Vanek - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Desperate Sabres have played Canadiens well

BUFFALO – The clock is ticking loudly again on the Sabres’ lost season. With eight games left, the 11^th-place club, which hosts the Montreal Canadiens tonight, is six points behind the eighth-place New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.

After three straight wins, the Sabres fell 4-1 Tuesday in Winnipeg. Incredibly, they’re 2-9-2 against the feeble Southeast Division, by far the NHL’s worst group of teams.

The Sabres have beaten the ... Read the full article

Sabres veteran Jochen Hecht thriving in reduced role

BUFFALO – Thirty-one days ago, it appeared Jochen Hecht’s long career here could be ending. In his fifth game as interim coach, Ron Rolston scratched the versatile forward, the first benching of his 10-season Sabres career. Rolston had already slashed the German’s minutes dramatically.

Hecht, a favorite of former coach Lindy Ruff, was seething.

But Rolston complimented Hecht’s play following the scratch, saying the German was only benched so the Sabres could add some toughness.... Read the full article

Sabres’ sole focus on game in front of them; Vanek should practice again Monday

BUFFALO – Forget about the other seven or eight teams battling for that final Eastern Conference playoff berth. The 12^th-place Sabres simply need to keep winning games and mind their own business.

“We’ve been same story, focused on the game in front of us like a lot of teams are doing in our situation, where they got to get points out of every game to make the playoffs,” interim coach Ron Rolston said ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Leino out indefinitely, season in jeopardy; Vanek out again Sunday

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Ville Leino, out the last three games with what interim coach Ron Rolston called an upper body injury, is out indefinitely.

Rolston said Leino’s injury doesn’t require surgery.

While Rolston wouldn’t speculate, with only 10 games left, if the Finn’s season could be over.

A hip injury sidelined Leino the first 27 games this season.

Meanwhile, winger Thomas Vanek practiced again today but will likely miss Sunday’s game against New ... Read the full article

Winning, not Sabres’ captaincy, on Ott’s mind

BUFFALO – Steve Ott said this morning the captaincy isn’t on his radar. The gritty winger, arguably the Sabres’ biggest heart-and-soul-player, received an assistant captaincy for the rest of the season after captain Jason Pominville was traded Wednesday.

Getting the “C” next year seems like a natural progression for popular 30-year-old veteran.

“I truly want to just be a hockey player on this team,” Ott said inside the First Niagara Center after preparing for tonight’s ... Read the full article

Sabres know Jason Pominville’s departure could be first major move

BUFFALO – Darcy Regier’s strong words stuck with Thomas Vanek. Prior to Saturday, the general manager had never publicly made any of his Sabres available to other teams during his long tenure. At that point, four days before trade deadline, the slick winger knew major changes could hit the Sabres.

Sure enough, Regier dealt captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday for two prospects and two draft picks.

It could just be the ... Read the full article

Pominville calls trade from Sabres ‘a shock,’ makes Wild debut

BUFFALO – Jason Pominville felt his 11-year run with the Sabres organization could be ending. Before Wednesday’s trade deadline, the struggling team asked its captain to submit a list of eight clubs he could refuse a trade to. The Sabres, a colossal disappointment this season, seemed ripe for a major shakeup.

Still, when Sabres general manager Darcy Regier called Wednesday and said he had been traded to Minnesota, the star winger was shocked.

“It’s still ... Read the full article

Close friends sad to see Pominville leave Sabres; Vanek unsure about future

BUFFALO – After trading captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild, general manager Darcy Regier said the Sabres’ reconstruction could take some time.

Slick winger Thomas Vanek recently said he “would probably look in the other direction” if the Sabres had a two- or three-year plan.

So, did Wednesday’s deal, coupled with earlier trades of defensemen Jordan Leopold and Robyn Regehr, change Vanek’s mind?

“Probably, I mean, obviously we gave up three good players ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Adam thrilled to be back in NHL after long wait

PITTSBURGH – One day this winter, Luke Adam finally had enough. The 22-year-old cleared his head and stopped wondering about his future with the Buffalo Sabres.

In just a few months last season, Adam suffered a stunning decline, morphing from a first-line NHL scoring threat into a forgotten AHL player repeatedly bypassed for recalls.

But fretting wasn’t helping Adam’s career.

“That’s what got me in trouble,” Adam said Tuesday prior to the Sabres’ 4-1 win ... Read the full article

Pominville mum on whether he submitted no-trade list to Sabres

PITTSBURGH – Following the Buffalo Sabres’ morning skate, captain Jason Pominville politely declined to say whether he has given general manager Darcy Regier a list of eight teams he wouldn’t like to be traded.

Pominville sure sounded like he has submitted a list, though.

“I don’t want to answer by yes or no, but what I can say is Darcy has a job to do, and for him to be able to that in my ... Read the full article