Buffalo Sabres Daily Press Clips November 7, 2016 Reinhart's birthday wish: More goals, wins for Sabres By John Vogl The Buffalo News November 6, 2016 BOSTON – Shaving cream was everywhere. In his hair. All over his face. In his ears. On his jersey. It was hardly the birthday present Sam Reinhart wanted, but he could only laugh at the way it was delivered. To celebrate Reinhart’s 21st birthday Sunday, Sabres teammate Marcus Foligno slyly covered a towel with shaving cream, snuck up behind Reinhart and rubbed gel all over the birthday boy near the end of practice. Reinhart spent more than five minutes trying to clean himself up at the bench, but that didn’t do the trick. “It was stuck in the ear a little bit,” Reinhart said, “but a shower helped.” It’s commonplace for baseball players to sneak up on teammates and deliver a shaving cream pie to the face. It’s rarer in hockey. That’s probably why Reinhart never saw it coming. “He doesn’t know what’s going on around him most of the time, so it was pretty easy,” Foligno said in Warrior Ice Arena. “I thought since we won last night it would have been a good time to do it.” The Sabres were in a party mood following Saturday’s 2-1 victory in Ottawa. Reinhart scored the winner midway through the third period, getting an early start on his milestone birthday celebration. He hopes it continues Monday when Buffalo visits the Boston Bruins in TD Garden. “Win or loss, this team’s pretty good at coming to the rink the next day and moving past it,” Reinhart said. “But obviously the feeling’s a little more upbeat after a win.” The Sabres have four of the last five, so there have been more jokes and smiles lately. Reinhart’s second goal of the season could provide a serious jolt to his game. Reinhart’s only goal in the opening 10 outings was a fluke. He passed the puck from behind the Florida net Oct. 29, and Panthers defenseman Mark Pysyk kicked it in. Reinhart had a sheepish look as the goal light flashed. He worked for his goal Saturday. He got to the front of the net, kicked a carom to himself and reached for the rebound when the puck stopped on the goal line. “That one felt a little bit better,” he said. It’s no surprise Reinhart got back in goal column by being at the top of the crease. “It’s where he’s been able to score in this league and where’s gone to be a good player for us offensively,” coach Dan Bylsma said. “He had five net fronts in the game, and that one was part of those five. “We need him to be an effective player where he can be effective, and that’s right where he was at.” Reinhart has felt good about his game despite a slower start than many expected. He has two goals and six points in 11 games. He had five goals and 13 points in the final 17 games last season. He’s without Jack Eichel this year, and the line of Reinhart, Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons hasn’t found a groove. “We’re starting to get used to each other,” Reinhart said. “Hopefully, the goals will start coming for us.” Thanks to stellar goaltending by Robin Lehner, the Sabres haven’t needed many goals to win. During the last five games, they’ve scored 10 goals and allowed five. Their odds of keeping the good times rolling will go up if Reinhart and others can start scoring consistently. “We’re in every game, and we’re competing,” Reinhart said. “Obviously, we’re winning some. As long as we keep that up, I know the goals will start coming.” Sabres Notebook: New rink for Bruins; Carrier likes debut By John Vogl The Buffalo News November 6, 2016 BOSTON – Dan Bylsma remembers the practice rinks he visited as an NHL player. They were dark, dingy and cramped. The Sabres certainly didn’t skate in one of those places Sunday. “When you get in the elevator and there’s marble, and you go upstairs and you feel like you’re getting out of a fancy hotel, it doesn’t give you the feeling of a practice rink,” the Buffalo coach said in Warrior Ice Arena, the Boston Bruins’ sparkling new practice facility. The building opened in September as part of a project financed by New Balance, a sneaker and sports apparel company that is headquartered next door. While New Balance built the place, it essentially belongs to the Bruins. Banners commemorating their Stanley Cup championships and retired jerseys hang from the ceiling. The team logo is centered on the all-window wall that brings in the sun as cars zip past on the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Bruins previously practiced 20 miles north of Boston, but the new place keeps them in the city. Located near Harvard University, it’s just six miles from TD Garden, where the Bruins will host the Sabres on Monday night. The Bruins hold their morning skates in Warrior Ice Arena, and the Sabres are believed to be the first NHL team to use the rink other than the home boys. “It’s pretty big for this city to have something like this for this team,” said Sabres captain and former Boston College star Brian Gionta. “Obviously, playing in Boston and being in school here, I have fond memories of this city. I think it’s pretty cool where it is and what it means to the Bruins.” Warrior Ice Arena is the latest in a growing trend of high-class practice facilities. The Sabres have their own with HarborCenter. “The facilities are being put in place for us to be at our best,” Gionta said. “That’s the biggest thing. Everything’s top notch. Everything’s there for you, and you can see it here.” ---------- The Sabres practiced without left wing Tyler Ennis and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. Bylsma said both had maintenance days. Does he expect them to play Monday? “I expect them to play well,” Bylsma said. The Sabres did not bring any extra forwards or defensemen on the two-game road trip. If either player can’t dress, the Sabres will need to summon someone from Rochester. ---------- William Carrier felt good about his NHL debut in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Ottawa. The left winger started the play that led to Sam Reinhart’s winning goal, sidestepping a check at the blue line to carry the puck into the zone. “Plus-1, I’ll take that,” said Carrier, who led the Amerks last season at plus-14. “That’s the kind of player I want to be out there. I was on the ice for the winning goal, so that’s fun.” The 6-foot-2, 212-pounder led the Sabres with four hits. He took two shots and blocked one in 6:26 of ice time. He said his instructions were to play fast and physical, so he did. “That’s all they want me to do,” Carrier said. “It’s a simple role, so I kind of like it. It keeps my brain not working too much. Put the puck in the corner, hit some guys, get the puck back and make some plays.” ---------- The Sabres are the only team in the NHL to not have a goal from a defenseman. The blue-liners have picked up assists, led by Rasmus Ristolainen with a team-high eight, but no one has lit the lamp. “We’ve talked about this the last couple games is getting more involved in the offense, getting our defense a part of the five-man offense,” Bylsma said. “We need to do a better job from our defense of becoming part of that five-man – low to high, getting shots through, finding pucks to the net-front area.” ---------- Left wing Marcus Foligno got a chuckle out of seeing former teammate Ryan Miller get ejected Saturday night for being the third man into a fight. The Vancouver goaltender refused to stand idly as rookie Troy Stecher got pummeled by Toronto’s Matt Martin, so Miller threw down his glove and blocker and joined the fray. “That’s two fights against Toronto,” said Foligno, who recalled Miller participating in a preseason line brawl between the Sabres and Maple Leafs in 2013. “Good for him sticking up for a teammate. I think that’s the kind of goalie he was here, a good character guy. “You just don’t want to see him fight all the time like that.” Bruins try to solve home woes vs. Sabres The Associated Press November 6, 2016 BOSTON -- Despite serious injuries to key players, the Buffalo Sabres ran up a 4-1-2 road record to start the season. The Boston Bruins, who missed the playoffs for a second straight year last season because of poor home play, are 1-3-0 on home ice to start the new season (6-5-0 overall). On Monday night, when the two old Adams Division foes meet at TD Garden, Buffalo (5-4-2 overall) will be coming off a 2-1 victory at Ottawa Saturday night while the Bruins were thumped 5-2 by the New York Rangers on home ice. Robin Lehner was outstanding in goal for the Sabres -- who lost Jack Eichel and Evander Kane early and Zach Bagosian recently -- Saturday, his 32-save performance the key to the fourth road win of the year.