Tuch - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres know Jack Quinn’s return from injury can give them boost

BUFFALO – When the Sabres announced the lower-body injury winger Jack Quinn suffered two months ago could sideline him six to eight weeks, it appeared his trying season might be over.

The Sabres have just 10 games left, starting with tonight’s home contest against the Ottawa Senators. If Quinn experienced any setbacks, he could’ve run out of time.

In early March, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams wouldn’t rule out Quinn’s return this season, although he ... Read the full article

Bowen Byram, surging Sabres destroy Red Wings, move closer to playoff spot

BUFFALO – Imagine, if you will, a Sabres team capable of locking down defensively like it has over the past 10 weeks and possessing the offensive firepower of last season.

Since Jan. 1, thanks largely to the emergence of goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, the Sabres have boasted the NHL’s third-stingiest defense.

Still, as they’ve focused on different areas of their game and matured this season, their offense has suffered. The fast pace they displayed a year ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Zemgus Girgensons sees future in Buffalo, glad trade deadline passed

BUFFALO – Prior to Friday’s trade deadline, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams spoke to some teams interested in acquiring winger Zemgus Girgensons and likely could’ve received a late-round pick in exchange for the 11-year veteran.

But in Girgensons, Adams said he sees a player “so important within the fabric of this team.” After dealing captain Kyle Okposo and defenseman Erik Johnson, he couldn’t trade Girgensons simply because he has an expiring contract.

It sounds like ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has no plans to trade Alex Tuch

BUFFALO – Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said after a Sportsnet story recently reported teams had called to ask about Alex Tuch’s availability prior to Friday’s trade deadline, he reassured the winger he had no plans to deal him.

“I’m not trading Alex Tuch,” Adams said Friday in KeyBank Center. “That is not something we had any interest in doing. He’s a key piece of the puzzle for us, and I grabbed him the next ... Read the full article

Jeff Skinner leaves practice injured; Sabres make roster move

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Jeff Skinner, whose 19 goals are tied for the team lead this season, left Monday’s practice with an undisclosed injury.

Coach Don Granato said following the session in LECOM Harborcenter that Skinner, 31, would undergo imaging before the Sabres left for their two-game road trip, which begins tonight against the Florida Panthers.

Early Monday afternoon, the Sabres recalled forward Tyson Jost, a sign Skinner could be unavailable.... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Henri Jokiharju displays offense; Buffalo makes roster move

BUFFALO – The Sabres mostly utilize defenseman Henri Jokiharju in a defensive role, meaning other than occasionally quarterbacking the second power-play unit, he rarely gets to display his offensive talent.

“Usually five-on-five through the regular 60 minutes of a game, he’s very responsible and focused so much on defense that you don’t get to see some of his offensive touch,” coach Don Granato told reporters Saturday in Minnesota after Jokiharju scored the overtime winner in ... Read the full article

Sabres believe Peyton Krebs ready for offensive role; UPL set to return

BUFFALO – The confidence Sabres center Peyton Krebs displayed in grabbing the puck in his own zone, roaring up the ice and undressing a defender at the blue line has taken years to develop.

In junior hockey, sure, Krebs’ skill would allow him take over a game like he did in the second period of Thursday’s 4-0 loss to the Florida Panthers. But in the NHL, Sabres coach Don Granato explained, he has been “building ... Read the full article

Buffalo goalie Eric Comrie tries to stop Florida’s Evan Rodrigues on Thursday.

Sabres generate offense again, still lose to Panthers; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could return from injury soon

BUFFALO – Remember that recent seven-goal outburst by the Sabres? As suspected, it turned out to be an anomaly.

On Thursday, they reverted back to their regular form, generating plenty of offense but showcasing a stunning lack of finish in their 4-0 loss to the heavyweight Florida Panthers before a crowd of 14,277 fans in KeyBank Center.

Fresh off Tuesday’s 7-0 triumph over the Los Angeles Kings, the Sabres pumped 45 shots on Anthony Stolarz, ... Read the full article

Amid trade speculation, Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt thriving: ‘I love it here’

BUFFALO – Center Casey Mittelstadt understands the trade speculation. The Sabres, after all, are mired in 14th place, a distant 12 points out of the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot. Changes will inevitably come.

“I mean, it’s a business, right?” he said of his future being discussed.

In the midst of a disappointing year, Mittelstadt, 25, has emerged as the Sabres’ leading scorer and perhaps their most consistent forward. As a restricted free agent ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Peyton Krebs confident scoring will come: ‘I have all the tools’

BUFFALO – Sabres center Peyton Krebs spoke confidently, explaining how once he starts scoring regularly, his game will be “lights out.”

“I think I have all the tools to be an elite – a really elite – player,” Krebs said following Monday’s practice in LECOM Harborcenter.

Since joining the Sabres two years ago, Krebs, who turns 23 on Friday, has established himself as their fourth-line pivot, showcasing a high-octane style, usually between Zemgus Girgensons and ... Read the full article