the full article
The Sabres said in June prospect Mikhail Grigorenko would have a chance at an NHL roster spot. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Thanks to the agonizingly long NHL lockout, 281 days have passed since the Sabres last played a game. Thankfully, the team will finally start an abbreviated training camp today. The season opens in just a week.
So what’s changed in the last nine months? How’s this group different from the high-priced, ninth-place team that was built to win the Stanley Cup in 2011-12?
The Sabres got tougher, acquiring Steve Ott to be the ... Read the full article
Patrick Kaleta enjoyed a special feeling during Monday’s skate. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
AMHERST – It felt differently, Patrick Kaleta said, nothing like the dozens and dozens of practices the Buffalo Sabres winger had participated in during the 113-day NHL lockout.
On Monday, the day after the NHL and the Players’ Association tentatively reached a new collective bargaining agreement, Kaleta experienced a special feeling as he skated with eight other Sabres inside the Northtown Center.
“It’s just a feeling in my bones, my muscles,” Kaleta said afterwards. ... Read the full article
Patrick Kaleta has never shied away from contact. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Three years for a rugged, injury-prone winger who’s averaged only 55 games during his four full NHL seasons. Why did the Sabres give Patrick Kaleta, a 26-year-old short on durability, such a long contract?
The team sees growth and maturity seeping into Kaleta’s game. He’s started reigning in the ultra-aggressive, often reckless style he showcased for years.
The Angola native played a career-high 63 contests last season, eight more than his previous best. ... Read the full article
Patrick Kaleta played a career-high 63 games last season. ©2012, Janet Schultz, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres re-signed restricted free agent winger Patrick Kaleta to a three-year contract on Tuesday.
The deal is worth $1.25 million a season, according to nhlnumbers.com.
The 26-year-old, the Sabres’ No. 1 pest and a ferocious hitter, has developed into a strong checker capable of playing big minutes. In the winter, he began playing 18 minutes some nights on a top checking line with Paul Gaustad and Nathan Gerbe.
The Angola native rarely ... Read the full article
Mikhail Grigorenko will compete for an NHL spot during training camp. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – On Wednesday, the day the Sabres signed slick Russian center Mikhail Grigorenko to a three-year, entry-level contract, general manager Darcy Regier encountered a slew of prospects while visiting the players’ lounge inside the First Niagara Center.
Luke Adam, Marcus Foligno and Brayden McNabb, who all impressed during NHL stints last season, are in town working out. So is Grigorenko, the 12th overall pick last month, and 14th pick Zemgus Girgensons, who inked his ... Read the full article
The Sabres acquired Christian Ehrhoff’s rights before free agency started last year. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – In this new era, nothing may be off limits for the Sabres during free agency. A year ago, owner Terry Pegula spent $67 million on two players in his first foray into the market, showcasing an aggressiveness never seen in these parts.
The Sabres wheeled and dealed, jumping the gun, acquiring Christian Ehrhoff’s rights and awarding the coveted defenseman a 10-year, $40 million contract. Then they gave winger Ville Leino a six-year, $27 ... Read the full article
Thomas Vanek last hit the 40-goal mark in 2008-09. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Five years after the Sabres matched the astonishing seven-year, $50 million offer sheet Edmonton awarded winger Thomas Vanek, the star expected to score 40 goals annually and flirt with 50 has averaged just 32 a season.
At times, Vanek still utterly dominates the game like few players can these days. See the beginning of 2008-09, the end of 2009-10 and the start of his past one season for proof.
For long stretches, however, ... Read the full article
