WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage
Calder Cup Playoffs Edition
Los Angeles goalie Jhonas Enroth enjoyed his time in Buffalo. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Los Angeles Kings goalie Jhonas Enroth takes his fondest memories of his five year-run with the Sabres from the franchise’s darkest days.
Throughout all the losing and turmoil last season, he tended some of his best goal ever, briefly becoming the Sabres’ most valuable player.
Sure, Enroth detested losing. He usually looked beaten down after losses. Still, to the Swede, who briefly lived his dream of becoming the Sabres’ No. 1 goalie, some ... Read the full article
Linus Ullmark is 0-4-2 in his last six starts. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Right now, Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark’s struggles are “mostly mental things,” the Swede said this morning. In his last six starts, the rookie is 0-4-2 and has allowed 18 goals. In his last three starts, his save percentage is .859.
Remember, Ullmark, who will start tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, dazzled early on, winning four of his first six starts.
“We know that my game works,” Ullmark said inside the First ... Read the full article
Jean Dupuy already has 10 points with Rochester. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
ROCHESTER – The biggest early-season surprise on the farm hasn’t been Justin Bailey, Nick Baptiste or Evan Rodrigues – three talented AHL rookie forwards many believe will play for the Buffalo Sabres someday.
While the prospects have contributed to the Americans at times, another first-year pro has outplayed them all. Remember this name: Jean Dupuy.
Who? Just 23 games into his career, Dupuy, an undrafted center from the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie ... Read the full article
Cody McCormick on Jan. 2 in his last home appearance. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Almost a year after Cody McCormick developed blood clots that spread to his lungs, the rugged Sabres forward has a new routine.
Most mornings, long before his teammates practice, he’s on the First Niagara Center ice helping rehab coordinator Dennis Miller work with two or three injured players. McCormick then hangs around the rink for bit, works out and heads home.
McCormick has no symptoms from the clots that briefly hospitalized him in ... Read the full article
Rasmus Ristolainen already has seven goals. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
As I wrote a week ago, before he scored the first hat trick by a Buffalo Sabres defenseman in almost 28 years, Rasmus Ristolainen is quickly becoming a star.
Ristolainen, 21, might be the Sabres’ best player. With three third-period goals Thursday in Calgary in the Sabres’ 4-3 loss to the Flames, he already has 21 points in 29 games, one more point than he compiled last season in 49 fewer games.
“He ... Read the full article
Blood clots have sidelined Cody McCormick almost a year. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Almost a year after Cody McCormick developed blood clots that spread to his lungs, the Sabres forward has a routine.
Most mornings, he’s on the First Niagara Center ice working with rehab coordinator Dennis Miller and two or three injured players. McCormick then hangs around the rink for bit, works out and heads home.
McCormick has no symptoms from the clots that briefly hospitalized him in early January – “I feel normal,” he ... Read the full article
Evander Kane (9) keeps the puck away from Arizona’s Stefan Elliott on Friday. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – Realistically, having scored six times in 16 games this season, Sabres winger Evander Kane likely won’t hit his lofty preseason target of 40 or 50 goals.
Scoring once in his first 11 appearances and missing 10 contests with an MCL injury certainly didn’t help.
But that disappointing start has recently become an afterthought, as Kane’s one of the NHL’s hottest scorers as the Sabres start a three-game Canadian road trip tonight against the ... Read the full article
Cal O’Reilly played with his brother during the preseason. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The Sabres recalled forward Cal O’Reilly, the older brother of center Ryan O’Reilly, from the Rochester Americans this morning before leaving on a three-game road trip.
Cal O’Reilly, the Amerks’ captain, has three goals and a team-best 14 points in 21 games, including eight in his last seven appearances.
O’Reilly, 29, has played 113 NHL games with Nashville, Arizona and Pittsburgh, compiling 13 goals and 41 points. He hasn’t appeared in an NHL ... Read the full article
Evander Kane scored twice Friday. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – First, Sam Reinhart utilized his soft hands around the net Friday. Jamie McGinn followed with a wicked one-timer off a perfect feed from Jack Eichel. Evander Kane scored later on a short-handed breakaway.
Not only are the Sabres finally scoring goals these days, they’re generating pretty ones, a sure sign the offense is humming for the first time all season.
The Sabres’ third win in four games, an exciting 5-2 victory against the ... Read the full article
John Scott played only his seventh game Friday. ©2015, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
BUFFALO – The sight, of course, would be odd. Just imagine 6-foot-8 former Sabres tough guy John Scott, who has five goals in his eight-year career, competing against superstars like Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos in the new three-on-three NHL All-Star Game format.
If fans keep casting online ballots for Scott, that could happen Jan. 31 in Nashville.
Right now, Scott, a healthy scratch 19 times with the Arizona Coyotes this season, is the ... Read the full article
