Ristolainen - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Zach Bogosian playing aggressively again

BUFFALO – The burst might be the surest sign Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian has recaptured his confident, slick style following months of mostly conservative play.

In recent weeks, inevitably a few times a game, Bogosian will grab the puck, and, like few players can, start zooming around the ice.

Bogosian, 25, has been playing his best and most aggressive hockey this season, logging big minutes and piling up points.

“I’ve been feeling confident the last ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Carlo Colaiacovo happy to have regular duty

BUFFALO – For 10 weeks, as Carlo Colaiacovo sat game after game – 30 out of 32, including a whopping 15 straight – the Sabres defenseman kept giving coach Dan Bylsma a message.

“Every game he was, ‘I’m ready to go,’” Bylsma said prior to Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes inside the First Niagara Center.

These days, even with Colaiacovo, 33, dressing regularly again – he played his 10^th straight ... Read the full article

Sabres blow late lead, lose to Wild in shootout

BUFFALO – Finally, thanks to rookie Jack Eichel’s score, it appeared the Sabres’ first shootout goal in months would help them eke out a win after blowing a late lead against the Minnesota Wild.

Eichel, just 66 games into his career, already has a commanding on-ice presence. His exploits create excitement and momentum, and his first NHL shootout goal in four tries had the capacity crowd of 19,070 fans inside the First Niagara Center buzzing ... Read the full article

Secondary scoring boosts Sabres over Flames

BUFFALO – Marcus Foligno’s nifty toe-drag slickly undressed a defender short-handed. Nick Deslauriers utilized his underrated shot. Then Johan Larsson showcased some supreme patience before roofing the backhand winner in the Sabres’ 6-3 victory against the hapless Calgary Flames on Thursday.

For good measure, rookie Jack Eichel added some power-play insurance, his first goal in eight games, before Evander Kane’s empty-netter secured only the Sabres’ 12^th home win.

The Sabres’ offense has been anemic ... Read the full article

Sabres’ anemic offense wasting strong goaltending efforts

BUFFALO – In his last three starts, goalie Robin Lehner has been the Sabres’ backbone, stopping 100 of the 105 shots opponents have pumped on him, a gaudy .952 save percentage.

For his efforts, thanks to just a single goal of support, Lehner earned zero wins.

“It’s frustrating to let those (performances) go to waste,” Sabres winger Marcus Foligno said Wednesday.

For the first time since 2010-11, the Sabres could have four players – Jack ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Ristolainen earns World Cup spot

BUFFALO – Forget, for a moment, that Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has a minus-6 rating in the last five contests and hasn’t scored a goal in 22 games.

Ristolainen, 21, has mostly enjoyed a stellar campaign, becoming his team’s ace defender while skating more than 25 minutes a game. Finland rewarded Ristolainen’s breakout season today, naming him to its initial roster for the 2016 World Cup.

“It’s always a pleasure,” Ristolainen said. “It’s a huge ... Read the full article

Connor McDavid steals show in Oilers’ overtime win against Sabres

BUFFALO – As much as Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid tried to downplay the hype, say that Tuesday’s first-ever meeting between the top two picks was really about their teams, in the end, the rookies ended up being the talk of the Edmonton Oilers’ 2-1 overtime triumph against the Sabres.

The game almost played out like it had been scripted, with McDavid, the phenom Sabres fans coveted before the Oilers won the NHL Draft ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Chad Johnson could return as backup

BUFFALO – Just days ago, it appeared Sabres goalie Chad Johnson’s days here were numbered.

In fact, after the backup’s strong 24-save performance in Friday’s 3-1 win in San Jose, the joke became the Sabres should’ve left him there because the Sharks needed a new No. 2 goalie badly.

But the Sharks acquired James Reimer from Toronto on Saturday, the same day St. Louis received Anders Nilsson from Edmonton.

In a matter of hours, the ... Read the full article

Sabres open to bringing Jamie McGinn back in summer

BUFFALO – Come July 1, if Jamie McGinn is available in free agency, the Sabres would be interested in re-signing the winger, general manager Tim Murray said today after trading the veteran to the Anaheim Ducks for a conditional third-round pick in 2016.

Murray had talked a bit with McGinn’s camp about an extension. McGinn, his top asset on an expiring contract, meshed quickly in his first season with the Sabres, scoring 13 goals.

“It ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Josh Gorges rejuvenated after nightmare season

BUFFALO – Sometimes after a particularly rough shift, when Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges is gassed and trying to catch his breath, he’ll glance over and marvel at his partner Rasmus Ristolainen, an emerging star 10 years younger than him.

“Risto’s sitting there like he’s not even tired yet, and he was out there the same amount of time,” Gorges said Monday after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s road tilt against the Ottawa Senators.

In ... Read the full article