Ristolainen - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Phil Varone excited for Toronto debut; Goalie Anders Lindback to start

TORONTO – Buffalo Sabres center Phil Varone didn’t want to leave the Air Canada Centre ice this afternoon. The native of nearby Vaughn, Ontario, a town about 30 minutes north of here, wanted to soak everything in prior to his first game against the Maple Leafs.

“I was just saying I think this is one rink that you come into and you’re like, ‘I’m in the NHL,’” Varone said after leaving the ice after most ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Zemgus Girgensons will play again this season

BUFFALO – Top Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons, who blocked a shot with his right ankle Tuesday, will play again this season, coach Ted Nolan said this morning.

Nolan hinted Girgensons could be finished after James Wisniewski’s shot hit the Latvian halfway through the 4-2 win in Columbus.

“It’s bad but not as bad as we thought,” Nolan said inside the First Niagara Center.

Nolan wouldn’t say if Girgensons’ ankle was broken.

“It could be, ... Read the full article

Nikita Zadorov benched for violating team rules; Sabres recall Jake McCabe

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Ted Nolan offered no details about Nikita Zadorov’s benching Sunday, only saying the defenseman was getting scratched for violating team rules, another episode in the 19-year-old’s turbulent rookie season.

“We had a number of discussions, and another thing happened this morning,” Nolan said prior to the Sabres’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Nashville Predators inside the First Niagara Center. “We’ll talk to him again.”

The Sabres needed Zadorov badly against the ... Read the full article

Sabres want veteran Matt Ellis to keep mentoring in NHL

BUFFALO – Matt Ellis considers himself a realist. At 33 years old, the center understands the Sabres have younger and more talented players they need to examine.

That’s why the veteran of 330 NHL games spent four months this season mentoring the organization’s AHL prospects in Rochester.

“To be perfectly honest, I enjoyed the role that I played in Rochester,” Ellis said Monday inside the First Niagara Center.

The role was fulfilling. Ellis felt proud ... Read the full article

Former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff happy to have Jason Spezza with Stars

BUFFALO – Right away, Lindy Ruff and Jason Spezza buried the hatchet. For years, as Ruff coached the Sabres and Spezza starred for the Ottawa Senators, the two were adversaries.

At the height of the fierce post-lockout Sabres-Senators rivalry, Ruff sent Adam Mair on the ice to jump Spezza, a move that helped ignite the infamous 2007 brawl between the teams after Chris Neil leveled Sabres co-captain Chris Drury.

Spezza, who was dealt to Ruff’s ... Read the full article

Former Sabres star Brian Campbell enjoying Panthers’ revival

BUFFALO – Don’t tell 35-year-old former Sabres All-Star Brian Campbell he’s the oldest member of the Florida Panthers.

“No, no, no, no,” Campbell said Friday prior to the Panthers’ 2-0 win against the Sabres inside the First Niagara Center. “I’m not even top two. I’m third. I might even be later.”

Campbell then turned to Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo.

“Louie, what month were you born in?” he asked.

Luongo replied he was born in April.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Ristolainen ready to play; Michal Neuvirth to start

BUFFALO – As injuries recently weakened his defense corps, Sabres coach Ted Nolan spread out the wealth a bit, breaking up Rasmus Ristolainen, 20, and Nikita Zadorov, 19, arguably his best tandem.

“Our defense corps was a little bit in disarray for a while, and those two were probably our two shining lights,” Nolan said this morning inside the First Niagara Center.

The struggling Sabres desperately need another strong defense pair, so with Ristolainen ... Read the full article

Sabres mix up lines; Rasmus Ristolainen ready to return

BUFFALO – While the top line remained intact, Sabres coach Ted Nolan rearranged his other three trios today, an attempt to jumpstart the struggling team.

The new lines, left to right: Brian Flynn beside Mikhail Grigorenko and Chris Stewart; Cody Hodgson with Cody McCormick and Drew Stafford; Nick Deslauriers beside Johan Larsson and Patrick Kaleta.

Injuries and illness have ravaged the Sabres recently. They haven’t had a second line with Marcus Foligno and Brian Gionta ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Ristolainen out again, Tyson Strachan set to return

BUFFALO – Some quick Sabres lineup updates following a very quiet morning skate inside the First Niagara Center:

– Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen skated but will miss his second consecutive game because of the flu.

“He’s available, but this is the first time he touched the ice in four or five days, so we’re going to let him get his feet back underneath him and put him in the next game,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan said.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta on punching himself in head: ‘I don’t really think I did’

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta said he had no clue he punched himself in the head Monday during his ferocious fight with Ottawa’s Jared Cowen until someone informed him.

Kaleta’s cool with his unusual move, though.

“Hey, if that’s what it takes to win a fight, then that’s what happens,” he said Tuesday after the Sabres practiced in HarborCenter.

Naturally, friends have been sending Kaleta the video. What happened? How does a veteran who ... Read the full article