Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

Injured Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin still being evaluated

BUFFALO – Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin missed his second straight game with a back injury Saturday afternoon against the Utah Hockey Club.

Coach Lindy Ruff said Dahlin, the Sabres’ top defenseman, is still being evaluated.

The Swede left Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche with back spasms.... Read the full article

Sabres’ struggles haven’t shaken Kevyn Adams’ belief: ‘Not going to panic’

BUFFALO – Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams entered the KeyBank Center media room, walked to the podium and started talking before he fielded a question.

Normally, GMs don’t hold a 23-minute news conference on a Friday morning in early December. But Adams’ Sabres, having dropped five straight games (0-3-2), including an embarrassing loss Tuesday in which they blew a four-goal lead and lost for the second time in franchise history, are in rough shape.

Entering ... Read the full article

Tyson Kozak has goal disallowed in NHL debut as Sabres lose to Jets in OT

BUFFALO – For a few moments, Tyson Kozak said he felt “pure joy and excitement.” In his NHL debut Thursday, with his family sitting in the stands, the center appeared to score the go-ahead goal in the Sabres’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

For Kozak, a Manitoba native, the entire day almost played out magically, starting when he ran into his parents in the hotel lobby in the morning. He had no idea ... Read the full article

Injured captain Rasmus Dahlin misses game; Sabres make roster move

BUFFALO – The good news for the Sabres is captain Rasmus Dahlin, their top defenseman, shouldn’t be sidelined for long after leaving Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche with back spasms.

“I think that should be short-term, but you never know,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said prior to Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets in KeyBank Center.

Dahlin, who averages a team-high 24 minutes, 42 seconds of ice time per game, missed ... Read the full article

Injuries taking toll on Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson: ‘Really hard mentally’

BUFFALO – Mattias Samuelsson acknowledged this latest one has been difficult to handle. The oft-injured Sabres defenseman worked during the offseason to help his body stay healthy.

Then 13 games into his season, he suffered a lower-body injury in his return after watching three contests as a healthy scratch.

Samuelsson, 24, has missed the last 10 games.... Read the full article

Sabres recall prospect Ryan Johnson from Rochester

BUFFALO – The Sabres this morning recalled defense prospect Ryan Johnson from the Rochester Americans.

Johnson, 23, has registered five assists, 12 penalty minutes and a plus-5 rating in 21 games with the Amerks this season.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Johnson played 41 games as a rookie with the Sabres this season, compiling seven assists, 12 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating.... Read the full article

As Sabres struggle, anything, including trades, could be on table to improve

BUFFALO – Hours after one of the most embarrassing defeats in franchise history, the Sabres canceled practice and likely relived the horrors of Tuesday’s stunning 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in video sessions.

It was no doubt painful viewing.

The Sabres had fallen into a rut before they blew a four-goal lead and lost for just the second time in their 55-year history.

Two months into the season and barely a week removed from ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin, UPL named to 4 Nations tournament rosters

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will be representing their respective countries at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

The NHL and NHLPA on Wednesday announced Dahlin as one Team Sweden’s seven defensemen and Luukkonen as one of Team Finland’s three netminders.

Sabres center Tage Thompson (USA), winger Alex Tuch (USA) and defenseman Henri Jokiharju (Finland), all of whom were believed to be in the mix to represent their respective countries, did ... Read the full article

Sabres implode in third period, suffer stunning loss to Avalanche; Rasmus Dahlin leaves game injured

BUFFALO – The onslaught ended 11:49 into the game, when Sabres winger Beck Malenstyn grabbed linemate Nicolas Aube-Kubel’s pass at the edge the slot, skated in and tucked a backhander past Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

Malenstyn’s goal on the Sabres’ eighth shot extended their lead to 4-0 and put the wonky Georgiev on the bench for the rest of Tuesday’s contest.

Even with 48 minutes remaining against one of the NHL’s heavyweights, it felt ... Read the full article

Avalanche’s Casey Mittelstadt grateful for trade, fond of time with Sabres

BUFFALO – Former Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt knew a trade could be coming last season.

His emergence as a consistent point producer put him in line to sign a hefty new contract following the campaign. It also transformed him into perhaps general manager Kevyn Adams’ greatest asset as he scoured the market to improve the Sabres.

“I saw the writing on the wall a little bit,” Mittelstadt said Tuesday prior to his first game against ... Read the full article