Pysyk - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres think 3-on-3 overtime format would work

BUFFALO – To Sabres center Matt Ellis, the AHL’s experiment with three-on-three overtime this season has created “a really exciting brand” of hockey.

The extra space allows players to freewheel all over the ice and have fun. Systems become an afterthought.

“The speed and the skill really shines through, the amount of open ice,” Ellis, who played 38 games in Rochester this season, said Monday prior to the Sabres’ 4-3 shootout loss to the ... Read the full article

Johan Larsson impressing as Sabres’ No. 1 center

TORONTO – Johan Larsson’s new assignment really hit him when he lined up for a faceoff Saturday against Washington Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom, the NHL’s best playmaker and a fellow Swede.

Larsson, the Buffalo Sabres’ new No. 1 center, has only three goals and 11 points in 53 NHL games. After scoring a goal and two assists in Wednesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs – his first-ever three-point outing – the 22-year-old has ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Mikhail Grigorenko should get long look

BUFFALO – For once, center Mikhail Grigorenko can relax a little bit. Eighteen games are left in the Sabres’ trying season. The NHL’s weakest lineup needs reinforcements.

Sabres coach Ted Nolan wouldn’t commit to Grigorenko staying for the rest of the year. But the Russian should get a long look after getting recalled from Rochester again Thursday.

This could be Grigorenko’s best opportunity since his rookie season two years ago.

Grigorenko, the 12^th pick ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Brian Flynn excited for opportunity with Canadiens

BUFFALO – Less than three years ago, Brian Flynn was an undrafted and mostly unknown youngster at the University of Maine. The versatile forward’s signing with the Sabres barely registered with the fan base.

But Flynn quickly and quietly worked himself into a strong NHL prospect.

After less than a season in Rochester, Flynn debuted with the Sabres in 2012-13. The 26-year-old played regularly until they dealt him to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday for ... Read the full article

Chris Stewart prepared to leave Sabres at trade deadline

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Chris Stewart will leave town with no regrets, he said. Despite some tough times in Buffalo, he enjoyed playing here.

The Sabres will likely deal the honest veteran today before the 3 p.m. trade deadline, ending his one-year run with the rebuilding club. He’s excited about the fresh opportunity a trade could bring him.

A year ago at the deadline, St. Louis, a team built to win the Stanley Cup, dealt ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Mark Pysyk released from hospital, doing well after collapse

BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Mark Pysyk was released from the hospital on Saturday after collapsing during a pickup basketball game earlier in the day.

In a short statement, the Rochester Americans said Pysyk “is doing well.” Pysyk has had no known medical issues since the Sabres drafted him 23^rd overall in 2010.

The 23-year-old defenseman dropped to his knees and collapsed Saturday morning, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. A person with ... Read the full article

Report: Sabres prospect Mark Pysyk hospitalized after collapse in Rochester

BUFFALO – Sabres prospect Mark Pysyk collapsed this morning during a pickup basketball game with his Rochester teammates and was rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital, according the Democrat and Chronicle’s Kevin Oklobzija.

Update: Pysyk has been released for the hospital and is doing “well,” according to the team.

The paper quoted a person with knowledge of the situation as saying Pysyk “was fairly alert” and “his vital signs were close to normal” on the ... Read the full article

Sabres send Mark Pysyk to Amerks

BUFFALO – The Sabres sent defenseman Mark Pysyk to Rochester on Friday before leaving for this afternoon’s road game against the Florida Panthers, a move that raised a few eyebrows.

The 2010 first-round pick played three games during his recall, skating more than 18 minutes in the last two outings, both wins. He scored the winning goal in Tuesday’s 4-2 win in Columbus.

Sabres coach Ted Nolan has repeatedly said while the decision is out ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ted Nolan big fan of Jaromir Jagr

BUFFALO – Count Ted Nolan as a fan of Jaromir Jagr, the legendary 43-year-old winger the Florida Panthers acquired from the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

The ageless Jagr, who has 716 goals and 1,784 points in 1,530 games, should make his Panthers debut Saturday in Florida against the Sabres.

Nolan believes Jagr’s arrival could boost the Panthers’ playoff hopes.

“You see a guy like Jagr, growing up and watching him in his early days, ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Buffalo homecoming special for Canucks’ Adam Clendening

BUFFALO – Adam Clendening’s first experience playing here about 12 years ago is still vivid. The Wheatfield native remembers gazing around and soaking up the atmosphere during a Buffalo Regals youth hockey game hours before the Sabres hit the ice.

“That was definitely pretty surreal,” Clendening said Thursday prior to the Vancouver Canucks’ 6-3 loss to the Sabres, his first NHL game at the First Niagara Center.

Clendening used to be the little kid on ... Read the full article