WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Alex Tuch joined Buffalo last month. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch went through his first full-contact practice Wednesday in Minnesota and is nearing a return to game action, coach Don Granato told The Buffalo News.
Tuch, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery while a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, started practicing in a non-contact role Nov. 29.
“He is close,” Granato said following Wednesday’s practice. “He’s going to go through a couple days of contact and we’ll get a ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin scored two goals Tuesday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
At one end of the ice Tuesday, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin performed dynamically, scoring twice in the Buffalo Sabres’ 4-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets. At the other end, rookie goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looked calm and composed, turning aside shot after shot in his fourth consecutive start.
At times during the past few weeks, as the losses piled up and the Sabres plummeted down the standings again, it could be hard to find positives in the ... Read the full article
Aaron Dell played seven games for Buffalo. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
The Sabres this afternoon sent goalie Aaron Dell to the Rochester Americans and activated Malcolm Subban off injured reserved.
Subban, who missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury, will back up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for tonight’s road game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Dell, 32, struggled with the Sabres, compiling a 0-5-0 record with a 4.52 goals-against average and an .872 save percentage in seven games.... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has played the last three games. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Rookie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s start tonight in Winnipeg – a hostile NHL road environment filled with 15,000 noisy Jets fans – will be a new experience for him.
The Sabres goalie made his first three starts at home this season. Last year, the Finn played four games before no fans or very small crowds.
The Sabres, of course, have struggled on the road, winning just two of their 11 games (2-7-2). In their last road outing ... Read the full article
Malcolm Subban, shown here with Chicago on April 23 stopping Ryan Johansen, will likely play his second game for Buffalo later this week. ©2021, John J. Kim, TNS
BUFFALO – Goalie Malcolm Subban, who has missed the last three contests with an undisclosed injury, accompanied the Sabres on their three-game road trip after practicing this morning.
Subban, 27, hadn’t gone through a full team session since jamming his right foot into the post late in his Sabres debut Dec. 4.
Coach Don Granato said the Sabres will start the trip with three goalies: Subban, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Aaron Dell.
“We have ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has made three straight starts. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s stay here figured to be short. In the midst of a goaltending crisis, it appeared the Finn might play a few games before the Sabres returned him to the minors, where he would continue his development.
But Luukkonen, a prospect considered the Sabres’ goalie of the future, has been making a very strong case to stay put when some netminders are ready to play.
Luukkonen, 22, performed superbly in three starts ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 29 saves Friday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After the gut punch, a disallowed tying goal with 56.2 seconds left, the Sabres nearly knotted it again, hitting the post before the New York Rangers staved off their late push to secure a 2-1 victory.
While the Sabres ultimately lost their sixth straight game, their response after the offside review wiped out winger Victor Olofsson’s goal was significant.
“It’s a wave of emotion,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “I credit our guys ... Read the full article
Casey Mittelstadt was injured Tuesday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt underwent successful surgery today to repair his upper-body injury, coach Don Granato said.
Granato said the Sabres don’t have a timeline for Mittelstadt’s return. He expects the Mittelstadt, who visited a specialist Thursday, will play again this season.
Mittelstadt, 23, suffered his second upper-body injury this season about six minutes into the third period of Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. After getting injured opening night, he missed ... Read the full article
Casey Mittelstadt has played just four times this season. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt, who suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, is seeing a specialist today, coach Don Granato said.
“We’ll wait until we have the information from the doctor he sees today to see what the next step is,” Granato said following this morning’s practice inside KeyBank Center.
The Sabres have placed Mittelstadt on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least one week. Ukko-Pekka ... Read the full article
Anaheim’s Sam Steel skates in on Buffalo’s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on Tuesday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After an 11-day layoff, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looked sharp against the Anaheim Ducks in his first NHL action this season. The rest of the Sabres, meanwhile, clamped down, limiting chances following a slew of dreadful defensive efforts.
The end result, however, was their fifth consecutive loss. The Sabres, who have consistently been scoring goals, generated little offense for the first 40 minutes of Tuesday’s 2-0 loss.
The Ducks only needed Sonny Milano’s goal ... Read the full article