Thompson - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres showcase growing confidence, maturity, beat Wild in shootout

In the not-so-recent past, the Buffalo Sabres might’ve lost a game like Thursday’s 3-2 shootout win over the first-place Minnesota Wild.

The Sabres trailed 2-1 after two periods because Kirill Kaprizov scored a late, potentially deflating goal. They outshot the Wild 21-6 in the first yet ended the period down 1-0. And then there was the noisy crowd of 18,022 fans inside Xcel Energy Center. The Sabres, of course, have often fared poorly in hostile ... Read the full article

Rasmus Dahlin performs dynamically in Sabres’ win: ‘A vision into his future’

At one end of the ice Tuesday, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin performed dynamically, scoring twice in the Buffalo Sabres’ 4-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets. At the other end, rookie goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looked calm and composed, turning aside shot after shot in his fourth consecutive start.

At times during the past few weeks, as the losses piled up and the Sabres plummeted down the standings again, it could be hard to find positives in the ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen earns another start

Rookie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s start tonight in Winnipeg – a hostile NHL road environment filled with 15,000 noisy Jets fans – will be a new experience for him.

The Sabres goalie made his first three starts at home this season. Last year, the Finn played four games before no fans or very small crowds.

The Sabres, of course, have struggled on the road, winning just two of their 11 games (2-7-2). In their last road outing ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Victor Olofsson struggling to score after injury

BUFFALO – When he’s healthy, most days after practice ends, you can find Sabres winger Victor Olofsson on the ice honing his greatest skill by shooting pucks.

Olofsson’s lethal wrist shot – his ultra-quick release ranks among the NHL’s elite – elevates him into a special talent, especially on the power play.

But the soft tissue injury that sidelined Olofsson eight games last month has been hampering his shooting. In 11 outings since the Swede ... Read the full article

Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen making strong case to stick with Sabres

BUFFALO – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s stay here figured to be short. In the midst of a goaltending crisis, it appeared the Finn might play a few games before the Sabres returned him to the minors, where he would continue his development.

But Luukkonen, a prospect considered the Sabres’ goalie of the future, has been making a very strong case to stay put when some netminders are ready to play.

Luukkonen, 22, performed superbly in three starts ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt expected to return this season after having surgery

BUFFALO – Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt underwent successful surgery today to repair his upper-body injury, coach Don Granato said.

Granato said the Sabres don’t have a timeline for Mittelstadt’s return. He expects the Mittelstadt, who visited a specialist Thursday, will play again this season.

Mittelstadt, 23, suffered his second upper-body injury this season about six minutes into the third period of Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. After getting injured opening night, he missed ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Dylan Cozens developing into special talent beside Kyle Okposo

BUFFALO – Center Dylan Cozens, one half of perhaps the Sabres’ best duo, is the rebuilding team’s youngest player. At 20, less than one year into his NHL career, he has been showcasing growth on a weekly basis.

The other half, right winger Kyle Okposo, is the Sabres’ oldest skater. At 33, when many players are graying or out of the NHL, the 15-year veteran has been enjoying a rare late-career resurgence.

Entering ... Read the full article

With Casey Mittelstadt injured, could Sabres utilize JJ Peterka or Jack Quinn?

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Don Granato acknowledged that, yes, sometimes it can be hard to resist the temptation to recall one of the organization’s top prospects.

“There is a big temptation, yes, yes,” Granato said following Wednesday’s practice inside KeyBank Center. “When you go to Rochester and you see the skill level of those kids … there’s a big temptation that’s tough to fight at times.”

Having lost center Casey Mittelstadt to another upper-body injury ... Read the full article

Sabres turn to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen; Malcolm Subban skates after injury

BUFFALO – As expected, the struggling Sabres will change goalies tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, awarding prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen his first start this season.

Having played four games late last year, Luukkonen developed a feel of the NHL. The Finn performed well, winning his debut and posting a .906 save percentage.

“The hope is when you put him in there’s an element of relaxed to him, a comfort,” Sabres coach Don Granato said following this ... Read the full article

Sabres’ defense keeps reeling in loss; Malcolm Subban injured in debut

After Saturday’s 6-2 loss, the Buffalo Sabres have allowed 20 goals during their three-game losing streak. They’ve given up at least five goals in seven of their last nine contests and 46 total – a whopping 5.1 an outing – during that stretch of futility.

Having been scored on 90 times through 24 games, they’re on pace to give up 308 goals, a stunning number would tie the franchise’s all-time mark for most goals against ... Read the full article