Buffalo News

'"He gives up size and strength, gives up the weight. So he has to battle harder than he's going to have to battle when he gains weight and strength," Granato said. "But as far as playing with maturity, it's incredible how he reads. He's been a key, key guy to have on our penalty kill ... doesn't feel pressure or anxiety in that situation like others do."' … [Read more...] about Even when it doesn’t land on the scoresheet, Jack Quinn making his mark on Sabres’ attack

'The top two teams make the playoffs. The Sabres are five points behind Pittsburgh for the second wild-card spot.' … [Read more...] about Where Sabres stand in wild-card race and remaining schedules for contenders

'Luukkonen (17-11-4) had not played since Buffalo's 5-4 win over New Jersey on March 24 and was severely tested Saturday, stopping 29 of 31 shots he faced over the first two periods as the offense eventually took over.' … [Read more...] about Observations: As Devon Levi looks on, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stands tall for Sabres in win over Flyers

'The crowd roared. Levi's family and friends celebrated. This was the type of moment he visualized long before his trade to the Sabres in July 2021 or his record-setting performance at the IIHF World Junior Championship.' … [Read more...] about Observations: Devon Levi wins stellar NHL debut behind Jeff Skinner’s OT goal

'Showcasing the precise technique that earned him the crease only a few weeks after leaving Northeastern University to turn pro, Devon Levi delivered a stellar debut and Jeff Skinner scored the winner in overtime to give the Sabres a 3-2 win.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: You can add Devon Levi to a special list of debuts for Sabres goalies

'“At the end, he’s going to say that it’s just another step in the right direction and, ultimately, another game,” Laurent Levi, Devon’s father, said as he and his wife, Eta, awaited their flight to Buffalo. “A big game, but he’s going to enjoy it. That’s what we’re going to do. It’s just a great moment for us to soak it up and enjoy it. Then, we’ll look forward to the next … [Read more...] about How Devon Levi will use ‘surreal’ Sabres debut to prepare for next opportunity

'Samuelsson, a shutdown defenseman, skated with the team Thursday for the first time since he last appeared in a game March 11 against the Rangers in KeyBank Center. The Sabres are 28-16-4 when Samuelsson is in the lineup this season, compared to 7-15-3 without him.' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Tage Thompson, Mattias Samuelsson, Jordan Greenway game-time decisions vs. Rangers

'“There's still a lot I can improve, and that's not something that just happens during the offseason,” Luukkonen said. “Every day coming to the rink and being willing to learn and be willing to get better. Even though you don't want to dwell on bad games or your mistakes, you have to learn from them and being critical towards yourself in a good way, too. That's been really big … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen learning to manage ‘ups and downs’ as a rookie goalie

'Dahlin’s 86 penalty minutes entering Tuesday ranked third among all NHL defensemen. His natural response to difficult situations, or pressure, is to work harder, which can also lead to Dahlin trying to do too much when the simple play is the better approach. Overextending shifts can result in turnovers or defensive miscues. It’s one of many lessons Dahlin has absorbed as the … [Read more...] about Rasmus Dahlin embracing and learning from pressure of Sabres’ playoff push

'The Habs won the shootout, 2-1, on Michael Pezzetta's goal in Round 6 – which he celebrated with a riding of the stick a la longtime Toronto enforcer Tiger Williams, to the delight of the Montreal fans in the crowd of 16,435.' … [Read more...] about Observations: Lukas Rousek gets first NHL goal as Thompson-less Sabres fall to Habs in shootout

'Lyubushkin, who joined the Sabres on a two-year contract in July, returns to his home country each summer, where he and his wife have family. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an expanded anti-gay law in December that outlaws any forms of so-called LGBTQ "propaganda" through adverting, books, film and theater productions, among other forms of media.' … [Read more...] about Buffalo Sabres’ Ilya Lyubushkin sitting out warmups on Pride night for safety concerns

'Cozens has two goals and five points with 10 shots on goal in his last three games. Finishing the pass from Quinn made Cozens the first Sabre with 28 goals in an age 21 or younger season since Pierre Turgeon (32) and Alexander Mogilny (30) in 1990-91.' … [Read more...] about Dylan Cozens continues to rise for Sabres in breakout season

'The Sabres bided their time and kept pushing until Okposo broke through on a short-side shot from the left circle that beat goalie Semyon Varlamov with 6:29 left in the third period, and Jeff Skinner added an empty-netter to lift Buffalo to a 2-0 win.' … [Read more...] about Observations: Patience pays off for Sabres with Kyle Okposo’s game-winner vs. Isles

'Tuch gave the Sabres a three-goal advantage that was slashed to one in the third period after Devils center Jack Hughes scored twice in 4:13, but New Jersey was unable to draw closer as goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen snapped his five-start winless streak with 27 saves. Buffalo (34-31-6) had four different players with two or more points, led by Tuch's three, and prevented New … [Read more...] about Observations: Sabres’ ‘swagger’ returns, as Alex Tuch scores twice in 5-4 win

'The Devils were a 63-point team last season and Ruff's job status was tenuous at best. When they hit town Friday, they were a 98-point club looking to clinch a playoff spot and catch Carolina for the lead in the Metropolitan Division.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Lindy Ruff doesn’t get his playoff clincher, but he has team that can go distance