Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

Sabres sign tough guy Dalton Smith to one-year, two-way contract

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Dalton Smith to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700,000, the team announced this morning.

Smith, 27, has been playing on an AHL deal with the Rochester Americans.

Update: Smith is on the ice with Sabres for this afternoon’s practice. The Sabres host the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team that has pushed them around this season, Tuesday.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Smith possesses an agitating style and regularly fights. In seven ... Read the full article

With Jeff Skinner injured, Sabres revamp lines to generate offense

BUFFALO – Forget that Jeff Skinner hadn’t scored in 11 games before suffering an upper-body injury Friday. Forget that after enjoying his first 40-goal campaign, the Sabres winger has only produced 11 goals in 39 contests this season.

Skinner, who will be sidelined three to four weeks, the Sabres announced Saturday, can be a lethal scorer. In his last few outings, he channeled his 2018-19 form, showcasing the tenacious style that helped make him ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Jeff Skinner out three to four weeks with upper-body injury

BUFFALO – Winger Jeff Skinner will miss three to four weeks with an upper-body injury, the Sabres announced this morning.

Skinner’s absence could be a huge blow to the Sabres, who have been struggling to produce offense as they fight for a playoff spot.

While Skinner, 27, struggled this month – he has an 11-game goal drought – he looked better in recent outings, playing aggressively and generating offense.

Overall, Skinner has scored 11 goals ... Read the full article

Sabres lose game to Bruins, Jeff Skinner to upper-body injury

BUFFALO – The Sabres have a way of making any recent progress quickly feel like a distant memory.

For the first two weeks of December, they channeled some of their early-season form, shaking off an awful November swoon and moving back into a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.

Now, having dropped five of their last six games (1-4-1), they’re struggling again.

To make matters worse, in addition to losing 3-0 to the heavyweight Boston ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Jake McCabe’s advice to Mattias Samuelsson: ‘Be yourself’

BUFFALO – Seven years ago, Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe had no idea he would be named captain of Team USA’s entry at the World Junior Championship.

The team, after all, had some returning players. McCabe, then 19, was participating in his first tournament.

“It was one I was surprised about because I was a first-year player,” McCabe said prior to Friday’s 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center. “But I took it with ... Read the full article

Sabres recall Curtis Lazar from Amerks again, reason unclear

BUFFALO – The Sabres recalled forward Curtis Lazar from the Rochester Americans this afternoon for fourth time this season.

Lazar’s arrival could mean center Johan Larsson, out the last two games with an upper-body bruise, isn’t ready to play tonight against the Boston Bruins. Larsson skated this morning inside KeyBank Center.

It could also mean the Sabres want an extra forward. Lazar gives them 13 on the roster.... Read the full article

Sabres’ Marco Scandella out, lineup for Bruins to be announced later

BUFFALO – Fresh off a three-day Christmas break, the Sabres will change their lineup tonight against the Boston Bruins.

Illness will sideline defenseman Marco Scandella, Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said.

Something has been spreading through the locker room. Krueger said Scandella called Thursday night and he he was sick.

“Hopefully he’s the last one,” Krueger said this morning inside KeyBank Center. “It kind was kind of going through. There were six, seven guys that felt ... Read the full article

After years of scoring, Sabres’ Kyle Okposo thriving in new checking role

BUFFALO – It’s pretty easy to tell when Kyle Okposo’s thriving. At his best, the Sabres winger is in the thick of the action, bumping bodies and aggressively pursuing and moving the puck.

“I love the grind,” said Okposo, whose Sabres host the Boston Bruins tonight at KeyBank Center following a three-day Christmas break. “I love just being hard on pucks down low, taking pucks to the net, fighting for every inch, hunting pucks down, ... Read the full article

Former Sabre Uwe Krupp loved starting career in Buffalo: ‘It was a special time’

BUFFALO – Their relationship started in 1986. Uwe Krupp was a teenager who had just joined the West Germans for the World Championship in Moscow. Ralph Krueger was the team’s veteran star.

“I was a really young player on a very experienced German team,” said Krupp, a 6-foot-6 defenseman who played 327 games with the Sabres in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “Ralph was one of the older players. There wasn’t so much talking ... Read the full article

Sabres send Curtis Lazar to Amerks

BUFFALO – The Sabres sent forward Curtis Lazar back to the Rochester Americans following Monday’s 3-1 road loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Lazar, 24, played in two games during his recall, his third this season.

The Sabres began their three-day Christmas break today. They don’t play again until they host the Boston Bruins on Friday.... Read the full article