WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen suffered a lower-body injury Friday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will miss the Rochester Americans’ AHL North Division Calder Cup Playoff play-in series after suffering a lower-body injury in Friday’s season finale.
“It’s not short-term,” Appert told reporters Sunday of Luukkonen’s injury. “It’s going to be minimum of a few weeks or so.”
Luukkonen, 23, left Friday’s 8-1 win over Utica Comets in the first period and was replaced by Aaron Dell. That victory, coupled with the ... Read the full article
Buffalo goalie Malcolm Subban talks to the media Saturday. ©2022
BUFFALO – The original plan called for a recording of Malcolm Subban singing the U.S. national anthem to be played before Friday’s season finale. But then the goalie’s Sabres teammates and some staff members encouraged him to do it live.
“It was awesome,” a smiling Subban said Saturday as the Sabres cleaned out their lockers and held end-of-season meetings. “I was, like, so nervous before. Like, I couldn’t even eat lunch. Oh yeah, I was ... Read the full article
Craig Anderson has played 31 games this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Injured winger Kyle Okposo and goalie Craig Anderson could play in Friday’s season finale against the Chicago Blackhawks, Sabres coach Don Granato said.
“We want them to play, and they’re right on that cusp,” Granato said. “They are day to day.”
The Sabres play their final road game tonight against the Boston Bruins.... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo has scored 21 goals this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Kyle Okposo left Monday’s practice early and was being evaluated after injuring his left leg during a drill.
The veteran appeared to step on the puck during a rush and fell to the ice. Coach Don Granato said the Sabres would know more later Monday.
Okposo, 34, was injured hours after the Buffalo chapter of The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association named him the Sabres’ 2021-22 nominee for the Masterton Trophy.
Injuries have cost Casey Mittelstadt 42 games this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Casey Mittelstadt likes to extract positives from difficult experiences. So the Sabres forward believes a trying, injury-riddled season in which he has missed 42 games and scored just four goals has also featured personal growth.
Recovering from two upper-body injuries has helped him develop patience – “That’s probably one of the things I struggled with most, I’m pretty impatient,” he said – and evolve as a person.
Mittelstadt, 23, had to do something ... Read the full article
Owen Power has played four NHL games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In a few weeks, after his dizzying year ends, Sabres rookie Owen Power might finally have a chance to sit back and enjoy a little time to himself.
Power, 19, had endured a grueling season prior to signing his entry-level NHL contract, leaving college to represent Team Canada at the Olympics more than 6,500 miles away in Beijing and at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton.
Even in the NHL, Power still has ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo hadn’t scored 20 goals since 2015-16. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson had time and space, so he leaned into his shot, and when the puck hit teammate Kyle Okposo inside his right knee, he went down in a hurry.
As Okposo hobbled off the ice in pain late in Saturday’s first period, it felt like his night might’ve been finished. At that point, the Sabres trailed the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0, and Okposo, who turned 34 on Saturday, said he was ... Read the full article
Mattias Samuelsson missed Thursday’s game. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – In Friday’s practice, Sabres coach Don Granato changed every forward line, tinkering with trios that have recently developed chemistry and enjoyed success.
Granato often explains how he wants his lineup to become interchangeable. While he showcases more patience than most coaches – lines and defense pairs sometimes stay intact for weeks – he’s not afraid to experiment within games or try new things.
So for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank ... Read the full article
Don Granato frequently receives text messages from Bills coach Sean McDermott. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – When Bills coach Sean McDermott arrived at the rink prior to Thursday’s game, coach Don Granato asked him if he would talk to the Sabres before they went on the ice.
Granato said at first, McDermott wasn’t sure if he wanted to address them.
“But after he went around and met the guys and saw what we do for a couple hours, he’s a natural, obviously,” Granato said following Friday’s practice at KeyBank ... Read the full article
Tage Thompson has enjoyed a breakout season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson acknowledged that, yes, the Stanley Cup that Ryan O’Reilly won in 2019, his first season in St. Louis, is always in the back of his mind.
“But at the same time, it doesn’t change my objective,” Thompson said prior to Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Blues, his former team, at KeyBank Center. “My objective is to come here and help our team win and help any way I can ... Read the full article