WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
Ralph Krueger is in his first season coaching the Sabres. ©2019, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Six years ago, Ralph Krueger’s job as a consultant for Team Canada’s Olympic entry at the Sochi Games offered the Sabres coach a chance to discuss hockey with some the game’s greatest minds.
Mike Babcock, Ken Hitchcock, Claude Julien and former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff all served on Canada’s coaching staff.
“It was the best hockey coaching symposium you could go through with that group because of the way everybody exchanged everything,” Krueger ... Read the full article
Conor Sheary has an upper-body injury. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Right now, the Sabres don’t plan to recall a forward to replace winger Conor Sheary, who’s week-to-week after suffering an upper-body injury Monday, the team announced this morning.
The Sabres have 12 healthy forwards for tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, which is enough for coach Ralph Krueger and general manager Jason Botterill.
Evan Rodrigues, a healthy scratch the first three games, practiced Tuesday in Sheary’s spot at right wing beside ... Read the full article
Evan Rodrigues was surprised the Sabres scratched him. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – When Evan Rodrigues found out he would be starting the season as the Sabres’ 13th forward, he said he was “shocked.”
“That was obviously not a situation I thought I’d be in,” Rodrigues, who will make his season debut Wednesday, said following today’s practice inside KeyBank Center.
Rodrigues, 26, played 74 contests last season, showcasing his versatility up and down the lineup at center and both wing positions.
In late July, an arbitrator ... Read the full article
Danny Gare scored a hat trick in the 1975-76 season finale to reach the 50-goal mark. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – More than 43 years later, Sabres legend Danny Gare still sounds surprised he hit the prestigious 50-goal mark in the grandest of fashions.
That night, after all, was supposed to be about Rick Martin’s pursuit of the milestone. The sniper needed to score just once to reach 50 goals for the third consecutive season.
Gare, meanwhile, had scored 47 times entering the season finale on April 4, 1976 against the Toronto Maple Leafs ... Read the full article
Carter Hutton made 28 saves Thursday. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – As promised, the Sabres held a team meeting this morning and skipped the pregame skate before their 50th anniversary home opener against the New Jersey Devils.
Except that to be the Sabres’ new routine. New coach Ralph Krueger believes his players do enough off-ice work to get their bodies ready.
In lineup news, Krueger said goalie Carter Hutton, fresh a strong 28-save outing in Thursday’s 3-1 win in Pittsburgh, will start ... Read the full article
Marcus Johansson has impressed coach Ralph Krueger. ©2019, Hickling Images
PITTSBURGH – Marcus Johansson rarely displays much emotion. In good times and bad, the Buffalo Sabres center usually keeps an even keel.
Still, Ralph Krueger could tell being named one of the Sabres’ two alternate captains earlier this week had special meaning to Johansson.
“His Swedish persona (was) able to kind of tuck it away in the talk with me, but I thought he was extremely honored,” Krueger said prior to Thursday’s 3-1, season-opening win ... Read the full article
Carter Hutton played a career-high 50 games last season. ©2019, Hickling Images
PITTSBURGH – In almost equal preseason action, Buffalo Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark outplayed Carter Hutton, posting a goals-against average 64 points lower and a save percentage 49 points higher than his partner.
But Hutton, 33, handled the load last season, playing a career-high 50 games.
Sabres coach Ralph Krueger, who said everything was up for competition during training camp, probably wants to show Hutton respect on opening night against the Penguins.
The veteran will ... Read the full article
Chris Taylor knows the Sabres well. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Having just spent most of training camp with the Sabres, coach Ralph Krueger expects Chris Taylor to transition to the NHL smoothly.
The Sabres promoted Taylor, the Rochester Americans’ head coach, on an interim basis today to replace assistant coach Don Granato, who’s hospitalized with pneumonia.
Granato, 52, will be taking a medical leave from the Sabres.
“The curve is in the right direction,” Krueger said of Granato’s health following today’s practice ... Read the full article
Casey Mittelstadt scored 12 goals as a rookie. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – For seven months last season, Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt lived the hectic NHL life. The rookie practiced almost daily, played 77 games and logged thousands of air miles traveling across North America.
Mittelstadt, 20, had never experienced anything like it.
Then in the second week of April, everything stopped. When the season ended, Mittelstadt quickly became bored.
“You go from 100 mph to literally zero,” Mittelstadt said prior to Wednesday’s 4-3 preseason overtime ... Read the full article
Jake McCabe has battled shoulder problems in the past. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – An upper-body injury will sideline Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe the rest of the preseason, the team announced this morning.
“It was in practice yesterday, just light upper body,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said inside KeyBank Center. “We’re expecting him to be good to go for the first league game.”
McCabe, 25, has battled shoulder problems in the past.
In addition to McCabe, four other Sabres defensemen – Zach Bogosian (hip), Matt Hunwick (neck), ... Read the full article
