WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
Dmitry Kulikov (77) battles Florida’s Aaron Ekblad on Oct. 29. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Some quick updates from HarborCenter, where the Sabres practiced about an hour this morning before flying to St. Louis:
– The Sabres plan to recall some players before Tuesday’s road tilt against the Blues. Only 17 players – 10 forwards, five defensemen and two goalies – practiced today.
They need a defenseman and at least one forward. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (undisclosed injury) missed today’s practice and will miss his third straight game Tuesday, ... Read the full article
Evander Kane misssed 11 games. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Cody Franson isn’t concerned. Neither is coach Dan Bylsma.
Thirteen games into the season, the Sabres are the only team without a goal from a defenseman.
“I could care less if I score one goal in a season,” Franson said Wednesday prior to the Sabres’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators. “For me, assists, getting pucks there for other guys to score are just as important as how many goals ... Read the full article
Evander Kane was injured Oct. 13. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – For the next little bit, Evander Kane will likely have to endure some pain on the ice. The Sabres winger, out since breaking four ribs Oct. 13, hasn’t quite healed 100 percent.
“I don’t think anything is really healed kind of right when I get back, but it’s healed enough to where I can play and come back,” said Kane, who will return tonight against the Ottawa Senators. “I’m sure there’ll be ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo has gotten off to a hot start. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Kyle Okposo’s quick acclimation and productive start have been welcomed by the Sabres, whose previous high-priced free agents quickly turned into disasters.
Remember Christian Ehrhoff? How about Ville Leino? Both lasted three seasons before the Sabres exercised buyouts. Both are out of the NHL, now cautionary tales for the dangers of free agency.
The rest of Ehrhoff’s 10-year, $40 million contact is being paid through 2027-28. The remainder of Leino’s six-year, ... Read the full article
Robin Lehner made 32 saves Saturday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
OTTAWA – Buffalo Sabres goalie Robin Lehner, coach Dan Bylsma said recently, gets a twinkle in his eye whenever he plays the Senators.
Lehner, 25, clearly relishes beating his old team, which traded him to keep Saturday’s counterpart, Craig Anderson, who’s 10 years older.
“Absolutely I can tell that,” a grinning Bylsma said following the Sabres’ 2-1 comeback win, a game in which Lehner starred, stopping 32 shots.
The Swede dazzled strong throughout his ... Read the full article
Nick Baptiste played his first NHL game in Ottawa on Saturday. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
OTTAWA – As a native of nearby Barrhaven, about a 10-minute drive from the Canadian Tire Centre, Buffalo Sabres rookie Nick Baptiste had quite the cheering section for his sixth NHL game.
“There’s going to be a lot of people here tonight – a lot of family, friends, teachers, people in the area,” Baptiste said prior to Saturday’s 2-1 comeback win against the Senators, his first NHL appearance here. “My brother’s whole hockey team is ... Read the full article
Nick Baptiste has played well in his first NHL games. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
OTTAWA – As a native of nearby Barrhaven, about a 10-minute drive from the Canadian Tire Centre, Buffalo Sabres rookie Nick Baptiste will have quite the cheering section tonight for his sixth NHL game.
“There’s going to be a lot of people here tonight – a lot of family, friends, teachers, people in the area,” Baptiste said after the Sabres’ optional morning skate. “My brother’s whole hockey team is coming. There’s going to be quite ... Read the full article
oalie Anders Nilsson makes a save through traffic during second period Saturday afternoon. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Early in the Sabres’ 3-0 victory Saturday afternoon, as Dan Bylsma watched Anders Nilsson gobble up puck after puck, the coach had an ill-timed thought about his goalie’s strong performance against the Florida Panthers.
“I don’t like it when I have thoughts like this,” Bylsma said after the Sabres’ first home win ended their four-game losing streak. “He just looked so solid, so confident in net you thought it was going to be ... Read the full article
Sam Reinhart smiles after scoring Saturday afternoon. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – As the seven-game mark approached, Sabres forward Sam Reinhart figured after all his missed opportunities, his first goal would be fluky.
“The way the year has been going, that’s the way the first one had to go in, because the chances have been there,” Reinhart said after scoring a power-play goal late in Saturday afternoon’s 3-0 win against the Florida Panthers inside KeyBank Center.
Sure enough, 8:48 into the third period, Reinhart tried ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo is excited for his home debut. ©2016, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – It’s simple, really. If the Sabres have any hope of making the playoffs, they must become a strong home team, something they haven’t been in years.
The Sabres, who host the Minnesota Wild tonight at KeyBank Center, are 0-1 at home this season. They went 16-19-6 last season, when only two teams earned fewer home wins.
“It’s something we didn’t do last year and something we talked about doing this year, making this ... Read the full article