New York Rangers - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres want Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to watch; Will Borgen to be scratched

Instead of playing goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen again tonight, interim Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato wants to let the rookie examine the New York York Rangers up close.

So Luukkonen, 22, will watch tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden as a backup. Veteran Dustin Tokarski will start his 10th game this season.

Luukkonen looked sharp in his NHL debut Friday, stopping 36 shots in a 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins. The Finn watched two ... Read the full article

Sabres should keep playing goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

BUFFALO – Get this straight: Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen isn’t ready for regular NHL duty.

In the coming weeks or at the beginning of next season, he will likely return to Rochester, where he can carry the load for the Americans and keep developing.

Luukkonen looked terrific for most of his NHL debut, stopping 36 shots in Friday’s 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins. But he needs more seasoning. The Sabres’ top goalie prospect has ... Read the full article

Sabres finally winning again, playing confidently: ‘It’s all come together’

BUFFALO – In barely a week, the Sabres have transformed from the NHL’s laughingstock into a team that plays a fast, active brand of hockey.

Right now, they’re creating offense, limiting chances against and – believe it or not – are pretty exciting to watch. They look nothing like the hapless team that just endured an embarrassing 18-game winless streak.

Interim coach Don Granato has the Sabres playing to their strengths and feeling confident. After ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin starting to settle down, put struggles in past

BUFFALO – In the last week, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has finally settled down and started showcasing a sturdier game under interim coach Don Granato.

Dahlin, whose ghastly minus-34 rating ranks last in the NHL, hasn’t suddenly recaptured his old form. Still, he has looked much more comfortable playing for Granato than he did under Ralph Krueger, who was fired March 17.

Simply playing a calmer, more composed style – Dahlin, 20, has ... Read the full article

Steven Fogarty impressing Sabres, has opportunity to stick in Buffalo

BUFFALO – There was no wild celebration. Not even a fist pump.

When Sabres winger Steven Fogarty scored his first NHL goal on Wednesday, he reacted as if he had done it 100 times. A smiling Fogarty simply raised his stick, pointed to defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and shared a few fist bumps with his teammates.

By the time he started skating back to the bench, his grin had disappeared.

“It just happened so quick and ... Read the full article

Goalie Dustin Tokarski steals point for Sabres in OT loss: ‘He was spectacular’

BUFFALO – When Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski left the bench following winger Tage Thompson’s tying goal with 3.6 seconds left, a feel-good story was in the works.

The fatigued Sabres chased Thursday’s game over the final 40 minutes of regulation, generating little offense. They had no business being in the contest against the New York Rangers.

Only Tokarski’s splendid goaltending – he made a career-high 44 saves – kept it close.

Snatching the unlikely win ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jacob Bryson becoming trusted defenseman beside Rasmus Ristolainen

BUFFALO – On the left side of the Sabres’ top defense tandem, there’s the diminutive Jacob Bryson, a speedy rookie who has quickly entrenched himself in the lineup.

On the right, there’s 6-foot-4, 221-pound Rasmus Ristolainen, a hulking, physical veteran who’s six inches taller and 32 pounds heavier than his partner.

In Wednesday’s 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, Bryson and Ristolainen enjoyed their best night together, each recording two assists and a plus-4 ... Read the full article

Curtis Lazar’s lower-body injury makes Sabres woefully thin at center

Buffalo Sabres center Curtis Lazar suffered a lower-body injury in Wednesday’s 6-1 win over and the Philadelphia Flyers and is week to week, interim coach Don Granato said.

The Sabres, who host the New York Rangers tonight at KeyBank Center, have become woefully thin down the middle. In addition to Lazar, three other centers – Jack Eichel, Dylan Cozens and Eric Staal – have been injured or traded in the last month.

Granato said he ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Kyle Okposo sidelined with undisclosed injury

Sabres winger Kyle Okposo will miss tonight’s road game against the New York Rangers because of an undisclosed injury, interim coach Don Granato said.

Granato did not know how Okposo, who stayed in Buffalo, was injured. Okposo, 32, finished Sunday’s practice.

Update: Okposo has an upper-body injury, according to The Buffalo News.

“It was not something that took him off the ice in practice,” Granato said on a Zoom call from Madison Square Garden.... Read the full article

Sabres believe Dan Girardi’s playing experience will help defense corps

BUFFALO – Dan Girardi retired less than two years ago, so the ex-NHL defenseman was a contemporary to many of the Sabres.

If they knew Girardi as a player – despite going undrafted, he enjoyed a stellar 13-year career – they can likely relate to him as an assistant coach.

When the hapless Sabres fired coach Ralph Krueger on Wednesday, they also let go assistant coach Steve Smith. General manager Kevyn Adams wanted a fresh ... Read the full article