WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
December Edition
Tim Murray has been talking with NHL officials. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Sabres general manager Tim Murray recently asked coach Ted Nolan to tell him everything that was happening.
Why?
“Because we’re going to complain about it,” Murray told Nolan.
The Sabres are angry the NHL only suspended Flyers agitator Zac Rinaldo four games for elbowing defenseman Chad Ruhwedel in the head late in Sunday’s 5-2 loss in Philadelphia.
Ruhwedel is home recovering from a concussion and out indefinitely. Rinaldo, meanwhile, can play again next ... Read the full article
Ted Nolan wants head hits out of the game. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – About three games ago, Sabres general manager Tim Murray told coach Ted Nolan to tell him everything that was happening.
“Because we’re going to complain about it,” Murray said.
The Sabres are clearly angry Flyers agitator Zac Rinaldo only received a four-game suspension for elbowing defenseman Chad Ruhwedel in the head late in Sunday’s 5-2 loss in Philadelphia.
Ruhwedel is home recovering from a concussion. Rinaldo, meanwhile, can play again next week.
Nolan ... Read the full article
Ville Leino fires his shootout-clinching goal past New Jersey goalie Cory Schneider on Tuesday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Nine rounds into Tuesday’s shootout, Sabres coach Ted Nolan turned to John Scott on the bench.
“Watch the crowd go crazy on this one,” Nolan told the winger after sending out Ville Leino, the fans’ No. 1 whipping boy, with a chance to win the game.
Sure enough, instead of booing Leino, who has zero goals in 53 games this season, the capacity crowd of 19,070 fans inside the First Niagara Center ... Read the full article
Jhonas Enroth will play most of the games down the stretch. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Ryan Miller is gone. Jaroslav Halak, the goalie the Sabres received in Friday’s blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Blues, will be an unrestricted free agent following the season. He could be dealt within days.
For now, Jhonas Enroth, Miller’s backup for three seasons, will shoulder the load down the stretch, interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan said.
The 25-year-old Swede finally has an opportunity to become a No. 1 goalie.
“If you ... Read the full article
Christian Ehrhoff has played three seasons with the Sabres. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – With the NHL trade deadline five days away and rumors swirling, interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan has started greeting captain Steve Ott in a special way.
“You don’t want to make light of it, but every day I walk in and say, ‘Steve, you still here?’” Nolan joked this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “I talked to Tyler Myers on the ice today. His name popped up in the newspapers yesterday. I ... Read the full article
Matt D’Agostini zooms in on Boston goalie Chad Johnson for the overtime winner Wednesday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Having just won an Olympic silver medal, Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth could finally find some comfort in an otherwise miserable season. Sure, the struggling backup had just one win all year, but he had been Sweden’s No. 2 netminder behind Henrik Lundqvist, his idol.
Perhaps Enroth’s two weeks at the Sochi Games generated some much-needed confidence. The 25-year-old dazzled at times Wednesday, making some brilliant saves against the Boston Bruins before a capacity ... Read the full article
Zenon Konopka skates this morning. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – In Minnesota’s fifth game of the season Oct. 12, Sabres center Zenon Konopka broke his left pinky finger. Still, he wouldn’t leave the lineup. He even fought six times with the injury.
Finally, Konopka, a waiver pickup from the Wild last month, underwent surgery during the Olympic break.
“It was bugging me quite a bit,” Konopka, who will return tonight against the Boston Bruins, said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “So ... Read the full article
John Scott skates as a defenseman Tuesday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – A day after Ted Nolan told him to leave the ice for practicing poorly, John Scott said he and the interim Sabres coach are “fine now.”
In fact, the tough guy, a regular winger, played defense Tuesday, his natural position.
“I’m surprised that that happened,” Scott said prior to the Sabres’ 3-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes inside the First Niagara Center. “It was kind of a weird event. I’ve never seen ... Read the full article
John Scott was told to leave practice Monday. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – A day after Ted Nolan told him to leave the ice for practicing poorly, John Scott said he and the interim Sabres coach are “fine now.”
In fact, the tough guy, a regular winger, will play defense tonight, his natural position.
“I’m surprised that that happened,” Scott said about the incident this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “It was kind of a weird event. I’ve never seen that happen before in ... Read the full article
John Scott fights Toronto’s Frazer McLaren on March 21. ©2014, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – About halfway through this morning’s practice, Sabres tough guy John Scott broke his stick on the boards, left the First Niagara Center ice and stomped down the hallway to the dressing room.
What happened?
Interim Sabres coach Ted Nolan ordered Scott off the ice.
“He just fumbled the puck a few times in practice and I didn’t like it,” Nolan said. “In order for us to get better here we have to practice ... Read the full article