Buffalo News

'"He's really the last of the shut-up-and-let-me-talk guys while the play is going on. His thinking is that's the play-by-play guy's job and when the whistle goes, then it's your time – and then shut up again when the puck is ready to be dropped again."' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: For broadcast sidekick Rob Ray, Rick Jeanneret’s last call caps wild ride in second career

'"We still have guys going out there 25 minutes early today, last practice of the year," Okposo said. "That's not normal for this time of year. But it's the norm around here. And that's all that matters: What we do as a group, and how we act."' … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook: Uncertain for final two games, Kyle Okposo honored by Masterton nomination

'Over the past month, we’ve seen the subtleties in Mittelstadt’s game that were apparent when he was unquestionably the Sabres’ top player during training camp in the fall. He’s holding onto the puck longer to allow plays to develop, breaking pressure on the power play with a well-placed pass, extending possessions by winning battles on the forecheck and aggressively attacking … [Read more...] about Sabres notebook: Casey Mittelstadt having success at tail end of ‘long year’

'Jeanneret has been with us since the Sabres’ second season. He has seen them all, from Perreault to Power.' … [Read more...] about Erik Brady: Rick Jeanneret has been with us for decades, and yet still will be gone too soon

'"Obviously, it'd be really cool, an incredible achievement I think personally," Thompson said after practice Monday in KeyBank Center. "It's hard not to think about it, but you try just to kind of block it out and focus on the team stuff first. I think when you start focusing on the number, that's kind of when you'll probably get snakebit and chances will start not going in … [Read more...] about Tage Thompson’s breakthrough season for Sabres on the verge of franchise history

'Prior to the practice mishap, Okposo was named as the Sabres' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Voted on by members of the Buffalo chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, the Masterton honors perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. PHWA members then vote among the 32 chapter nominees for the winner of the award, which is presented … [Read more...] about Sabres Notebook: Kyle Okposo is a practice casualty, status unknown

'You won’t see Adams expedite the rebuild with counterproductive trades or free-agent signings that impact long-term organizational depth and financial flexibility. But yes, the Sabres are going to be active because they must spend approximately $20 million to simply reach the cap floor, which is expected to rise to $61.5 million next season. The salary cap will be $81.5 … [Read more...] about Sabres mailbag: Will GM Kevyn Adams be aggressive this offseason?

'Buffalo (31-38-11) has won four straight – its longest win streak since the 10-game run in November 2018 – and five of its last six with two games remaining this season.' … [Read more...] about Observations: Sabres’ offense pours it on again to extend win streak to 4

'The gap in the East remains large. But the Sabres think they can seriously bridge it next season.' … [Read more...] about Mike Harrington: You have to love this Sabres stretch, but the East standings can be sobering

'So if Vegas misses the playoffs and goes nowhere in the lottery, Buffalo could be looking at a pick in the No. 15-16 range instead of a high-20s or low-30s that many forecasted at the time. A notable reminder that Vegas strikes gold in the lottery, the pick is deferred to 2023.' … [Read more...] about Inside the NHL: Sabres’ draft pick from Vegas a key point to watch in final week

'“I think they’re two guys who complement each other really well,” said Granato. “They work for each other in different ways, and I think they’ve rubbed off on each other. Dahls is picking up nuances from Sammy from the defensive and a way to play maybe more aggressive defensively, assertive. And I think Sammy’s picked up some slight things with maybe how he can maybe … [Read more...] about Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson a formidable top defense pair for Sabres

'"The group likes it," coach Don Granato said of Power's push up the ice. "They are curious to see how effective Owen can be as well as anybody else. There's a little bit of fan in each guy in that locker room. As they get excited, and they get to know him and they see what a good person he is, it just adds to it. So it's a lot of fun."' … [Read more...] about Observations: Owen Power gets his first NHL goal as Sabres bedevil New Jersey

'“It’s everything to have your players back the following year,” said coach Don Granato. “Kevyn (Adams) did an amazing job with setting us up for this as a coaching staff, to have guys that we know will return. Not a lot of activity as far as re-signing guys for the summer. There is some, but we know the guys want to be back and we know we’ll be able to get it done. As a coach, … [Read more...] about Final 4 games will allow Sabres to develop, evaluate, build for next season

'The 19-year-old is averaging 22 minutes, 2 seconds of ice time and looks every bit the part of a No. 1 overall pick. His passes out of his defensive zone and through neutral ice are on a string. His positioning is sound, his skating sublime for a 6-foot-6 defenseman. The Sabres are getting nearly 57% of the shot attempts at 5-on-5 when Power is on the ice and they’re 3-1 since … [Read more...] about A week into his NHL career, Owen Power has fit right in on Sabres’ defense

'Craig Anderson, Dustin Tokarski, Aaron Dell and Malcolm Subban are pending unrestricted free agents. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s statistics in the AHL have been blemished by poor defensive play in Rochester. Unsigned prospects Devon Levi and Erik Portillo chose to return to Northeastern and Michigan, respectively.' … [Read more...] about Inside the Sabres: Questions in goal loom large with prospects going back to school