Miller - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres tough guy John Scott ‘fine’ with Ted Nolan after practice incident, set to play defense tonight

BUFFALO – A day after Ted Nolan told him to leave the ice for practicing poorly, John Scott said he and the interim Sabres coach are “fine now.”

In fact, the tough guy, a regular winger, will play defense tonight, his natural position.

“I’m surprised that that happened,” Scott said about the incident this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “It was kind of a weird event. I’ve never seen that happen before in ... Read the full article

Sabres ready for hectic schedule following Olympic break, know changes are coming

BUFFALO – Trade rumors have dogged Matt Moulson since the Sabres acquired the winger almost four months ago. But with rosters frozen for 16 days during the NHL’s Olympic break, Moulson briefly got away from the noise, rehabbed his rib injury and relaxed a bit.

“It was good to just go home and train and get healthy again and spend some family time,” Moulson said Monday inside the First Niagara Center.

Moulson and the Sabres ... Read the full article

Ted Nolan orders Sabres tough guy John Scott off practice ice

BUFFALO – About halfway through this morning’s practice, Sabres tough guy John Scott broke his stick on the boards, left the First Niagara Center ice and stomped down the hallway to the dressing room.

What happened?

Interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan ordered Scott off the ice.

“He just fumbled the puck a few times in practice and I didn’t like it,” Nolan said. “In order for us to get better here we have to practice ... Read the full article

Sabres captain Steve Ott says Buffalo ‘holds a big piece of my heart’

BUFFALO – Players of Steve Ott’s ilk – tough, versatile leaders with a scoring touch – are precious commodities. That’s why the Sabres captain should be in high demand before the NHL’s March 5 trade deadline. The winger could fetch at least a first-round draft pick.

Ott, an unrestricted free agent following the season, said today he hasn’t had any contact talks. He’s repeatedly said he’d love to stay with the rebuilding Sabres.

But what ... Read the full article

Sabres wish goalie Ryan Miller could’ve played more at Olympics

BUFFALO – In what was very likely his final Olympics, Sabres goalie Ryan Miller made just one appearance, coming within 17 seconds of blanking Slovenia in Team USA’s 5-1 win Sunday.

Would things have gone much differently for the Americans, who lost today’s bronze medal game 5-0 to Finland, if Miller had played?

Probably not. Los Angeles’ Jonathan Quick won his first three starts at the Sochi Games before Friday’s 1-0 loss to Canada.... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will start Tuesday

BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Ryan Miller won’t have much time to rest after returning from the Sochi Games.

Interim coach Ted Nolan said today Miller will start Tuesday against Carolina, the Sabres’ first game following the Olympic break.

Of course, Miller, having served as Team USA’s backup, is still in Russia. The Americans lost the bronze medal game 5-0 to Finland today.

Miller doesn’t have much time to get acclimated again, but he’ll have more ... Read the full article

Matt Moulson ready to return; Sabres will use weary goalie Tuesday

BUFFALO – Matt Moulson said he noticed “a weird thing” when he watched the Jan. 30 hit that has sidelined him four games. Phoenix’s Shane Doan just bumped the Sabres winger. But Moulson’s skate got caught and he fell down, and he elbowed himself in the rib.

“I originally thought I popped my own rib out,” Moulson said Friday inside the First Niagara Center after the Sabres’ first post-Olympic practice. “That wasn’t the case. ... Read the full article

Ted Nolan thrilled by Olympic experience; injured Sabres set to return

BUFFALO – One of Ted Nolan’s favorite parts of his Olympic experience was simply sitting down in the cafeteria and trying to guess which sports the athletes played.

The interim Sabres coach, who led Latvia’s surprising entry at the Sochi Games, said he met an alpine skier from Mexico who’s a prince and someone from Togo.

“I didn’t know where Togo was,” an exited Nolan said today after the Sabres practiced inside the First ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller to start for Team USA against Slovenia

Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller will make his first start at the Sochi Games today against Slovenia, Team USA announced this morning.

It was widely expected Miller, Jonathan Quick’s backup for two games, would get this nod. Quick has played strongly so far, backstopping the U.S. to two wins, including Saturday’s dramatic 3-2 shootout triumph over Russia.

Miller brilliantly backstopped the Americans to a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games while earning tournament MVP ... Read the full article

Team USA’s decision to start goalie Jonathan Quick over Sabres’ Ryan Miller isn’t surprising

Olympic coach Dan Bylsma promised last week during Pittsburgh’s visit to Buffalo sentimentality wouldn’t factor in picking Team USA’s starting goalie for the Sochi Games.

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, who brilliantly backstopped the Americans to a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games, wouldn’t be given the job simply based on past exploits.

Sure enough, Bylsma has named Los Angeles’ Jonathan Quick his starting netminder for Thursday’s opener against Slovakia.

It’s not that surprising, ... Read the full article