Reinhart - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres generate little, get blanked by Devils

BUFFALO – New Devils regime. Same boring style.

Some things never change.

Even with Lou Lamoriello, the architect of those highly successful but oh-so-dull New Jersey teams, now 480 miles away from Newark running the Toronto Maple Leafs, his legacy lives on.

The Devils haven’t changed much under new general manager Ray Shero and coach John Hynes. They still suck the life out of the game, patiently wait for opportunities and then sit on the ... Read the full article

Jamie McGinn and Ryan O’Reilly happy as Sabres teammates, linemates

BUFFALO – Right away, Jamie McGinn could hear the excitement in Ryan O’Reilly’s voice. It was June 26, and the two friends had just been traded from the Colorado Avalanche, only they didn’t know they would be joining the Sabres together.

So McGinn and O’Reilly called each other when they learned the full details of the blockbuster deal from television.

The two forwards had grown close over the years, and they knew moving to ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Evander Kane finally scoring

BUFFALO – Realistically, having scored six times in 16 games this season, Sabres winger Evander Kane likely won’t hit his lofty preseason target of 40 or 50 goals.

Scoring once in his first 11 appearances and missing 10 contests with an MCL injury certainly didn’t help.

But that disappointing start has recently become an afterthought, as Kane’s one of the NHL’s hottest scorers as the Sabres start a three-game Canadian road trip tonight against the ... Read the full article

Sabres’ offense explodes in win over Coyotes

BUFFALO – First, Sam Reinhart utilized his soft hands around the net Friday. Jamie McGinn followed with a wicked one-timer off a perfect feed from Jack Eichel. Evander Kane scored later on a short-handed breakaway.

Not only are the Sabres finally scoring goals these days, they’re generating pretty ones, a sure sign the offense is humming for the first time all season.

The Sabres’ third win in four games, an exciting 5-2 victory against the ... Read the full article

World junior memories special for Sabres youngsters

BUFFALO – Eleven months ago, on the grand stages of Montreal and Toronto, Sabres winger Sam Reinhart showcased why he’s regarded as one of hockey’s top prospects, starring for Team Canada during its run to world junior championship gold.

“I had a blast, one of the best times of my life,” Reinhart said this afternoon, shortly after it was announced Buffalo would host the tournament again in 2018.

Two years ago in Sweden, defenseman Rasmus ... Read the full article

Sabres forwards struggling to generate offense

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Dan Bylsma believes Tyler Ennis’ recent erratic play is a result of pressing. The shifty winger, meanwhile, thinks he’s “just trying to play hard.”

Whatever the case, Ennis, who has zero goals in the last seven games, keeps trying to do too much.

“I think he’s trying to make a lot happen with every time he touches the puck,” Bylsma said Wednesday. “He has that mentality and (is) probably trying to ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Evander Kane wants to play Thursday

BUFFALO – Why shouldn’t he play, Sabres winger Evander Kane asked? He doesn’t have any MCL pain and feels comfortable wearing a large brace on his left knee.

“I think you’ll have a pretty good chance to see me tomorrow night in the lineup,” Kane, out since Oct. 24, said today after practicing with his teammates inside the First Niagara Center.

Sabres coach Dan Bylsma labeled Kane “a possibility” for the road contest against the ... Read the full article

Late overturned goal costs Sabres in loss to Stars

BUFFALO – As the 18,101 fans roared and celebrated a late Sabres comeback that seemed improbable just minutes earlier Tuesday, back on the bench, coach Dan Bylsma knew Sam Reinhart’s tying power-play goal wouldn’t count.

“I knew it was offside before the puck went in,” Bylsma said about the goal 13:53 into the third period following the Sabres’ 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars inside the First Niagara Center.

For the third time in 18 ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Mike Weber understands role well

PITTSBURGH – By now, after years and years of getting scratched, gritty veteran Mike Weber knows sitting out occasionally accompanies his role as the Buffalo Sabres’ sixth or seventh defenseman.

“You never want to come out,” Weber said Thursday, “so I understand it’s kind of unfortunately built into my role for reasons unknown. … I just continue to come to the rink determined to work hard and be a good teammate, and when I get ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Chad Johnson rebounds; Jack Eichel ready for Sidney Crosby

PITTSBURGH – Buffalo Sabres goalie Chad Johnson embraces a simple philosophy following poor outings: Don’t panic, just stick with it.

“I think when you start sitting down and being like, ‘OK, I got to change this, change that, get out here and do this,’ now you’re overthinking instead of saying it was one of those days,” Johnson said Wednesday inside the Consol Energy Center.

Johnson, 29, experienced one of those days Friday, looking shaky in ... Read the full article