WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Stanley Cup Playoffs Edition
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen started his third straight game Friday. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The final result, an ugly 5-1 loss, stings enough. The Sabres began Friday on a short roll, having won two straight games and three of their last four.
After a disappointing start this season, the Sabres appeared to have finally found a bit of a groove.
Ninety-one seconds into Friday’s game, they trailed 2-0. The Flyers had two shots on goal.
About five minutes later, Mattias Samuelsson, the Sabres’ sturdiest defenseman, departed the ... Read the full article
Matt Savoie has fit in well in Rochester. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – By about 9:30 tonight, Sabres prospect Matt Savoie will have completed his sixth game with the Rochester Americans and his 14-day AHL conditioning loan will be over.
Savoie, 19, has fit in nicely, establishing himself as one of the Amerks’ top scoring threats while showcasing the talents that made him the ninth overall pick in 2022. Staying in Rochester would likely buoy the forward’s development.
But as a teenager whose rights are owned ... Read the full article
Rasmus Dahlin stopped wearing neck protection when he joined the NHL. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sweden mandates that hockey players wear neck guards, so Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin wore one growing up and during his short stint playing pro.
Dahlin, 23, grew accustomed to the protection – “I had no problem with it,” he said – and considered it part of his normal equipment.
“I got here (in 2018) and then I somehow stopped using them,” Dahlin said following Thursday’s practice in KeyBank Center. “But I think it’s ... Read the full article
Lukas Rousek began the season in Rochester. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
BUFFALO – When the Sabres recently placed winger Zach Benson and goalie Eric Comrie on injured reserve, they recalled two young forward prospects.
Brandon Biro, 25, rewarded the Sabres by scoring his first two NHL goals in Wednesday’s 5-2 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Biro will be joined by another rookie, Lukas Rousek, 24, in tonight’s lineup against the Flyers.
“It’s an opportunity for us to see what we have in our organization and ... Read the full article
Tage Thompson has compiled eight points in the last four games. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres center Tage Thompson scored and also earned the primary assists on rookie Brandon Biro’s first NHL goal and the game-winning goal, so understandably, a terrific defensive play he made late in a three-goal win could be overlooked.
But in Wednesday’s 5-2 road victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, Thompson illustrated his growing maturity by thwarting what looked to be an easy power-play goal.
With Thompson, 26, covering the back side of the net, ... Read the full article
Lukas Rousek played his first two NHL games last season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu, Rochester Americans
The Buffalo Sabres on Thursday recalled winger Lukas Rousek, who played his first two NHL games last season, from the Rochester Americans.
Winger Alex Tuch missed Thursday’s practice for maintenance, according to the Sabres, so Rousek might’ve been summoned for insurance.
The Sabres had one extra forward, winger Victor Olofsson, for Wednesday’s 5-2 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers. They host the Flyers tonight at KeyBank Center.
Update: Rousek and Tuch will play against ... Read the full article
Casey Mittelstadt has been on a tear since late last season. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – It took about five years, an eternity for an eighth overall pick, for Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt to reach this level.
On his way to becoming a top point producer, he endured a surprising demotion to the minors, a position switch, stints on the taxi squad and an injury-riddled season.
Mittelstadt, 24, needed time – a commodity not often given to top prospects thrust into the NHL as teenagers – to figure things ... Read the full article
Zach Benson has played six NHL games. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – The Sabres have lost one rookie to injury and added two to the lineup.
General manager Kevyn Adams said on Tuesday that winger Zach Benson, 18, aggravated a lower-body injury he has been dealing with and will be sidelined week to week.
With a roster spot available, the Sabres recalled forward Brandon Biro from the Rochester Americans. Biro, 25, practiced at right wing Tuesday alongside center Tage Thompson and Jordan Greenway. Coach Don ... Read the full article
Erik Johnson is a mainstay on the penalty kill. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Through nine games, the Sabres have mostly utilized the same penalty killers as last season, with one exception. Newcomer Erik Johnson usually jumps over the boards first with defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, offering a stabilizing veteran presence.
So far, Johnson has helped, as the Sabres have killed 89.2 percent of their penalties, which ranked sixth in the NHL entering Monday’s games. Last season, they killed just 73 percent of their penalties, which ranked 28th ... Read the full article
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen makes a save Sunday afternoon with teammate Jacob Bryson nearby. ©2023, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Fair or not, the knock on Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is his inability to make big saves at critical times.
In his 50-game career, the Finn hasn’t delivered many of those momentum-changing stops that might preserve a lead or keep a contest tied or within striking distance.
That’s why Luukkonen’s superb save on star Mikko Rantanen with the game tied at 0 early in Sunday afternoon’s 4-0 win holds so much significance.
The ... Read the full article