WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
February Edition
Brian Flynn has played 159 NHL games. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres have traded center Brian Flynn to the Montreal Canadiens for a fifth-round pick in 2016.
Flynn has five goals and 17 points in 54 games this season. The 26-year-old, a free agent from the University of Maine, signed with Sabres in 2012.
The Boston native has 17 goals and 41 points in 159 NHL games.
Flynn, a strong checker who can play center and wing, played 15 minutes, 53 seconds a ... Read the full article
Josh Gorges wears No. 4 because of Jean Beliveau. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Josh Gorges considers himself old school. He believes defensemen should wear single-digit numbers. So after sporting No. 26 with the Montreal Canadiens for years, the veteran wanted a low number when the Sabres acquired him.
Gorges had a couple of choices. He settled on No. 4, partly because iconic Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau, who died Tuesday at age 83, wore it during his illustrious Hall of Fame career.
Beliveau is hockey royalty.
“What ... Read the full article
Josh Gorges played for Montreal before the Sabres acquired him. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Josh Gorges considers himself old school. He believes defensemen should wear single-digit numbers. So after sporting No. 26 with the Montreal Canadiens for years, the veteran wanted a low number when the Sabres acquired him.
Gorges had a couple of choices. He settled on No. 4, partly because iconic Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau, who died Tuesday at age 83, wore it during his illustrious Hall of Fame career.
Beliveau is hockey royalty.
“What ... Read the full article
Tim Schaller has never played in the NHL. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – With winger Drew Stafford questionable for tonight’s game in Montreal with a lower-body injury, the Sabres have recalled center Tim Schaller from the Rochester Americans.
The undrafted 24-year-old has never played in the NHL.
He has six goals, 15 points and 20 penalty minutes in 20 games this year. The Sabres gave the New Hampshire native a long looking during training camp.
Schaller has 17 goals, 33 points and 58 penalty minutes ... Read the full article
Tyler Ennis watches his first-period goal Friday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – One Sabres goal was scintillating, the kind destined to become a highlight-reel staple. The other goal was, well, pure luck, a rare bounce off the glass.
“That’s the way hockey goes,” winger Tyler Ennis, whose slick goal opened the scoring, said Friday following the Sabres’ 2-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens. “It doesn’t matter how it goes in, as long as we get the win we’re happy.”
The Sabres were a happy ... Read the full article
Brian Gionta skates Friday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres captain Brian Gionta doesn’t know what kind of reception to expect from Canadiens fans tonight at the Bell Centre, his first visit to Montreal since a three-year, $12.75 million contract enticed him to sign here.
“I’ll deal with it (tonight),” Gionta said Friday prior to the Sabres’ 2-1 win against the Canadiens inside the First Niagara Center. I’m sure it’ll be weird going into the building. Until you’re back there you really ... Read the full article
Josh Gorges wants to play badly. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sitting out, watching from the sidelines for more than two weeks has been difficult for Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges.
“I hate being a guy sitting on the sidelines watching,” Gorges said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “I’m not built for that.”
This weekend might be excruciating for the 30-year-old, who injured his knee Nov. 11. The Sabres host the Canadiens, his old team, tonight, and play Saturday in Montreal.
Gorges, ... Read the full article
Tyler Myers missed one game. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – How relieved is Sabres coach Ted Nolan to have defenseman Tyler Myers back for tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens?
“Very, very,” Nolan said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “Sometimes you don’t know what you got until it’s taken away from you a little bit. He’s a big part of our team.”
With Myers (lower body) out for Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Winnipeg, his replacement, Andre Benoit, gave away the ... Read the full article
Andre Benoit has zero points and a minus-13 rating. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Twenty-two games into the season, the Sabres’ weak and often sloppy defense corps has combined for two goals, 20 points and a minus-41 rating entering tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.
As evidenced by the Sabres’ recent three-game winning streak, a stretch in which they allowed only four goals, the defense has looked much better – sturdier, you might say – during some contests this month.
Still, it’s a mistake-prone group. And with ... Read the full article
Sabres captain Brian Gionta (12) creates traffic in front of Montreal goalie Dustin Tokarski and defenseman Tom Gilbert. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Let’s say it was a busy day at work Wednesday, and when you sat down to watch the Sabres play the Montreal Canadiens, you dozed off until, oh, about 9:30 p.m.
You wouldn’t have missed anything notable.
The Sabres’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens before 17,837 fans inside the First Niagara Center was a real snoozer for 40 minutes.
Still, that’s the kind of effort the Sabres, 2-2-2 in their last ... Read the full article