McLeod - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shines in relief appearance, backstops Sabres to win over Panthers

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Lindy Ruff loves goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s ability to fight through difficult situations.

Luukkonen looked a bit wonky in his first three appearances this season, posting a .782 save percentage. While a porous defense played a part in compiling that ghastly number, he hardly stood out.

In the past week, he has lost starts to Colten Ellis, who began Monday afternoon’s game against the Florida Panthers sporting a save percentage nearly 100 ... Read the full article

Struggling Sabres change lineup again by inserting young forwards

BUFFALO – After sitting out Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the Utah Mammoth as healthy scratches, forwards Konsta Helenius and Jiri Kulich are in the lineup for this afternoon’s game against the Florida Panthers.

To make, room the Sabres scratched forwards Sam Carrick and Justin Danforth.

Update: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin left the game with an upper-body injury in the second period and won’t return, according to the team. Dahlin did not take a shift after ... Read the full article

As Sabres struggle early, Ryan McLeod or Josh Norris could be scratched

BUFFALO – Scratching young players, as coach Lindy Ruff did Saturday, is often the first option to ignite a struggling team. As rookie Konsta Helenius and Jiri Kulich watched, the Sabres fell meekly to the Utah Mammoth.

Now, Ruff’s lineup decisions – he has 14 forwards at his disposal – for this afternoon’s game against the Florida Panthers could be a heck of a lot more interesting.

The Sabres, fresh off a 109-point season, have ... Read the full article

Sabres lose to Mammoth, still searching for identity: ‘Trying to find who we are’

BUFFALO – Hey, the Sabres finally scored their first power-play of the season on Saturday, a small bright spot in an otherwise forgettable 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth.

Eight minutes into the game, forward Tage Thompson scored what he called “a pretty fluky power-play goal,” carrying the puck from his own zone into Utah territory before beating goalie Karel Vejmelka at the bottom of the right circle.

Still, the Sabres, two days removed from ... Read the full article

Sabres to scratch Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich; Colten Ellis to start in goal

BUFFALO – Fresh off Thursday’s embarrassing 4-0 loss to the Dallas Stars, you expected the Sabres to change their lineup for tonight’s game against Utah Mammoth.

Sure enough, coach Lindy Ruff will be scratching young forwards Konsta Helenius, 20, and Jiri Kulich, 22, and inserting Sam Carrick and Tyson Kozak.

Meanwhile, goalie Colten Ellis is expected to start tonight. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who played three of the first four games, has a ghastly .782 save percentage.... Read the full article

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen leaves game injured as Sabres end preseason

BUFFALO – When the Sabres open the regular season Thursday in Columbus, Colten Ellis could be their starting goalie.

A trying preseason in which they lost five significant players to injury in four games, including top goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon, has mercifully ended.

In Saturday afternoon’s 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ruff said Luukkonen, who has a history of injuries, left 3:47 into the third period when he tweaked something on ... Read the full article

Sabres preseason: Buffalo to dress full NHL lineup versus Columbus; Jiri Kulich to keep playing

BUFFALO – With the exception of one goalie, the lineup the Sabres will dress for tonight’s preseason game against the Blue Jackets is likely the one they field for their season opener Oct. 1 in Columbus.

With only four preseason games and veterans who have played 100 NHL games now limited to just two appearances, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff figured he would put his main group together tonight against the Blue Jackets’ B team.

Among ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jiri Kulich thrilled to participate in scrimmage after battling blot clot: ‘It’s pretty special’

BUFFALO – Jiri Kulich couldn’t stop smiling. Who cares if it was just an intrasquad scrimmage a few days into training camp? For the first time in since Nov. 1 – 322 days, to be exact – the Czech forward played alongside his Sabres teammates.

“It’s unreal,” an excited Kulich, who was sidelined by a blood clot last season, said following Saturday’s Blue and Gold scrimmage in KeyBank Center. “I can’t even describe the feeling. ... Read the full article

Memorable Sabres season ends with OT loss to Canadiens in Game 7: ‘It hurts’

BUFFALO – When the dressing room door opened after the Sabres’ gut-wrenching 3-2 overtime loss in Game 7 on Monday, winger Alex Tuch was sitting in his stall, still wearing his No. 89 jersey and pondering things following what could be his final appearance wearing the Blue and Gold.

Across the room, captain Rasmus Dahlin spoke quietly to the media, his emotion still raw barely 20 minutes after Montreal Canadiens winger Alex Newhook scored from ... Read the full article

For Sabres, Game 7 against Canadiens will be special: ‘We’re the better team’

BUFFALO – Having cut his teeth as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, Sabres winger Alex Tuch has experienced the craziness that often accompanies Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The memories of his first one in 2019 are seared in his mind.

“Oh yeah,” Tuch replied Sunday when asked if he has any crazy recollections of the three he has played.

Then Tuch, whose Sabres host Game 7 of their second-round series ... Read the full article