McLeod - Buffalo Hockey Beat

With Rasmus Dahlin out against Bruins, Mattias Samuelsson steps up as Sabres extend win streak to eight games

BUFFALO – Early in the second period of the Sabres’ eighth consecutive win, Mattias Samuelsson, once the object of derision from a frustrated fan base, illustrated in a matter of seconds why he has quietly developed into one of the NHL’s top defensemen.

With the Sabres trailing the Boston Bruins 1-0 on Saturday, sniper Morgan Geekie carried the puck behind Buffalo’s net looking to make a play. But Samuelsson drove Geekie into the end boards, ... Read the full article

Bowen Byram dynamic in OT victory as Sabres extend streak to seven, move closer to playoff spot

OTTAWA – Coach Lindy Ruff hardly wanted to criticize defensemen Bowen Byram, the best player on the ice in the Sabres’ 3-2 overtime victory that extended their win streak to seven games and moved them within two points of a playoff spot.

Byram performed dynamically throughout the night in the Canadian Tire Centre, scoring twice and assisting on Buffalo’s other goal.

But when he released the puck from the top of the right circle – ... Read the full article

Sabres win fourth straight, rally to beat Flyers in Jarmo Kekalainen’s first game as GM; Conor Timmins breaks leg

BUFFALO – From his seat in the press box high above the KeyBank Center ice, Jarmo Kekalainen couldn’t have liked what he saw in the opening 30 or so minutes of his first game as Sabres general manager.

Early in Thursday’s 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, the Sabres looked out of sync and sluggish, falling behind 2-1 in the second period.

But by late in that period, as they found their legs, the Sabres ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Bowen Byram scoring goals by playing aggressive style

BUFFALO – Three minutes into the first period of Monday’s 5-1 win, Sabres right wing Jack Quinn zoomed into the Winnipeg Jets zone alongside center Ryan McLeod and defenseman Bowen Byram, who pinched in down the opposite wing.

When Quinn quickly dished the puck, the pass just missed McLeod as he charged down the slot.

No problem. Byram grabbed it in the left circle and quickly beat goalie Eric Comrie, his fourth goal in ... 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

Sabres’ Alex Tuch steps up by creating goals; Bowen Byram avoids injury

BUFFALO – Following two pointless outings, Sabres winger Alex Tuch caught fire early in Friday’s blowout win, grabbing the puck behind the net and feeding Tage Thompson before the center adroitly found linemate Josh Doan at the net.

During a power play later in the first period, Tuch hit Bowen Byram from the right point as the defenseman crept into the slot.

In the second period, Tuch protected the puck along the wall in his ... Read the full article

Josh Doan, Alex Tuch help Sabres jump on Blackhawks early in blowout win

BUFFALO – After a loss so ugly it felt like it could kill any recent momentum they had generated, you wondered how the Sabres would respond against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Was it simply a one-off or the perhaps the start of a trend? Well, right now, after demolishing the Blackhawks 9-3 on Friday, Wednesday’s embarrassing 6-2 loss to the lowly Calgary Flames feels like a distant memory.

The Sabres, whose penchant for slow starts has ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Jack Quinn confident he can start scoring; Buffalo trims roster

BUFFALO – Over the past month, Sabres winger Jack Quinn has often fought what he called “a battle I kind of have within myself.”

Quinn, 24, carried a 13-game goal drought into Friday’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored his last goal Oct. 22, his third in the first seven games.

“I’m very frustrated I haven’t scored,” Quinn said Friday morning in KeyBank Center. “But there’s also some positives I am creating.”

Actually, Quinn ... Read the full article

Sabres, Tage Thompson impose will in OT win; Michael Kesselring injured

BUFFALO – Early in Saturday’s overtime, Sabres center Tage Thompson used his 10-inch, 40-pound size advantage to knock Alex DeBrincat to the ice after the Detroit Red Wings star blocked his shot in the right circle.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Thompson grabbed the puck and backhanded it to defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, who beat goalie John Gibson to secure the Sabres’ unlikely 5-4 win in Detroit.

Three-on-three overtime, of course, rarely features much physicality. But Thompson, whose ... Read the full article

As offense struggles, Sabres need Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch to keep scoring

BUFFALO – Early in the third period of Saturday’s 6-3 loss in Carolina, the Sabres busted out of their week-long offensive slump, scoring twice to creep within one goal against the Hurricanes.

First, winger Alex Tuch beat goalie Pyotr Kochetkov from the right circle at 3:23, moving them within 4-2. Winger Tage Thompson followed up at 6:29, converting center Ryan McLeod’s nifty feed from the slot.

In a span of 3:06 the Sabres scored as ... Read the full article