Luukkonen - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres injury updates: Tage Thompson skates, Dylan Cozens misses practice

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Tage Thompson, who left Sunday afternoon’s 4-3 win injured after New Jersey Devils pest Stefan Noesen hit him in the head, skated on his own Wednesday morning, coach Lindy Ruff said.

“Had a good day,” Ruff said following Wednesday’ practice in KeyBank Center. “I mean, he’s got to go through the protocol, the testing, all that stuff. But really felt good, so encouraged.”

In other injury news, Ruff said goalie Ukko-Pekka ... Read the full article

Dennis Gilbert fights, creates goal as Sabres beat Blue Jackets

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Dennis Gilbert offered little insight into how his fight just three seconds into Tuesday’s 3-2 win materialized.

There’s a code, you know.

“Off the cuff,” the local kid said of his scrap with Columbus Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier, one of the NHL’s emerging heavyweights, immediately after the puck dropped.

Did Gilbert know when he saw Olivier’s name in the starting lineup they would be dropping their gloves?... Read the full article

After weak response to illegal hit on Tage Thompson, Sabres hold meeting: ‘Won’t happen again’

BUFFALO – No one would reveal any details of the meeting.

But on Monday, less than a day after an illegal hit knocked Tage Thompson out of their 4-3 win, the Sabres canceled practice and instead discussed why they did not go after Stefan Noesen following his suspension-worthy check to their leading scorer’s head.

“It was dealt with yesterday. Everything,” Sabres winger Alex Tuch said prior to Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets ... Read the full article

Sabres eke out win over Devils, don’t go after Stefan Noesen following illegal hit on Tage Thompson

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Lindy Ruff cut off a reporter, refusing to let him finish the question.

“Bull(crap). Bull(crap),” an agitated Ruff interjected when asked about the perception his team did not respond properly Sunday afternoon when New Jersey Devils winger Stefan Noesen hit leading scorer Tage Thompson in the head, knocking him out of the Sabres’ 4-3 win. “Let’s go. Next question.”

Ruff said Thompson, who scored one goal and three points as the ... Read the full article

Tage Thompson, JJ Peterka score hat tricks as Sabres throttle Bruins

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said he hasn’t asked Tage Thompson, his star center-turned-winger, if he’s over the injury that forced him to change positions.

Ruff doesn’t plan to find out, either. Not after Thompson and linemate JJ Peterka each recorded a hat trick, four points and a gaudy plus-6 rating alongside center Jiri Kulich in Tuesday’s 7-2 annihilation of the Boston Bruins.

Right now, Thompson is performing too dynamically at right wing to ... Read the full article

Sabres send goalie Devon Levi back to Rochester, recall prospect

Goalie Devon Levi’s latest stint with the Buffalo Sabres lasted one game.

The Sabres this afternoon sent Levi back to the Rochester Americans and recalled center prospect Tyson Kozak from their AHL affiliate.

Levi played in Monday afternoon’s 6-4 road loss to the Seattle Kraken, allowing five goals and making 28 saves.

Assigning Levi, 23, to Rochester likely means Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who has been banged up, is healthy enough to at least dress ... Read the full article

Sabres recall goalie Devon Levi, place Ryan McLeod on injured reserve

The Buffalo Sabres on Saturday recalled goalie Devon Levi from the Rochester Americans and created a roster spot by placing center Ryan McLeod on injured reserved.

McLeod, who fell awkwardly in Thursday’s practice, played in Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He registered his first NHL hat trick in Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Sabres have used McLeod, who has scored 10 goals this season, up and down the lineup. He ... Read the full article

Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic seals win over Sabres by scoring goal

BUFFALO – Long before he stopped a puck behind his net and flung it down the ice toward the Sabres’ open net late in Friday’s 5-2 win, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic was enjoying one heck of a game.

Nedeljkovic stymied the Sabres all night, outplaying his his counterpart, Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. In the second period, the American recorded the secondary assist on Cody Glass’ power-play goal that would prove to be the winner.... Read the full article

Injury gave Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson chance to reset mentally, find game

BUFFALO – Looking back on it, Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson considers the lower-body injury he suffered earlier this season to be a blessing in disguise.

A few months ago, Samuelsson, 24, acknowledged he was “just in my head about a lot of things.”

“Worrying about things we can’t control,” he told the Times Herald following Thursday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “When you’re like that, you’re obviously not playing your best and not playing free.”... Read the full article

Ryan McLeod’s three goals help Sabres beat Hurricanes; Buffalo records zero shots in odd third period

BUFFALO – In these parts, there are rarely normal games. The Sabres, you see, often make things interesting. They like to do things differently.

In beating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Wednesday, they took a 3-0 lead into the third period before gutting out a much-needed win despite recording zero shots on goal in the final 20 minutes.

How did the Sabres score late without the benefit of a shot? Well, as center Ryan McLeod ... Read the full article