Malenstyn - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres defeat Ducks for 13th win in 14 games, move into playoff spot

BUFFALO – Some of the snapshots from the Sabres’ 13th win in their last 14 games, Saturday’s 5-3 victory over the reeling Anaheim Ducks, illustrate a confident team whose infectious energy runs up and down the lineup.

To wit: in the second period, winger Josh Doan’s dogged backcheck as Ducks center Tim Washe tried to exit his zone created the Sabres’ second goal.

“That’s part of the game I take a lot of pride in ... Read the full article

After win streak ends, Sabres to change lineup by inserting Jason Zucker

BUFFALO – As the Sabres recently rattled off 10 consecutive wins, they utilized the same 18 skaters most nights, only making changes for injuries.

If it’s working, why mess with it, right?

Coach Lindy Ruff explained the performance within that lineup, not so much the victories – “Just how well the individuals were playing,” he said – forced the Sabres to keep things consistent.

When Ruff, his staff and even general manager Jarmo Kekalainen sat ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Josh Dunne seizing chances in NHL as he heads home to St. Louis

BUFFALO – Sabres center Josh Dunne figures at least 50 supporters, perhaps as many as 100, will be on hand tonight at the Enterprise Center to watch him play his first NHL regular-season game in St. Louis.

Following Sunday’s practice, Dunne, 27, was still working on an exact number, reaching out to people and receiving texts.

“But that’s all part of the fun,” Dunne, whose Sabres carry an eight-game win streak into tonight’s contest against ... Read the full article

Soft hands, smarts help Noah Ostlund, ‘The Masseuse,’ stick with Sabres

BUFFALO – Noah Ostlund’s Sabres teammates got creative in giving him a new nickname. Instead of simply taking the first few letters of his last name and adding a “y” to the end, a standard hockey formula, they examined his skill set.

“His hands are incredible,” Sabres winger Alex Tuch, Ostlund’s linemate, told the Times Herald following Tuesday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “So it’s really hard to give him a bad pass, honestly. He’s always ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Peyton Krebs looking for first goal; Buffalo makes roster move

BUFFALO – As the goose egg attached to his stat line illustrates, Peyton Krebs doesn’t score much. The Sabres center has played 322 NHL games because he evolved and embraced a new identity as a tenacious checker and sandpaper presence.

Krebs, 24, had registered zero goals and seven assists in 25 games this season entering Monday’s contest against the Winnipeg Jets in KeyBank Center. Among regular Sabres forwards, only Krebs and winger Zach Benson, who ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Colten Ellis likely to start again; Noah Ostlund uses ‘sick’ move

BUFFALO – Following a four-game break, goalie Colten Ellis looked sharp throughout Saturday’s 3-2 shootout victory in Minnesota, stopping 22 shots, including the last 14 he faced, as the Sabres ended the Wild’s seven-game winning streak.

Ellis, 25, received an early taste of Minnesota’s firepower, stopping superstar Kirill Kaprizov’s wraparound attempt barely a minute into the contest.

In overtime, the rookie calmly denied two shots from Brock Faber in close.... Read the full article

Tage Thompson fights Stefan Noesen in Sabres’ shutout loss to Devils; Mattias Samuelsson leaves injured

BUFFALO – Before their first game against the New Jersey Devils since the Sabres let winger Stefan Noesen get away with hitting Tage Thompson in the head and concussing him last season, some of the center’s teammates volunteered to fight.

“There was a lot of guys in the room asking, but I said I wanted to do it,” Thompson said following Friday afternoon’s 5-0 loss to New Jersey in KeyBank Center.

Thompson appreciates his teammates’ ... Read the full article

‘Fearless’ Beck Malenstyn playing gritty game, showcasing offensive flair

PITTSBURGH – Buffalo Sabres winger Beck Malenstyn figures after his recent highlight-reel goal, about 20 to 25 people contacted him to share their excitement about the prettiest of his 14 NHL goals.

“I think they were probably just as surprised as I and everybody else in the building were at the time,” Malenstyn told the Times Herald following Tuesday’s practice in KeyBank Center.

While 6-foot-3, 209-pound Malenstyn chips in the occasional goal, his bread and ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shines in win, could be seizing No. 1 job; Isak Rosen sent to Rochester

BUFFALO – It took more than six weeks – just over one-quarter of the season – for Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to make back-to-back starts.

The Finn missed time battling an injury, mind you. Still, if he was the best option most games, he would’ve taken over the net a long time ago.

The Sabres couldn’t wait for him to find his game, so he has been sharing time with Alex Lyon and rookie Colten ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Zach Benson happy to be back after injury; Jason Zucker can play Friday following illness

BUFFALO – The oddest stretch of Zach Benson’s young career is likely over. The diminutive Sabres winger rejoined his teammates for Wednesday’s pregame skate and hopes he can play in the coming days.

Two injuries – a seemingly innocent cut that forced him to be hospitalized the day before the season opener and a lower-body ailment – have kept him out of 12 of the Sabres’ first 20 games, including the last nine after a ... Read the full article