Tag: Buffalo Sabres

Former Notre Dame Players in NHL to Begin 2020-21 Season

The NHL finally drops the puck on its 2020-21 season Wednesday. With COVID-19 still running rampant, this will be a season unlike any other.

The NHL finally drops the puck on its 2020-21 season Wednesday. With COVID-19 still running rampant, this will be a season unlike any other. Teams will play 56 games in divisions that drastically have been realigned for the season, and teams will not play outside their respective divisions. But no matter which team you root for, there will be plenty of players who suited up for Notre Dame before they ascended to hockey’s highest level.

Former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff still backing Bills while coaching Devils

Former Buffalo Sabres head coach supporting Buffalo Bills.

While the Buffalo Bills are a staple on the gridiron, Lindy Ruff was one on the ice in western New York for a long time and his roots still appear to very much be in western New York.

Ruff, the former captain of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres (who are also owned by Bills co-owners Terry and Kim Pegula) turned coach from 1997 until 2013, had a photo of him shared by his current employers, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

Currently a coach down in the land of the Jets and Giants, Ruff was sporting a Bills facemask while on the ice on Saturday morning.

Check out Ruff’s statement below:

[lawrence-related id=76236,76280,76278,76270]

Sabres’ Taylor Hall gives a ‘Go Bills’ shoutout (video)

Buffalo Sabres winger Taylor Hall signed and gave a “Go Bills” shoutout.

The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres signed the one of the biggest names on the free agent market this week… and he’s already finding himself a seat on the Bills Mafia bandwagon.

Forward Taylor Hall inked a contract with the Sabres, the hockey team also owned by Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula. Prior to actually jumping on his introductory press conference with the local media, Hall did a quick video which turned out to be one for all western New York sports fans, not just the hockey folks.

Hall said he wanted to take part in the Bills fan tradition of jumping through a folding table, but instead he kept it simple. He’s already learning that in WNY, you don’t say goodbye to people, you give a “Go Bills.”

That’s exactly what Hall brushed off. Check out the video via the Sabres here:

[lawrence-related id=71279,71276,71269,71267]

11 takeaways from Sean McDermott’s pre-summer presser

Takeaways from Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott and his final press conference before summer.

The Buffalo Bills have finished their recent “minicamp.” Well, actual minicamps were cancelled by the NFL this offseason due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But the league still held weeks of “virtual”meetings over video chats.

The Bills just wrapped those up and following that, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott wrapped up his media availability for this summer as he virtually chatted with members of the western New York media on Wednesday.

Here are 11 takeaways from McDermott’s final pre-summer press conference:

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Virtual reflections

McDermott would’ve loved to be seeing his players in-person during minicamps, as would any coach. In fact, we’d all love to not have to change our lives due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Alas, we have. But McDermott gave his evaluation on how his team’s “virtual” offseason has gone. The coach thought things went well.

Here’s what McDermott had to say:

“To sit here now, if you would have asked me, ‘Would we be able to get this done?’ Back, four five months ago, to execute what we’ve been able to execute, and at the level we’ve been able to execute it at, I would have said that’s going to be a very heavy lift, and it has been. That said, it’s just been incredible to watch our team come together, not just our players, but the staff, the support that we get from our IT department, everyone in our building has had to do things, to make what used to be easy, become reality.”

 

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11

Recent Sabres changes aren’t worrying Sean McDermott

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott on firings, changes at Buffalo Sabres with Jason Botterill, staff.

The thought of “One Buffalo” took a whole new life once Terry and Kim Pegula, first owners of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, took over the Buffalo Bills. So when the hockey club has some big headlines surrounding it, the football team is certainly aware of that.

Recently the Sabres made wholesale changing causing a lot of speculation. Many members of the organization were revealed of their duties recently. Most notably, Sabres general manager Jason Botterill was let go, just weeks after co-owner Kim Pegula backed his return.

But that’s just scratching the surface as changes were even made even all the way down at the minor league level of the hockey club.

Playing a part there for the hockey team is certainly the club now not playing a game until the start of next season after it missed out on the playoffs once again. So far, the Bills aren’t in such a situation as the NFL is planning on a status quo start to the year.

But even if it doesn’t, Buffalo’s football head coach in Sean McDermott isn’t overly concerned that the Pegulas will have to make changes on the Bills front office.

“We’re all human and it’s unfortunate it happened,” McDermott reflected upon with the Sabres. “As much as I’m focused over here, I support what’s going on over there and root for the Sabres.”

“Terry and Kim have modeled to me that they’re committed to winning,” McDermott added. “All I can go off is my experience and what they’ve communicated with me first hand.”

With the much bigger business the NFL is as opposed to the NHL, it might be awhile until the Pegulas make any wholesale changes. But the big factor here is the comparison between the two leagues currently. Hockey has had a massive makeover and creation of a 24-team playoff (which the Sabres missed out on) to help bring the sport back after it was postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus.

With that in mind, many folks at the hockey team lost their responsibilities, and combined with loss of revenues from actually playing games, led to their unfortunate removals. Or at least that likely played a part. For the football club, everything and everyone’s jobs are still happening, albeit remotely.

McDermott is likely a ways away from needing to worry about any sort of similar changes.

 

[lawrence-related id=64408,64390,64470,64464]

New Buffalo Sabres face mask, NHL face masks are the perfect accessory for hockey fans, Where to get them

Buffalo Sabres face masks and facial coverings are to help protect the health and safety of fans, Where to get them.

Looking to support your NHL favorite, Buffalo Sabres in these unprecedented times, look no further than purchasing a Sabres facial covering.

These facial coverings are to help protect the health and safety of fans. What better way to show off your team’s colors than a facial covering with their logo?

These facial coverings come in a three-pack, adult and youth sizes available and are for pre-sale only, $25.00. These face coverings include three reusable, anti-dust face coverings with team-colored design and team logo displays and will ship no later than June 15th.

While the coverings allow for breathability, they are for personal use only and are not intended for a medical purpose.

All NHL Royalties will be donated to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada

Cover up while you represent your favorite team in this Buffalo Sabres face covering!

 

We recommend interesting sports products. If you purchase a product by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Disgruntled, longtime Buffalo Sabres fan lists team for sale on Craigslist

“Lost team with diehard fanbase looking for wealthy owner who actually understands hockey”

The NHL officially has a plan to resume competition this season, and that means the Buffalo Sabres’ season is officially over. And fans are furious again/still.

The league’s plan to bring hockey back in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic — which led to the NHL suspending its season in March, along with just about every other sports organization — includes a 24-team playoff system, commissioner Gary Bettman announced Tuesday. Although he did not have a date for hockey’s return, he said the regular season is over.

So for the ninth consecutive year, the Sabres barely missed the playoffs, which were expanded in this new setup from 16 teams originally. They finished with a 30-31-8 record and were sixth in the Atlantic Division. Couple that with the team also announcing Tuesday that general manager Jason Botterill, hardly a fan favorite, will return for a fourth season, and fans aren’t happy.

At least one particular fan was so frustrated that they put the team up for sale on Craigslist on Wednesday in search of new owners to replace Terry and Kim Pegula. Here’s the listing description:

For Sale: NHL Hockey Franchise
Team: Buffalo Sabres
Available: ASAP

*Lost team with diehard fanbase looking for wealthy owner who actually understands hockey*

Organization on the cheap. Could be flipped. Major structural damage but few core pieces still in tact.

Non-Negotiable Terms:
-Franchise must stay in current city and is ineligible for relocation.
-Immediate family (i.e. wife) is not eligible for internal position within the organization
-Must provide “team puppy”

Props for insisting on a team puppy, but we wish the poster wrote “e.g. husband or wife” instead of “i.e. wife”, which assumes a potential new owner would be a man.

Per The Buffalo News, the person behind the post is a longtime Sabres fan named Jill Thompson, who described the atmosphere around Buffalo hockey when she first became a fan in the 1980s as “a respected and proud hockey community.” But she said the state of the team now is “at a polar opposite of the spectrum.”

Thompson explained to The Buffalo News why she’s attempting to “sell” the team:

“When I post about the Sabres on Twitter, it’s sadly in a negative light and that is because I am upset for the level of disrespect/lack of accountability/neglect of everything down to the smallest details that we are shown from the owners. As one of the most loyal fan bases in all of sports, we deserve better.

“Ultimately the Pegulas are not only giving us a bad name in hockey, they are giving the city of Buffalo a bad name, too. This is what pushed me to find some humor in such a miserable spot and post the ad on Craigslist trying to sell the franchise to owners that care.

“I just moved back a year ago from Charlotte. I’m not a season ticket holder and would’ve considered it this upcoming season had things been dealt with differently by the owners.”

[jwplayer xhSkgFsE-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=919144]

PODCAST: Should signing Yannick Ngakoue be the Bills’ offseason priority?

Kyle Silagyi is joined by Matt Johnson and Justin DiLoro to discuss the possibility of Yannick Ngakoue signing with the Buffalo Bills.

A potentially franchise-altering offseason for the Buffalo Bills is about to commence.

As the start of the new league year rapidly approaches, exactly what Buffalo will do with its reported $82 million in cap space is a question that many are trying to answer. Some would like the team to take a swing on current Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, a borderline-elite defensive end who hopes to reset the market at his position in the offseason.

On this episode of The Kyle Silagyi Variety Hour, host Kyle Silagyi is joined by BillsWire staff writers Justin DiLoro and Matt Johnson to explore the possibility of Ngakoue ultimately inking a long-term deal with the Bills. They also talk about the struggling Buffalo Sabres, and Kyle talks about Buffalo’s recent signing of cornerback Josh Norman.

Subscribe

[protected-iframe id=”dc5d04f9a8f4f0a5ff2f42dee449b101-105974704-98603886″ info=”https://embeds.audioboom.com/posts/7526461/embed/v4″ width=”100%” height=”300″ frameborder=”0″ style=”background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; max-width: 700px;” scrolling=”no”]

[lawrence-related id=56517,56559,56547]

Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres sports betting odds and lines, with NHL betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Washington Capitals (41-20-7) visit the Buffalo Sabres (29-31-8) Monday at KeyBank Center for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Capitals-Sabres sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Capitals at Sabres: Projected starting goalies

Braden Holtby vs. Carter Hutton

Holtby has won four of his last five starts and last stopped 26 of 28 shots in a key road win over the rival Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday. The veteran is 25-14-5 on the season with a .897 save percentage and 3.14 goals against average.

Hutton has dropped his last four starts after what seemed to be a late-season resurgence. He allowed three goals in each outing and faced 30 or more shots in just two of the four games. He has a .898 SV% and 3.18 GAA for the season.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Capitals at Sabres: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Capitals 5, Sabres 2

Moneyline (ML)

The Sabres (+145) have lost six in a row and aren’t worthy of a wager while heading quickly toward postseason elimination. The CAPITALS (-175) remain atop the Metropolitan Division and are getting more profitable odds than they should in this matchup. Washington is 23-10-2 on the road for the season, and while it’s just 4-4-2 across its last 10 games, the Caps beat the Penguins 5-2 last time out.

Buffalo is 19-11-4 at home in 2019-20 but now just 3-7 across its last 10 games. The Sabres fell 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers for their fifth straight loss by multiple goals. Back the Capitals to win outright as a safe play, but there’s better value to be had on the puck line.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Capitals to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $5.70.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Double down on the CAPITALS (-1.5, +150) and back them to win by at least 2 goals at plus-money. Washington is just 33-35 ATS overall but 22-13 on the road. Buffalo is 36-32 ATS overall but just 17-17 on home ice.

As noted above, the Sabres have dropped five straight by multiple goals and six straight overall. The Capitals also claimed a 6-1 victory in the season’s first head-to-head meeting, Nov. 1.

Over/Under (O/U)

Take the OVER 6.5 (+120) as a value play. The Caps are 7-3 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games. The Sabres are 4-4-2 against the O/U over the same span, but the season’s first meeting topped Monday’s projection. Washington will add to Hutton’s recent troubles, while Buffalo will need just a couple goals to help push this one Over the number.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 275-254

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2059]

Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Buffalo Sabres (29-30-8) try to cool off the red-hot Philadelphia Flyers (40-20-7) at Wells Fargo Center Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Sabres-Flyers sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

Sabres at Flyers: Projected starting goalies

Carter Hutton vs. Carter Hart

Hutton is confirmed to start Saturday’s game. He has posted a 12-13-4 record, 3.18 goals against average and .898 save percentage with two shutouts to date. He was drummed in his only meeting against the Fly Guys, allowing six goals on 29 shots in a 6-1 loss in Philadelphia Dec. 19.

Hart is expected to be tabbed for this start, as he has been red-hot lately. He enters play 23-12-3 with a 2.47 GAA and .911 SV% in his 38 starts and 41 appearances overall this season. He won that Dec. 19 game against the Sabres, turning aside 16 of his 17 shots for the easy win. Since the All-Star break he has managed a solid 8-1-0 record, 2.01 GAA and .928 SV%.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Sabres at Flyers: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Flyers 5, Hurricanes 2

Moneyline (ML)

The Flyers (-250) are absolutely on fire lately, rattling off 17 victories across their past 22 outings, while going 20-7 in the past 27 in Philly. They’re also 7-0 in the past seven following a win, while going 26-9 in the past 35 as a home favorite. While the Sabres (+200) are 3-13 in the past 16 in Philly, and 8-20 in the past 28 meetings overall, you cannot risk two-and-a-half times your potential return. Look to the puck line instead. AVOID.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The FLYERS (-1.5, +110) are a much better bet on the puck line, as no one has been able to cool them off lately. Toss in the fact that Hutton coughed up six times in his one and only matchup with Philly, and the home side looks like a great play.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 5.5 (-139) is a solid play in this one, and the Flyers could potentially take care of it all by themselves. The over is 4-0-1 in Buffalo’s past five inside the Eastern Conference, and 4-1-2 in the past seven against winning teams. The over is 9-1-1 in Philly’s past 11 overall, and 3-1-1 in the past five at home.

Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2059]