WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
January Edition
Matt Savoie played six games for Rochester. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Having just returned from a conditioning loan, Sabres prospect Matt Savoie won’t make his NHL debut tonight in Carolina. Coach Don Granato wants to put him into positions he will succeed, so he doesn’t feel comfortable playing him against the Hurricanes after one practice.
In the near future, however, the Sabres will likely give Savoie, 19, a chance to showcase his talents. The slick forward stood out in the AHL, scoring two goals ... Read the full article
Ryan Johnson earned a long look from Buffalo in the preseason. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
TORONTO – Ryan Johnson’s Saturday began in Rochester, where he was preparing to hop on a bus and play with the Americans in Syracuse. It ended in Scotiabank Arena, where the rookie celebrated a win with the Buffalo Sabres and his first NHL point.
Having lost Mattias Samuelsson to a lower-body injury Friday, the Sabres needed another defenseman, and they chose Johnson, 22, over more experienced options.
Johnson said when Rochester’s coaches told him ... Read the full article
Alex Tuch scored twice Saturday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
TORONTO – No, it wasn’t quite a piano off Alex Tuch’s back. The Sabres winger had scored this season before his two third-period goals Saturday secured a 6-4 win over the Maple Leafs. He said he believes he had been skating well.
Piano’s too heavy for the expression.
“Monkey more than piano,” said Tuch, bringing the weight he was carrying early this season down about 700 pounds.
Fresh off a breakout 36-goal campaign, Tuch hadn’t ... Read the full article
Matt Savoie has fit in well in Rochester. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – By about 9:30 tonight, Sabres prospect Matt Savoie will have completed his sixth game with the Rochester Americans and his 14-day AHL conditioning loan will be over.
Savoie, 19, has fit in nicely, establishing himself as one of the Amerks’ top scoring threats while showcasing the talents that made him the ninth overall pick in 2022. Staying in Rochester would likely buoy the forward’s development.
But as a teenager whose rights are owned ... Read the full article
Lukas Rousek began the season in Rochester. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – When the Sabres recently placed winger Zach Benson and goalie Eric Comrie on injured reserve, they recalled two young forward prospects.
Brandon Biro, 25, rewarded the Sabres by scoring his first two NHL goals in Wednesday’s 5-2 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Biro will be joined by another rookie, Lukas Rousek, 24, in tonight’s lineup against the Flyers.
“It’s an opportunity for us to see what we have in our organization and ... Read the full article
Lukas Rousek played his first two NHL games last season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres on Thursday recalled winger Lukas Rousek, who played his first two NHL games last season, from the Rochester Americans.
Winger Alex Tuch missed Thursday’s practice for maintenance, according to the Sabres, so Rousek might’ve been summoned for insurance.
The Sabres had one extra forward, winger Victor Olofsson, for Wednesday’s 5-2 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers. They host the Flyers tonight at KeyBank Center.
Update: Rousek and Tuch will play against ... Read the full article
Zach Benson has played six NHL games. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres have lost one rookie to injury and added two to the lineup.
General manager Kevyn Adams said on Tuesday that winger Zach Benson, 18, aggravated a lower-body injury he has been dealing with and will be sidelined week to week.
With a roster spot available, the Sabres recalled forward Brandon Biro from the Rochester Americans. Biro, 25, practiced at right wing Tuesday alongside center Tage Thompson and Jordan Greenway. Coach Don ... Read the full article
Erik Johnson is a mainstay on the penalty kill. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Through nine games, the Sabres have mostly utilized the same penalty killers as last season, with one exception. Newcomer Erik Johnson usually jumps over the boards first with defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, offering a stabilizing veteran presence.
So far, Johnson has helped, as the Sabres have killed 89.2 percent of their penalties, which ranked sixth in the NHL entering Monday’s games. Last season, they killed just 73 percent of their penalties, which ranked 28th ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen makes a save Sunday afternoon with teammate Jacob Bryson nearby. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Fair or not, the knock on Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is his inability to make big saves at critical times.
In his 50-game career, the Finn hasn’t delivered many of those momentum-changing stops that might preserve a lead or keep a contest tied or within striking distance.
That’s why Luukkonen’s superb save on star Mikko Rantanen with the game tied at 0 early in Sunday afternoon’s 4-0 win holds so much significance.
The ... Read the full article
Devin Cooley, shown here in training camp, began the season in training camp. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres goalie Eric Comrie’s lower-body injury will likely sideline him at least few weeks, general manger Kevyn Adams said. Meanwhile, rookie Devon Levi is still recovering from his lower-body injury.
So on Saturday, the Sabres, the same team forced to scratch a healthy goalie four times earlier this season, recalled Devin Cooley on an emergency basis from the Rochester Americans.
Cooley, 26, will back up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for this afternoon’s game against the ... Read the full article