Sharpen Up: March 17, 2021 | Adams to address coaching change today

Breaking news this morning from One Seymour H. Knox III Plaza: The Buffalo Sabres announced that head coach Ralph Krueger has been relieved of his duties.
The move comes after a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils last night on the road. Buffalo is currently in last place in the NHL with 16 points and a record of 6-18-4. Over the last 12 games, the Sabres are 0-10-2 and are 2-14-2 since returning from a two-week COVID-related pause on February 15. Buffalo's last win came on February 23.
Krueger was in the middle of his second season as Sabres head coach. He finished his tenure with a record of 36-49-12.
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams will address the media at 11:30 a.m. We'll have full coverage of his press conference here on Sabres.com and the team's official social media channels.
Here's what you need to know.

Last night's game recap

Buffalo held a 2-1 lead in the second period last night thanks to a pair of goals 57 seconds apart by Tobias Rieder and Jeff Skinner. However, the Devils clawed back to tie it before the end of the period and then net what turned out to be the game-winning goal early in the third period on the power play.
The game came on the heels of back-to-back shutout losses at home (3-0 to the Penguins on Saturday and 6-0 to the Capitals on Monday).

"Last night, I think everybody in the hockey world kind of saw that as an embarrassment," defenseman Brandon Montour said of the loss to Washington. "Us as players, we don't want to come out that way and have those results.
"This was another night we wanted to scratch that one, be positive as best we can and focus on tonight, and I think the energy level was there. In the end, still a loss."

Buffalo was unable to capitalize on its early opportunities in what ended as a 3-2 loss, extending the team's winless streak to 12 games (0-10-2). The Sabres went 0-for-2 with no shots on goal while on the power play last night and are 0-for-17 on the man advantage over the past 11 games.
"It was an excellent effort," Krueger said after the game. "But we're not rewarded for effort, we're rewarded for results."

Hockey Fights Cancer Night is tomorrow

In partnership with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the team will host its Hockey Fights Cancer Night during the home game against the Boston Bruins on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Over 700 frontline workers and guests from Roswell Park have been invited to the game. They will be the first fans in attendance at KeyBank Center for a Sabres game this season.
The Sabres will honor the frontline workers during the game on the video board to thank them for their contributions to the community. Each frontline worker and guest in attendance will receive a commemorative Hockey Fights Cancer scarf.
As part of an NHL-wide Hockey Fights Cancer initiative to raise money and awareness for cancer research, the Sabres will host fundraising events throughout the evening on the Sabres broadcast and the team's social media platforms.
In addition, for a donation of at least $50 to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, fans will receive an autographed Sabres Hockey Fights Cancer mini helmet. All proceeds from all fundraising efforts will be donated to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
To commemorate the night, all Sabres players will wear lavender Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys and use sticks with lavender tape during warmups. Sabres coaches and broadcasters will be wearing commemorative Hockey Fights Cancer pocket squares. The jerseys will be auctioned off at Sabres.com/Auctions immediately following the game.
Earlier in March, three Sabres players surprised Roswell Park cancer patients with video messages and signed jerseys.
Sabres broadcasters Martin Biron and Brian Duff also welcomed cancer survivor and elementary school teacher Mary Guevara and her family to KeyBank Center for a ceremonial puck drop, which will be broadcast prior to the start of the game.
An online auction featuring Sabres autographed merchandise and unique experiences will run this week at Sabres.com/Auctions. This auction will start on Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m. and close on Sunday, March 28 at 9 p.m., with all proceeds benefitting Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
For more information, fans can visit Sabres.com/HockeyFightsCancer.

If you're attending Saturday's game

Saturday will mark the second Sabres home game this season with fans in attendance.
Each fan who attends a game this season will need to produce a negative molecular PCR test result from a test taken within 72 hours of the game. To help fans, the Sabres will collaborate with Quest Diagnostics to facilitate cost-efficient molecular PCR testing through QuestDirect, the company's consumer-initiated testing service.
The testing window begins Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. Ticket holders should check their email for further information.
Fans can schedule their molecular PCR test with Quest Diagnostics at multiple locations throughout Western New York by clicking here.
The Sabres have also teamed up with CLEAR to use their Health Pass technology for COVID-19 screening of fans. Health Pass is a free, mobile experience by CLEAR, which securely connects a person's verified identity to multiple layers of COVID-19 related insights to reduce public health risk and get people back to what they know and love.
Fans will need to download the CLEAR app and verify their identity and will then be able to securely link their COVID-19 test results to the app. The day of the game, fans will open Health Pass on their CLEAR app, verify their identity with a selfie, and answer a health questionnaire on the app. Users who have a negative test result and pass the health questionnaire will receive a green notification on the app, which they will show as they enter KeyBank Center for the game.
Additional information for fans attending Sabres games this season can be found at Sabres.com/FAQ.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

The special warmup jerseys the team wore on Monday are now up for bid at Sabres.com/Auctions.