WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
Kyle Okposo moves around Mitch Marner (12) and Michael Bunting (58) on April 12 in Toronto. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – On Wednesday, the Sabres, a team two days away from finishing its season, had a group of players on the KeyBank Center ice 25 minutes before their final practice started.
To veteran winger Kyle Okposo, 34, the Sabres’ oldest and most experienced player, that speaks volumes about the group’s passion. The Sabres will miss the playoffs for a record-setting 11th straight year, yet no one seems to want the season to end.... Read the full article
Craig Anderson has played 31 games this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Injured winger Kyle Okposo and goalie Craig Anderson could play in Friday’s season finale against the Chicago Blackhawks, Sabres coach Don Granato said.
“We want them to play, and they’re right on that cusp,” Granato said. “They are day to day.”
The Sabres play their final road game tonight against the Boston Bruins.... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo has scored 21 goals this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Kyle Okposo left Monday’s practice early and was being evaluated after injuring his left leg during a drill.
The veteran appeared to step on the puck during a rush and fell to the ice. Coach Don Granato said the Sabres would know more later Monday.
Okposo, 34, was injured hours after the Buffalo chapter of The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association named him the Sabres’ 2021-22 nominee for the Masterton Trophy.
Rasmus Dahlin has been on a tear for Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – You have to go back 11 years to find the last time the Sabres showcased an offense this exciting and prolific.
The Sabres’ next goal will be their 222nd of the season, their highest total since they scored 240 times in 2010-11, the last year they made the playoffs. They also scored 221 goals in 2018-19.
Overall, the Sabres rank 22nd in goals scored this season entering Saturday afternoon’s home game against the ... Read the full article
Injuries have cost Casey Mittelstadt 42 games this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Casey Mittelstadt likes to extract positives from difficult experiences. So the Sabres forward believes a trying, injury-riddled season in which he has missed 42 games and scored just four goals has also featured personal growth.
Recovering from two upper-body injuries has helped him develop patience – “That’s probably one of the things I struggled with most, I’m pretty impatient,” he said – and evolve as a person.
Mittelstadt, 23, had to do something ... Read the full article
Owen Power has played four NHL games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In a few weeks, after his dizzying year ends, Sabres rookie Owen Power might finally have a chance to sit back and enjoy a little time to himself.
Power, 19, had endured a grueling season prior to signing his entry-level NHL contract, leaving college to represent Team Canada at the Olympics more than 6,500 miles away in Beijing and at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton.
Even in the NHL, Power still has ... Read the full article
Owen Power has turned heads in his first four NHL games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres coach Don Granato doesn’t consider rookie Owen Power a young player.
Sure, the defenseman left college earlier this month and has played just four NHL games. And, yes, he doesn’t turn 20 for another seven months.
Still, Granato said “it’s a little bit disrespectful sometimes” when young guys get thrown in a category.
“This is a guy that’s studied the game of hockey at an extremely young age and developed himself like ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo hadn’t scored 20 goals since 2015-16. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson had time and space, so he leaned into his shot, and when the puck hit teammate Kyle Okposo inside his right knee, he went down in a hurry.
As Okposo hobbled off the ice in pain late in Saturday’s first period, it felt like his night might’ve been finished. At that point, the Sabres trailed the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0, and Okposo, who turned 34 on Saturday, said he was ... Read the full article
Mattias Samuelsson missed Thursday’s game. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In Friday’s practice, Sabres coach Don Granato changed every forward line, tinkering with trios that have recently developed chemistry and enjoyed success.
Granato often explains how he wants his lineup to become interchangeable. While he showcases more patience than most coaches – lines and defense pairs sometimes stay intact for weeks – he’s not afraid to experiment within games or try new things.
So for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank ... Read the full article
Don Granato has enjoyed success as a coach in international hockey. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres coach Don Granato, a veteran of international tournaments, has been named an assistant coach for Team USA’s entry at the upcoming World Championship in Finland, the team announced this afternoon.
Granato, 54, will be on a staff that includes head coach David Quinn and assistants Jeff Blashill, Mike Hastings and Mike King.
The tournament begins May 13.
