Tuch - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres begin training camp with high expectations, full roster and stability

BUFFALO – What makes this training camp so unique for the Sabres, besides the fact they’re, you know, relevant again, is the lack of roster competition.

Right now, with the Sabres set to hold their first on-ice sessions today at KeyBank Center, their lineup looks set.

Sure, some guys will be moved around. There will inevitably be injuries. And they could feel compelled to keep one of their talented youngsters if he wows them.

... Read the full article

After special season in Buffalo, Sabres’ Alex Tuch wants to reach higher level

BUFFALO – Nearly seven months later, the novelty of playing for the Sabres, the team he passionately rooted for growing up, hasn’t worn off for winger Alex Tuch.

In the back of his mind, Tuch had hoped an opportunity to join the Sabres would materialize someday, perhaps at the end of his career. Then on Nov. 4, the Vegas Golden Knights sent him to Buffalo as part of the blockbuster Jack Eichel trade.

Tuch, ... Read the full article

Amerks’ Peyton Krebs thriving in AHL playoffs after long stint with Sabres

ROCHESTER – Having last experienced the postseason in 2017, when he was playing midget hockey at home in Calgary, Peyton Krebs wanted this opportunity badly.

Krebs, 21, has performed dynamically for the Americans this month, showcasing his elite playmaking skills and compiling an AHL-high eight assists during the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Following a successful 48-game stint with the Buffalo Sabres, the center has buoyed the Amerks’ first postseason run since 2005, returning to the AHL ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Casey Mittelstadt confident as season ends: ‘Getting to another level’

BUFFALO – Casey Mittelstadt likes to extract positives from difficult experiences. So the Sabres forward believes a trying, injury-riddled season in which he has missed 42 games and scored just four goals has also featured personal growth.

Recovering from two upper-body injuries has helped him develop patience – “That’s probably one of the things I struggled with most, I’m pretty impatient,” he said – and evolve as a person.

Mittelstadt, 23, had to do something ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Owen Power nearing end of dynamic, grueling season

BUFFALO – In a few weeks, after his dizzying year ends, Sabres rookie Owen Power might finally have a chance to sit back and enjoy a little time to himself.

Power, 19, had endured a grueling season prior to signing his entry-level NHL contract, leaving college to represent Team Canada at the Olympics more than 6,500 miles away in Beijing and at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton.

Even in the NHL, Power still has ... Read the full article

Sabres to change lines against Flyers; Mattias Samuelsson questionable

BUFFALO – In Friday’s practice, Sabres coach Don Granato changed every forward line, tinkering with trios that have recently developed chemistry and enjoyed success.

Granato often explains how he wants his lineup to become interchangeable. While he showcases more patience than most coaches – lines and defense pairs sometimes stay intact for weeks – he’s not afraid to experiment within games or try new things.

So for tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Owen Power impresses again, records first point: ‘Special moment’

BUFFALO – The Sabres drew about 3,000 extra fans Thursday, and you can bet they all came to see ultra-talented defenseman Owen Power play his first home game.

The crowd of 11,565 spectators and Power’s teammates watched him closely all night, sensing something exciting could transpire every time the rookie stepped on the ice.

“Every time he was out there it put a smile on my face,” winger Rasmus Asplund said after Power recorded an ... Read the full article

Owen Power, Sabres’ young defense turning heads: ‘Bright future’

BUFFALO – Winger Alex Tuch figures the Sabres set some sort of record in Tuesday’s 5-2 road win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“It’s got to be the youngest D corps to ever step on the ice tonight, I feel like,” Tuch said after defenseman Owen Power, 19, made his NHL debut in Scotiabank Arena. “The oldest guy’s Casey Fitzgerald at 25.”

Incredibly, the average age of the Sabres’ defense in Tuesday’s contest ... Read the full article

Owen Power wows in debut, Sabres top Maple Leafs: ‘He’ll be a superstar’

TORONTO – Almost six minutes into his debut, Sabres rookie Owen Power faced his first stiff test as an NHL defenseman, a two-on-one with the Maple Leafs’ Mark Giordano and Auston Matthews roaring toward him.

Giordano, the puck carrier, won the Norris Trophy three years ago. Matthews is hockey’s most dynamic scorer, having potted a whopping 58 goals this season.

Power, the first overall pick in 2021, did not flinch.

During one of his first ... Read the full article

Energy from crowd on Rick Jeanneret’s night gave Sabres ‘chills’

BUFFALO – In the third period of Friday’s emotional win, as the raucous capacity crowd celebrating Rick Jeanneret and the upstart Sabres began doing the wave, winger Kyle Okposo said he saw his teammates looking around and soaking up the excitement.

“Guys got chills,” Okposo said following Saturday’s practice at KeyBank Center. “They hadn’t seen it.”

Then Okposo, a 15-year veteran, turned to center Dylan Cozens, who’s in his second season.... Read the full article