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Sabres Send First-Round Pick & Forward Down To AHL

Isak Rosen (© Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

The Buffalo Sabres have loaned forwards Isak Rosen and Josh Dunne to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

Rosen and Dunne were recalled by the Sabres back on March 8 but are now heading right back to Rochester.

Rosen, 21, has appeared in three games this season with the Sabres, where he has zero points and a minus-2 rating. He has been on a tear in the AHL with Rochester this season, posting 26 goals and 50 points in 51 games. 

Dunne, 26, has zero points and four hits in one game with the Sabres this season. Down in the AHL with Rochester, he has eight goals and 24 points in 54 games. In 15 career NHL games split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Sabres, he has zero points, 35 hits, and a minus-2 rating. 

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Armed with new pitch, Giants lefty Ray looking like old self

Armed with new pitch, Giants lefty Ray looking like old self  originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SCOTTSDALE — The Giants moved Thursday’s first pitch up an hour to avoid the rain that was headed for the valley, but there was nothing that could be done about the wind. The flags were blowing straight out, which usually is a problem for pitchers. 

But Robbie Ray, who continues to work on his changeup, found that the wind was surprisingly helpful. It allowed his off-speed pitch to appear even slower than it usually does. 

“It was almost like it just never got (to the plate),” he said of the changeups he threw. 

The pitch is a new one, with a grip borrowed from American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Ray thinks it could be a game-changer in his second full season with the Giants, and right now it looks like he might have the same effect on the rotation.

Ray gave up a wind-aided homer, but otherwise was dominant against a Texas Rangers lineup that was filled with regulars. He struck out the side in the first and whiffed eight overall in 4 1/3 innings.

In three Cactus League appearances, Ray has 17 strikeouts and no walks in 9 1/3 innings. After the latest appearance, manager Bob Melvin called it a “different look” from last year.

“We’ve seen him this spring look like Robbie Ray again,” Melvin said. “Right now, his stuff looks like it did before.”

The Rangers were a particularly good test Thursday, and not just because they brought a bunch of regulars across the valley. The first eight batters in Bruce Bochy’s lineup batted right-handed, which allowed Ray to repeatedly test his changeup against the pitchers it is meant for.

“It’s just another look and something that has some arm-side movement, something I don’t normally do,” Ray said. “Everything (I threw before) is kind of hard-in to righties. You’ve seen it so far this spring, it’s been really effective getting righties off my fastball-in. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a swing-and-miss pitch, it’s just something that gets them off of my swing-and-miss pitches. I definitely think it’s going to be a big pitch for me.”

The Future

The next game day at Scottsdale Stadium will feature a doubleheader. After Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners, the Giants will host a Spring Breakout game, featuring many of their best prospects.

Bryce Eldridge will return from minor league camp to highlight the Giants’ prospect-filled lineup, and Carson Whisenhunt (No. 2 on their MLB Pipeline top 30) will pitch. Last year’s first-rounder, James Tibbs (No. 4), will be on the roster, along with infielder Jhonny Level (No. 5), outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 6), lefty Joe Whitman (No. 7), outfielder Rayner Arias (No. 8) and outfielder Bo Davidson (No. 9).

End Of An Era

The Giants entered the day with a Cactus League-leading 3.48 ERA, but the pitchers that followed Ray had a rough day. The 7-3 loss ended the Giants’ eight-game winning streak, although at 13-4-3 they still have the best record in the Cactus League. 

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From Sleepovers To Leading His Team In Scoring, Tyler Toffoli Is Living His Best Life

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From sleepovers to leading his team in scoring, Tyler Toffoli is living his best life this year. It just happens to be on a team that is in last place overall in the NHL and recently went an entire month without a win.

Not that he's complaining.

When asked what it's like to be the old guy on a rebuilding San Jose Sharks team that has its future sewn up in rookies Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, the 32-year-old laughed.

"I think we've said it all season long — we have a lot of fun in here," Toffoli said after a recent win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. "It's one of those things where it sucks to lose. But then you come to the rink and hang out outside the rink, for the most part we're always together. It's fun."

It's fun for Toffoli, because despite the team's struggles he is having what looks like yet another career-type year.

With 24 goals in 63 games, Toffoli is once again leading his team in goal-scoring. If it stays that way, it will be the fourth time in his career — having previously led the Kings, Canadiens and Flames in goals — that he's finished as the team leader in that category.

"I think it's just one of those things where I personally felt very confident that past few seasons," said Toffoli, who has 43 points in 63 games. "Being able to play with some really good players obviously helps. It's just one of those things where I try to get open."

The chemistry that Toffoli has forged with Celebrini and Smith extends well beyond the rink. During a recent bus ride from Toronto to Buffalo, a wager was made that if Toffoli, Celebrini and Smith all scored in the same game that the three of them would bunk together in the same hotel room.

"Out of no where, (Smith) is like 'If all three of score tomorrow, you're sleeping over," said Toffoli, who initially balked at the idea of crashing with his teammates. "I'm like, 'Will, I'm not sleeping over. I'm 32 years old. That doesn't happen anymore.'

"Long story short, we end up playing really well in Buffalo and I score the empty-net goal with 30-, 40-seconds left, whatever it was. As soon as it went in, I went to the bench and I was laughing. I didn't even realize that all three of us had scored.

"Will was like, 'Sleepover! Sleepover!"

"I'm like, 'What are you talking about? It's not happening.' And then we end up getting on the plane after the game and my coach came up to me and was like, 'You have to sleep over, you know that, right?' I'm like, Oh God, here we go."

Indeed, that led to a hilarious Instagram post where Toffoli was on a roll-away cot next to Smith and Celebrini, with Celebrini remarking that he "Slept like a baby."

Toffoli, who signed a four-year contract with the Sharks last summer, could have more sleepovers in his future. Based on the way that Celebrini and Smith have been playing — they have combined for 32 goals and 81 points — don't be surprised if the wins start coming as well.

"It's tough, but it's one of those things where we have a lot of talent in here and we have guys that want to win," said Toffoli. "There's never any give. Even if we're not having a good night, we're going to come back and keep fighting — whether that's the same night or the next game, we bounce back and we try to pull things together."