Okposo - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Losing streak leaves Sabres searching for answers

BUFFALO – Kyle Okposo looked glum, like a man searching for answers. The Sabres’ struggles have clearly worn on the winger, who hasn’t showcased his normal scoring prowess all season.

“It’s not very much fun to be at the rink right now, and that’s never a good feeling,” Okposo said Thursday. “We just feel like we’re letting a lot of people down and just have to make some changes. As a group, we have to ... Read the full article

Reeling Sabres lacking accountability among players

BUFFALO – Jordan Nolan grew up in a winning culture. The Sabres winger won two Stanley Cups in his first three seasons with the Los Angeles Kings.

To Nolan, the Kings’ accountability helped buoy their success. If you made a mistake or needed a push, someone would tell you.

“If I made a mistake in my fifth year, a higher guy was telling me, ‘You need to work harder, you need to get that puck ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jacob Josefson ready to play

BUFFALO – Following his first full team practice since spraining his ankle Oct. 15, Sabres center Jacob Josefson pronounced himself ready to play.

“I’m anxious to get in,” Josefson said this afternoon inside KeyBank Center. “I’ve been on the side a while. I’m ready whenever they want me.”

So will Josefson, who has missed 15 games, return for Wednesday’s home tilt against the Minnesota Wild?... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jack Eichel shuffled around lineup against Blue Jackets

BUFFALO – The optics showed Jack Eichel had been demoted. For most of Monday, the slick Sabres center skated between Zemgus Girgensons and Jason Pominville, one of four new lines coach Phil Housley assembled.

Based on recent production, the trio Eichel briefly skated on was the third line. Just don’t tell Housley.

“There’s no third line,” Housley said prior to Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets inside KeyBank Center.... Read the full article

Line switches put Sabres’ Jack Eichel with new wingers

BUFFALO – The optics say Jack Eichel has been demoted. This morning, the slick Sabres center skated between Zemgus Girgensons and Jason Pominville, one of four new lines coach Phil Housley assembled.

Based on recent production, Eichel’s trio is the third line. Just don’t tell Housley, whose Sabres have lost five straight games (0-3-2).

“There’s no third line,” Housley said this morning after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets inside ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jason Pominville moving around lineup

BUFFALO – Moving Jason Pominville off the Sabres’ top line wasn’t related to the veteran winger’s performance, coach Phil Housley said.

“He was playing terrific,” Housley said prior to Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes inside KeyBank Center. “We’re trying to spark some other lines and find some balance.”

Housley shifted Pominville to right wing beside center Johan Larsson and Seth Griffith or Matt Moulson last Saturday. Sam Reinhart, meanwhile, moved from his ... Read the full article

Sabres stumble against Panthers, fall into last place

BUFFALO – Friday’s ugly 4-1 loss to the hapless Florida Panthers should erase any belief the Sabres are a better team than their meager record indicates.

The loss, the Sabres’ 11th in 16 tries (5-9-2), dropped them below the Panthers into last place in the 16-team Eastern Conference, a spot they have occupied regularly for years.... Read the full article

Sabres trying to ignite struggling power play

BUFFALO – In an otherwise glum season, the Sabres’ power play emerged as the NHL’s best a year ago, converting 24.5 percent of its opportunities.

Considering the Sabres kept their key personnel and hired coach Phil Housley, it wasn’t crazy to think they could become even more potent this year.

After all, few players in NHL history have performed better. Housley amassed 609 of his 1,232 points on the power play during his 21-year career ... Read the full article

Benoit Pouliot shines in Sabres’ win over Capitals

BUFFALO – Barely three minutes into the third period Tuesday, Sabres winger Benoit Pouliot grabbed the puck deep in his own zone and started creating a nifty-game winning goal.

In his 10-year career, Pouliot, 31, has scored 122 times. His latest, which sealed the Sabres’ 3-1 victory against the Washington Capitals, might be the prettiest.

“It isn’t the type of goal I usually get a chance to do, but it ended up good,” Pouliot said ... Read the full article

Phil Housley complimentary, critical of Sabres in opening month

BUFFALO – Instead of tearing into the Sabres following Saturday’s embarrassing 5-1 loss in Dallas, to the shock of some observers, coach Phil Housley praised his struggling team.

“When I evaluate the game, I think we played well,” Housley told reporters. “The score tells you differently and there’s probably going to be a lot of people that disagree with me. But I think we got the start that we wanted.”... Read the full article