Ullmark - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Jack Eichel helping Sabres become heavyweight at home

BUFFALO – Thursday was “Aud Night” at KeyBank Center, a special 50th anniversary promotion that celebrated the Sabres’ first home and the 1980s throughout their entertaining 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators.

In addition to giving out Memorial Auditorium shirts – the Sabres laid out gold, red, blue and orange ones on the seats to match the old building’s unique look – alumni attended and the Sabres sported their special white anniversary jerseys.

“It adds ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Zach Bogosian to be healthy scratch; Rasmus Dahlin might play

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian, who has played 10 straight games since returning from offseason hip surgery last month, will be a healthy scratch tonight against the Nashville Predators.

Does that mean defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will return after missing eight games with a concussion? Sabres coach Ralph Krueger wouldn’t say. Dahlin practiced Wednesday.

“It was good to get some contact, wake up a little,” Dahlin said this morning inside KeyBank Center. “You feel ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel comes up clutch in win over Blues, Sabres jump into second place

BUFFALO – Sabres captain Jack Eichel grabbed the puck behind the net, surveyed the action in front of him and started creeping out.

Late in third period of a tie game, the St. Louis Blues should’ve been shadowing Eichel everywhere. But they inexplicably gave the NHL’s hottest scorer all the time and space he needed.

So Eichel skated out front and, without any Blues nearby, beat goalie Jake Allen from the bottom of the ... Read the full article

Rasmus Dahlin skates with Sabres, still not cleared to play

BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was so excited to practice with his teammates today he said he woke up at 6:30 this morning.

“I was nervous, it felt like Christmas,” said an upbeat Dahlin, who has missed the last seven games after suffering a concussion Nov. 25. “Good to be back. I was really happy to skate with the boys today.”

Dahlin, 19, hasn’t played since Tampa Bay Lighting defenseman Erik Cernak elbowed him ... Read the full article

Linus Ullmark emerges as Sabres’ No. 1 goalie during Carter Hutton’s slump

BUFFALO – If Carter Hutton were performing close to his usual standards, the Sabres goalie would likely start tonight’s home game against the St. Louis Blues.

Hutton, 33, spent two seasons with the Blues, playing 61 games before signing a three-year, $8.25 million contract with the Sabres.

The veteran, of course, probably wants to face the Blues, the defending Stanley Cup champions, badly.

But for the for the ninth time in the last 12 games, ... Read the full article

Sabres annihilate Devils, move into third place in Atlantic Division

BUFFALO – Over the past week or so, the Sabres settled down and started showcasing some of the early-season form that made them one of the NHL’s heavyweights.

Their ability to play tighter defense helped them consistently generate more offense. While it had only resulted in two wins, it felt like the Sabres could bust out soon.

Luckily for them, the hapless New Jersey Devils visited town.

In its 22-year existence, around 2,700 periods of ... Read the full article

Sabres showing signs of progress, close month one point out of playoff spot

TORONTO – Following a few dismal weeks, the Buffalo Sabres have quietly started showing signs of snapping out of their long funk.

Sure, Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs closed a disappointing November in which they went 3-8-2, losing 10 out of 13 games.

But the Sabres finished the month strongly, going 2-1-2. Earning points in four out of five contests during a busy seven-day stretch illustrates progress.

They’ll begin December in fourth ... Read the full article

Sabres to start struggling goalie Carter Hutton against Maple Leafs

TORONTO – In his last seven starts, Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton has struggled mightily, compiling a 0-5-2 record with a 4.02 goals against average and an .869 save percentage.

Hutton, 33, will start tonight against the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, only his second nod in seven games. He earned his last win Oct. 22.

“He’s ready for it,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said this morning. “We feel good. His spirits are good, he’s ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel’s dynamic outing helps Sabres roar back, beat Maple Leafs

BUFFALO – Coach Ralph Krueger said he could feel the electricity hours before captain Jack Eichel starred in the Sabres’ wildly entertaining 6-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The season’s first meeting against their fiercest rival would be more than a normal regular-season contest.

“You could feel that it was a highlight day,” Krueger said following Friday afternoon’s win before the bipartisan sellout crowd of 19,070 inside noisy KeyBank Center. “It was an experience ... Read the full article

Lack of finish dogs Sabres again in OT loss to Flames

BUFFALO – In the last month, a wretched stretch in which the Sabres have lost 11 of 13 games and plummeted down the standings, winger Jimmy Vesey said he has seen some positives.

“There’s a lot of games I think we liked the way we played for most of it,” Vesey said after scoring a breakaway goal for the second straight game in Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames.

But what has that ... Read the full article