Ottawa Senators - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres send goalie Craig Anderson into retirement with magical win: ‘This is it’

BUFFALO – After center Casey Mittelstadt scored 78 second into Thursday’s overtime, securing a storybook 4-3 victory in Craig Anderson’s final NHL game, the Sabres immediately skated down the ice and mobbed the veteran goalie.

What played out over the next 10 minutes was one of the most emotional scenes you’ll ever watch in a hockey rink.

Every teammate embraced Anderson, 41, on the KeyBank Center ice. When they finished, members of the Ottawa Senators, ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Tage Thompson wanted to hit 50-goal mark

BUFFALO – At the beginning of the season, fresh off a breakout 38-goal campaign, Sabres star Tage Thompson wanted duplicate last year’s career-best output.

“If I could get around the same as I got last year, it would be successful and (I’d) be pretty happy with that,” Thompson said prior to Thursday’s 4-3 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center, the Sabres’ home finale.

Well, Thompson, 25, hit the 30-goal mark Jan. 3, ... Read the full article

Popular Sabres goalie Craig Anderson could be nearing retirement

BUFFALO – Pierre Groulx remembers Craig Anderson looked a bit unorthodox in his crease. Instead going down in the butterfly like many modern goalies, he might stand up to stop a shot. The two-pad stack was part of his repertoire.

“He was more of the old school style,” said Groulx, who first served as Anderson’s goalie coach with the Florida Panthers from 2006 to 2008. “… He was one of those guys that read the ... Read the full article

Dynamic December earns Sabres’ Tage Thompson NHL Third Star honors

A career-best month in which he scored a whopping 13 goals and 22 points in 11 games has earned Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson NHL Third Star honors for December.

Thompson, 25, scored a goal in eight games during the month, including a five-goal, six-point outing on Dec. 7 in Columbus, and registered a point in nine contests.

In that 9-4 road win against the Blue Jackets, Thompson became just the second Sabres player to ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Eric Comrie leaves game injured, will miss time

Buffalo Sabres goalie Eric Comrie suffered a lower-body injury in Wednesday’s 4-1 road loss to the Ottawa Senators and will “be out for a little bit,” coach Don Granato said.

“We obviously have to get a further look on him,” Granato told reporters in Ottawa following the Sabres’ seventh straight loss.

Comrie, 27, was injured when Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin checked Mathieu Joseph into him as the Senators forward charged to the net 9:43 into ... Read the full article

Craig Anderson dynamic in Sabres’ win: ‘Amazing to think he’s 41’

BUFFALO – After making some breakaway saves during the first 40 minutes of Thursday’s 4-1 win, 41-year-old Sabres goalie Craig Anderson said he told his teammates he usually stops 80 percent of those chances.

“So I’ve stopped four, the fifth one’s probably going in, so we should probably clean that up,” Anderson joked following his splendid 35-save performance in the season-opening victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Kidding aside, the NHL’s youngest team showcased maturity as ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Victor Olofsson earns spot on first line after fast finish

BUFFALO – As Victor Olofsson’s goal drought dragged on last season, Sabres coach Don Granato began offering some insight into why the winger suddenly stopped scoring.

Olofsson, Granato explained, was battling a soft issue injury – it turned out to be his wrist – that hampered his shooting, his greatest asset. He would massage the puck, and that extra split-second allowed the goalie to catch up.

“He was frustrated and very down because he couldn’t ... Read the full article

At 41, Sabres’ Craig Anderson receives coveted opening night assignment

BUFFALO – In Craig Anderson, Sabres coach Don Granato sees a passionate veteran goalie who understands the end is nearing.

“Craig is a guy that’s very connected to his love of the game, and he sees, hey, my career’s coming to an end, I’m clear and definitively going to miss this, so I’m going to love what I’m going to miss,” Granato said after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators ... Read the full article

Sabres don’t see Mattias Samuelsson’s contract as risky: ‘He is the antidote’

BUFFALO – The sample size is small, just 54 games over parts of two NHL seasons. Still, it was enough to convince the Sabres that defenseman Mattias Samuelsson deserved a seven-year, $30 million contract extension.

The massive deal, announced Wednesday shortly after the Sabres extended coach Don Granato’s contract, certainly raised some eyebrows.

But the Sabres don’t feel it’s a risky move. In the 6-foot-4, 227-pound Samuelsson, a top-pair defender, they believe they possess a ... Read the full article

Don Granato, Kevyn Adams give Sabres stability: ‘We are going to win’

BUFFALO – The new contract the Sabres awarded coach Don Granato illustrates the much-needed stability they’ve developed under general manager Kevyn Adams.

Over the past six weeks, Adams, Granato, leading scorer Tage Thompson and top-pair defenseman Mattias Samuelsson have all signed extensions.

On Wednesday, the eve of the season opener, the Sabres announced Granato’s “multi-year” contract and Samuelsson’s seven-year, $30 million deal within an hour.... Read the full article