Vanek - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres’ Vanek questionable for Thursday

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Thomas Vanek, who took a lethal Christian Ehrhoff shot off the hip early in Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win in Montreal, missed practice today and is questionable for Thursday’s home tilt against Toronto.

“He’s a little bit better but still going to be day-to-day, what he can tolerate,” interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston said this afternoon inside the First Niagara Center. “He’s certainly a possibility.”

Meanwhile, defenseman Andrej Sekera practiced today but ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Vanek not practicing today

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Thomas Vanek, who took a lethal Christian Ehrhoff shot off the hip early in Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime win in Montreal, isn’t practicing with his teammates this morning inside the First Niagara Center.

Interim Sabres coach Ron Rolston said Tuesday that Vanek (lower body) was limping around and day-to-day.

Vanek’s 14 goals and 31 points lead the Sabres. The Austrian has been banged up all season, missing three games.... Read the full article

Rolston wise to switch up Sabres’ top trio

In reality, the Buffalo Sabres’ top trio – Thomas Vanek, Cody Hodgson and Jason Pominville – should’ve been broken up or tweaked weeks ago.

Since roaring out of the gate as the NHL’s best line in January, the line has cooled off considerably.

Vanek, once hockey’s most lethal scoring threat, has only three goals and eight points in the last 15 games. Pominville has three goals and eight points in the last 19 contests.

Not ... Read the full article

Regier on struggling Sabres: ‘I’m not in a blowing-up mindset’

BUFFALO – With the trade deadline hitting April 3 and the Sabres mired in 14^th place, general manager Darcy Regier said he has no plans to blow the team up and start fresh.

“I’m not in a blowing-up mindset,” Regier said late Friday afternoon inside the First Niagara Center. “Blowing up to me means blowing up. I mean, nothing left.”

It appears goalie Ryan Miller and wingers Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek, the team’s ... Read the full article

Jhonas Enroth, Marcus Foligno help push Sabres past Rangers

BUFFALO – At various points last season, youngsters Jhonas Enroth and Marcus Foligno represented the Sabres’ oh-so-bright future.

Enroth, the rookie goalie that couldn’t lose early on, would someday be the franchise’s regular netminder. Foligno roared into the NHL later in the campaign, instantly becoming a premier power forward.

But they had provided little to the Sabres this lost season prior to their difference-making performances in Tuesday’s 3-1 triumph over the New York Rangers.

Enroth ... Read the full article

Hecht’s benching related to Sabres’ personnel, not play

BUFFALO – Hours before scratching Jochen Hecht on Thursday, Ron Rolston praised the veteran’s play. Following practice a day later, the Sabres’ interim coach complimented the 35-year-old forward again.

So why did Rolston make Hecht, the Sabres’ longest-tenured player, a healthy scratch for the first time in his 10 seasons here?

“We had a lot of scenarios going on with players,” Rolston explained Friday after the Sabres practiced inside Cazenovia Ice Rink. “We have ... Read the full article

With Rolston in charge, Hecht’s long Sabres tenure could be ending

Judge him differently, his supporters said. Sure, Jochen Hecht’s no longer a 20-goal, 45-point player. But the 35-year-old forward’s a veteran asset. He’s a good guy in the room and can still contribute something on the ice.

No way, the detractors said. The German was declining before he suffered three concussions in a 10-month span. The Buffalo Sabres shouldn’t have re-signed him in January. The move shows they can’t move on from the ... Read the full article

Halfway through disappointing season, Sabres’ playoff chances slim

BUFFALO – Forget about merely making the playoffs. Forty-six days ago, a long postseason run felt like a real possibility following the Sabres’ season-opening 5-2 home victory over Philadelphia.

The next day, a 2-1 road triumph in Toronto only strengthened the belief the veteran club could be an Eastern Conference heavyweight.

The Sabres possessed offensive firepower, a deep defense corps, unyielding muscle and a franchise goalie, right?

Well …

The 13^th-place Sabres ... Read the full article

Cody Hodgson’s goal proves how badly he wants to be Sabres’ top center

Finding positives in the Buffalo Sabres’ lost season is difficult.

Injuries and the law of averages have cooled off slick winger Thomas Vanek. The defense has performed so horrifically around goalie Ryan Miller it’s hard to realize he could be playing as well as ever.

Then there’s Cody Hodgson.

Yes, he’s still very raw defensively. But Hodgson has 10 goals and 21 points in 24 games, strong numbers that only rank behind Vanek’s 12 ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie T.J. Brennan gets another chance to shine

In seven NHL games this season, Buffalo Sabres defenseman T.J. Brennan has zero points and 14 shots on goal (how many have missed the net?) while averaging 14:11 on the ice each appearance.

After scoring 14 goals and 35 points in 36 games with Rochester this season, Brennan has underwhelmed mightily.

If the 23-year-old didn’t have to clear waivers, he likely would’ve been returned to the AHL. Instead, rather than risk losing him, the Sabres ... Read the full article