Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

Sabres generate more offense, still fall to Islanders for third time in week

Against a tight New York Islanders team knowing for neutralizing the opposition, the Buffalo Sabres finally broke through Monday, pumping 36 shots on goalie Semyon Varlamov.

The Sabres struggled offensively in two home losses to the Islanders last week, scoring just one goal. But Monday inside Nassau Coliseum, they consistently cracked the Islanders’ rigid structure, generating a slew of chances.

Still, the Sabres couldn’t finish their opportunities, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s goal 15:08 into the third ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner to be healthy scratch versus Islanders

Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner will be a healthy scratch for the first time in his 11-year NHL career tonight against the New York Islanders, coach Ralph Krueger said.

Krueger said Casey Mittelstadt will replace the struggling Skinner, who has scored zero goals in 14 games this season.

“We don’t measure players only on statistics,” Krueger said on a Zoom call late this afternoon inside Nassau Coliseum. “It’s part of the mix. Really, it’s a ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jake McCabe out for season

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe’s season is over.

McCabe, 27, suffered ACL, MCL and meniscus injuries in his right knee Saturday afternoon and will need six to eight months to recover, the team announced this afternoon.

The American left the Sabres’ 3-2 road win against the New Jersey Devils with 11:03 remaining after his right leg buckled when he tried to hit Nico Hischier in the corner. He clutched his knee before being helped off ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner could be healthy scratch against Islanders

Over his first nine NHL seasons, Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner produced one season of at least 31 goals for each of the four head coaches he played under.

Skinner scored 31 times as a rookie 10 years ago for Paul Maurice. He enjoyed a 33-goal campaign in 2013-14 under Kirk Muller and recorded 37 goals in 2016-17 for Bill Peters.

Following his arrival from the Carolina Hurricanes in 2018, Skinner scored a career-high 40 ... Read the full article

Sabres concerned about Jake McCabe’s injury; Buffalo recalls defensemen

Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe, who left Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 win against the New Jersey Devils after suffering a lower-body injury, has returned to Buffalo for an MRI, coach Ralph Krueger said.

Krueger said the Sabres will have an update on McCabe’s status prior to Monday’s road game against the New York Islanders.

“I’ll be honest with you, (I’m) not very optimistic about the diagnosis that’ll come out of this, but let the medical team ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Buffalo’s early goal buoys win; Taylor Hall honored by Devils

When defenseman Colin Miller converted winger Taylor Hall’s pass early in Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 win, coach Ralph Krueger said joy swept over the Buffalo Sabres’ bench.

For the first time in more than 259 minutes of play, Buffalo had finally seized the lead.

“Guys were just like, ‘Wow, when was the last time this happened?’” Krueger said on a Zoom call after the Sabres defeated the New Jersey Devils.

It hadn’t happened since Jan. 30, ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Ralph Krueger ‘very concerned’ about Jake McCabe’s lower-body injury

Buffalo Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said he is “very concerned” about the lower-body injury defenseman Jake McCabe suffered in Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 road win over the New Jersey Devils.

While Krueger couldn’t offer a recovery time – “We don’t have a final diagnosis yet,” he said – his words painted a grim picture for McCabe, who recently recovered after testing positive for COVID-19.

McCabe, 27, left the game with 11:03 remaining after his right leg ... Read the full article

Sabres trying to generate offensive confidence: ‘Definitely some fragility’

In watching the Buffalo Sabres lose again and fail to score an even-strength goal, coach Ralph Krueger learned how fragile his team’s psychological state is right now.

Since the Sabres returned from a two-week COVID-19 pause Monday, they’ve showcased an anemic offense, recording zero even-strength goals and just two overall in their three games.

Winger Victor Olofsson has provided the Sabres’ only offense, scoring a power-play goal Monday and again in Thursday’s 3-1 road loss ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Ristolainen reveals difficult battle with COVID-19

In a harrowing story published in a Finnish newspaper Friday, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen reveals he experienced COVID-19 symptoms so severe he struggled to walk up the stairs in his home.

“When there was chest pain, it felt like my heart was cracking as I walked up the stairs,” Ristolainen told Ilta-Sanomat, according to a Google translation. “A couple of evenings there were such conditions when I went to bed that I didn’t know ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Jack Quinn wows in pro debut with Amerks

ROCHESTER – Seth Appert’s gut told him rookie Jack Quinn deserved an opportunity to follow C.J. Smith in the shootout.

After starting his pro debut slowly, Quinn, 19, grew comfortable as Thursday’s game progressed. Late in the third period, the Sabres prospect created Steven Fogarty’s tying power-play goal for the Americans.

So when Appert needed a second shooter after Smith scored, he wanted to utilize Quinn, an ultra-talented winger Buffalo drafted eighth overall last year.... Read the full article