Buffalo News

'We hit yet another one of those moments Monday.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Just when you want to believe, Sabres give you too many reasons to look away

'“You know what you’re up against now,” Benson told The Buffalo News about the lessons learned since his Sabres debut in October 2023. “That gives you confidence. The style I play, around the net, behind the net, corners, forecheck. You know how to read the game a little better and put yourself in a spot to succeed.”' … [Read more...] about Zach Benson using ‘confidence’ from rookie season to make impact in Year 2 with Sabres

'Ruff loves what he's learning about Byram every day. Byram is just 23 years old and already has a Stanley Cup on his resume with Colorado in 2022. The Sabres need winning players, no matter their age, and Byram's pairing with Rasmus Dahlin has been a big key of this three-game winning streak.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: With lots of points to grab soon, Sabres need to keep grinding through games

'“I’ve talked about it a lot that I want to be part of the solution here,” Luukkonen said after making 26 saves between regulation and overtime, then denying the Flames in each of the three shootout rounds. “I want to be one of the parts that can help the team win and lately it’s been like that. I want to keep going.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres takeaways: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen holds off Flames in shootout win

'The Predators spent $108.5 million to sign three free agents in Steven Stamkos (from Tampa Bay), Jonathan Marchessault (Vegas) and Brady Skjei (Carolina), and it has been a complete disaster. They are tied for 31st in the league in offense.' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: Nashville’s off-key foray into free agency has been a disaster

'The combination was simple: Four forward lines buzzing the net and often dominating possession in the offensive zone. Three defense pairs playing solid and steady, minimizing turnovers and coverage lapses. And goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen badly outplaying New York's Igor Shesterkin, one of the marquee netminders in hockey.' … [Read more...] about A four-line, three-pair effort is the blueprint for Sabres in rout of Rangers

'The 26-year-old has been through this before and knows preparation is the key to being able to survive in his role. The Sabres believe in him, too. They drafted him in the fourth round in 2017 and have kept re-signing him. To help keep his shot in the NHL, Bryson took a one-year deal over the summer for $900,000, which was slightly less than half of what he was making the last … [Read more...] about Jacob Bryson trying to make the most of his chance on Sabres’ defense

'"Obviously just frustrated," Samuelsson told reporters after practice Wednesday. "You want to play. You want to be in the lineup. You want to help the team win. I mean, he’s the head coach. He has to make those decisions and, obviously, I haven’t been good enough if I’m in the conversation of being sat. Just have to be better on my part."' … [Read more...] about Lindy Ruff’s ‘kick in the butt’ has Mattias Samuelsson focused on improving for Sabres

'“We’ve discussed what is necessary to win hockey games,” Ruff said after his team rolled to a full-marks, 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. “I’ve probably been more patient than I’ve ever been, just trying to figure these guys out. But there’s a standard you have to play to and the standard hasn’t been good enough.”' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: Lindy Ruff makes big moves to enforce Sabres’ standards. How do they keep it up?

'Ruff challenged his players before practice Monday to raise their personal standard and refuse to settle for mediocrity. They weren’t playing quick enough, and he grew tired of watching them repeat mistakes that his coaching staff worked to correct. His decision to scratch Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju to play Connor Clifton and Dennis Gilbert produced positive … [Read more...] about Sabres finally deliver ‘textbook game,’ pull away with 3 goals in third period of 5-1 win

'“It just shows me I have to wake up every morning, and I want to be the best,” the Sabres’ top prospect told The Buffalo News. “Those games, they’re showing me I have to work hard, and I can’t stop.”' … [Read more...] about Jiri Kulich gains confidence during first audition with Sabres: ‘I want to be the best’

'“Not accepting that’s good enough,” Ruff said, describing how he is pushing his team to play its best for an entire game. “Not accepting that we’ve done a lot of good things. We’ve got to win games. That’s the key. Raise the standard, raise the expectation. We talked again about the standard, about playing quicker, about don’t accept what went on in Detroit as OK. OK hockey is … [Read more...] about How the Sabres are trying to rally from 3-game skid: ‘OK hockey isn’t good enough’

'The value of the team is estimated to be $1.13 billion – a number that’s doubled over the past three years, according to sports business website Sportico. The team’s value continues to climb along with the National Hockey League as a whole, but the Sabres remain close to the bottom of the league in franchise rankings.' … [Read more...] about Buffalo Sabres’ franchise value reaches more than $1 billion

'The Sabres’ power play and penalty kill rank 31st and 28th in the NHL, respectively. The latter is a startling regression from last season, when Buffalo improved to 13th.' … [Read more...] about ‘Unacceptable’ mistakes on penalty kill drop Sabres to last in Atlantic Division

'The New York Islanders hit town on a three-game losing streak that was absurdly ugly. All they needed to feel better was a night against the Buffalo Sabres.' … [Read more...] about Sabres takeaways: Baffling mistakes give Isles spark to leave town with a victory