Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

After slow start, Sabres’ Dylan Cozens playing confidently again

BUFFALO – A couple of weeks ago, Sabres captain Kyle Okposo approached center Dylan Cozens and asked him if he ever says “good job” to himself.

Having spent four seasons as teammates, Okposo, 35, knows how much pressure Cozens, 22, puts on himself. His struggles often consume him.

When Cozens replied, “I don’t think so,” Okposo told him if he makes a nice play, to acknowledge it to himself. Okposo wanted him to understand he ... Read the full article

Injured Kyle Okposo sidelined week to week; Don Granato returns to Sabres

BUFFALO – Sabres coach Don Granato called the timing of the lower-body injury that will sideline captain Kyle Okposo week to week “incredible.”

Okposo, 35, suffered the injury in Sunday’s 5-1 road loss to the Ottawa Senators, the same game Girgensons, 29, returned from a 17-game absence. The linemates hadn’t played a contest together since Nov. 24.

“I talked a lot about how nice it would be to have both of them in because we ... Read the full article

Goalie Eric Comrie clears waivers, sent to Amerks by Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres on Monday assigned goalie Eric Comrie to the Rochester Americans after he cleared waivers.

Comrie, 28, last played in the AHL one year ago, when he started three games for the Amerks during a conditioning assignment.

His arrival creates a logjam in Rochester’s net. The Amerks have two established AHL: goalies: Dustin Tokarski and Devin Cooley.... Read the full article

Sabres waive goalie Eric Comrie to create roster spot

The Buffalo Sabres on Sunday placed struggling goalie Eric Comrie on waivers to create a roster spot for winger Zemgus Girgensons, who was activated from injured reserve.

Girgensons, 29, has missed the last 17 games with a lower-body injury. He could return for Sunday’s road game against the Ottawa Senators.

The move leaves the Sabres with goalies Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Comrie, who signed a two-year, $3.8 million contract as a free agent in ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Kevyn Adams expresses faith in Don Granato; Seth Appert subs for ill coach in OT win

BUFFALO – Forty-five minutes prior to the Sabres’ 3-2 overtime victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets, general manager Kevyn Adams acknowledged he understands the frustration directed toward himself, coach Don Granato and the assistants.

The Sabres have woefully underachieved this season, morphing from one of the NHL’s up-and-coming young teams into perhaps its biggest disappointment.

They’re wildly inconsistent, regularly get outworked, often fall behind early in games and have trouble scoring and preventing goals. Nearly ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Don Granato to miss game because of illness; Seth Appert to fill in

Buffalo Sabres coach Don Granato is ill and won’t be available for this afternoon’s home game, the team announced this morning. Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert will assume his duties behind the bench for the day.

Granato, 56, conducted Friday’s practice and addressed the media after the Sabres prepared for their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at KeyBank Center.

When Granato went into COVID-19 protocol in 2020-21, general manager Kevyn Adams subbed behind the ... Read the full article

With roster move needed, Sabres goalie Eric Comrie has uncertain future

BUFFALO – Eric Comrie processed the question and searched for the right words. The normally loquacious Sabres goalie never found them.

“I don’t know,” he replied when asked about the Sabres’ roster crunch and how he has been focusing on himself. “That’s a tough question to answer.”

Comrie, having once been claimed off waivers four times in a 17-month stretch, has endured a lot of uncertainty in his career. But after signing a two-year contract ... Read the full article

Tyson Jost clears waivers, assigned to Amerks; Sabres send rookie to AHL

BUFFALO – The Sabres on Friday assigned center Tyson Jost to the Rochester Americans after he cleared waivers.

Jost, 25, hasn’t played in the AHL since an eight-game stint with the Colorado Eagles in 2018-19. He has made just 13 appearances in the minors since turning pro in 2017.

The Sabres on Friday also activated center Tage Thompson from the non-roster list and sent rookie defenseman Ryan Johnson to the Amerks in a paper transaction ... Read the full article

Sabres create roster space by waiving Tyson Jost, making another move

BUFFALO – If center Tyson Jost clears waivers and reports to the AHL – he has two goals and a $2 million salary, so teams will likely pass – he will begin his first stint in the minors in five years.

Jost, 25, fit in nicely on and off the ice last season after the Sabres plucked him off waivers from the Minnesota Wild, and he earned a new one-year contract.

But like many of ... Read the full article

Special teams doom Sabres in loss to Bruins: ‘Achilles’ heel for us tonight’

BUFFALO – Chew on these ghastly, NHL-worst numbers: the Sabres have allowed a whopping 48 first-period goals and possess a minus-22 goal differential in the opening 20 minutes this season.

In Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, the Sabres trailed by the 4:19 mark and fell behind 2-0 at 13:42 before the capacity crowd of 19,070 fans in KeyBank Center.

When the Sabres had a four-minute man advantage after going down 1-0, they frittered ... Read the full article