Nolan - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres look feckless in embarrassing loss to Ducks

BUFFALO – Three straight losses. Two goal scorers. One hapless Sabres team barreling toward another lottery pick.

Five days into the new campaign, the Sabres, the NHL’s laughingstock last season, look just as bad as the wretched 2013-14 outfit that finished 30^th overall.

Monday afternoon’s embarrassing 5-1 loss to the powerhouse Anaheim Ducks might rank as one of the ugliest home losses in team history.

The Western Conference power throttled the Sabres from the ... Read the full article

Gary Bettman hints Sabres could host another outdoor game

BUFFALO – The Sabres officially have the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. They plan to bid on an NHL All-Star game. The team has already secured the league’s scouting combine for the next two years.

Hmmm, what other big event could be in the works?

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said owner Terry Pegula and his wife, Kim, mentioned Monday the Sabres would be interested in hosting another outdoor game.

The Sabres had the first Winter Classic ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Michal Neuvirth to make first start this season

BUFFALO – The Sabres will make one lineup change for this afternoon’s tilt against the Anaheim Ducks, but it won’t be on defense.

Sabres coach Ted Nolan said goalie Michal Neuvirth, who endured an awful preseason, will make his first start this season. The Sabres also play Tuesday in Carolina, so Jhonas Enroth needs some rest.

“Neuvy’s been well-rested,” Nolan said inside the First Niagara Center. “He’s got some great work in the last ... Read the full article

Sabres trying to avoid another 0-3 start, already searching for answers

BUFFALO – If you’re a glass-is-half-full type, the Sabres have stayed in both of their games until the third period. If you’re a half-empty type, they’re 0-2 and, overall, playing pretty terribly.

The Sabres never lost their first three games in regulation until last season, when they began the worst campaign in franchise history 0-3 and 0-6-1.

Now, they could be 0-3 again. The Anaheim Ducks, who won 31 more games than the Sabres ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Cody Hodgson feeling comfortable at left wing

BUFFALO – A year ago, the thought of Cody Hodgson playing anywhere but center would have seemed absurd.

The Sabres had few viable options down the middle. Tyler Ennis was still bouncing between two forward spots. Zemgus Girgensons was just beginning his NHL career as a winger.

Besides, Hodgson had just signed a six-year, $25.5 million contract extension to be the No. 1 pivot.

But late in the season, following an evaluation period, the team’s ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Cody McCormick questionable for Saturday

BUFFALO – Forward Cody McCormick missed today’s practice but could accompany the Sabres to Chicago for Saturday’s game against the Blackhawks.

Sabres coach Ted Nolan officially called McCormick’s absence a maintenance day. He skated 10 minutes, 46 seconds in Thursday’s 3-1 season-opening loss to Columbus.

Brian Flynn subbed on his line between Nick Deslauriers and Torrey Mitchell.

In other news, the Sabres switched two centers today, putting 18-year-old rookie Sam Reinhart back between Marcus ... Read the full article

Sabres hang around, fall late to Blue Jackets in opener

BUFFALO – At some point Thursday, as the Columbus Blue Jackets kept peppering shots on him, goalie Jhonas Enroth probably thought the new version of the Sabres looked a lot like the old one.

Like so many times last season, the Sabres performed like an ugly, disjointed mess for stretches, running around in their own zone as their opponent throttled them.

Some nice goaltending from Enroth kept the Sabres in their 44^th season opener, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Nick Deslauriers trying to build on breakout season

BUFFALO – The whole season, Sabres winger Nick Deslauriers said, “was pretty crazy.”

Barely a year ago, Deslauriers was a defenseman in Los Angeles’ organization. Three years into his career, he hadn’t played an NHL game. Then a forward shortage forced the Kings to make him a winger.

Suddenly, Deslauriers became a goal scorer up front, compiling 16 in 60 games for AHL Manchester.

That scoring prowess, coupled with his usual nasty edge, caught the ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Sam Reinhart ‘relaxed’ for NHL debut

BUFFALO – On the outside, top Sabres prospect Sam Reinhart was a cool customer this morning. The 18-year-old calmly answered questions about his NHL debut in tonight’s season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“I’m pretty relaxed now,” Reinhart said inside the First Niagara Center. “It seems like a usual morning. But there’s no question it’s the biggest so far of my life, so I’m pretty excited.”

Sabres coach Ted Nolan knows Reinhart, the No. ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tyler Myers ready for new season: ‘I’m back to my normal self’

BUFFALO – Before the defensemen became Sabres teammates, they met about nine years ago, as Tyler Myers was beginning his junior career and Josh Gorges was leaving the Kelowna Rockets for professional hockey.

Gorges couldn’t believe the teenager’s lanky frame.

“He was 6-5, 6-6, but probably only 180 pounds,” Gorges, who will skate beside Myers in tonight’s season opener, recalled earlier this week. “I’m thinking, ‘They’re really high on this kid, he better fill out. ... Read the full article