Stanley - Buffalo Hockey Beat

If Sabres’ Logan Stanley can’t face Bruins, Michael Kesselring gets chance

BOSTON – Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley will be a game-time decision tonight against the Bruins, coach Lindy Ruff said.

Ruff said Stanley, who has been sick, skated this morning. The rest of the Sabres stayed off the ice as they prepared for Game 6 of the best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

The Sabres lead 3-2 and can win a playoff series tonight for the first time since 2007.... Read the full article

Sabres recall prospects from Rochester; Logan Stanley questionable for Game 6

BUFFALO – The Sabres have recalled seven prospects from the Rochester Americans to serve as Black Aces – extra players during a playoff run – after their AHL affiliate’s season ended.

Goalie Devon Levi, forwards Konsta Helenius, Riley Fiddler-Schultz and Anton Wahlberg and defensemen Ryan Johnson, Vsevolod Komarov and Radim Mrtka have all joined the Sabres.

The players will practice in a separate group from the Sabres, who play Game 6 of their first-round playoff ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allows long goal, gets replaced by Alex Lyon as Bruins tie series

BUFFALO – In the early going of Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen picked up where he left off in the series opener, stopping two breakaways to keep the game tied at 0.

For months, Luukkonen has stood tall in net, making him the easy choice to start the first-round series against the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But the Finn’s struggles in Game 2 – he allowed ... Read the full article

Injured Sabres Noah Ostlund, Alex Lyon return to practice; Buffalo could make lineup change for Game 1 of playoffs

BUFFALO – Expect to see rookie forward Noah Ostlund return from his upper-body injury during the Sabres’ first-round series against the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Ostlund, 22, practiced as an extra Saturday, his first session since going down March 25 late in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins.

The best-of-seven series starts tonight at KeyBank Center.... Read the full article

After trade, scratch, Sabres newcomer Logan Stanley settling in on defense

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley knows it sounds a bit odd. After all, he fell out of the lineup after playing 14 straight games following his arrival from the Winnipeg Jets before the trade deadline.

But sitting out Wednesday’s 5-3 road win over the New York Rangers as a healthy scratch infused him with some much-needed confidence.

After being given a chance to reset, Stanley responded by enjoying his best outing with the Sabres ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Goalie Alex Lyon could be sidelined into playoffs; Josh Doan makes ‘selfless’ play

BUFFALO – Injured Sabres goalie Alex Lyon could be sidelined for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, coach Lindy Ruff said prior to Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“Right now, (he’ll be out) a week, and we’ll go from there,” Ruff said of the strained muscle Lyon recently suffered during practice.

The postseason begins April 18 and 19. A schedule won’t be released until next week.... Read the full article

Years after trade, Sabres’ Peyton Krebs becomes first-liner and driver; Buffalo expected to change lineup

BUFFALO – Few envisioned the long and often arduous path Peyton Krebs would take to becoming what coach Lindy Ruff called one of the Sabres’ “drivers.”

Krebs, 25, needed more than three years to get here. He struggled for stretches, sometimes failing to meet the lofty expectations that accompany high-end prospects. He reinvented himself, earning his keep as a high-octane checking forward willing to showcase a rugged style and drop the gloves.

At times, it ... Read the full article

As he waits for another chance, Sabres’ Michael Kesselring trying to make most of time as healthy scratch

BUFFALO – Long after most of his Sabres teammates had departed the dressing room Wednesday morning, a sweaty Michael Kesselring walked in and sat down on a plastic chair.

A surplus of healthy bodies – Kesselring is one of nine defensemen – has forced the Sabres to create a new dressing area in the middle of the room.

So Kesselring, having lost his spot on the arguably the NHL’s deepest blue line, doesn’t have a ... Read the full article

Sabres bounce back after rare loss, beat Maple Leafs in shootout

BUFFALO – You must go back more than three months – 97 days and 38 games, to be exact – to find the last time the Sabres lost two consecutive contests in regulation.

A heck of lot has gone into their stunning 30-6-2 run that has vaulted them into first place in the Atlantic Division. They’ve excelled in essentially every facet of the game.

Their ability to quickly bounce back and handle the mental gymnastics ... Read the full article

After trade adds defense depth, Sabres’ Michael Kesselring sits out as scratch

BUFFALO – When the Sabres acquired defensemen Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley last week before the trade deadline, Michael Kesselring knew what was about to happen.

Kesselring, 26, has endured a difficult season after arriving in an offseason trade, battling injuries from the get-go and struggling to find a groove.

Adding two established talents to one of the NHL’s deepest blue lines meant he would likely be pushed out of the lineup.

“Once we made ... Read the full article