Thompson - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Alex Lyon, hot Sabres beat Islanders to extend season-long win streak

BUFFALO – If Colten Ellis hadn’t suffered a concussion and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made a few more saves, then Sabres goalie Alex Lyon might still be waiting for his next opportunity.

But Ellis took a hit in the crease and Luukkonen struggled, so the Sabres turned to Lyon again last week, a move that has ignited their season.

Contributions up and down the lineup have buoyed the Sabres throughout to a five-game win streak, none bigger ... Read the full article

Alex Lyon winning games, emerging as Sabres’ No. 1 goalie

BUFFALO – When Sabres goalie Alex Lyon left Yale University following his junior season to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers as an undrafted free agent, he thought riches and enshrinement in hockey’s hallowed hall would be in his future.

“When I first came out of college, I thought I was going to make tens of millions of dollars,” he said following Friday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “I was going to be a Hockey Hall of ... Read the full article

Sabres win fourth straight, rally to beat Flyers in Jarmo Kekalainen’s first game as GM; Conor Timmins breaks leg

BUFFALO – From his seat in the press box high above the KeyBank Center ice, Jarmo Kekalainen couldn’t have liked what he saw in the opening 30 or so minutes of his first game as Sabres general manager.

Early in Thursday’s 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, the Sabres looked out of sync and sluggish, falling behind 2-1 in the second period.

But by late in that period, as they found their legs, the Sabres ... Read the full article

Josh Norris wows in return as Sabres beat Jets: ‘He was unbelievable’

BUFFALO – In his first action in almost eight weeks, center Josh Norris needed less than three minutes to give the Sabres a taste of what they had been missing for the last 24 games.

During a power play, Norris, who hadn’t played since suffering an upper-body injury opening night, skated into the right circle and adroitly fed winger Josh Doan the puck at the top of the crease.

A second later, winger Jason Zucker ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Peyton Krebs looking for first goal; Buffalo makes roster move

BUFFALO – As the goose egg attached to his stat line illustrates, Peyton Krebs doesn’t score much. The Sabres center has played 322 NHL games because he evolved and embraced a new identity as a tenacious checker and sandpaper presence.

Krebs, 24, had registered zero goals and seven assists in 25 games this season entering Monday’s contest against the Winnipeg Jets in KeyBank Center. Among regular Sabres forwards, only Krebs and winger Zach Benson, who ... Read the full article

With Josh Norris ready to play, Sabres must make lineup change, roster move

BUFFALO – The night before his first game in 53 days, Sabres center Josh Norris acknowledged he couldn’t sleep well – “I was a little anxious,” he said – and woke up early.

The oft-injured Norris, 26, hasn’t played since Oct. 9, opening night, when he suffered an upper-body injury in just his fourth appearance with the Sabres.

After missing the last 24 games, he’s ready to face the Winnipeg Jets tonight. Norris pivoted Zach ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Colten Ellis likely to start again; Noah Ostlund uses ‘sick’ move

BUFFALO – Following a four-game break, goalie Colten Ellis looked sharp throughout Saturday’s 3-2 shootout victory in Minnesota, stopping 22 shots, including the last 14 he faced, as the Sabres ended the Wild’s seven-game winning streak.

Ellis, 25, received an early taste of Minnesota’s firepower, stopping superstar Kirill Kaprizov’s wraparound attempt barely a minute into the contest.

In overtime, the rookie calmly denied two shots from Brock Faber in close.... Read the full article

Tage Thompson fights Stefan Noesen in Sabres’ shutout loss to Devils; Mattias Samuelsson leaves injured

BUFFALO – Before their first game against the New Jersey Devils since the Sabres let winger Stefan Noesen get away with hitting Tage Thompson in the head and concussing him last season, some of the center’s teammates volunteered to fight.

“There was a lot of guys in the room asking, but I said I wanted to do it,” Thompson said following Friday afternoon’s 5-0 loss to New Jersey in KeyBank Center.

Thompson appreciates his teammates’ ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shines in win, could be seizing No. 1 job; Isak Rosen sent to Rochester

BUFFALO – It took more than six weeks – just over one-quarter of the season – for Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to make back-to-back starts.

The Finn missed time battling an injury, mind you. Still, if he was the best option most games, he would’ve taken over the net a long time ago.

The Sabres couldn’t wait for him to find his game, so he has been sharing time with Alex Lyon and rookie Colten ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Alex Tuch steps up by creating goals; Bowen Byram avoids injury

BUFFALO – Following two pointless outings, Sabres winger Alex Tuch caught fire early in Friday’s blowout win, grabbing the puck behind the net and feeding Tage Thompson before the center adroitly found linemate Josh Doan at the net.

During a power play later in the first period, Tuch hit Bowen Byram from the right point as the defenseman crept into the slot.

In the second period, Tuch protected the puck along the wall in his ... Read the full article