Mittelstadt - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres send Henri Jokiharju to taxi squad, recall two players

The reeling Buffalo Sabres this morning assigned defenseman Henri Jokiharju to the taxi squad and recalled forward Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Brandon Davidson from the practice group.

The Sabres, who have lost six straight games, play a road contest this afternoon against the New York Islanders.

Jokiharju, 21, was perhaps the Sabres’ biggest surprise last season, playing all 69 games. But the Finn has struggled to regain that form this year. He sat out Saturday ... Read the full article

‘Bubble lifestyle’ helping Sabres on road; Buffalo to make lineup changes

The Sabres have performed downright awful in Buffalo this season, compiling a wretched 2-7-2 record that ranks 29th in the NHL.

On the road, however, they have often looked like a different team, showcasing a calmer style while scoring more goals. They’re 4-3-1 away from KeyBank Center.

“The bubble lifestyle on the road actually is easier than the bubble we’re attempting to live in at home,” said coach Ralph Krueger, whose Sabres begin a five-game ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel questionable for weekend; Sabres could have reinforcements

BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark will likely miss this weekend’s two-game series against the Philadelphia Flyers, coach Ralph Krueger said. Meanwhile, captain Jack Eichel is questionable for the home contests.

Both players have lower-body injuries and did not practice today inside KeyBank Center.

Ullmark, the Sabres’ No. 1 goalie, left Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils after the first period. Kruger said Ullmark was having X-rays done this afternoon.

“We’re not ... Read the full article

Sabres lose Jack Eichel, Linus Ullmark to injuries, game to Devils

BUFFALO – Sabres forward Riley Sheahan knew captain Jack Eichel was a little banged up heading into Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

Still, Sheahan, a fourth-line winger, never expected he would be thrust into Eichel’s spot as the No. 1 center following the pregame warm-up.

“I … saw the lineup had changed and my name was up there with (Victor Olofsson) and (Sam Reinhart),” Sheahan, who opened the scoring, said on a Zoom ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner skates with taxi squad, to be healthy scratch again

BUFFALO – When the Sabres convened on the KeyBank Center ice Thursday morning, winger Jeff Skinner was absent.

After the session ended, coach Ralph Krueger said the 13 forwards on the ice would either play or warm up tonight.

So where was Skinner? Krueger said he skated with the taxi squad this morning.

Right now, Skinner, who will be a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game tonight, can’t even crack the Sabres’ main practice ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner sits out second straight game as healthy scratch

Instead of inserting winger Jeff Skinner into the lineup for the injured Tobias Rieder, the Sabres recalled Rasmus Asplund from the taxi squad to play in Tuesday’s road game against the New Jersey Devils.

Why did the Sabres choose Asplund, who has 32 games of NHL experience, over Skinner?

“We are working in a constructive way here hoping that watching a couple games will free him and allow him to bring his tools and his ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner to be healthy scratch versus Islanders

Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner will be a healthy scratch for the first time in his 11-year NHL career tonight against the New York Islanders, coach Ralph Krueger said.

Krueger said Casey Mittelstadt will replace the struggling Skinner, who has scored zero goals in 14 games this season.

“We don’t measure players only on statistics,” Krueger said on a Zoom call late this afternoon inside Nassau Coliseum. “It’s part of the mix. Really, it’s a ... Read the full article

Three more Sabres back from COVID-19; Rasmus Ristolainen still out

Sabres rookie Dylan Cozens started doing the math in his head. After testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, he was forced to quarantine for the third time in less than three months.

“I was just adding up the days,” Cozens said on a Zoom call this afternoon from Washington. “Since Nov. 25, I’ve quarantined for 35 days or something, just in a hotel room. So it’s been a lot, for sure.”

Cozens, 20, also ... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt final Sabres player removed COVID-19 absences list

Forward Casey Mittelstadt late this afternoon was the final Sabres player removed from the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol-related absences list.

The Sabres, who had nine players on the list last week, have no one on it for the first time since Feb. 1.

Four Sabres who landed on the absences list – defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Jake McCabe and wingers Taylor Hall and Tobias Rieder – played at least one game against the New York Islanders ... Read the full article

Three more Sabres removed from COVID-related absences list

BUFFALO – The NHL late this afternoon removed Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and forwards Dylan Cozens and Curtis Lazar from the COVID-19 protocol-related absences list.

Forward Casey Mittelstadt is the only Sabres player left on the absences list. They had nine players on it last week.

Sabres defensemen Jake McCabe and Brandon Montour were taken off the absences list earlier today. They could play tonight against the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center.... Read the full article