Buffalo News

'Everyone in the dressing room understood what was at stake Saturday in KeyBank Center. It was only the Sabres’ ninth game, but they couldn’t afford to hand two points to the Red Wings (4-4), who finished higher in the division last season and had won three straight entering their latest matchup. Alex Tuch referred to this as a “four-point game,” and his line played with the … [Read more...] about Tage Thompson’s line leads Sabres to win in ‘big game’ against divisional foe

'And after they play the Sabres for the second time in October on Monday night in KeyBank Center, they’ll head more than 4,100 miles east to Helsinki, Finland, to prep for next weekend’s Global Series games in Tampere against Dallas.' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: Panthers coach Paul Maurice on another Cup run, going home and Lindy Ruff’s return

'“The way the league has become, all those divisional matchups are so important,” Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton said. “You get your two points, and you steal two points from someone who’s going to be near you towards the end. You just saw how the wild card was last season with 20 games left. Anyone could have taken those spots, which is crazy. That’s how the league is going. … [Read more...] about Sabres know ahead of first matchup with Red Wings that ‘every point matters’ in division

'“Watching him when he was in Edmonton, going to the Cup final, it’s obviously a different kind of hockey and I think when you gain that experience, you develop certain habits that translate,” said Sabres center Tage Thompson. “For him, how intense he is all the time – faceoffs, in the (defensive) zone. Obviously, the first thing that sticks out is his speed. He has a lot of … [Read more...] about Ryan McLeod showing with Sabres that he can be more than a shutdown center

'You just don’t want to already be 10 points out of a division lead like Nashville, which finally won its first game Tuesday night. You don’t want to be eight back like Colorado and Philadelphia. The Sabres aren’t. They had a ridiculously goofy opening to the season with their European trip and are just now figuring things out, going 3-1-1 since their 0-3 start.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Sabres need to look like they have the last 2 games, and now have to string wins

'Tage Thompson was the voice of reason as the Sabres clung to a two-goal lead against one of the best teams in the NHL, then he put those words into action on the ice by scoring a highlight-reel goal that gave Buffalo the insurance it needed in a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars.' … [Read more...] about Sabres takeaways: Tage Thompson ‘takes charge,’ scores clutch goal in win

'Benson has no points with a minus-4 rating and only eight shots on goal in six games to start his second season in the NHL. His ice time has been fewer than 15 minutes in each of the past four games. Benson skated with the Sabres’ second power-play unit during practice Monday in LECOM Harborcenter, but Peyton Krebs took over that spot at Tuesday’s morning skate.' … [Read more...] about Sabres notes: Zach Benson given time off for injury to heal; Nicolas Aube-Kubel close

'Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Sabres have been the NHL’s worst home team with a .472 points percentage. With an annual 41-game home schedule, the Sabres haven’t won more than 21 times downtown since going 25-10-6 in 2009-10, their last division championship season.; … [Read more...] about Sabres open a 10-game stretch full of home contests, but is that a good thing?

'Buffalo still managed to carry a 3-2 lead into the second intermission because Peterka scored his fourth goal in three games since returning from the concussion that he suffered in the second game of the season.' … [Read more...] about Sabres wrap road trip with ‘total team game,’ 4-2 win over Blackhawks

'The 23-year-old forward's strong start to the season continued Saturday when he helped the Sabres shut down Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard, who finished with only two shots on goal and three shot attempts in 20:11 of ice time.' … [Read more...] about Peyton Krebs helps Sabres limit Connor Bedard: 5 takeaways from win in Chicago

'We’re only six games into the season. Look around the league at how many teams are struggling right now. Three teams entered Friday without a win, including the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators. It's not a secret that significant changes will happen if the Sabres continue to lose and miss the playoffs. The owner is notoriously impatient, and he has a history of … [Read more...] about Sabres Mailbag: Are seismic changes coming if the losing continues?

'Wednesday night’s Sabres-Penguins matchup should have been some routine October affair. Instead, it will go down as one of those games that stand out. Partly for the way the Sabres roared out of the gate with three goals in the first 11½ minutes but mostly because of all-time moments we saw from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: Once again, a routine trip to Pittsburgh produces a live look at NHL history

'Ratzlaff will stay in Seattle this season but could join the Rochester Amerks in the spring after his WHL campaign ends. In addition to his work in the preseason, Ratzlaff had an impressive stint during the Sabres' development camp.' … [Read more...] about Sabres sign goalie Scott Ratzlaff to three-year, entry-level contract

'The Sabres were complete no-shows for long stretches of the opening 20 minutes in this one. Forget about the shots on goal. They didn't get a single shot attempt for the first 10 minutes. The final on-goal count for the frame was 9-4 for Columbus.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ struggles continue with ugly loss to Blue Jackets

'The Sabres had a late 5-4 lead but couldn't hold on as a Malkin shot leaked through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Rickard Rakell dumped it into an empty net with 46 seconds to forge OT with the score tied at 5-5.' … [Read more...] about Sabres stunned in OT as Pens’ Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby forge NHL history