'"His leadership has taken the next step," said Evan Rodrigues, Eichel's friend and former college linemate. "He wants to take that role, and he wants to be a leader. I think you can see it in the way he acts and the way he talks in the room. You can sense that he wants it."' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: The time has come to stitch the ‘C’ on Eichel’s sweater
Buffalo News
Sabres Notebook: Johnson needs to see change, Josefson denies reports of Sweden return
'"For a lot of games, for like 20 out of 29, it just seemed like a mess," Johnson said. "Things need to obviously change for a goalie to have success. You look at any team, if they play the way that we play ... I think any goalie, whether you're Pekka Rinne or (Andrei) Vasilevskiy, if a team doesn't play a certain basic standard, it's going to be a mess."' … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook: Johnson needs to see change, Josefson denies reports of Sweden return
Sabres dial too many wrong numbers in season to forget
'Since 1994, only one Sabres goalie had a goals-against average above 3.00 (Jhonas Enroth, 3.27 in 2014-15). Both Johnson (3.55) and Lehner (3.01) were above the mark this season.' … [Read more...] about Sabres dial too many wrong numbers in season to forget
Mittelstadt a work in progress during promising first NHL stint
'"This is about him getting more experience," coach Phil Housley said over the weekend during the team's season-ending Florida road trip. "There's times he's really handled himself and times it's been a bit of a push because of the teams we're playing, the speed and the transition."' … [Read more...] about Mittelstadt a work in progress during promising first NHL stint
With season over, Sabres send eight back to Amerks
'Buffalo has sent forwards Nick Baptiste, Alexander Nylander and Kevin Porter; defensemen Brendan Guhle, Casey Nelson and Matt Tennyson; and goaltenders Linus Ullmark and Adam Wilcox back to Rochester.' … [Read more...] about With season over, Sabres send eight back to Amerks
In last game with Sabres, emotional Gorges ponders end of NHL career
'"Four years ago when I came here, you set a goal in mind to help change this organization, help get this team back in the playoffs," said Gorges, who arrived in 2014 after refusing a trade from Montreal to Toronto. "To look back at it now four years later and realize we didn't make those steps, it feels like a failed effort. That's not a good feeling for anybody. Those are … [Read more...] about In last game with Sabres, emotional Gorges ponders end of NHL career
Sabres Notebook: Housley among those paying tribute to Humboldt
'"It's every parent's worst nightmare obviously and my heart goes out to those people in Humboldt," Sabres coach Phil Housley said during his pregame media briefing. "The familes, the community. ... It's one of those things where you're riding the bus, you're free of life and you just feel like you're protected. Something like this happens and it's totally unfortunate and it's … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook: Housley among those paying tribute to Humboldt
The Wraparound: Panthers 4, Sabres 3
'The loss left the Sabres with a final record of 25-45-12 for 62 points, a drop of 16 points from last season. Buffalo went 11-25-5 at home and 14-20-7 on the road. The 62 points are the fourth-lowest in franchise history for a full season. The Sabres had 51 points in 1971-72 and totals of 52 and 54 points, respectively, in their tank seasons from 2013-2015.' … [Read more...] about The Wraparound: Panthers 4, Sabres 3
Inside the Sabres: Saying goodbye to underachievers won't be easy
'In the grand scheme, it would be hard to give up Lehner for nothing after trading a first-round draft pick for the netminder in 2015. Botterill, though, is in position to wash his hands of that deal. He can say, "This was Tim Murray's move, and it's best to cut our losses and walk away." Botterill wouldn't be at fault.' … [Read more...] about Inside the Sabres: Saying goodbye to underachievers won’t be easy
Inside the NHL: Historic logjam at top of Hart ballot
'This year, for the first time, the PHWA has made an excellent decision in voting for full transparency. That means after the awards are announced in late June in Las Vegas, the individual ballots will be revealed. It's something that's been done for many years in baseball and is long overdue. Of course, the craziness of this year's Hart ballot ensures voters will take a … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: Historic logjam at top of Hart ballot
A night of firsts to remember for Mittelstadt, Nylander
'Casey Mittelstadt and Alexander Nylander are the Sabres' first-round draft choices the last two years and are expected to be mainstays on this club in the future. Each scored his first career goal before this game was 10 minutes old and they were the first of what the organization hopes will be many more.' … [Read more...] about A night of firsts to remember for Mittelstadt, Nylander
Sabres Notebook: Bolts coach sees better times ahead in Buffalo
'"A lot of things worked against Buffalo but Phil kept them together. Instead of folding down the stretch, they dug their heels in and played teams tough, including us. As an organization, they've found out a lot about themselves, they've done it the right way and they're set up to do some good things next year."' … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook: Bolts coach sees better times ahead in Buffalo
The Wraparound: Lightning 7, Sabres 5
'Anthony Cirelli's second goal of the game, a deflection at 6:15 of the third period, got the Bolts even at 5-5. Tampa Bay took the lead 47 seconds later on Brayden Point's 32nd goal of the season, a one-timed knuckleball that floated over the shoulder of Buffalo goalie Chad Johnson.' … [Read more...] about The Wraparound: Lightning 7, Sabres 5
Belief in team play nearly nonexistent for Sabres
'"We've just got to be better as a group," forward Nick Baptiste said Thursday as the team digested its 31st-place finish and prepared for its season-ending road trip. "We've got to trust the game plan and be more willing to win for one another. I think that's the biggest thing.' … [Read more...] about Belief in team play nearly nonexistent for Sabres
Sabres Notebook: Gearing up for Amerks' postseason; Ullmark makes trip
'"We'd all want nothing more than to go win a championship," Nelson said Thursday in KeyBank Center. "You can almost call it a second chance for a few of us to go make some noise in the playoffs."' … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook: Gearing up for Amerks’ postseason; Ullmark makes trip