Tampa Bay Lightning - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta on punching himself in head: ‘I don’t really think I did’

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta said he had no clue he punched himself in the head Monday during his ferocious fight with Ottawa’s Jared Cowen until someone informed him.

Kaleta’s cool with his unusual move, though.

“Hey, if that’s what it takes to win a fight, then that’s what happens,” he said Tuesday after the Sabres practiced in HarborCenter.

Naturally, friends have been sending Kaleta the video. What happened? How does a veteran who ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Tyler Myers performing like star defenseman again

BUFFALO – A little more than two minutes into overtime Tuesday, Tyler Myers grabbed the puck in his own zone and freewheeled through the neutral zone. The Sabres defenseman then slickly undressed Radko Gudas above the left circle and roared to the net before goalie Evgeni Nabokov thwarted him.

Minutes later, Myers raced back and stymied Lightning sniper Steven Stamkos’ scoring chance as overtime expired in the Sabres’ 2-1 shootout win.

Sequences like Tuesday’s have ... Read the full article

Jean Beliveau still greatly influences Sabres’ Josh Gorges

BUFFALO – Josh Gorges considers himself old school. He believes defensemen should wear single-digit numbers. So after sporting No. 26 with the Montreal Canadiens for years, the veteran wanted a low number when the Sabres acquired him.

Gorges had a couple of choices. He settled on No. 4, partly because iconic Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau, who died Tuesday at age 83, wore it during his illustrious Hall of Fame career.

Beliveau is hockey royalty.

“What ... Read the full article

Zemgus Girgensons clutch in Sabres’ shootout win over Lightning

BUFFALO – At this rate, Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons, the NHL’s 119^th-leading scorer, will be an All-Star later this season.

Latvians have seemingly been voting non-stop for their favorite player online, helping the 20-year-old open up a stunning 158,994-vote lead. Montreal’s P.K. Subban is a distant second with 240,362 votes. Girgensons has a whopping 399,356 votes!

But if the tenacious Girgensons, who has only 16 goals in 95 NHL games, can’t get ... Read the full article

With Cody McCormick still sidelined, Sabres recall Tim Schaller

BUFFALO – Tim Schaller had just eaten lunch and gotten comfortable on the couch Tuesday afternoon in Rochester when Americans coach Chadd Cassidy phoned the center.

“Get yourself to Buffalo tonight,” Cassidy told Schaller, who had been sent down following his NHL debut Saturday.

Schaller hopped in his car and arrived at the First Niagara Center around 4 p.m.

The Sabres summoned Schaller for their 2-1 shootout win against the Tampa Bay Lightning because forward ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Cody McCormick not worried about concussions

BUFFALO – Cody McCormick escaped without even a cut when Eric Fehr’s skate hit the Sabres forward on the chin Nov. 22 in Washington.

“Watching the replay, it was pretty close,” McCormick said this morning inside the First Niagara Center. “I consider myself lucky coming out of that without a cut on my face.”

Fehr’s skate still injured McCormick. The 31-year-old has been undergoing concussion protocol.

McCormick, the Sabres’ top fighter, has a history of ... Read the full article

Cody McCormick out against Lightning; Sabres could make recall

BUFFALO – After participating fully in this morning’s skate, Sabres forward Cody McCormick left the ice and spoke to reporters about his recovery from a possible concussion.

It was assumed McCormick, out since Eric Fehr’s skate hit him in the head Nov. 22 in Washington, would return tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning inside the First Niagara Center.

But McCormick will miss his fourth straight game. With winger Drew Stafford out (lower body), the Sabres ... Read the full article

Surging Sabres have quickly turned around season

BUFFALO – Forget about last place. How far can the surging Sabres climb up the NHL standings?

The once-hapless club has quickly morphed from an also-ran destined to become one of the NHL’s worst teams ever into a formidable outfit, winning five of the last six games.

Following a weekend sweep of the Montreal Canadiens, the Sabres are enjoying perhaps their best stretch in years entering tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning inside the ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Zemgus Girgensons leading NHL All-Star Game voting

BUFFALO – The No. 1 vote-getter for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game has 15 career goals, hasn’t hit the 100-game mark yet and plays for one of the league’s worst teams.

As of late Monday, Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons led all NHL players in fan voting. If Latvians keep clicking for the 20-year-old, their favorite player will be in Columbus on Jan. 25.

“I just think it’s kind of funny,” Girgensons said Monday inside the ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Matt Hackett still confident he can grab top job

BUFFALO – Nothing has changed, Matt Hackett said. Forget that he was enduring a terrible season in Rochester before injuries forced his recall. Forget that general manager Tim Murray recently said the Sabres’ goalie of the future likely wasn’t in the organization.

Hackett, a key piece of April’s Jason Pominville trade with the Wild, hasn’t lost much confidence. The 24-year-old still believes he can become the team’s No. 1 netminder, a coveted spot that’s up ... Read the full article