WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Ryan Miller is scorching again, performing at the elite Olympic and Vezina Trophy level he showcased throughout a dynamic 2010-11 campaign.
How hot is the 31-year-old, who just stopped a combined 82 shots while posting back-to-back shutouts?
Miller’s 5-0-1 with a 1.14 goals-against average and .966 save percentage in his last six games.
For the season, his numbers – 2.58 and .915 – are both a point lower than his 2010-11 ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Ryan Miller and center Paul Gaustad had been beside each other every step of their 10-year professional careers.
Naturally, seeing the Sabres deal Gaustad to Nashville for a first-round pick Monday jolted Miller, who’s sad to see his close friend leave.
“A pretty tough day,” Miller told reporters Tuesday in Anaheim. “I’m not going to lie. I’m not real happy about the way it all turned out. But that’s the business ... Read the full article
Brad Boyes’ acquisition at last year’s trade deadline was significant. ©2012, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – With the NHL trade deadline hitting at 3 p.m. today, here’s the Sabres’ Eastern Conference standing and their activity post-lockout:
2006, third place, 83 points
General manager Darcy Regier made no additions, only trading No. 3 goalie Mika Noronen to Vancouver for a second-round pick. Some argued the inactivity bit the surprising Sabres, who lost four defensemen to injury during their run to the Eastern Conference final. They lost Game 7 with just ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – The usual fireworks – the goals, fights, yapping and other signs of hatred – never really materialized Friday between the Sabres and Boston Bruins.
Instead, the heated Northeast Division rivals, who had played three memorable games this season, engaged in a dull, low-chance affair inside a pretty quiet First Niagara Center.
The Sabres don’t care about style, though, only the two points a tight 2-1 shootout triumph, their third straight victory, moved them ... Read the full article
Corey Tropp recently sat out a month recovering from a concussion. ©2012, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – On Dec. 9 against Florida, Dmitry Kulikov’s wicked hit concussed gritty Sabres winger Corey Tropp, ending the rookie’s third recall early. Tropp wouldn’t fully recover for nearly two months.
When he had supposedly healed, the Sabres sent Tropp to Rochester on Jan. 2. But the 22-year-old responded poorly to his first three appearances, so the Americans shut him down until Feb. 8, giving him a full month between games.
“It was frustrating at ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – The Sabres, rested and waiting for the New York Islanders, would’ve had no excuses for losing Tuesday. Not against a team that had been humiliated 6-0 at home the previous afternoon. Not with Kevin Poulin, the rookie goaltender that had lasted just two minutes into his start, getting another nod.
The Isles looked ripe to be exploited inside the First Niagara Center.
Sure enough, the Sabres capitalized early. Tyler Myers scored just 1:21 ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – On Sunday morning, shortly before the Sabres began their 6-2 shellacking of Pittsburgh, coach Dan Bylsma recalled an earlier defeat the underachieving club had laid on the Penguins.
Back on Oct. 15, the Sabres’ tenacious effort during their 3-2 triumph in Pittsburgh impressed Bylsma, who saw an active, speedy team dictating the game.
Bylsma believed the Sabres would be “a real good team, real dangerous team.” Like many others, he’s stunned they’ve fallen ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Rather than merely shadowing Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin and his wingers Sunday afternoon, Sabres center Paul Gaustad and his checking line planned to aggressively shut down one of the NHL’s best trios.
Gaustad, Nathan Gerbe and Patrick Kaleta – charged with stopping the NHL’s leading scorer, 30-goal man James Neal and Chris Kunitz – would dictate the play.
“We didn’t want to back off on them. If we backed off, it gives ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Throughout their dizzying two-month run of injuries, as the Sabres plummeted down the Eastern Conference standings, they kept using the missing regulars as a crutch.
Coach Lindy Ruff said he didn’t want to make excuses, yet repeated how he wanted his team back. Then owner Terry Pegula took it a step further, saying they had to “get Humpty back together.”
Well, the Sabres essentially fielded their normal team for the 10th straight ... Read the full article
BUFFALO – Jason Pominville grew up in Quebec and still makes his offseason home there. The bilingual Sabres captain knows the Montreal Canadiens market well. He understands “the circumstances of the public wanting a French-speaking coach.”
“But at the same time,” Pominville said Friday morning inside the First Niagara Center, “I don’t think you can pass up a guy that could be your best option even though he doesn’t speak the language.”
Randy Cunneyworth, the ... Read the full article
