Krebs - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Kyle Okposo enjoying terrific comeback season, at forefront of Sabres’ revival

BUFFALO – On Wednesday, the Sabres, a team two days away from finishing its season, had a group of players on the KeyBank Center ice 25 minutes before their final practice started.

To veteran winger Kyle Okposo, 34, the Sabres’ oldest and most experienced player, that speaks volumes about the group’s passion. The Sabres will miss the playoffs for a record-setting 11th straight year, yet no one seems to want the season to end.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt confident as season ends: ‘Getting to another level’

BUFFALO – Casey Mittelstadt likes to extract positives from difficult experiences. So the Sabres forward believes a trying, injury-riddled season in which he has missed 42 games and scored just four goals has also featured personal growth.

Recovering from two upper-body injuries has helped him develop patience – “That’s probably one of the things I struggled with most, I’m pretty impatient,” he said – and evolve as a person.

Mittelstadt, 23, had to do something ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Owen Power nearing end of dynamic, grueling season

BUFFALO – In a few weeks, after his dizzying year ends, Sabres rookie Owen Power might finally have a chance to sit back and enjoy a little time to himself.

Power, 19, had endured a grueling season prior to signing his entry-level NHL contract, leaving college to represent Team Canada at the Olympics more than 6,500 miles away in Beijing and at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton.

Even in the NHL, Power still has ... Read the full article

Sabres to change lines against Flyers; Mattias Samuelsson questionable

BUFFALO – In Friday’s practice, Sabres coach Don Granato changed every forward line, tinkering with trios that have recently developed chemistry and enjoyed success.

Granato often explains how he wants his lineup to become interchangeable. While he showcases more patience than most coaches – lines and defense pairs sometimes stay intact for weeks – he’s not afraid to experiment within games or try new things.

So for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tage Thompson faces Blues as one of NHL’s rising stars

BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson acknowledged that, yes, the Stanley Cup that Ryan O’Reilly won in 2019, his first season in St. Louis, is always in the back of his mind.

“But at the same time, it doesn’t change my objective,” Thompson said prior to Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Blues, his former team, at KeyBank Center. “My objective is to come here and help our team win and help any way I can ... Read the full article

Auston Matthews’ dominant season no surprise to Sabres coach Don Granato

TORONTO – Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews has ascended to a new level of superstardom this season, scoring an NHL-high 58 goals in 68 outings.

Matthews, who was held pointless in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, recently became the first player since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 to score 50 goals over a 50-game stretch. Matthews is on pace to score 66 times this season, a number that hasn’t been reached since Lemieux scored ... Read the full article

Dylan Cozens ‘progressing every day,’ becoming trusted talent for Sabres

BUFFALO – Dylan Cozens wants to taste success right now. Sure, the second-year Sabres center respects the development process. He understands he’s a neophyte.

But Cozens, 21, also acknowledges he’s “a competitive guy.” Sometimes his patience can be tested.

“I know how good I can be, and I want to be that good now,” Cozens said following Wednesday’s practice at KeyBank Center. “But Donny (Granato) told me, I’m young, playing against lots of guys ... Read the full article

On Rick Jeanneret’s night, Sabres ride wave of emotion, beat Predators

BUFFALO – It felt like it was 1999 or 2006 again. A chance to honor Rick Jeanneret filled KeyBank Center for the first time this season, and crowd started buzzing long before the legendary Sabres play-by-play man walked on the ice.

Once Jeanneret’s banner raising ceremony started Friday, one of the most emotional nights in the building’s 26-year history got underway.

The capacity crowd roared for Jeanneret, giving him a prolonged standing ovation and chanting ... Read the full article

After 11 years in minors, Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski earning keep in NHL

BUFFALO – Dustin Tokarski has accomplished something unusual. Goalies in their 30s more than four seasons removed from their last NHL game rarely return to the big leagues.

Tokarski, 32, not only made it back, he has stuck with the Sabres for more than a year.

Since relieving an injured Carter Hutton on March 22, 2021, Tokarski has played 35 games, including a career-high 22 this season. In his first 11 pro seasons, he made ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Vinnie Hinostroza wants to stay, feels something special building

BUFFALO – Winger Vinnie Hinostroza said he reads Twitter, so he knew all about the negativity surrounding the Sabres.

But while exploring his options as a free agent last summer, Hinostroza, 27, saw an opportunity in Buffalo. He talked to Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams and coach Don Granato and learned about their vision for the team.

Hinostroza liked what he heard, and he signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract.

The American had a good ... Read the full article