WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
October Edition
Jeff Skinner could be sidelined around a month. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Forget that Jeff Skinner hadn’t scored in 11 games before suffering an upper-body injury Friday. Forget that after enjoying his first 40-goal campaign, the Sabres winger has only produced 11 goals in 39 contests this season.
Skinner, who will be sidelined three to four weeks, the Sabres announced Saturday, can be a lethal scorer. In his last few outings, he channeled his 2018-19 form, showcasing the tenacious style that helped make him ... Read the full article
Jeff SKinner has scored 11 goals this season. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Winger Jeff Skinner will miss three to four weeks with an upper-body injury, the Sabres announced this morning.
Skinner’s absence could be a huge blow to the Sabres, who have been struggling to produce offense as they fight for a playoff spot.
While Skinner, 27, struggled this month – he has an 11-game goal drought – he looked better in recent outings, playing aggressively and generating offense.
Overall, Skinner has scored 11 goals ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner has endured a rough month. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres have a way of making any recent progress quickly feel like a distant memory.
For the first two weeks of December, they channeled some of their early-season form, shaking off an awful November swoon and moving back into a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.
Now, having dropped five of their last six games (1-4-1), they’re struggling again.
To make matters worse, in addition to losing 3-0 to the heavyweight Boston ... Read the full article
Jake McCabe captained Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Championship. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Seven years ago, Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe had no idea he would be named captain of Team USA’s entry at the World Junior Championship.
The team, after all, had some returning players. McCabe, then 19, was participating in his first tournament.
“It was one I was surprised about because I was a first-year player,” McCabe said prior to Friday’s 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center. “But I took it with ... Read the full article
Marcus Johansson is frustrated by his play. ©2019, Hickling Images
BUFFALO – Even during the opening weeks of the season, as Marcus Johansson scored goals and solidified himself as the Sabres’ No. 2 center, his play irked him.
“I didn’t feel like myself with the puck and stuff like that,” said Johansson, who scored four goals and seven points in the first nine games. “I mean, sometimes you still get points and the team wins. You kind of don’t think about it as much.”
These ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin missed his eighth straight game Tuesday. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was so excited to practice with his teammates Tuesday morning he said he woke up at 6:30.
“I was nervous, it felt like Christmas,” said an upbeat Dahlin, who has missed eight games after suffering a concussion Nov. 25. “Good to be back. I was really happy to skate with the boys today.”
Dahlin, 19, hasn’t played since Tampa Bay Lighting defenseman Erik Cernak elbowed him in the ... Read the full article
Casey Mittelstadt has compiled nine points this season. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Casey Mittelstadt understands why he was scratched. The Sabres center knows he played poorly in Saturday afternoon’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
The Sabres have forward depth again, so Mittelstadt, who has scored one goal in the last 21 games, sat out Sunday’s 3-2 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers.
“It’s not a secret I didn’t play well in Vancouver,” Mittelstadt said this morning. “Yeah, you want to play every game, ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin has missed seven games. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was so excited to practice with his teammates today he said he woke up at 6:30 this morning.
“I was nervous, it felt like Christmas,” said an upbeat Dahlin, who has missed the last seven games after suffering a concussion Nov. 25. “Good to be back. I was really happy to skate with the boys today.”
Dahlin, 19, hasn’t played since Tampa Bay Lighting defenseman Erik Cernak elbowed him ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner has gotten off to a strong start. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Through 28 games, Sabres coach Ralph Krueger has resisted the temptation to reunite 40-goal scorer Jeff Skinner and captain Jack Eichel.
When Krueger broke up the lethal duo before the season, it felt like only a temporary move. How long could he really keep them apart, right?
Well, two months later, the NHL All-Stars are still skating on separate lines.
Krueger awarded rookie Victor Olofsson a coveted spot as Eichel’s left winger, an ... Read the full article
Conor Sheary scored twice Monday. ©2019, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Over the past week or so, the Sabres settled down and started showcasing some of the early-season form that made them one of the NHL’s heavyweights.
Their ability to play tighter defense helped them consistently generate more offense. While it had only resulted in two wins, it felt like the Sabres could bust out soon.
Luckily for them, the hapless New Jersey Devils visited town.
In its 22-year existence, around 2,700 periods of ... Read the full article