WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Offseason Edition
Utica’s Nolan Foote scores a first-period goal on Rochester goalie Aaron Dell on Tuesday.
ROCHESTER – In opening up a series lead and putting the Utica Comets on the brink of elimination from the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Americans hadn’t seen the best out of the AHL powerhouse.
The top-seeded Comets only showcased flashes of their slick regular-season form throughout the first three games of best-of-five AHL North Division semifinal. In a do-or-die scenario Tuesday, you figured they would come out roaring.
Well, in Game 4, the Comets gave ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo served as an alternate captain this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres’ decision to forego naming a captain this season and use veterans Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons as alternates paid dividends.
The rebuilding team quickly came together, and players have expressed the dynamic in the dressing room allows everyone to be themselves.
“When you look at this season, we wanted to be careful to put too much on one guy, especially as we were building and transitioning into this phase,” Adams said ... Read the full article
Victor Olofsson has two 20-goal seasons on his resume. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Having experienced restricted free agency two years ago, Sabres winger Victor Olofsson understands he must stay patient this offseason.
Olofsson, 26, has already amassed two 20-goal seasons and has shown he possesses the talent to crack the 30-goal mark. Contracts like the one he’s expected to sign are complicated.
The Swede, who’s set to become an RFA again, expects it could take months to reach a new deal.... Read the full article
The Sabres became a tight group this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Before center Zemgus Girgensons reported to the rink Saturday morning, his wife, Katie, asked him what he would tell the Sabres’ brass during his end-of-season meetings.
Girgensons, the Sabres’ longest-tenured player, experienced a lot of losing and turmoil over his eight NHL seasons, so in previous years, he had plenty of gripes to share before he left town for the summer.
“Usually in the morning, you’re trying to gather thoughts of all the ... Read the full article
Rick Jeanneret called his final game Friday. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Coach Don Granato said he can’t simply tell his players about the Sabres’ history. They need to see and experience it for themselves.
That’s why Granato believes the Sabres’ season-long celebration of legendary play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret, who called his final game Friday, will have a lasting effect for his young team.
“Having everybody celebrate RJ this season meant they celebrated 50 years of Sabre hockey and the history,” Granato said prior to ... Read the full article
Tage Thompson has scored 37 goals this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After Sabres center Tage Thompson hit the 30-goal mark for the first time April 1, coach Don Granato told the burgeoning star that, hey, while that’s a nice number, there’s a heck of a lot more you can do.
“I know you’re going to score more, you know you’re going to score more, so we can celebrate this, but onward and upward, let’s go,” Granato said he told Thompson.
Granato’s words served as ... Read the full article
Jeff Skinner has scored 33 goals this season. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Opponents detest Jeff Skinner, one of the NHL’s foremost pests. The Sabres winger has a knack for getting under their skin, whether it be by running his mouth, relentlessly hounding the puck or scoring goals.
“He’s one of my best friends and I’m pretty sure I would hate his guts on the other side,” Sabres winger Casey Mittelstadt said after Skinner agitated the New York Islanders and scored late in Saturday afternoon’s ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin has been on a tear for Buffalo. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – You have to go back 11 years to find the last time the Sabres showcased an offense this exciting and prolific.
The Sabres’ next goal will be their 222nd of the season, their highest total since they scored 240 times in 2010-11, the last year they made the playoffs. They also scored 221 goals in 2018-19.
Overall, the Sabres rank 22nd in goals scored this season entering Saturday afternoon’s home game against the ... Read the full article
Owen Power has turned heads in his first four NHL games. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres coach Don Granato doesn’t consider rookie Owen Power a young player.
Sure, the defenseman left college earlier this month and has played just four NHL games. And, yes, he doesn’t turn 20 for another seven months.
Still, Granato said “it’s a little bit disrespectful sometimes” when young guys get thrown in a category.
“This is a guy that’s studied the game of hockey at an extremely young age and developed himself like ... Read the full article
Kyle Okposo hadn’t scored 20 goals since 2015-16. ©2022, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson had time and space, so he leaned into his shot, and when the puck hit teammate Kyle Okposo inside his right knee, he went down in a hurry.
As Okposo hobbled off the ice in pain late in Saturday’s first period, it felt like his night might’ve been finished. At that point, the Sabres trailed the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0, and Okposo, who turned 34 on Saturday, said he was ... Read the full article
