New Jersey Devils - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres notes: Johan Larsson relieved to score first goal

BUFFALO – When Johan Larsson scored his first goal this season Monday, the winner with 3:13 left in the Sabres’ 2-1 comeback victory in Detroit, coach Dan Bylsma couldn’t quite read the center’s body language.

“Whether he was happy, relieved, matter of fact,” Bylsma said Tuesday prior to the Sabres’ 2-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils. “I know he’s been pressing for a while now not having scored. To get that one and to ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Johan Larsson relieved; Goalie Robin Lehner hasn’t suffered setback

BUFFALO – When Johan Larsson scored his first goal this season Monday, the winner with 3:13 left in the Sabres’ 2-1 comeback win in Detroit, coach Dan Bylsma couldn’t quite read the center’s body language.

“Whether he was happy, relieved, matter of fact,” Bylsma said this morning after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils. “I know he’s been pressing for a while now not having scored. To get that one ... Read the full article

Sabres lose game to Devils, Evander Kane to injury

BUFFALO – It’s not even Halloween, and the Sabres’ season is already starting to fall apart.

If losing for sixth time in eight tries wasn’t bad enough, winger Evander Kane left the Sabres’ 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils with what appeared to be a left knee injury after David Schlemko hit him hard into the corner boards with 9:31 left in the game.

Kane, perhaps the Sabres’ most natural goal scorer, stayed down ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ryan O’Reilly rarely satisfied with efforts

BUFFALO – The scene repeats itself after nearly every Sabres loss.

Inevitably, center Ryan O’Reilly will face a hoard of cameras in the dressing room, lament his miscues and take some responsibility for the defeat.

“It’s something I like about myself,” O’Reilly said about pressure Saturday prior to scoring a goal and two assists in the Sabres’ 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils. “I think I have to be that way. … Whether it’s ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark to make first NHL start

BUFFALO – Goalie Chad Johnson’s shaky 19-save outing Friday in an ugly 7-2 loss to Montreal didn’t force the Sabres to turn to rookie Linus Ullmark, coach Dan Bylsma said.

“We called him up so that he could get an opportunity to play, whether that was tonight, last night or later on next week,” Bylsma said this morning. “He was going to get a chance to play. Tonight’s it.”

The 6-foot-4, 212-pound Ullmark, who ... Read the full article

Steve Bernier earns new claim to fame in Devils’ win over Sabres

BUFFALO – During a 17-game run with the Sabres late in 2007-08, Steve Bernier mustered only three goals, two of which he scored in his first game. The winger mostly disappeared after that, and he was quietly traded to Vancouver months later.

Mention Bernier’s name around some Sabres fans, and inevitably someone will bring up his rollicking debut.

Now, after Bernier’s two-goal performance Friday in the New Jersey Devils’ 3-1 win against the Sabres, the ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Anders Lindback possesses elite puck-handling ability

BUFFALO – In Europe, handling the puck is “not a big thing for the goalies,” Sabres newcomer Anders Lindback said.

The bigger rink allows them to sling it and almost act as a third defenseman. European ice surfaces don’t have those pesky trapezoids designed to keep goalies in their net, either.

Handling the puck on the smaller North American ice surface with restrictions is difficult for NHL goalies. Very few do it well.

The 6-foot-6 ... Read the full article

Sabres recall Mikhail Grigorenko, send Tim Schaller and Chad Ruhwedel to Amerks

BUFFALO – The Sabres recalled center Mikhail Grigorenko from Rochester this afternoon and sent center Tim Schaller and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel down.

Grigorenko’s sixth recall this season is another opportunity for the 20-year-old to prove he belongs in the NHL. So far, the Russian, the No. 12 pick in 2012, has compiled only one goal and two points in 13 outings this season.

The Sabres host the New Jersey Devils tonight at the First Niagara ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Anders Lindback knows hot streak means little

BUFFALO – Anders Lindback likes to take a big-picture approach, so the Sabres goalie will examine his entire season when it ends. The Swede’s six-game hot streak means little to him right now.

The 26-year-old, a spare part before the March 2 trade deadline, has quickly morphed into a stud in net, posting a 2.41 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage in seven appearances (six starts) with his new club.

Lindback dazzled in his ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Patrick Kaleta nearing return from knee injury

BUFFALO – If Patrick Kaleta keeps progressing, the Sabres winger will likely miss three more games and return from his knee injury next Thursday against Arizona.

“It’s just how it reacts to battle drills and divots and all that sort of stuff,” Kaleta said Thursday after his first full practice. “I have more mobility in my knee now, so it’s building up the strength and getting the movements down. Once you start doing things that ... Read the full article