Murray - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres lose tying goal on offside review, fall to Rangers: ‘A wave of emotion’

BUFFALO – After the gut punch, a disallowed tying goal with 56.2 seconds left, the Sabres nearly knotted it again, hitting the post before the New York Rangers staved off their late push to secure a 2-1 victory.

While the Sabres ultimately lost their sixth straight game, their response after the offside review wiped out winger Victor Olofsson’s goal was significant.

“It’s a wave of emotion,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “I credit our guys ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt expected to return this season after having surgery

BUFFALO – Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt underwent successful surgery today to repair his upper-body injury, coach Don Granato said.

Granato said the Sabres don’t have a timeline for Mittelstadt’s return. He expects the Mittelstadt, who visited a specialist Thursday, will play again this season.

Mittelstadt, 23, suffered his second upper-body injury this season about six minutes into the third period of Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. After getting injured opening night, he missed ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Dylan Cozens developing into special talent beside Kyle Okposo

BUFFALO – Center Dylan Cozens, one half of perhaps the Sabres’ best duo, is the rebuilding team’s youngest player. At 20, less than one year into his NHL career, he has been showcasing growth on a weekly basis.

The other half, right winger Kyle Okposo, is the Sabres’ oldest skater. At 33, when many players are graying or out of the NHL, the 15-year veteran has been enjoying a rare late-career resurgence.

Entering ... Read the full article

Sabres turn to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen; Malcolm Subban skates after injury

BUFFALO – As expected, the struggling Sabres will change goalies tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, awarding prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen his first start this season.

Having played four games late last year, Luukkonen developed a feel of the NHL. The Finn performed well, winning his debut and posting a .906 save percentage.

“The hope is when you put him in there’s an element of relaxed to him, a comfort,” Sabres coach Don Granato said following this ... Read the full article

Sabres fall behind early, lose to Kraken; Jeff Skinner looking like old self

BUFFALO – With the Sabres enjoying a first-period power play Monday, center Tage Thompson dug the puck out from the wall and fed defenseman Rasmus Dahlin at the left point.

During a power play earlier in the period, Dahlin fell down behind his own net, helping Carson Soucy score the first short-handed goal in the Seattle Kraken’s 22-game history.

Surely, it couldn’t happen again, right? The Sabres’ hadn’t allowed a short-handed goal all season.... Read the full article

Casey Mittelstadt takes another step toward return; Alex Tuch joins Sabres

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Don Granato acknowledged that, yes, he has thought about what his lineup might look like when some of his injured players get healthy.

So Granato knows where he could put center Casey Mittelstadt and winger Alex Tuch, both of whom skated with the Sabres this morning, when they’re healthy. It was the first session with the Sabres for Tuch, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery.

Mittelstadt, who had his first contact ... Read the full article

Sabres concerned about goalie Craig Anderson’s lingering injury

BUFFALO – After Craig Anderson suffered an upper-body injury Nov. 2, the Sabres said he was day to day. But the veteran goalie, whose absence has become glaring as the rebuilding team keeps struggling, is still sidelined.

“Because of our initial report, based on where we’re at, it is a concern,” Sabres coach Don Granato said on a Zoom call this morning. “Obviously, we didn’t feel he would be out this long and it has ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Jack Quinn scores highlight-reel shootout goal for Amerks

ROCHESTER – Sabres prospect Jack Quinn could’ve waited another second or two to put the finishing touches on his shootout goal.

Quinn’s deft hands and feet put goalie Felix Sandstrom flat on his stomach, giving him the right side of the net and an inordinate amount of time to shoot the puck. So the Americans winger calmly completed his highlight-reel goal Friday.

“He’s sliding to the left and I know I’m going back to the ... Read the full article

Don Granato’s accessibility to Sabres players ‘a huge asset’

BUFFALO – In his early days behind the bench in junior hockey and in the ECHL, Sabres coach Don Granato was one-man show. He had no assistants to help him.

“So I had to be close to players,” Granato said prior to Thursday’s 5-0 loss to the Calgary Flames at KeyBank Center. “I had to get a feel for the team and a beat on the team.”

Right away, Granato learned he must separate the ... Read the full article

Prospect Brett Murray becomes Sabres’ top option for recall from Amerks

PITTSBURGH – Through their first 11 games this season, Buffalo Sabres prospects JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn have combined to score a whopping 12 goals and 29 points with the Rochester Americans.

Barely five weeks into their rookie campaign, the 20-year-old wingers have established themselves as two of the AHL’s most electrifying talents.

Still, when the Sabres have needed an extra forward, they’ve chosen 23-year-old Brett Murray, who led the Amerks in scoring last ... Read the full article