St. Louis Blues - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres don’t want moral victory from loss to Blues

BUFFALO – Thursday’s 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues was the Sabres’ 34^th defeat this season and their 15^th setback in the last 16 games. But against an NHL powerhouse, the league’s worst team held its own, carrying the play for stretches and generating some prime scoring chances.

If the Sabres converted a couple of opportunities – they had two clear-cut breakaways – then they might have upset the NHL’s hottest team. Instead, ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabres captain Steve Ott grateful for support in Buffalo

BUFFALO – They’re still all over town. Go to a Sabres game, walk around the mall or do some grocery shopping, and you’ll inevitably see someone wearing a No. 9 Steve Ott Sabres jersey.

“Must’ve been on sale when I got traded or something,” Ott joked Thursday prior to the St. Louis Blues’ 3-0 win, his first game in Buffalo since the Sabres dealt him Feb. 28. “I don’t know. Maybe they were just giving ... Read the full article

Former Sabres captain Steve Ott ready for Buffalo return with Blues

BUFFALO – Look out, Patrick Kaleta. Former Sabres captain Steve Ott said he wants a little revenge for the time you guys fought almost five years ago.

“He doesn’t really know, but I still owe him one for raising the roof when we got in a fight here,” Ott joked today after his St. Louis Blues prepared for tonight’s game. “I’ll be playing him a little harder than the others. But Patty’s one of my ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Marcus Foligno nearing return; Nikita Zadorov out against Blues

BUFFALO – Before Marcus Foligno broke his hand fighting Boston’s Matt Bartkowski on Dec. 21, the Sabres center was enjoying perhaps the best run of his young career.

Foligno had just been moved to the middle by Sabres coach Ted Nolan. He had a three-game goal streak during the team’s torrid run earlier in December.

Still, Foligno, who could return this weekend, doesn’t want a do-over. Bartkowski hit Sabres captain Brian Gionta high after ... Read the full article

Sabres know trades will be coming soon

BUFFALO – Ted Nolan’s response raised some eyebrows. Coaches, after all, rarely acknowledge they have players who are ready to leave town.

But Tuesday in Montreal, hours before the Sabres’ 3-2 win ended their 14-game losing streak, Nolan, whose rebuilding club will likely be selling off assets soon, went a step further.

“We got some guys who could be very beneficial to some playoff teams,” Nolan replied when asked if coaching could be tougher because ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Josh Gorges injured in loss to Blues

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to the Blues and will miss at least one game.

“It’s not good,” Sabres coach Ted Nolan told reporters in St. Louis.

Gorges, the NHL’s leading shot blocker, will be evaluated, Nolan said. He skated 10 minutes, 10 seconds and left the contest early in the second period.

The Sabres play Thursday in Minnesota and host Toronto on Saturday.... Read the full article

Former Sabres captain Steve Ott feeling refreshed with Blues

BUFFALO – Part of Steve Ott will always remain with the Sabres. The gritty 32-year-old quickly became one of the city’s most popular athletes during his two-year tenure, his blue-collar style resonating in a hardworking fan base.

“I like to think that I was a part of that organization for the right reasons,” Ott, whose St. Louis Blues host the Sabres tonight, said by phone Monday morning. “When you wear a sweater of a team, ... Read the full article

Young Sabres Rasmus Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov impressing as tandem

BUFFALO – When you’re struggling and searching for anything to ignite the team, you experiment. So with nothing to lose, Sabres coach Ted Nolan paired Rasmus Ristolainen, 20, and rookie Nikita Zadorov, 19, together last game.

The defensemen became the Sabres’ top tandem in Saturday’s ugly 6-1 loss to Pittsburgh, each skating more than 20 minutes, more than Tyler Myers. Zadorov wasn’t on the ice for any goals against.

“If you look at both ... Read the full article

Blues hire former Sabres goalie coach Jim Corsi

Jim Corsi didn’t last long on the open market.

The St. Louis Blues have hired the respected former Buffalo Sabres goalie coach, the team announced today. Ironically, the Blues recently parted ways with goalie Ryan Miller, who spent 12 years under Corsi in Buffalo. The two enjoyed a strong relationship.

The Sabres fired Corsi in April after 16 years. The Blues let goalie coach Corey Hirsch go earlier this month.

The Blues will use ... Read the full article

Brian Elliott’s re-signing means Blues won’t bring back Ryan Miller

The conditional draft pick the Buffalo Sabres received from the St. Louis Blues in the blockbuster Ryan Miller-Steve Ott trade won’t become this year’s first-rounder.

The Blues signed backup goalie Brian Elliott to a three-year extension today, effectively ending Miller’s short run with the club.

The Sabres will likely receive a 2016 third-round selection now.

Clearly, the Blues, a team built to win the Stanley Cup this season, weren’t going to re-sign Miller after their ... Read the full article