SabreSpace

'"I thought for the first couple periods he was one of our better players," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "He skated well. He had a couple great opportunities to score. I was surprised at how well he did."' … [Read more...] about Rasmussen gets back to work

'The Thrashers are wearing their home, white uniforms in their first two games, as Buffalo and Boston both opted to wear their alternate third jerseys (the Sabres' red and the Bruins' gold).' … [Read more...] about Thrashers notebook

'Not only did the Buffalo Sabres unload Mr. Vezina, goalie Dominik Hasek, during the off-season, they apparently followed the lead of the NFL's Bills and switched to the West Coast offense.' … [Read more...] about Offense abandons Sabres in opening loss to Atlanta

'His team had a strong defensive effort, killing off seven straight Buffalo power plays (including a 5-on-3 in the second period) until Woolley's disputed goal. Forwards backchecked, defensemen cleared the slot in front of Hnilicka, allowing him to see the puck, and the Czech goalie allowed few rebounds. The team also employed its version of the "left wing … [Read more...] about Youthful cast hits right notes in opener

'Despite some significant offseason changes, the Buffalo Sabres kept to a familiar formula in their season opener: decent goaltending, not much offense.' … [Read more...] about Thrashers 2, Sabres 1

'Another game at HSBC Arena, another dominant performance by a Czech goaltender. Milan Hnilicka came within 17 seconds of a shutout and Dany Heatley picked up an assist in his NHL debut as the Atlanta Thrashers won a season opener for the first time in their three-year history, 2-1 over the Buffalo Sabres.' … [Read more...] about Atlanta 2, Buffalo 1

'Stu Barnes was named captain of the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, officially replacing Mike Peca.' … [Read more...] about Sabres name Stu Barnes captain

There are two new faces that will begin their careers with the Sabres tonight. Tim Connolly, who could center Miro Satan and J.P. Dumont, has had a tremendous preseason. Connolly has the talent to make Buffalo fans quickly forget that Michael Peca was ever a Sabre. Slava Kozlov, acquired in the Hasek trade, has also been very good in the preseason. … [Read more...] about New faces, old faces in new places for opener

The weight on the shoulders of players like Jagr and Lindros is pretty heavy. They are expected to carry their teams. This season when the big-name players of the league are being scrutinized, the Sabres' Hamel, Satan, Connolly, Dumont and Biron will be pulling together to do the work of a team. … [Read more...] about Forget superstars, Sabres will win as a team

'The Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday had a difficult decision to make regarding their roster. When forward Erik Rasmussen signed a contract and joined the team earlier this week, management needed to assign one player to Rochester to reach the limit of 23 players. Would the player sent down be Norm Milley or Taylor Pyatt? In the end, it was both.' … [Read more...] about Milley, Pyatt will both start in Rochester

'The Sabres are 17-11-3 all-time on opening night.' … [Read more...] about Sabres vs. Thrashers

'The Sabres would love to see their offense evolve. They allowed the fewest goals in the NHL last season while scoring the third fewest goals of any team to make the playoffs.' … [Read more...] about Playoffs first item on Sabres' agenda

'Ruff brought his defensive convictions to Buffalo and went about installing a system designed to reduce the insane workload heaped upon Sabres goaltenders. The progress has been immense. The Sabres allowed 2,560 shots in Ruff's first season. The number dropped to 2,461 his second season. Then to 2,208. Last season, Buffalo goaltenders faced only 2,195 shots.' … [Read more...] about Defense is the main ingredient in Ruff's winning recipe

'Biron is basically a butterfly goalie, which means his game develops from strong positioning and lateral mobility. True to his style, Biron cuts off the bottom of the net by dropping to his knees and kicking his feet toward the goalposts in a maneuver that makes him resemble a butterfly. He covers cross-ice passes by following the puck from side to side on his knees, and … [Read more...] about Biron's butterfly form follows Hasek's Slinky style

'And then there's Biron, a guy who has never brooded a day in his life. While the standard-issue goalie responds to game-day pressure by shutting out the world, this knock-kneed 24-year-old engages in small talk right up until game time. He reads the newspapers, appears on radio talk shows and volunteers for every charity event that comes his way, even as he prepares … [Read more...] about Speaker of the house