Tokarski - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres add new player, claim Drake Caggiula off waivers from Coyotes

BUFFALO – In 2014, following forward Drake Caggiula’s sophomore season at North Dakota, he attended the Sabres’ summer development camp, scoring two goals in the annual scrimmage.

Two years later, after Caggiula won a national championship and earned NCAA Tournament MVP honors, the Sabres pursued him as a free agent before he chose the Edmonton Oilers.

This afternoon, Caggiula joined the Sabres after they claimed him on waivers from the Arizona Coyotes.

The 5-foot-10, 176-pound ... Read the full article

Goalie Dustin Tokarski steals point for Sabres in OT loss: ‘He was spectacular’

BUFFALO – When Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski left the bench following winger Tage Thompson’s tying goal with 3.6 seconds left, a feel-good story was in the works.

The fatigued Sabres chased Thursday’s game over the final 40 minutes of regulation, generating little offense. They had no business being in the contest against the New York Rangers.

Only Tokarski’s splendid goaltending – he made a career-high 44 saves – kept it close.

Snatching the unlikely win ... Read the full article

Curtis Lazar’s lower-body injury makes Sabres woefully thin at center

Buffalo Sabres center Curtis Lazar suffered a lower-body injury in Wednesday’s 6-1 win over and the Philadelphia Flyers and is week to week, interim coach Don Granato said.

The Sabres, who host the New York Rangers tonight at KeyBank Center, have become woefully thin down the middle. In addition to Lazar, three other centers – Jack Eichel, Dylan Cozens and Eric Staal – have been injured or traded in the last month.

Granato said he ... Read the full article

Goalie Linus Ullmark looks strong in return, offers Sabres some hope

Following a 15-game absence, Buffalo Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark acknowledged he felt a little awkward in the beginning of Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 loss.

Then Ullmark, 27, quickly settled in, showcasing his regular strong form while making 33 saves against the Boston Bruins.

“After a couple shots you’re in it, like you never left,” Ullmark said on a Zoom call after the Sabres’ 17th consecutive loss.

The Sabres wish Ullmark, who suffered a lower-body injury Feb. ... Read the full article

Sabres lose with Kevyn Adams as coach; Taylor Hall willing to be traded

Nothing at this point, 32 games into perhaps the most miserable season in the franchise’s 51-year history, would surprise the Buffalo Sabres.

So when they learned interim coach Don Granato and assistant Matt Ellis had entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol just hours before Thursday’s game, it wasn’t a big deal.

“In a season of unfortunate and terrible events, we’re just ready for it,” winger Taylor Hall said on a Zoom call following the Sabres’ 4-0 ... Read the full article

Don Granato, Matt Ellis enter COVID-19 protocol; Kevyn Adams to coach Sabres

Interim Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato and assistant Matt Ellis have entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol and will be unavailable for tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team announced late this afternoon. General manager Kevyn Adams will coach the team.

Granato and Ellis are self-isolating, according to the team. Adams said they’re asymptomatic. Entering COVID-19 protocol doesn’t mean the person has tested positive.

The coaches, of course, were in close contact with the players, ... Read the full article

Sabres fall to Penguins, lose 15th straight: ‘We’re not working smart’

The hapless Buffalo Sabres kept hanging around Wednesday, trailing by one goal late in the second period despite being outshot by nearly a two-to-one margin.

No one, of course, expected the Sabres would win. But right now, they’re so bad a one-goal deficit is noteworthy.

That narrow margin did not last. The Pittsburgh Penguins pulled ahead late in the second period, capitalizing on two miscues from struggling winger Taylor Hall to take a commanding lead ... Read the full article

Sabres goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen excited for first taste of NHL

If injured Buffalo Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark keeps progressing, he could play this week, perhaps as soon as tonight. So Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s first taste of the NHL might be brief.

Still, spending just a day or two with the Sabres, even on the taxi squad as their third goalie, should be a significant step for Luukkonen’s development.

“The more time a prospect can get around (the NHL), the easier it becomes for them to associate, ... Read the full article

Linus Ullmark returns to practice; Sabres have more injuries

Having been sidelined the last 13 games, Linus Ullmark must keep testing his lower-body injury in practice. So as badly as the Buffalo Sabres need their No. 1 goalie back, he needs more than one session before he can play again.

“For now, there’s no set timetable for me; it’s more of a day-to-day basis,” Ullmark said on a Zoom call Tuesday after practicing for the first time since getting injured Feb. 23.

So on ... Read the full article

Goalie Dustin Tokarski shines in relief of injured Carter Hutton, Sabres still lose

After playing his first NHL game in more than four years, Buffalo Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski allowed himself a moment to reflect on his journey back to the big leagues.

Tokarski, who played five playoff games for the Montreal Canadiens in 2014, hadn’t experienced any NHL action since Oct. 26, 2016.

Over the past few seasons, Tokarski, 31, quietly rebuilt his career, morphing into one of the AHL’s premier netminders.

So Tokarski’s strong 33-save effort ... Read the full article