Neuvirth - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Cody McCormick out of hospital; Ted Nolan wants better habits from Nikita Zadorov

BUFFALO – Sabres forward Cody McCormick was released from the hospital today after being treated for a blood clot in his calf muscle, coach Ted Nolan said.

“Cross our fingers everything continues to go well,” Nolan said this afternoon following practice inside the First Niagara Center. “No timeframe on his return whatsoever. Our No. 1 concern is making sure he’s OK.”

With McCormick sidelined, the Sabres recalled centers Zac Dalpe and Phil Varone from Rochester ... Read the full article

Tyler Myers ready to return to struggling Sabres

Without Tyler Myers, the Sabres quickly became a mess, losing six of the seven games without their ace defenseman.

Opponents exploited Myers’ absence, outscoring the Sabres 33-13 during the past two weeks.

Yikes.

Thankfully for the Sabres, who have lost four straight games and eight of nine overall, Myers will return from his lower-body injury tonight against the Devils.

“I’m not going to be the savior coming in,” Myers told reporters Monday in New ... Read the full article

Sabres fall apart early against Panthers, get blanked by Roberto Luongo again

BUFFALO – It’s getting ugly again. In fact, it’s starting to feel like October. The Sabres are losing every game. They can’t score. Opponents keep outshooting them.

Following an exciting 10-3 run, the Sabres have lost three straight games and seven of the last eight.

A wretched start, an early-season staple, doomed the Sabres in Friday’s boring 2-0 loss to the Florida Panthers before a capacity crowd of 19,070 fans inside a quiet First Niagara ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Ristolainen ready to play; Michal Neuvirth to start

BUFFALO – As injuries recently weakened his defense corps, Sabres coach Ted Nolan spread out the wealth a bit, breaking up Rasmus Ristolainen, 20, and Nikita Zadorov, 19, arguably his best tandem.

“Our defense corps was a little bit in disarray for a while, and those two were probably our two shining lights,” Nolan said this morning inside the First Niagara Center.

The struggling Sabres desperately need another strong defense pair, so with Ristolainen ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Marcus Foligno out ‘a while’ with apparent hand injury; 10 players injured or sick

The Buffalo Sabres are down 10 players to injuries and illness after losing center Marcus Foligno and captain Brian Gionta in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss in Boston.

Foligno apparently hurt his hand fighting the Bruins’ Matt Bartkowski after the defenseman leveled Gionta high during the first period. An upper-body injury will sideline Foligno for “a while,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan told reporters in Boston.

“One of those freak accidents that happen when you play,” Nolan ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth thriving with increased workload

BUFFALO – Following a one-game rest, Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth will likely start tonight against the Colorado Avalanche, his 11^th nod in the last 13 contests and 22^nd appearance overall this season.

At his current pace, the 26-year-old would play 52 times. But given the frequency of his recent action, it’s not crazy to think the diminutive Swede, one of the NHL’s smallest netminders at 5-foot-10 and 166 pounds, could hit the prestigious ... Read the full article

Sabres rally again, beat Senators in shootout

BUFFALO – Monday’s exciting 5-4 come-from-behind shootout victory against the Ottawa Senators extended the Sabres’ winning streak to four games. That’s 10 triumphs in their last 13 games. The surging team has rallied from third-period deficits in five of its last six wins.

In one month, the Sabres have morphed from a hapless team destined to finish last again into a legitimate playoff contender.

“We got something special going,” said Sabres center Marcus Foligno, who ... Read the full article

Sabres could have healthy defense corps tonight

BUFFALO – When the Sabres began their skate this morning, instead of a having a fresh body on the ice up from Rochester, Josh Gorges and Andrej Meszaros, the two defensemen injured Saturday, were practicing fully.

Defenseman Tyson Strachan, out the last four games, was also skating.

Seven defensemen will likely take the warm-up prior to tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators inside the First Niagara Center.

The Sabres have some game-time decisions, but no ... Read the full article

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