Buffalo News

'“He’s given us a chance to win every single night,” Thunderbirds coach Matt O’Dette said. “Arguably, our most valuable player this season. With a younger team, he’s seeing more shots than he normally would, more higher quality chances against, and he’s been up to the task each and every night. He’s done what we’ve asked of him, and you can just see him and his entire game take … [Read more...] about Sabres goalie prospect Scott Ratzlaff took a ‘big step’ through ups and downs in WHL

'This current 5-1 stretch has shown some real swagger against good opponents too: Shootout wins over Carolina and Edmonton, the 7-2 pounding of Las Vegas and 7-3 destruction of Detroit, and the 4-0 blanking of the New York Islanders. The only loss was the 5-2 defeat on a back-to-back against Winnipeg – when the Sabres had a 2-1 lead with 10 minutes to go.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Home is where Sabres’ last hopes lie and they have some sudden swagger here

'“It was just to try to keep getting better and staying engaged in the game,” Quinn said of the lessons from that rehab period. “Never kind of losing it from my brain and watching hockey and stuff like that. I felt like when I came back, there was a little bit of stuff with the timing. But other than that, I was mentally right in.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook: Jack Quinn returns to practice more than two months after injury

'“That was a grind of a game,” said Thompson, who, along with Connor Clifton, scored with Flames goalie Dustin Wolf pulled for an extra attacker. “They play hard and for us, obviously, we had a game in Edmonton where we were going into the third tied and kind of let that one slip away and get away from us. In a similar situation tonight, it was a good opportunity for us to … [Read more...] about Observations: Sabres lean on lessons from brutal loss to wrap trip with 4-1 win

'“Disappointed, to be honest,” Girgensons told The News following practice Saturday in Edmonton. “We came in with higher expectations, then we went downhill, then we kind of got back on the horse a little bit. It’s disappointing because of all the skill that we have and the team that we can be. Definitely disappointed we’re not higher in the standings.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres notes: Zemgus Girgensons open to possibility of returning next season

'“Even this year was more challenging, coming into training camp and kind of starting where we left off,” Luukkonen told The Buffalo News. “It was kind of like, ‘OK, I don’t know which way we’re going here.’ I appreciate the trust the whole organization has had in me. But the start of this year, mentally, was a tough place to be at, because you really didn’t know which way … [Read more...] about Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s circuitous path from top prospect to Sabres’ No.1 goalie

'The Sabres (33-33-5) have lost three of their last four games on the road trip, which concludes Sunday in Calgary. They're falling behind in the Eastern Conference playoff race, now trailing the Detroit Red Wings by five points in the Eastern Conference.' … [Read more...] about JJ Peterka produces on new-look top line before Sabres fall apart in 8-3 loss

'Byram has three goals and five points in seven games. He’s averaging 24:09 of ice time, second on the team behind Dahlin during that span, and only two Sabres have skated on the power play more than Byram. While Byram was averaging 19:51 with the Avalanche before the trade, he wasn’t getting the opportunity that he has in Buffalo. He’s on a defense pair with Rasmus Dahlin, and … [Read more...] about Bowen Byram relishing opportunity with Sabres: ‘It’s definitely a breath of fresh air’

'The Sabres are also undertaking renovations to the KeyBank Center but more will be necessary in the coming years. The team will eventually need to address the seating bowl and building structure in the 28-year-old arena owned by Erie County but run by the Sabres.' … [Read more...] about New Bills and Sabres COO Pete Guelli has plenty on his to-do list

'The game would have been out of reach if it weren’t for Dahlin. The Sabres had only 10 shots on goal through two periods and trailed 2-0 in the third when Dahlin collected a pass from Owen Power, skated down the slot, then stickhandled around a Canucks defenseman before he sent a backhand shot on net to beat goalie Casey DeSmith with 10:22 left in regulation.' … [Read more...] about Observations: Rasmus Dahlin drags Sabres into the fight but comeback falls short

'“It was hard not to be impressed with the experience and overall business acumen of Pete Guelli,” Pegula said in a statement. “With the upcoming changes on the way in both team’s venues, we are happy to have Pete to help lead our teams.”' … [Read more...] about Bills, Sabres hire Pete Guelli as new chief operating officer

'With three goals in 4:52, the Sabres proved that they had forgotten about the devastating loss in Detroit only two days earlier. And, while the Kraken got to within one later in the first period, Buffalo pulled away for a 6-2 victory to keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race.' … [Read more...] about Observations: Sabres finally conquer Kraken, keep pace in playoff race with 6-2 win

'The stakes are like those Levi encountered during his remarkable seven-game run late last season. The Sabres are again fighting to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011. They were five points behind Detroit for the second-wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, compared to their six-point deficit when Levi made his NHL debut on March 31, 2023.' … [Read more...] about Devon Levi joins Sabres in Seattle ahead of back-to-back against Kraken, Canucks

'A regulation win in Detroit would have rocketed the Sabres’ playoff odds to 11.3%, according to MoneyPuck.com. Instead, they dropped to 4.5% with 14 games remaining. They almost recovered from a similar gut punch late last season.' … [Read more...] about A ‘big trip’ still ahead, Sabres’ shift focus to earning first win over Kraken

'"We didn't play how we needed to play in the second period," Granato said. "We didn't have the the energy and jump that we had in the first, obviously, and it slipped away. After that, we played a little bit tense, a little bit tighter. Some guys didn't look like themselves today, even though the first period was good."' … [Read more...] about Observations: One good period isn’t good enough as Sabres stall in Motown showdown