Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage

Sabres fall to Senators in first attempt to clinch playoff spot: ‘We weren’t good enough’

OTTAWA – Barring a collapse of epic proportions, in the near future, the Buffalo Sabres will secure their first berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 15 years, and Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Senators will become an afterthought.

That they failed in their first attempt to clinch, losing to a desperate and depleted Senators team before the crowd of 17,086 fans in the Canadian Tire Centre, certainly stings a bit.

In their biggest game ... Read the full article

Rookie Zach Metsa back with Sabres, perhaps for good

OTTAWA – By Sunday night, after Buffalo Sabres defenseman Zach Metsa completed a grueling stretch of the three games in three days with the Rochester Americans, he was spent.

“Just mentally and emotionally, you’re just kind of drained after the third game,” the defenseman told the Times Herald prior to Thursday’s game against the Senators in the Canadian Tire Centre.

In his brief return to the minors, Metsa, 27, received the full AHL experience, playing ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Sam Carrick week to week with arm injury; Josh Dunne set to play

OTTAWA – In his first weeks in Buffalo, Sam Carrick quickly established himself as a sturdy and versatile presence as the Sabres’ fourth-line center.

In addition to winning critical faceoffs, Carrick, who seems to do a little bit of everything well, scored five goals and fought twice in his first 13 games.

But Carrick’s willingness to drop the gloves proved to be costly.... Read the full article

Sabres on precipice of clinching playoff spot, ending NHL-record drought

Fifteen years and 1,151 games later, the day has finally arrived.

The Buffalo Sabres’ magic number is just two, meaning if they defeat the Senators tonight in Ottawa, they will clinch their first berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since April 8, 2011.

Repeating: the Sabres, whose stunning run of futility ranks as the longest in NHL history, are on the precipice of securing that coveted playoff spot.

A heck of lot has transpired – ... Read the full article

Sabres sign prospect Max Strbak to entry-level contract

The Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday signed defense prospect Max Strbak, a second-round pick in 2023, to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Strbak, 20, will be joining the Rochester Americans for the remainder of the season on an amateur tryout, meaning his deal will kick in next season.

His college career ended Saturday when Ohio State University defeated the Spartans 4-3 in overtime of the NCAA regional final.... Read the full article

Years after trade, Sabres’ Peyton Krebs becomes first-liner and driver; Buffalo expected to change lineup

BUFFALO – Few envisioned the long and often arduous path Peyton Krebs would take to becoming what coach Lindy Ruff called one of the Sabres’ “drivers.”

Krebs, 25, needed more than three years to get here. He struggled for stretches, sometimes failing to meet the lofty expectations that accompany high-end prospects. He reinvented himself, earning his keep as a high-octane checking forward willing to showcase a rugged style and drop the gloves.

At times, it ... Read the full article

Sabres recall rookie Zach Metsa from Rochester Amerks

The Buffalo Sabres this afternoon recalled rookie defenseman Zach Metsa following a three-game weekend stint with the Rochester Americans.

Metsa, Rochester’s captain, registered zero points as the Amerks compiled a 2-1-0 mark.

The Sabres on Thursday assigned Metsa to the AHL so he could play big minutes instead of sitting out in Buffalo as a healthy scratch.... Read the full article

Shootout exploits by Jack Quinn, UPL, cap Sabres’ exciting come-from-behind win over Kraken

BUFFALO – A few years ago, Sabres winger Jack Quinn retired the slick shootout move – a nifty fake in the slot that freezes the goalie – he often utilized early in his pro career.

Goalies study their opponents and assemble a book on their tendencies, so Quinn has developed into one of the NHL’s premier shooters by evolving and showcasing other dazzling moves.

But a move that good shouldn’t be mothballed, right?

After dusting ... Read the full article

Sabres rookie Noah Ostlund could miss more time with injury

BUFFALO – The upper-body injury that has sidelined Sabres rookie Noah Ostlund the last two games “may take a little bit of time” to heal, coach Lindy Ruff said.

“You really can’t put a timetable on it,” Ruff said prior to Saturday’s game 3-2 shootout win over the Seattle Kraken in KeyBank Center. “He could come in tomorrow or skate tomorrow or Monday and say, ‘Boy, I’m feeling good. I’m ready to go.’”

With Ostlund ... Read the full article

Sabres notes: Jordan Greenway skating with ‘zero pain,’ says he can play again this season

BUFFALO – Sabres winger Jordan Greenway can’t explain why his latest rehab regimen has worked so well when the others he tried failed to alleviate his pain.

These days, Greenway, who said he played through “terrible pain” after undergoing two sports hernia surgeries, feels the best he has in years. He sounds happy and relieved as he nears his return to the lineup after missing the last 23 games.

“I’m skating with zero pain, really, ... Read the full article