It’s time for another batch of NHL rumors. We’ve reached the end of the 2023-24 NHL regular season. However, the hard part now starts for some teams. A total of 16 teams missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs and have some decisions to make. More at: MSN.com
Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Tuesday during his end-of-season press conference that this group of players is craving accountability and structure. More at: WGR550.com
The hunger for accountability stems from a belief within the dressing room that the Sabres are capable of more than what they showed this season. Thompson scored 29 goals despite playing through injuries but still said he has to be better. Tuch tied for the Sabres’ lead with 59 points but felt he started the season too slowly. More at: NHL.com
The Buffalo Sabres and general manager Kevyn Adams fired coach Don Granato on Tuesday after three seasons, as the organization faces a 13-year streak of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs. More at: Yahoo Sports.com
The Buffalo Sabres has fired head coach Don Granato, according to an announcement from the team. In addition, the Sabres have fired assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith. More at: MSN.com
The Buffalo Sabres fired coach Don Granato on Tuesday, making him the seventh coach to be ousted during what’s grown into an NHL-record 13-season playoff drought. More at: Madison.com
After being eliminated from playoff contention for an NHL record 13th year in a row, the Sabres sent their fans home with a consolation prize Thursday night, winning their home finale 4-2 against the Washington Capitals. More at: WIVB.com
The Buffalo Sabres have now gone 13 years without a playoff appearance. So despite some positives around the team, Don Granato was let go as head coach on Tuesday. As the longest playoff drought among North America’s major pro sports extended to 13 seasons, someone had to be held accountable. More at: Forbes.com
Seven months after general manager Kevyn Adams declared the Sabres’ competitive window of opportunity as being open, it slammed shut on coach Don Granato, who was fired on Tuesday. More at: ESPN.com
The Buffalo Sabres concluded their 2023-24 season on a high note Monday night with a 4-2 road win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. More at: WGR550.com
A late collapse by the Buffalo Sabres opened the door as Capitals Tom Wilson, with a little over a minute left, tied the score late in the third.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, they were bitten by a late goal, another buzzer-beater. Dylan Strome put the final stake into the hearts of all things Buffalo Sabres with only eight seconds left in overtime. The win was Whashington’s fifth straight in the win column.
The Sabres’ JJ Peterka opened the scoring with his 8th of the season from Tyson Jost and Victor Olofsson with a few clicks past the ten-minute mark of the first period.
The Sabres went up by a 2-0 score at 16:04 when rookie Zach Benson scored his first National Hockey League goal. Victor Olofsson picked up the assist, his second on the night.
At 07:50 into the second period, the Capitals tied the game at 2-2 when Alexander Alexeyev earned his first of the season from Nic Dowd and Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Buffalo took back their one-goal lead at 16:18 left in the second when Dylan Cozens scored his fourth from Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt while on the powerplay.
Then it was Tom Wilson with his 4th from Dylan Strome and John Carlson at the 18:45 mark of the third. It was Strome winning the game in overtime 4-3.
The Sabres ended their three-game winless streak with a 3-2 victory over the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. Star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin led the way with a goal and two assists.
Sabres winger JJ Peterka finished the night with a pair of assists. With his five goals and seven assists over his last 11 games, he has been the most productive Sabre in November. In the 18 games thus far this season, he has compiled seven goals and seven assists.
Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 24 Blackhawk shots, improving his record to 4-3-1, with a 2.80 GAA and .911 save percentage.
Rasmus Dahlin opened the scoring at 04:53 of the first period with his fourth goal of the season, assisted by rookie Zach Benson and JJ Peterka. Chicago forward Taylor Raddysh tied the game with his third of the season at 03:28 of the second period.
Jeff Skinner put the Sabres back in front 2-1 at the 10:55 mark of the period while on the power play, Rasmus Dahlin and JJ Peterka picked up the helpers.
Before the end of the second period, Philipp Kurashev‘s goal tied the game for the Blackhawks. Shots on goal thus far favored Chicago 20-14 heading into the third period.
Not known for scoring, Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson scored his second of the season, the eventual game-winner. Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin collected the assists.
The Sabres are off until Wednesday when they play the Washington Capitals. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
The Buffalo Sabres lost their second straight game Friday night at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the first of three road games by a 3-2 score.
After their dismal home showing against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, one might have assumed this road trip was just what this young team needed. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as one would’ve hoped.
The two teams were scoreless during the first period. However, the second period proved to be the dagger for the young Sabres team.
The Sabres had reinstated goaltender Eric Comrie from Injured Reserve and put him in against his former team. Things didn’t go as well as he had hoped, allowing three goals in the second period.
By the five-minute mark of the middle frame, the Jets had already taken a 2-0 lead. Jets winger Cole Perfetti got things started, scoring in his fifth straight game. Over two minutes later, Mason Appleton doubled the lead with his fifth of the season.
Finally, the Sabres scored as Alex Tuch scored his fifth of the season, cutting the lead in half at 2-1. Jet forward Nikolaj Ehlers scored at 08:12, restoring his team’s two-goal lead.
Buffalo’s JJ Peterka closed the gap to 3-2 at the 01:00 mark of the third, with assists from Rasmus Dahlin and Zach Benson. However, that’s all the Sabres could muster, as their season record dropped to 7-9-1.
The Sabres’ next game will be played Sunday at 8:00 pm ET against the Chicago Blackhawks inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
It was labeled the season’s biggest test thus far and couldn’t have begun any worse. The Sabres weren’t even five minutes into the opening period, and they were already two goals behind.
The period came to a close, down 0-3 and hearing boos as they skated to the friendly confines of their locker room to gather themselves somehow. Every player, coach, and fan knew this team must find a way to repair the damage done and get back into this game. There’s still 40 minutes to play, I’m sure they all told themselves.
The second frame was similar to the first. The Boston Bruins tacked on two more with goals from Oskar Steen and Hampus Lindholm, bringing the score to a whopping 5-0. What could the Buffalo Sabres tell themselves now that they didn’t already after the first intermission?
Adding insult to injury, Sabres star center Tage Thompson left the ice with an apparent leg injury, missing the final 15 minutes of the first period. However, he returned for the second period, which was short-lived. He left the ice for good after blocking a Charlie McAvoy shot. After the game, Head Coach Don Granato deemed his recovery to be long-term.
Sabres forward Victor Olofsson managed to cut into the Bruins lead; however, the damage had already been done. It was a little too late for the Sabres on a night where they honored Captain Kyle Okposo as he laced them up for the 1,000th game of his NHL career.
Bruins power forward David Pastrnak finished with 1 goal and two assists, while teammates Pavel Zacha and Charlie McAvoy added a pair of assists. Former Sabres netminder and Vezina winner Linus Ullmark last season made 30 saves on the night.
Sabres winger Victor Olofsson scored two goals, and Owen Power, Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka, and Casey Mittelstadt scored a point. Late in the second period, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Sabres goalie Devon Levi.
Maybe a blessing in disguise is the Sabres heading out on a three-game road trip beginning Friday night in Winnipeg. Gametime will be at 8 pm Eastern.