Sabres Edge

By Mike Harrington

The Sabres were back at First Niagara Center today to clean out their lockers, have exit physicals and meetings with staff that included General Manager Darcy Regier. As could be expected after another non-playoff season, the mood was a somber one. The Sabres have missed the playoffs two years in a row, four seasons out of six and seven years out of 11.

Said winger Drew Stafford of this year's miss: "There's just no excuse for that."

While reporters have heard a lot from Ryan Miller this week about his potential exit from Buffalo and his 500th game -- and Miller spoke again today for more than 11 minutes -- the star attraction today was winger Thomas Vanek. And like Miller, Vanek admitted he thought plenty that Friday's shootout win over the Islanders was his last game as a Sabre.

"Let's be honest," Vanek said. "I'm not stupid. I know I have a year left and they can probably deal me for prospects, young guys, whatever else is out there. Yeah, I've thought about it. If it looks like it's a long rebuild, then it probably makes sense for both parties to move on."

Vanek wants a quick, trade-based rebuild as opposed to a build through the draft. But the latter scenario appears more likely.

"I don't know what the plan is," Vanek said. "If they're turning it over to the younger guys, it's a turnover. Or are they going to build around us again? It's all speculation at this point because you guys don't know and I don't know what's going to happen."

Miller broke no new ground today over what he's said in the last couple of days. 

"I’m convinced more and more as I play longer and longer it’s more about the attitude and the kind of team you build," Miller said. "It’s not always about a bunch of skill pieces. You have to define the way you play. And we can find a way to play here, if we can define it and do it every night, we’ll have just as good a chance as anybody."

That said, Miller knows he may not be part of any new plan about how the Sabres may play.

"Around this stage of a contract, you have to be realistic," Miller said. "In the last year of your deal, if you’re not part of the plan, you become an asset that’s tradable. So I’m just trying to stay open to coming back and trying to stay excited about playing hockey games in the NHL if it’s not going to work out."

One player that was not in the building today was winger Ville Leino, who suffered from a collapsed lung late in the season and has not spoken about that injury -- or about his status as a potential candidate for an amnesty buyout under the new CBA.

Regier will undoubtedly be asked about Leino Monday afternoon, when the GM and team president Ted Black will hold an end-of-season meeting with the media. The Sabres declined to have such a meeting last season and were openly laughed at for that decision when the Professional Hockey Writers Association met at the draft last June in Pittsburgh. Owner Terry Pegula is not expected to attend.

Click below to hear audio today from Vanek, Miller and Tyler Myers and stayed tuned to the Sabres Edge for video from today's proceedings.

Thomas Vanek

Ryan Miller

Tyler Myers

By John Vogl

Ryan Miller said today his future with the Sabres is undecided. He's apparently decided he can unload his Buffalo home, though.

Miller's townhouse in the city has been listed for sale at Realtor.com. Miller purchased the residence in 2006 for $348,500, according to Buffalo News real estate transactions. It was listed today with an asking price of $659,900.

Continue reading "Ryan Miller's Buffalo townhouse goes up for sale" »

By John Vogl

Only 28 goaltenders have played more NHL games than Mike Liut. The former standout for the St. Louis Blues and Hartford Whalers skated to the crease in 664 games, and he is one of only 61 goalies to top 500.

The group will grow to 62 on Friday when Ryan Miller reaches the milestone for Buffalo.

Liut, who is Miller's agent, is of course happy for his client.

Continue reading "Mike Liut - Ryan Miller's agent - weighs in on his client joining him in 500-game club" »

By John Vogl

Ryan Miller is eager to make his 500th appearance in a Buffalo Sabres uniform Friday. It's a milestone he's thrilled to reach.

But, he says, it's not a finale.

"There’ll be more hockey games," Miller said today after practice in First Niagara Center. "It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s nice to just be able to talk about it right now. I think I’ve got a lot more hockey in me, so [it's nice] being able to just kind of reflect and enjoy a moment, but it’s going to be another hockey game and I have to prepare and compete. I’m just trying to enjoy that part of it. That’s what I like to do. That’s what I know to do."

Miller will become the 62nd goaltender to play 500 and just the 20th to do it with the same team.

Though Miller will certainly play again, there are questions as to where. He has only one year left on his contract, and the Sabres are rebuilding.

"There’s been a lot of ‘could be last game as a Sabre’ the last few years," Miller said. "I’m just trying to enjoy the moment. It’s going to be my 500th game. I’m going to approach it the same way I’ve approached the other 499: Just put your pads on and try to do your best. See where it kind of goes, go out and have fun, try and make the saves and see where it all shakes out."

Miller's previous start in Buffalo was rocky, with the goaltender getting pulled after allowing four goals in 22 minutes. The fans jeered him, and he gave them a wave during play.

"I’m not mad at the fans," he said. "It’s heat of the moment. You get emotional.

"Some people were giving me some grief, and I just picked my hand up like, ‘OK, I hear ya.’ It wasn’t a screw you. It wasn’t a, ‘I hate you guys.’ It was, ‘You know, I hear ya. Enough. I get it. Just let me try and do what I’ve got to do.’

"I’ve done more than my fair share to go out and prove that I’m part of this community and give back as much as I can. We don’t even talk about all the stuff I try and do to make this feel more like my second home. That’s where I’m going to leave it. I care about the people here. If they’re frustrated with the way we’re playing, I can acknowledge it and we can move on."

The Sabres will again be without Ville Leino when they host the Islanders in the season finale.

"He had some issues with his lung, yes, that he’s dealing with," interim coach Ron Rolston said. "He’s actually a lot better. He’s doing well right now. Obviously, it’s a serious injury, but it wasn’t anything that was major."

Ryan Miller

By John Vogl

Ryan Miller wants to start the Sabres' season finale Friday. If he does -- and there's no reason to think he won't -- the goaltender will play in his 500th career game, all with the Sabres.

Here are a few charts that show how rare the milestone is:

Continue reading "Miller in line to reach rare goaltending milestone with 500th game, all with Sabres" »

By John Vogl

Buffalo's disgruntled fan base has kept Ryan Miller and the Sabres on a short leash this season. After Friday night's debacle, it's time to wonder if that leash has become a noose for the team's longtime goaltender.

Miller has received a lot of abuse during his decade in Buffalo, especially during the past few years as the Sabres tumbled from the rank of contender. The fans were all over him during an embarrassing 8-4 loss to the New York Rangers.

“They just want to see the team win,” Miller said (audio is here), “and we haven’t done it. We haven’t lived up to any kind of expectation. It’s been years and years of not getting it done.

“You don’t win over Buffalo fans by losing hockey games and putting up mediocre seasons. The last three years have been pretty much that.”

Continue reading "Poll: Is it time for Sabres fans and Ryan Miller to part ways?" »

By Mike Harrington

OK, so if you saw Ron Rolston's postgame presser on MSG, you'll understand the headline above. Sorry, couldn't resist.

The Sabres' interim coach showed plenty of fire with me following Friday night's 8-4 loss to the Rangers that ended Buffalo's slim playoff hopes. Fair enough. Would have been nice if his team had a little more on many nights since he's taken over, but I digress.

It was certainly an interesting postgame session with Rolston's anger and Ryan Miller's emotional but calculated words. Miller and Sabres fans seem to be a relationship headed for divorce with just about no repair possible.

What an ugly night. Click the files below to hear some of the post-mortems.

Ron Rolston

Ryan Miller

Thomas Vanek

Adam Pardy

By Mike Harrington

OK, so if you saw Ron Rolston's postgame presser on MSG, you'll understand the headline above. Sorry, couldn't resist.

The Sabres' interim coach showed plenty of fire with me following Friday night's 8-4 loss to the Rangers that ended Buffalo's slim playoff hopes. Fair enough. Would have been nice if his team had a little more on many nights since he's taken over, but I digress.

It was certainly an interesting postgame session with Rolston's anger and Ryan Miller's emotional but calculated words. Miller and Sabres fans seem to be a relationship headed for divorce with just about no repair possible.

What an ugly night. Click the files below to hear some of the post-mortems.

Ron Rolston

Ryan Miller

Thomas Vanek

Adam Pardy

By John Vogl

The Sabres will return to practice today, and their focus will be on Friday's season-altering matchup with the New York Rangers, the team they're chasing for the playoffs. Before that, it's worth reliving some of the Sabres' emotional visit to Boston on Wednesday for the first sporting event in the town since Monday's marathon bombing.

Fans and players chose to embrace the sporting diversion rather than worry about another act of terror.

“You can’t live in fear,” said 27-year-old Jason Baylor of Arcade, who traveled to Boston. “I don’t worry about the bombing. I go about my everyday life like I normally would.”

Continue reading "A look at the sights and sounds of Sabres-Bruins in Boston" »

By Mike Harrington

The Sabres are off today and will return to practice Tuesday morning before heading to Boston for Wednesday night's game against the Bruins. 

Interim coach Ron Rolston has a very interesting decision on his hands when it comes to his goaltending. Jhonas Enroth pitched a shutout Saturday against the Flyers and came back Sunday to backstop the 3-1 win over Tampa Bay.

Enroth is red-hot right now -- 4-0-1 in his last five starts with a 1.37 goals-against average and .958 save percentage. The Sabres basically have to win their last five games to have any shot of the playoffs, so how do you take him out now?

Continue reading "Enroth giving Sabres good dilemma in goal" »

Jason Pominville's numbers dipped this season before the Sabres traded him Wednesday. During a recent conversation with The News, the former captain said playing on the blue line on the power play was a big reason why.

Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller agrees.

"In my mind, he’s playing power play on the point, where he’s not even the most effective with his shot," Miller said today while discussing the trade of his longtime friend and teammate. "They have him there because he’s responsible, and he’s a guy who can make passes, make plays. He’s not always going to be the guy getting the goal, not always going to be the guy getting the trigger. He was on the power play to make sure everything’s going to be smooth in that area of the ice.

Continue reading "Miller says Sabres misused Pominville on power play, backing former captain's earlier statements" »

By John Vogl

Thomas Vanek knew big changes were coming once Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said he was listening to offers on all his players.

"It hasn’t happened in the past. I'm sure there were talks but never publicly," Buffalo's leading scorer said today after taking Jason Pominville to the airport to join his new team, Minnesota. "Now with Jason gone, that obviously sends a message that change is happening."

Regier said the rebuilding process could take years. Vanek and Ryan Miller have one year left on their contracts, so they're eager to sit down with the GM and hear his plan.

Continue reading "Vanek, Miller want to talk with Regier about future with Sabres; Ott named alternate captain" »

By John Vogl

PITTSBURGH – This morning, Kevin Porter said he really needed to start scoring. Tonight, he found the net twice to give the Buffalo Sabres a significant victory.

Porter, who failed to score in his opening 19 games with the Sabres, had a pair of goals against Pittsburgh to key a 4-1 victory. The emphatic win snapped the Penguins’ 15-game winning streak.

“They obviously were playing really well, so to come into their building and take two points is huge,” Porter said in Consol Energy Center.

Continue reading "Porter scores first goals with Sabres; Miller not worried about possible changes" »

By John Vogl

PITTSBURGH -- As the trade deadline approaches, some teams have begun increasing their interest in goaltenders. Ryan Miller's name has been kept out of most chatter so far.

The Sabres' No. 1 netminder left the morning skate first today in Consol Energy Center, an indicator he will be in goal against the Penguins tonight. Whether he will be on Buffalo's roster Thursday, the day after the trade deadline, is still up for debate.

"I have no true sense of it," a source close to the goaltender said.

Continue reading "So far, Sabres' Miller has been kept out of most goaltender trade talk" »

By John Vogl

Thomas Vanek knows the Sabres are in position for a rebuild. He also knows he might not be part of it.

General Manager Darcy Regier has talked during the past two days of looking toward the future, which might leave the team's leading scorer as a trade target before Wednesday's deadline.

"Every year you think about that, but obviously this year probably more than any other year because of the position we’re in and one year left on my contract," Vanek, who will miss tonight's game against Boston with an upper-body injury, said in First Niagara Center. "Obviously, you think about it, but at the same time it’s part of the business. If it happens, it happens, and we’ll move on.

Continue reading "Vanek wants to stay with Sabres but would 'look the other direction' if Buffalo decides on long-term rebuild" »

By John Vogl

Ryan Miller is just as curious as anyone as to what Darcy Regier's plans are for the trade deadline.

Regier said tonight he is open to listening to trade offers for any and all Sabres players. The general manager added he wants to build around a group that will be in Buffalo on a multiyear basis.

Miller's contract -- and those of Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek -- expires at the end of next season, but the goaltender doesn't view Regier's comments as evidence of an immediate overhaul heading toward Wednesday's trade deadline.

Continue reading "Miller doesn't view Regier's comments as evidence of immediate Sabres overhaul" »

By John Vogl

Ryan Miller wondered aloud this month whether veterans such as himself, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek were still the Buffalo Sabres’ core. Given the team’s struggles, the goaltender didn’t know whether management viewed a rebuild as its ideal course of action.

General Manager Darcy Regier gave his clearest indication to date he is contemplating franchise overhaul.

“Where our hockey club is right now we have to be open to listening to just about anything and everything, and I am listening,” Regier said tonight after trading Jordan Leopold to St. Louis. “We have to be open to everything, and I think the players recognize that as well.

Continue reading "Sabres' Regier gives clearest indication yet that he's leaning toward core overhaul" »

It was as if the Sabres had just spent a week in Siberia rather than Florida with how cold the atmosphere was today following practice.

Jason Pominville said talk about Wednesday's trade deadline doesn't bother him, then the captain clearly became agitated while discussing rumors. Ryan Miller said he's frustrated by Buffalo's repeated mistakes that have contributed to the team's 12th-place standing. Robyn Regehr questioned the way some players prepare for games.

All in all, it's not a happy time in Sabreland.

"I think we’re frustrated," Miller said in Northtown Center in Amherst. "I’m frustrated, as you can see. I would hope they all feel the same way I do. I don’t know, you’re going to have to ask them."

So what's eating Miller?

"Just we aren’t consistently playing to where we need to be, myself included," the goaltender said. "Every night there’s something else going on where you just look back and there’s mistakes; in my end, reads that need to be better. It’s just night after night. We’ve got to clean it up and be consistent."

The Sabres have back-to-back chances to clean it up or fall further behind. They host 11th-place Washington on Saturday in First Niagara Center and welcome fourth-place Boston on Sunday.

With the trade deadline looming, it could be the last games in Buffalo for several players.

"You hear your name, and I think you hear your name from people that want more followers on Twitter, will come out and say different things," Pominville said. "You hear your name here and there, but where are those things really coming from?

"I think we’ve just got to worry about playing. There’s going to be rumors every year. It’s the way it is. It’s the nature of the sport. It is what it is. We’ve just got to worry about what we have to do."

Pominville, who has a year left on his contract, has been mentioned in potential deals for the first time in his career. He's obviously not happy about it despite holding a modified no-trade clause in which he could name eight teams he won't accept a trade to.

"It doesn’t affect me at all," he said while clearly affected. "I just answered the question. It makes no sense to me right now. Again, I have a contract that has a clause in it, and I haven’t been asked anything. I’m not worried about it. I’ve just got to go out there and play. If something happens, then I’ll worry about it. Right now it’s just trying to win games."

The Sabres will have to beat Washington without Thomas Vanek. The left winger, who has an upper-body injury, missed practiced and is doubtful for Saturday.

To hear Pominville discuss rumors, click the audio file below.

By John Vogl

MONTREAL -- Ryan Miller is the Sabres' No. 1 goaltender. There's no question about that.

There was a question of whether he'd start tonight against Montreal, though. Miller has been struggling, while backup Jhonas Enroth was stellar in a 3-2 overtime win Tuesday against the Canadiens. Folks were eager to see which netminder would leave the morning skate in Bell Centre first, which is typically the signal for that night's starter.

Miller left first and will play for the second straight game. Interim coach Ron Rolston said he gave no thought to going back to Enroth.

Continue reading "Sabres stick with Miller in net despite his struggles, Enroth's surge" »

By Jay Skurski

Leading scorer Thomas Vanek will not play tonight when the Buffalo Sabres host the Toronto Maple Leafs in First Niagara Center, interim coach Ron Rolston said this morning.

Vanek was hit by a Christian Ehrhoff shot Tuesday night in the second period of the Sabres' game in Montreal.

"He's better today," Rolston said. "He feels, actually, good. We're starting the process, so we're hoping to get him on the ice tomorrow."

It looks like Vanek will be joined in the press box by forward Nathan Gerbe, who's expected to be a healthy scratch for the second straight game.

"I think he's working hard, but we have to make some tough decisions right now in our lineup," Rolston said of Gerbe. "I can only have 12 forwards in there and [he] was a player that I think didn't give us a reason to keep him in right now. And that's what he has to work for."

Burly forward John Scott is expected to be back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the past three games.

Ryan Miller will start in goal for Buffalo.

By Mike Harrington

MONTREAL -- The Sabres have hugged it out and Patrick Kaleta is back in the lineup tonight at the Bell Centre.

That was the mood of the dressing room after today's pregame skate. Kaleta, suspended for five games and held out Sunday for another, was greeted by a swarm of Montreal media in the wake of Sunday's kerfluffle in Washington and said he had no issue with what Ryan Miller said after the game.

(The Sabres did not make Miller available to the media today even though Jhonas Enroth is starting; Miller, like many goalies, does not speak prior to games in which he is playing).

"He's like my brother, one of my best friends on the team," Kaleta said of Miller, his former road roommate. "Some things were misunderstood there but we're family. Our season hasn't gone the way we wanted it to go and everyone knows that. Our job is to come together as a team and go out there and battle."

Continue reading "After extra game out, Kaleta is back" »

By Mike Harrington

MONTREAL -- Quick notes from the end of the Sabres' morning skate:

---Interim coach Ron Rolston said after Sunday's game he might break up the top line and he made good on the thought today. Thomas Vanek has been dropped to the second trio and replaced by Steve Ott. Patrick Kaleta is also back in after missing six games, five on his suspension and Sunday's as a healthy scratch.

The lines were Ott-Hodgson-Pominville, Vanek-Ennis-Leino, Foligno-Porter-Flynn, Hecht-Stafford-Kaleta. The scratches are Gerbe and Scott.

---Jhonas Enroth will be in goal in place of Ryan Miller. He's 2-0 in three games against the Habs in his career with a 2.42 goals-against average and .917 save percentage.

More to come, with audio.

By Mike Harrington

WASHINGTON -- Ryan Miller was understandably annoyed I asked him about Patrick Kaleta in the wake of another frustrating loss. Kaleta didn't play in the game and that kind of question is thus usually a no-go in a postgame setting.

But when Kaleta popped off about being scratched earlier Sunday, the rest of the team had already left after their morning skate. This was the first chance to get reaction so I asked. And Miller certainly reacted.

Continue reading "Postgame audio -- Miller on Kaleta: 'He just needs to grow up'" »

By John Vogl

Alexander Sulzer will miss the rest of the season for the Buffalo Sabres after undergoing successful surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The normal recovery time is a year.

The defenseman was injured Feb. 23 against the Islanders after a collision in the corner.

"He had successful knee surgery and he will be out for the rest of the year," interim coach Ron Rolston said today. "What happens in those injuries – I’m not really a doctor, but I play one on TV – what happens is there’s so much swelling early on that it’s hard to diagnose early how damaged it is until that goes away and until they can actually go in there.

Continue reading "Sabres' Sulzer out for rest of season after knee surgery; Leino, Ennis, Miller set to return against Senators" »

By Mike Harrington

The Sabres had plenty of roster moves to make in advance of tonight's game against the New York Rangers but interim coach Ron Rolston surprised the media during his morning briefing with another one: Jhonas Enroth will start in goal for the Sabres tonight because Ryan Miller has a sinus infection.

Miller will serve as backup and he's expected to be fine for the weekend; the Sabres are off until Ottawa is here Saturday. Enroth, of course, came within 6 1/2 minutes of a shutout Thursday in New Jersey before leaving with coffee-induced cramps.

"We sealed the coffee lids," Rolston joked.

What's no joke is the coach wants to see the backup -- who remains winless since Nov. 26, 2011 -- try to put together a second straight solid game.

Continue reading "Miller out with sinus infection; Enroth to start against Rangers" »