Vanek - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Miller bounces back as Sabres down Penguins

PITTSBURGH – The thinking went like this: Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, heckled during an ugly home outing Friday, wouldn’t play in Buffalo again this season. No way. The Sabres couldn’t risk having the face of their franchise jeered again.

Sure enough, he sat Monday’s home game.

But the Sabres turned to Miller again Tuesday inside Consol Energy Center, and the former Vezina Trophy winner dazzled in his 499^th NHL appearance, stopping 40 ... Read the full article

Sabres waste Enroth’s strong effort, fall to Jets

BUFFALO – To Jhonas Enroth, Friday’s terrible relief effort meant little. The backup goalie forgot about allowing four goals in 31 minutes at the final horn. Enroth didn’t start the Sabres’ 8-4 loss to the New York Rangers. The game wasn’t his.

“I came off the bench the other game,” Enroth said Monday after making 37 saves in the Sabres’ 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. “So I really didn’t care about that after ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ehrhoff excited to respresent reeling German national team

BUFFALO – Watching Germany’s national team fall into disarray and off the world stage hasn’t been easy for Sabres defenseman Christian Ehrhoff.

The country recently failed to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Consider that other than three world war bans, the country’s ice hockey team had qualified for every other Olympics, all of them since 1948.

“Obviously, the non-qualification for the Olympics is very frightening, very sad,” Ehrhoff said Monday prior to ... Read the full article

Shellacking from Rangers eliminates Sabres from playoff contention

BUFFALO – Two goals in 57 seconds. The New York Rangers couldn’t score another before the first period ended Friday, right?

The Sabres would buckle down facing elimination. Besides, the Rangers scored on fluky deflections.

Still, the crowd of 19,003 fans inside the First Niagara Center needed to vent.

So the surly spectators gave goalie Ryan Miller a Bronx cheer after he stopped a dump-in as the final seconds ticked down. Miller then nearly whiffed ... Read the full article

Sabres know a loss to Rangers would likely end playoff hopes

BUFFALO – The Sabres have shattered the widespread belief they would finish a lost season meekly and perhaps contend for a lottery pick instead of making an unlikely run at the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.

In dealing captain Jason Pominville and two other respected veterans for draft picks and prospects prior to the April 3 trade deadline, general manager Darcy Regier openly talked about the future and shifting the focus to next season.

The ... Read the full article

Sabres moved by emotional moments in Boston

BUFFALO – The Sabres first talked about a postgame salute beside the Boston Bruins for fans inside the TD Garden prior to Wednesday’s emotional game, the city’s first major sporting event since the Boston Marathon bombings killed three people and injured 180 on Monday.

Sabres assistant captains Steve Ott, Drew Stafford and Thomas Vanek spoke with trainer Tim Macre and equipment manager Rip Simonick about a special tribute for the more than 17,000 spectators in ... Read the full article

Sabres will be cheering for Panthers

AMHERST – For one night at least, the Sabres will become huge Florida Panthers fans.

“Absolutely,” winger Steve Ott said following the 10^th-place Sabres’ short practice inside the Northtown Center. “We need help. With (teams ahead) having games in hand, we definitely need help.”

The NHL’s worst club faces the eighth-place Rangers tonight in New York, a tilt the Sabres desperately need the Blue Shirts to lose in regulation.

“Any opponent that’s playing ... Read the full article

Sabres planned postgame salute to honor Boston fans

AMHERST – The Buffalo Sabres first talked about a postgame salute beside the Boston Bruins for fans inside the TD Garden prior to Wednesday’s emotional game, the first major sporting event in the city since Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings killed three people and injured 180.

Sabres’ Ennis fine with move from center back to wing

BUFFALO – Make no mistake, Tyler Ennis enjoys being a left winger. The slick youngster skated there for parts of three seasons, including his entire 20-goal rookie campaign. If the Sabres possessed more scoring depth down the middle, then Ennis might’ve never switched to center.

Changing positions ignited the speedy Ennis late last season. With more room to maneuver, the 23-year-old racked up eight goals and 19 points over a rollicking 12-game stretch, ending ... Read the full article

Enroth and some luck push Sabres past Flyers

BUFFALO – Sure, the Sabres needed some good fortune to down the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 on Saturday afternoon. Christian Ehrhoff’s pass off the end boards created the game’s only goal. Daniel Briere hit the crossbar behind Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth with just a single tick left in the game.

Still, they deserved their 17^th win this season and first in three games. The Sabres, so vile during Thursday’s 5-1 home loss to Montreal, ... Read the full article