WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
February Edition
Tage Thompson skated on two lines Saturday afternoon. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – After skating on the fourth line all season, Sabres winger Jeff Skinner found himself in a familiar spot with top center Jack Eichel late in Saturday afternoon’s 4-3 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils.
After Tage Thompson struggled filling in for injured winger Sam Reinhart, Sabres coach Ralph Krueger promoted Skinner to the first line for the third period at KeyBank Center.
“We just weren’t pleased with five-on-five scoring-chance production so we ... Read the full article
Sam Reinhart hasn’t missed a game in four years. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – An upper-body injury will sideline Sabres winger Sam Reinhart for this afternoon’s game against the New Jersey Devils, coach Ralph Krueger said.
Winger Tage Thompson will replace Reinhart, who was injured in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers.
Thompson has sat out three straight games and four of the last five as a healthy scratch. Reinhart, meanwhile, hasn’t missed a game since late in 2016-17.
The 6-foot-7, 219-pound Thompson, 23, ... Read the full article
Taylor Hall has recorded seven points in his first eight games with Buffalo. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Taylor Hall’s eight-game start with the Sabres looks a bit underwhelming.
The ultra-talented winger has recorded just one goal, a power-play score way back on opening night, and was moved to the second line Thursday. He has mustered just one assist in the last five games.
Of course, two weeks is a small sample size. Hall has registered seven points, so he has produced offense at a rate close to his career average ... Read the full article
Jack Quinn is on Buffalo’s taxi squad. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres rookie Jack Quinn, who’s on the taxi squad, recently recovered from an upper-body injury and could be assigned to the Rochester Americans soon.
“He was on IR and we were working an upper-body injury there, not a very serious one, very minor,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said on a Zoom call following this afternoon’s practice at KeyBank Center. “So he hasn’t been a part of the equation here. He’s been in ... Read the full article
Sam Reinhart battles the New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider on Tuesday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Sabres winger Sam Reinhart missed today’s practice with an upper-body injury and is questionable for Saturday afternoon’s game against the New Jersey Devils.
“We’ll make that call tomorrow morning,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said on a Zoom call following this afternoon’s practice at KeyBank Center.
Krueger said Reinhart, who finished Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers, is day to day. Reinhart recorded a goal and two points Thursday.
Linus Ullmark made 36 saves Thursday, including a point-blank stop on New York Rangers rookie Alexis Lafreniere. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Don’t let the score fool you. The Sabres had no business being in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers, let alone reaching overtime.
The Sabres looked listless for two periods, generating little offense. They mustered only five shots in the opening period and a meager nine through 40 minutes.
Still, the Sabres hung around and stole a point, mostly thanks to goalie Linus Ullmark’s dazzling performance inside KeyBank Center.
“Linus got ... Read the full article
Curtis Lazar relishes his physical role. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – Curtis Lazar relishes playing a heavy style as the Sabres’ fourth-line center and utilizing his 6-foot frame to disrupt the opposition.
“I take a lot of pride in providing that sandpaper for our team up front and trying to create room for some of our skill guys, knowing that if guys are going to go out there, then you have to deal with me,” Lazar said on a Zoom call Wednesday.
But after ... Read the full article
Ralph Krueger took over the Sabres last season. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
Last season, as the Buffalo Sabres roared out of the gate, starting 9-2-1, coach Ralph Krueger said he felt everything was coming too easy for his team.
“I was never extremely comfortable as a coach,” Krueger said on a Zoom call this morning of his first weeks leading the Sabres.
The Sabres, of course, would plummet down the standings, missing the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season. They finished 30-31-8, meaning they won just 35.6% ... Read the full article
Cody Eakin takes a faceoff against the New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad on Tuesday. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – With 33 seconds remaining Tuesday and the Sabres clinging to a one-goal lead against the New York Rangers, coach Ralph Krueger sent out center Cody Eakin to take a critical draw in his own zone.
Eakin has quickly become a trusted faceoff specialist, winning 59.4% this season. With winger Taylor Hall serving a boarding penalty and goalie Alexandar Georgiev on the bench for an extra attacker, the Sabres desperately needed the puck.
Eakin ... Read the full article
Henri Jokiharju missed Tuesday’s game. ©2021, Micheline Veluvolu
BUFFALO – An upper-body injury kept Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju from practicing today for the second straight day.
Jokiharju, 21, missed Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the New York Rangers.
“It’s truly a monitoring of day to day of when the right moment is to bring him back him in,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said on a Zoom call. “We’ll see how he is in the morning, but we thought it was better to have another ... Read the full article