Krebs - Buffalo Hockey Beat

‘Humbled’ Sabres lose ugly contest to Canadiens, Tage Thompson to injury

BUFFALO – Almost five minutes into Monday afternoon’s ugly 7-5 loss to the Canadiens, Sabres center Tage Thompson grabbed a pass from linemate Alex Tuch inside the Montreal blue line and skated down the left wing.

Thompson cut to the net from the left circle, using one hand to fend off Canadiens star Cole Caufield and the other to guide the puck. When he reached the crease, Thompson, who later left the game injured, scored ... Read the full article

Sabres hope shifting struggling Dylan Cozens to wing can ignite him

BUFFALO – History says Dylan Cozens’ position change will be temporary. Shifting him from center to right wing is a slump-busting move by Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.

Centers, of course, are always at a premium and Cozens, 23, has been entrenched as the Sabres’ second-line pivot for years. It’s just that 10 games into the season, having scored zero goals, he’s in a rut.

Ruff needs to ignite the Yukon native, so in Thursday’s ... Read the full article

Despite limited minutes, Sabres’ Beck Malenstyn hitting, making impact

BUFFALO – Through eight games, no Sabres forward has played less than Beck Malenstyn. The newcomer has eclipsed the 10-minute mark just twice. In one contest, he skated only 1 minute, 52 seconds over three shifts.

Still, Malenstyn, a physical fourth-line winger the Sabres valued so highly they traded a second-round pick to acquire him, makes use of his limited action.

Despite averaging just 8 minutes, 28 seconds per outing, he has recorded a ... Read the full article

Tage Thompson backs up words, scores late to help Sabres beat Stars

BUFFALO – On the bench in the third period, as the Sabres began playing a little too conservative for coach Lindy Ruff’s liking, center Tage Thompson urged his teammates to hit the accelerator again.

A 2-0 lead can vanish in a hurry, especially against a heavyweight opponent like the Dallas Stars. Ruff, of course, wants his players to keep playing aggressively when they’re ahead, a message Thompson relayed.

“He was the one guy on the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ryan McLeod scoring, earning trust from Lindy Ruff after trade

BUFFALO – This isn’t the hottest stretch of Ryan McLeod’s career. No, 10 months ago as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, the Sabres newcomer scored four times and compiled six points during a three-game goal streak.

Following a pointless night, he registered one goal and two points in his next outing.

Right now, McLeod has scored one goal in each of the last three games entering tonight’s contest against the Dallas Stars at ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Sam Lafferty trades in youngster status for veteran role

PITTSBURGH – This is new for Sam Lafferty. In his previous four stops, the versatile Sabres newcomer was always one of the younger guys. He played his first NHL game barely five years ago.

But these days, Lafferty, 29, looks around Buffalo’s dressing room and mostly sees younger faces. Only winger Jason Zucker, 32, is older than Lafferty, who’s six weeks older than defenseman Connor Clifton.

At an average age of just 25.3, the ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin and Peyton Krebs briefly fight in practice: ‘We’re all good’

BUFFALO – As Sabres center Peyton Krebs skated through the neutral zone early in Monday’s practice, captain Rasmus Dahlin hip-checked his teammate, knocking him to the ice.

When Krebs got up, the teammates began shoving, and soon they dropped their gloves and began throwing punches.

Teammates quickly intervened, and after a few seconds, the fight ended and practice resumed in LECOM Harborcenter.... Read the full article

Sabres start scoring, beat Panthers for first win: ‘A stress-reliever’

BUFFALO – It felt like things might be turning for the Sabres when late in Saturday’s first period, having just answered the Florida Panthers and tied the game, center Tage Thompson roared down the right wing and unleashed the puck toward the net.

During the Sabres’ three season-opening losses, the opposing goalie would’ve stopped a shot like that. This time, however, they enjoyed a little puck luck that had been non-existent.

Panthers goalie Spencer Knight, ... Read the full article

Three years after trade, Sabres’ Peyton Krebs trying to reinvent himself

BUFFALO – During practices, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has noticed Peyton Krebs possesses the skill to make what he called “special plays.” Of course, having registered 20 goals and 66 points in his career, the center only occasionally showcases that talent in games.

In Krebs, 23, Ruff sees a player trying to figure things out. When the Vegas Golden Knights drafted him 17th overall in 2019 and the Sabres acquired him almost three years ago ... Read the full article

Sabres focused on fixing power play: ‘Going to be great’

BUFFALO – Prior to Tuesday’s practice, the Sabres’ power-play units and coaching staff could be found across the street at LECOM Harborcenter working on the man advantage.

“I don’t know if that mock resistance by the coaches was any good, but I felt the speed coming at us was pretty good,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff cracked.

When the regular session began at KeyBank Center, the Sabres focused on their power play for the first 43 ... Read the full article