WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
Jeff Skinner has missed 10 games. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – This upcoming stretch will likely decide the Sabres’ season. They play nine of their first 10 games following the NHL All-Star break at KeyBank Center, where they’ve compiled a terrific 14-6-3 mark this season.
The odds, of course, are slim the Sabres, who trail the Florida Panthers by 10 points for the Atlantic Division’s final playoff spot, can roar back into the race.
But given their upcoming slate of home games and winger ... Read the full article
Rasmus Asplund returned to Rochester during the Sabres’ break. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – As expected, the Sabres recalled defenseman Lawrence Pilut from the Rochester Americans on Sunday after the NHL All-Star break ended.
But what about forward Rasmus Asplund, who was sent to the Amerks with Pilut and winger Scott Wilson when the Sabres started their bye last week?
Coach Ralph Krueger said winger Jeff Skinner’s status for Tuesday’s game against the Ottawa Senators and whether the Sabres use seven defensemen will determine if the ... Read the full article
Jimmy Vesey has scored five goals this season. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After enduring a 20-game goal drought to start his Sabres career, winger Jimmy Vesey has scored five times in his last 21 outings.
“Which is about where I want to be,” Vesey said Friday after practicing on the top line beside center Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart.
Having averaged 17 goals over his first three NHL seasons with the New York Rangers, Vesey’s recent numbers are in line with his normal production.
“The ... Read the full article
Michael Frolik’s role with Calgary diminished this season. ©2020, Dan Hickling, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Michael Frolik’s whirlwind Tuesday started around 6:30 a.m. in Toronto. After waking up, the Sabres newcomer headed to the U.S. Embassy.
After a trip back to the hotel, Frolik returned around 3 or 4 p.m. and picked up his visa – he said it was approved in just one day – and left for Buffalo. But traffic added nearly an hour to the drive, so the Czech arrived around 7:30 p.m.
Five days ... Read the full article
Scott Wilson broke his right ankle last season. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After winger Scott Wilson broke his right ankle in training camp last season and missed the first three months, he spent five weeks in the minors.
While Wilson, 27, made it back to the NHL – he played 15 late-season games with the Sabres – his recovery was far from over.
“Really dealing with that ankle was a full-year thing for me,” said Wilson, who was injured Sept. 30, 2018.
So when the ... Read the full article
Michael Frolik won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2013. ©2020, Dan Hickling, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Like a lot of NHL players, Michael Frolik’s role started changing after he turned 30. His minutes dropped. He even became a healthy scratch.
After spending most of his tenure with the Calgary Flames skating on the second line with Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk, the Czech winger often played under 10 minutes this season.
“I wasn’t really happy with my role,” Frolik, 31, said on a conference call Friday to discuss his ... Read the full article
Victor Olofsson (68) was injured Thursday. ©2020, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Winger Victor Olofsson’s absence for the next five to six weeks could extinguish the Sabres’ playoff hopes. From the get-go, they’ve relied on the Swedish rookie to score goals.
Now, the lower-body injury he suffered in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers could sideline him until mid-February, the Sabres announced Friday.
Having scored 16 goals and 35 points in 42 games, including six power-play goals in the first seven contests, Olofsson ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel has played at an MVP level this season. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres captain Jack Eichel’s selection to the NHL All-Star Game, of course, was a no-brainer.
Eichel’s fifth NHL season has quickly become his best. Right now, he ranks among the game’s elite stars.
The slick center has already scored 24 goals, just four off his career high, and 52 points in 39 games. He’s tied for third in NHL goal scoring and is seventh in points entering tonight’s game against the Tampa ... Read the full article
Dalton Smith played 400 pro games before earning his first trip to the NHL. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – Long before the Sabres signed him to a two-way contract Monday, Dalton Smith seemed destined to reach the NHL.
In 2010, the Columbus Blue Jackets drafted the 6-foot-2, 210-pound winger 34th overall. Second-round picks, of course, are expected to make the big leagues.
But Smith’s road to the NHL would be long and arduous.
His stint as a bonafide prospect was short. After spending two seasons with Columbus’ AHL affiliate, he started bouncing ... Read the full article
Jack Eichel has already scored 24 goals. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – A stellar season in which he has scored 24 goals and 52 points in 39 games and generated MVP talk has helped Sabres captain Jack Eichel earn a spot in the NHL All-Star Game for the third straight season, the league announced today.
Eichel, who will play for the Atlantic Division, was one of 37 players selected by the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department. The league previously announced the captains of the four divisions.... Read the full article