Myers - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth making strong bid to regain No. 1 job

BUFFALO – Michal Neuvirth, the Sabres’ top goalie before a bruised knee briefly shelved him last week, has already recovered. The Czech has been practicing and appears ready to dress for Wednesday’s game.

But after recently starting six of eight games and seizing the No. 1 job, Neuvirth must wait his turn to play.

The goaltending tide is shifting again.

Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth dazzled in Neuvirth’s absence, stopping 62 of the 64 shots ... Read the full article

Sabres have special memories of Pat Quinn; Michal Neuvirth ready to return

BUFFALO – Three Sabres – winger Tyler Ennis, center Cody Hodgson and defenseman Tyler Myers – played for former NHL coach and executive Pat Quinn, an iconic figure who died Sunday at 71 following a long illness.

Quinn coached the players to a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2009 world junior championship in Ottawa.

“He was awesome for us,” Ennis this afternoon inside the First Niagara Center.

Canada hasn’t won gold since, something ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Justin Bailey dominating OHL

BUFFALO – These days, the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium starts to buzz each time Sabres prospect Justin Bailey touches the puck. The 6,200 fans sense something special is about to happen.

Bailey, a slick 19-year-old winger, might score another scintillating goal.

“He’s an electrifying player,” Kitchener Rangers coach Troy Smith said by phone Wednesday. “Whenever he’s out there, our fans, you can kind of hear the buzz in the building just because of his speed and ... Read the full article

Sabres throttle Leafs, send Toronto fans home unhappy

BUFFALO – For one night at least, the First Niagara Center felt like the old days. A raucous capacity crowd of 19,070 fans roared from start to finish Saturday. The Sabres buzzed up and down the ice all night against the hated Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring goals and creating chance after chance.

The Sabres’ rollicking 6-2 win, just their second regulation triumph this season and first at home, was wildly entertaining, high-octane hockey.

Up in ... Read the full article

Sabres excited to have Rick Jeanneret back: ‘A pretty special moment’

BUFFALO – To winger Patrick Kaleta, who grew up in nearby Angola listening to Rick Jeanneret call games, the greatest perk of playing for the Sabres isn’t money or prestige.

“One of the best, if not the best thing about being a Sabre is hearing your name called by Rick Jeanneret,” Kaleta said Friday inside the First Niagara Center. “I still get chills listening to some of stuff on YouTube.”

So whenever Kaleta ... Read the full article

Sabres players thrilled for Rick Jeanneret’s return

BUFFALO – Whenever Patrick Kaleta needs to “get pumped up,” the Sabres winger goes to Youbtube.com and listens to legendary play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret call some famous goals.

“He makes the game so exciting,” the Angola native said this afternoon inside the First Niagara Center. “It is one of the best, if not the best thing about being a Sabre is hearing your name called by Rick Jeanneret. I still get chills listening to some ... Read the full article

Young Sabres Rasmus Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov impressing as tandem

BUFFALO – When you’re struggling and searching for anything to ignite the team, you experiment. So with nothing to lose, Sabres coach Ted Nolan paired Rasmus Ristolainen, 20, and rookie Nikita Zadorov, 19, together last game.

The defensemen became the Sabres’ top tandem in Saturday’s ugly 6-1 loss to Pittsburgh, each skating more than 20 minutes, more than Tyler Myers. Zadorov wasn’t on the ice for any goals against.

“If you look at both ... Read the full article

Sabres give strong effort, fall to Canadiens in shootout

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

Sabres’ Nikita Zadorov enjoying NHL life, happy to be playing

BUFFALO – It went on for weeks. Each day, 19-year-old Nikita Zadorov, the eighth defenseman most of this season, asked Sabres coach Ted Nolan if he would play.

“He asked me every day,” Nolan said Wednesday prior to the Sabres’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens inside the First Niagara Center.

Finally, Nolan gave his assistant coaches a message: “Tell him I’ll tell him when he’s in.”

After sitting the first seven games ... Read the full article

Sabres’ top defensemen could skate big minutes again versus Canadiens

BUFFALO – In Sunday’s 3-2 shootout win against Detroit, four Sabres defensemen – Josh Gorges, Tyler Myers, Andrej Meszaros and Rasmus Ristolainen – skated more than 25 minutes.

Expect to see the defensemen play big minutes tonight against the Montreal Canadiens inside the First Niagara Center. To Sabres coach Ted Nolan, it’s no big deal.

“Twenty, 24 minutes a day is not too hard, I don’t think,” Nolan said. “It’s 24 minutes of a 24-hour ... Read the full article