Malenstyn - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres notes: Mattias Samuelsson takes place among NHL’s best defensemen; Josh Allen riles up Buffalo crowd

BUFFALO – It was never a question of skill. Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson possesses loads of it.

At his best, he ranks among the NHL’s top shutdown defenders.

“He’s got every tool in the toolbox,” Sabres winger Alex Tuch said Monday in KeyBank Center. “He’s big, he skates well, he’s got the long stick, he’s got the hockey IQ. And then when he’s physical like that, he’s just horrible to play against.

“I mean, I ... Read the full article

After sitting out as extra, Sabres’ Josh Dunne gets call for playoffs; Buffalo gets injured goalie back

BUFFALO – When Sabres center Josh Dunne learned he would suit up for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, he said he had to pinch himself.

After the Sabres beefed up their forward depth before the trade deadline, Dunne, 27, mostly served as an extra, sitting out 17 of the final 21 regular-season games as a healthy scratch.

But with center Sam Carrick injured (left arm) and the heavy Boston Bruins the Sabres’ first-round ... Read the full article

Injured Sabres Noah Ostlund, Alex Lyon return to practice; Buffalo could make lineup change for Game 1 of playoffs

BUFFALO – Expect to see rookie forward Noah Ostlund return from his upper-body injury during the Sabres’ first-round series against the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Ostlund, 22, practiced as an extra Saturday, his first session since going down March 25 late in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins.

The best-of-seven series starts tonight at KeyBank Center.... Read the full article

While clinching the Atlantic Division is nice, the Sabres have a much bigger goal in mind

BUFFALO – No one saw this coming. Sure, securing that elusive spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and ending their NHL-record 14-year drought certainly felt like a possibility for the Sabres this season, at least before they fell into last place.

But a division championship?

Heck, after Monday’s 5-1 road win over the Chicago Blackhawks clinched the Atlantic, even coach Lindy Ruff acknowledged he’s surprised how far the Sabres, who ranked last in the Eastern ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Beck Malenstyn adding offense; Buffalo makes change on defense

BUFFALO – In their exit meeting last season, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff challenged Beck Malenstyn to convert more of the offensive opportunities his role as a heavy presence on the fourth line offered him.

Ruff told the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Malenstyn he saw about seven or eight opportunities “that were like, ‘Hey, you really need to execute that.’”

Showcasing subtle finish around the net or putting a softer touch on a pass would help him finish ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Sam Carrick week to week with arm injury; Josh Dunne set to play

OTTAWA – In his first weeks in Buffalo, Sam Carrick quickly established himself as a sturdy and versatile presence as the Sabres’ fourth-line center.

In addition to winning critical faceoffs, Carrick, who seems to do a little bit of everything well, scored five goals and fought twice in his first 13 games.

But Carrick’s willingness to drop the gloves proved to be costly.... Read the full article

Years after trade, Sabres’ Peyton Krebs becomes first-liner and driver; Buffalo expected to change lineup

BUFFALO – Few envisioned the long and often arduous path Peyton Krebs would take to becoming what coach Lindy Ruff called one of the Sabres’ “drivers.”

Krebs, 25, needed more than three years to get here. He struggled for stretches, sometimes failing to meet the lofty expectations that accompany high-end prospects. He reinvented himself, earning his keep as a high-octane checking forward willing to showcase a rugged style and drop the gloves.

At times, it ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Noah Ostlund could miss more time with injury

BUFFALO – The upper-body injury that has sidelined Sabres rookie Noah Ostlund the last two games “may take a little bit of time” to heal, coach Lindy Ruff said.

“You really can’t put a timetable on it,” Ruff said prior to Saturday’s game 3-2 shootout win over the Seattle Kraken in KeyBank Center. “He could come in tomorrow or skate tomorrow or Monday and say, ‘Boy, I’m feeling good. I’m ready to go.’”

With Ostlund ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Luke Schenn teammates with another Doan; Alex Tuch misses game with injury

BUFFALO – Jeska Peczek recently told her husband, Sabres defenseman Luke Schenn, you can tell you’re getting old when a former teammate’s son welcomes you to your new team.

“At one point, it’s Shane Doan and his wife welcoming you to the team (the Arizona Coyotes), and next thing you know, it’s Josh and his girlfriend,” Schenn said Thursday prior to making his Sabres debut in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in KeyBank ... Read the full article

Sabres’ win streak hits eight games as Jack Quinn scores first hat trick; Logan Stanley makes debut after trade

BUFFALO – To coach Lindy Ruff, the Sabres’ long win streaks this season – for the first time in franchise history, they have two of at least eight games – illustrate the high level of consistency they’ve showcased over a torrid three-month stretch.

“That’s the reason you can win that number of games,” Ruff said after Tuesday’s 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks in noisy KeyBank Center pushed their latest run to eight games.... Read the full article