WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
January Edition
A broken ankle ended Tyler Myers’ season March 30. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Early in the Sabres’ 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh on March 30, Tyler Myers took a shot off his face and fell down on the ice. It looked bad.
The 22-year-old was fine, however, and he got up and kept playing.
In the third period, when Paul’s Martin’s harmless-looking shot hit Myers’ skate, few noticed and the defenseman finished the game.
“It just felt like a little stinger like any other day,” Myers said ... Read the full article
Paul Gaustad’s failure to go after Milan Lucic helped dramatically alter the season. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
“The main thing is start talking about it and just put it out there that we want to win a championship. We want to do it the right way, and we just have to hit a few checkpoints along the way and set ourselves up for it.” – Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, September 16, 2011
BUFFALO – Nearly seven months after his upbeat chat as training camp opened, Miller and the Sabres will clean out ... Read the full article
Lindy Ruff has seen other teams eke into the playoffs on the last day. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Having survived so long and stared down elimination so many times recently, a sense of destiny accompanies the Sabres’ unlikely charge toward the postseason. Six months and 80 games into the season, they’ve refused to die.
Lindy Ruff hopes the Sabres’ story gets to be told like all those other celebrated longshot playoff teams.
“There’s a lot of great stories in sports about teams making it the last day,” the coach said Wednesday ... Read the full article
The Sabres aren’t revealing many details about Tyler Myers’ injured foot. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Star Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers, who hurt his foot blocking a shot Friday, is wearing a walking boot and out at least the last two regular-season games.
Is the foot broken?
“He’s got a bad foot, yeah,” was all Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday after practice inside the First Niagara Center.
Myers didn’t make the trip to Philadelphia for tonight’s contest against the Flyers.
When asked if Myers could return if the ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Nine seconds, an eternity for a goal-mouth scramble, elapsed from Sabres rookie Marcus Foligno’s initial run at the net to Jordan Leopold’s final poke past Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ben Scrivens on Tuesday inside a roaring First Niagara Center.
In these parts, if the Sabres win the final two regular-season contests, get some help and secure that unlikely playoff berth, the tying goal with 1:53 left in their wild 6-5 overtime triumph could ... Read the full article
Jordan Leopold remains optimistic the Sabres will make the playoffs. ©2012, Janet Schultz, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – In less than 24 hours, the Sabres morphed from a postseason frontrunner to a likely bystander. Consecutive regulations losses can do that. An incredible nine-week run up the Eastern Conference possibly fell apart with one bad weekend.
Nonetheless, the ninth-place Sabres haven’t been eliminated yet. They still possess hope.
Three games remain, starting with tonight’s huge home finale against the hapless Maple Leafs, who downed them 4-3 on Saturday in Toronto.
The Sabres ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Forget about rookies, few established stars could match Marcus Foligno’s impact during a standout March.
The Sabres winger dazzled, compiling six goals, 11 points and gaudy plus-10 rating in 11 games beside Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford.
That dynamic output earned the 20-year-old the NHL’s Rookie of the Month.
“It’s amazing what has happened this month, not just for myself but the run the team’s gone on,” Foligno said Monday inside the First ... Read the full article
TORONTO – This embarrassing Buffalo Sabres’ loss feels like a killer, one that could ultimately extinguish the playoffs hopes that seemed so promising less than two days ago.
Against the reeling, 14th-place Maple Leafs – a team that had dropped 11 consecutive games inside the Air Canada Centre and began Saturday on an awful 5-17-3 run – the Sabres fell 4-3 in their arch rival’s first home win since Feb. 6.
Ouch. If ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – At the 11:43 mark of the second period Friday, slick Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby zoomed into the Sabres zone, slowed down at the top of the right circle and dished perfectly across the ice to a streaking James Neal, who beat goalie Ryan Miller to make it 3-2 on the power play.
Fresh off five straight convincing wins, the Sabres looked unstoppable, like they might run the table and roar into the ... Read the full article
Superstar Sidney Crosby hasn’t played in Buffalo since Dec. 11, 2010. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Give it a shot. Try drawing up a better late-season NHL matchup. The Sabres’ tilt against the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins tonight could make for a wildly entertaining three hours inside the First Niagara Center.
This one promises to be action-packed and fun, folks.
The scorching Sabres, having climbed into eighth place Tuesday, are roaring toward another unlikely playoff appearance. They’ve won five straight games and seven of the last nine, piling up goals ... Read the full article