Sportsnet

'The Sabres’ power play stinks — it’s dead last in the league at a nearly invisible 3.9 percent — but the flipside to that is the fact Buffalo has been very strong at full strength, netting 3.50 five-on-five goals per game in the past six outings. Their underlying numbers tell the story of a team that can certainly hang with most outfits.' … [Read more...] about Are Sabres finally in control of own destiny?

'"There is some personal there for sure," Ruff said of the challenge. "Obviously, I've lived in this city and owned a house in this city since 1979. I think I understand from my playing days and coaching days, how great this city is when you have a successful hockey club. "It would mean a lot to have this group of players experience what i was able to as a player and as a … [Read more...] about Returning coach Lindy Ruff wants current Sabres to experience what he did

'The Sabres have been wildly inconsistent this season, beating powerhouses like the New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs while delivering pitiful performances against the likes of the Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes.' … [Read more...] about Sabres fans turn up heat on coach Granato during ugly loss to Blue Jackets

'The Skinner-Thompson-Tuch line has a 39.6 XGF% in 43:25 of ice time, scoring once at 5-on-5. Coach Don Granato recently separated them in an effort to create more balance. It has worked to a degree; Thompson, Cozens and Jordan Greenway have out-chanced opponents 20-10 at 5-on-5. Of the seven forward combinations that have played at least 20 minutes for the Sabres, theirs is … [Read more...] about Making sense of the Buffalo Sabres’ slow start: Can they get on track?

'Between Dahlin, Power, Tage Thompson (seven years, $7.142 million) and Dylan Cozens (seven years, $7.1 million), Adams has identified a core of young players and made his bet on these two centres, a franchise defenceman and another No. 1 pick who may fully be worth his cost as soon as this season.' … [Read more...] about Friday Four: How Dahlin, Power contracts set the Sabres up to explode

'It almost seems like Dahlin is trying to one-up himself on each goal and assist, whether he’s toe-dragging defenders out of their skates or launching a stretch pass that lands right on a teammate’s tape. He’s also playing with more of an edge, scrapping in front of the net and throwing bone-crunching open-ice hits.' … [Read more...] about Breakout in Buffalo: How one simple change let Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin unlock his potential

'“That’s what stands out. (His) day-to-day,” said Sabres coach Don Granato. “Behind the scenes, every day, through all the adversity he’s challenged and the doubt that the outside hockey world has had on him for the last three, for years in a very difficult trade, he kept doing the right things every day.' … [Read more...] about Wiebe’s World: Sabres’ Tage Thompson era has arrived, iPad gate hovers over NHL

'"A little bit of a surreal experience," Sabres coach Don Granato said after morning skate. "We went through COVID break so there's some familiarity from those breaks and there's understanding there's things much greater than you, much greater than our team or the Buffalo Sabres or hockey, and this was one of them."' … [Read more...] about Sabres keep victims of Buffalo blizzard in their thoughts as they return to action

'Thompson, listed as 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, also excels at the aspects of the game commonly associated with power forwards, such as creating scoring chances off the cycle and forecheck. Thompson is in the top 10 of both categories this season.' … [Read more...] about How the Sabres are being rewarded for their ‘huge leap of faith’ in Tage Thompson

'Three wins in three stops, leading to one early-season question frequently scorned Western New Yorkers are likely scared to ask themselves: Is this Sabres team for real?' … [Read more...] about NHL Weekend Takeaways: Beleaguered Sabres fans talking proud

'Thompson has had his share of challenges both at and away from the rink. Growing up, his family was always on the move — he’s lived in Arizona, Alaska and a lot of places in between — thanks to the fact Thompson’s dad, Brent, played and coached in a handful of hockey leagues, including 121 contests as a defenceman in the NHL. Everywhere he went, though, Tage had his best pal, … [Read more...] about The long game

'Tkachuk took a pair of minor penalties in the game, including a roughing minor for his role in a game-ending dust-up. Several Sabres, including Dylan Cozens (who also earned a penalty for his role), Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, and Jeff Skinner went after Tkachuk following the final buzzer – a fitting ending to what was a chippy, back-and-forth game with the kind of emotion often … [Read more...] about Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk incites Sabres’ ire in first Atlantic clash

'“The size, first of all,” Rasmus Dahlin, a fellow first-overall draft pick, said is what he noticed about the new guy. “Then how he skates with the size and how he handles the puck. There’s not a lot of defencemen like that.”' … [Read more...] about Why Owen Power’s debut signals ‘a bright future’ in Buffalo, finally

'“He's just sticking up for his star centreman, too,” Cozens said about Bunting. “Good on him for that, but I think there's different ways he could have gone about it if he really wanted to fight.”' … [Read more...] about Sabres’ Cozens explains decision to defend Dahlin after Matthews cross-check

'“You’re on the ice, the wind’s blowing, you’re cold, you’re all bundled up, and kinda the pure joy of hockey takes over,” Anderson says.' … [Read more...] about Why Maple Leafs–Sabres Classic ‘feels like so much more’ than a game