Miller - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Slow start against Sharks set stage for Sabres’ terrific weekend

BUFFALO – If the Sabres eventually morph into a playoff team, remember the significance of the five-game road trip they just completed, especially the back-to-back wins they closed with in Los Angeles and Anaheim.

The Sabres went 3-2-0 on the 10-day trip, starting with a 3-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes before suffering consecutive losses.

While they fell behind 2-0 in Thursday’s 5-1 setback to the San Jose Sharks, they got back in the game, ... Read the full article

Martin Biron on Ray Emery: ‘He was a fighter in every sense of the word’

For years, Martin Biron only knew about Ray Emery’s ultra-competitive side.

Their 2007 fight, the centerpiece of a memorable brawl between Biron’s Buffalo Sabres and Emery’s Ottawa Senators, ranks among the wildest goalie scraps ever and provided the seminal moment of the teams’ fierce post-lockout rivalry.... Read the full article

Former Sabres fan Alex Tuch enjoys Buffalo ‘homecoming’

BUFFALO – When Alex Tuch mentioned the number of fans who would be watching him play Saturday afternoon, no one was sure if the Syracuse native was joking.

“Maybe a little bit more than 400,” the Vegas Golden Knights rookie winger said Friday.

Cheering sections for local players and even some from further locales are common at KeyBank Center. Following games, family and friends often congregate around the Zamboni entrance and wait for their hero ... Read the full article

Sabres roar back, fall to Ducks in OT

BUFFALO – It would’ve been one of the Sabres’ most rewarding wins all season.

Shortly after Ryan O’Reilly’s own goal put the Anaheim Ducks up late Tuesday, the center redeemed himself, tying the contest with 15 seconds left in regulation.

But instead of seizing the momentum, the disjointed Sabres imploded again before the announced crowd of 16,788 inside KeyBank Center.... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Ryan Miller enjoying life with Ducks

BUFFALO – Ryan Miller’s decision to sign with the Anaheim Ducks centered, in part, on his desire to be closer to his family.

The former Sabres goalie and his wife, Noureen DeWulf, an actress, have lived in the Los Angeles area with their 3-year-old son, Bodhi, for years. Naturally, coming home has eased some of the pressures that accompany the hectic NHL life.

Still, the Ducks often go on long road trips. They finished a ... Read the full article

Former Sabre Derek Grant scoring goals for Ducks

BUFFALO – Finally, five years, five teams and 93 games into his NHL career, former Sabres center Derek Grant scored his elusive first goal Oct. 20.

For good measure, after burying a rebound in front of Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price just minutes into the Anaheim Ducks’ 6-2 win, Grant scored again late.

Crazy, right?

“Finally getting one that counted was a big step for me, and I think it jumpstarted me into being able ... Read the full article

Former Sabres goalie Ryan Miller at home with Ducks

BUFFALO – Ryan Miller’s decision to sign with the Anaheim Ducks centered, in part, on his desire to be closer to his family.

Still, the Ducks often go on long road trips. They’ll finish a ... Read the full article

Sabres must possess shot mentality

BUFFALO – It’s actually one of the few notable categories the Sabres don’t rank last or near the bottom of the NHL. Through 52 games they’re 21st in shots, averaging 30.9.

Of course, that hasn’t translated into much. They’ve won only 14 games and have scored the fewest goals overall (117) and five-on-five (71).

If the Sabres, fresh off Saturday’s 1-0 loss to St. Louis, want to start scoring, they must pump more pucks on ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Eichel, Robin Lehner earn second, third star of week

BUFFALO – Splendid performances from center Jack Eichel and goalie Robin Lehner earned the Sabres the NHL’s second and third star for the week ending Jan. 28.

Eichel led the league with two goals and five points as the Sabres won three straight games for the first time since Feb. 14-18, 2017. The NHL All-Star scored his third career overtime winner in last Monday’s 2-1 win in Calgary. He followed up with his third career ... Read the full article

10 years later, Winter Classic memories still special for Sabres

NEW YORK – When the NHL announced more than 10 years ago it planned to stage an outdoor game in Buffalo, the novel idea the league named the “Winter Classic” was met with some skepticism, including from one of the Sabres’ marquee names.

“Originally, (I was) probably like, ‘I don’t want to play outside,’” former Sabres defenseman Brian Ca mpbell told the Times Herald by phone Friday.

NHL players are creatures of habit. They don’t ... Read the full article