Pominville - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Maturity helped earn Jack Eichel Sabres’ captaincy

BUFFALO – Jack Eichel was at home cooking dinner Tuesday night when his coach, Phil Housley, called and said the Sabres’ brass wanted to meet with him.

So Eichel left and drove to KeyBank Center. When he arrived, Housley, general manager Jason Botterill and owner Terry Pegula told the talented center he would be the 19th full-time captain in Sabres history.

“Really humbling moment,” Eichel said Wednesday inside KeyBank Center, where the Sabres open the ... Read the full article

Fun-loving Patrik Berglund already one of Sabres’ leaders

BUFFALO – Patrik Berglund’s booming voice echoed throughout HarborCenter.

“Use your stick!” the Sabres center shouted, along with another word that can’t be reprinted, during a practice drill last week.

Some of Berglund’s new teammates then quickly burst out laughing. In the midst of an intense training camp, he provided some much-needed levity.

“This game’s about having fun,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said Monday inside KeyBank Center. “He enjoys coming to the rink and having ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Zach Bogosian day-to-day with lower-body injury

BUFFALO – Oft-injured Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian, who played only 18 games last season, is day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury Tuesday, coach Phil Housley said.

Housley said Bogosian, 28, will be reevaluated later today after leaving the Sabres’ 4-2 preseason loss to Columbus early.

Injuries, of course, have ravaged Bogosian. The Massena native has missed 114 games – a whopping 42 percent of Buffalo’s outings – since he joined the Sabres on Feb. ... Read the full article

Sabres forwards Conor Sheary, Sean Malone out with injuries

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Conor Sheary, a newcomer expected to skate on a top line, is week-to-week after suffering an upper-body injury during Friday’s practice.

“In the first day (of training camp), he took a hit the wrong way, and we’re just making sure we’re on top of that,” said Sabres coach Phil Housley, who is dealing with three notable injuries just five days into camp.

Center Sean Malone will miss six weeks after ... Read the full article

Young talent helped convince Jeff Skinner to join Sabres

BUFFALO – Having a no-trade clause attached to his six-year, $34.35 million contract meant Jeff Skinner controlled his future. The Sabres’ newest player could veto a deal and wait until the Carolina Hurricanes and his agent found him a new team he liked.

While Skinner denied he turned down any offers before the Sabres materialized, reports and the timing of his trade – high-profile NHL deals rarely transpire in August – suggest otherwise.... Read the full article

Conor Sheary sees fit with Sabres

BUFFALO – In adding Conor Sheary from the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Sabres filled a glaring hole in their lineup. The bottom-feeding club sorely needed a speedy winger capable of scoring goals, especially at five-on-five.

The Sabres now have a left winger they can utilize beside top center Jack Eichel. Having scored only four of his 48 NHL goals on the power play, Sheary owns a track record of producing offense at even strength.... Read the full article

Conor Sheary offers Sabres scoring, valuable experience

BUFFALO – During Sabres general manager Jason Botterill’s tenure running Pittsburgh’s top affiliate, the Wilkes-Barres/Scranton Penguins signed an undersized college winger named Conor Sheary to an AHL tryout.

Today, Sheary, 26, has two Stanley Cups and 48 goals on an impressive NHL resume. But barely four years ago, he was an unknown just looking for a pro opportunity after playing four NCAA seasons at the University of Massachusetts.... Read the full article

Winning will help Sabres generate more excitement at home

BUFFALO – KeyBank Center hasn’t always been the NHL’s quietest venue. When the Sabres roared out of the 2005 lockout and briefly contended for the Stanley Cup during winger Jason Pominville’s first tenure here, the rink was often raucous and among the league’s noisiest.

Of course, 10 or 12 years ago, the Sabres regularly won games and ranked among the league’s highest-scoring teams. If you attended a game, chances are you’d witness something special ... Read the full article

Sabres lose to Senators in home finale, clinch 31st place

BUFFALO – Jason Pominville looked stunned. Mercifully, the Sabres closed out their home schedule Wednesday, and the finality of the most disappointing season in franchise history hit the veteran winger hard.

“I don’t think anyone really coming in envisioned this,” Pominville said after a 4-2 loss to the hapless Ottawa Senators secured the Sabres 31st place. “Certainly not myself, being on the outside coming in and hoping we’d be headed in the right direction.

“And ... Read the full article

Productive stretch earns Alexander Nylander recall to Sabres

BUFFALO – Four or five months ago, it appeared slick Sabres prospect Alexander Nylander’s second pro season would be a dud.

In rookie camp, Nylander suffered a lower-body injury, costing him more than two months. The former eighth overall pick struggled following his season debut in mid-November, mustering only one goal and four points in his first 12 AHL outings.

But Nylander, 20, started turning a miserable campaign around early in the winter. The winger ... Read the full article