Peterka - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres fall behind early but roar back in loss to Penguins: ‘A ton of chances’

PITTSBURGH – With the Buffalo Sabres trailing by one goal in the waning minutes of Saturday’s 3-1 loss, winger JJ Peterka set up a splendid scoring chance for linemate Jack Quinn at the top of the right circle.

But instead of unleashing a shot on goalie Casey DeSmith, the rookie quickly passed to center Dylan Cozens, who couldn’t handle the puck in the left circle.

“Everybody watching wishes Jack Quinn would have taken that shot ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Dylan Cozens becoming star between JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn

BUFFALO – Forget about Dylan Cozens’ skill set for a moment. What makes the Sabres center such a unique talent and one of the NHL’s burgeoning young stars are the intangibles he possesses.

Cozens, 21, plays a mature, tenacious style that belies his limited experience.

“He competes for the right reason being in a team sport,” Sabres coach Don Granato said following Tuesday’s practice at KeyBank Center. “He brings guys in with him, he drags ... Read the full article

Torrid week earns Sabres’ Dylan Cozens NHL’s Second Star honors

A torrid four-game stretch in which Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens registered four goals and nine points has earned him NHL Second Star honors for the week ending Sunday.

Cozens, 21, scored in last Monday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning before adding two more goals in Wednesday’s 5-4 shootout road win over the Detroit Red Wings.

The Yukon native followed up by recording one goal and two assists in Thursday’s 6-4 loss ... Read the full article

Sabres beat Sharks, get more scoring from ‘Kid Line’: ‘A lot of chemistry’

BUFFALO – If the struggling Sabres couldn’t fix some of their recent problems and earn a much-needed win against the lowly San Jose Sharks, well, you had to wonder when they’d ever get on track.

The Sharks limped into town Sunday to close a four-game road trip having lost four of their last five contests, including a defeat a night earlier in Ottawa.

They were ripe to be beaten and the Sabres, as their 6-3 ... Read the full article

Sabres’ JJ Peterka evolving, becoming one of NHL’s best rookies

BUFFALO – JJ Peterka spotted imminent danger coming the Sabres’ way, so as the puck slid around the boards as they enjoyed a power play, he began hightailing it back toward his zone.

“I got on my horse,” the rookie winger said following Saturday’s practice.

Peterka’s instincts and speed allowed him to close in on Logan O’Connor at center ice, and he thwarted the Colorado Avalanche winger’s scoring attempt with the Sabres trailing by one ... Read the full article

Lack of discipline burns Sabres in loss to Avalanche: ‘Some bad penalties’

BUFFALO – The Sabres’ penalty killing has alternated this week between abysmal and excellent, helping them lose two games and win another.

In Thursday’s 6-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at KeyBank Center, it was awful, allowing three goals in six attempts to the NHL’s top power play, including two in a span of 49 seconds in the second period.

A night earlier in their 5-4 shootout win in Detroit, the Sabres killed all seven ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Jack Quinn developing confidence, starting to score goals

BUFFALO – The first quarter of Sabres rookie Jack Quinn’s season can be broken down into three parts.

In the early going, Quinn, 21, looked overwhelmed. So he embraced sitting out two games as part of the Sabres’ forward rotation, using it as an opportunity to catch his breath and study the game from a fresh perspective. The time helped him develop a better understanding of the team’s system and the intensity needed to ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson out against Maple Leafs; Jack Quinn set to return

TORONTO – Following Friday’s practice, Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato said if defenseman Mattias Samuelsson wanted to return from an 11-game absence tonight against the Maple Leafs, he would have to convince him he was ready right now.

But Granato had already made up his mind that Samuelsson needed more practice time after suffering a lower-body injury Oct. 22.

“He wasn’t going to convince me, he wasn’t,” Granato said after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Kale Clague earning keep on blue line; Rasmus Dahlin returns

BUFFALO – In his previous stops, Sabres defenseman Kale Clague couldn’t always play aggressively. That often neutralized his skating, his greatest strength.

The Sabres, however, want to attack and push the pace. If players make mistakes, coach Don Granato and his staff can live with them.

“The system (here) allows me to be aggressive, whereas maybe some teams prior I’ve been a little bit more on my heels a little bit, based on that,” Clague ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin set to play after one-game absence

BUFFALO – Rasmus Dahlin’s absence last game wasn’t just related to getting sucker punched in the face by the Carolina Hurricanes’ Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

“It was an accident after,” the Sabres defenseman said this morning of the upper-body injury that sidelined him Saturday. “I was hit kind of late. My neck was a little bit off. I don’t know, it was a mix of everything. So it wasn’t that situation.”

Dahlin, 22, will return for tonight’s ... Read the full article