(WGR 550) -- If Buffalo Sabres fans are having nightmares about the Ottawa Senators, they aren't alone.
Lindy Ruff said Wednesday's 4-2 loss to Ottawa cost both him and his team some sleep. The Sabres bench boss spent most of the practice working two separate units on the power play, and several players spent 20 extra minutes on the ice after the majority of skaters had left the sheet.
The first unit moved the puck well, with Tyler Myers and Tim Connolly setting up on the half walls, and Chris Butler in the center of the blue line. Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville rotated around down low, with Vanek in front and his teammate off the doorstep. Clarke MacArthur, Matt Ellis, Steve Montador and Nathan Paetsch were in charge of keeping them away from Patrick Lalime.
The other unit saw Andrej Sekera manning the point with Craig Rivet, Drew Stafford, Derek Roy and Paul Gaustad. Ruff said he liked the play of Sekera on the offensive side, citing his quick hands and feet. When I asked Sekera if he wanted to be more involved with the offense, he called himself a "shooter," though he respects that his priorities are defense first. Trying to fend off that second unit were defensemen Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman, while forward pairings Jochen Hecht and Mike Grier split time with Tim Kennedy and Adam Mair. Ryan Miller was between the proverbial pipes at the end.
Thomas Vanek, Chris Butler, Paul Gaustad, Adam Mair, Tim Kennedy and Patrick Lalime were the last to leave the ice after the special teams-laden practice.
Ruff was asked whether the goals-per-game in the league being down to 5.4 was a cause for concern, and replied yes, saying that most coaches "magic number" would be seven.
Patrick Kaleta was the only regular skater missing from practice.
get lindy a pair of skates and some equipment! he'll single handedly take this team to the cup, win it as a player/coach/ one man team and bring buffalo some pride. 12 more years of nothing!!!
02/04/2010 2:21PM
funny
typical Buffalo loser mentality, like a 20 minutes extra will make up for the fact we have no spezza or alfredson and our GM is a coward who cant swing a big deal. Miller shows again he's average against the best players, thats not elite, but let's listen to the paid man Roby "don't make any moves". we can sit back and watch the teams that do, win the cup while we excuse make and convince ourselves how great we are. You cant win when your managing partner knows nothing about Hockey.
02/04/2010 2:23PM
NEED GOONS!!
The only way Buffalo will beat ottawa is to call up McCormick and Cowan from Portland, maybe pick up Laraque or Brashear, put Mair and Paetsch through waivers AGAIN, Bench Ellis and injure the Ottawa Superstars. The Spezzas, Alfredssons, and Fishers need to be sidelined. Buffalo needs to take runs at Elliot or LeClaire to beat this team in the playoffs. Afterall, Phillips ran Miller and Ruutu ran Vanek our best players. Ottawa has Buffalo number with this style of play. It's time to turn the tide. It's the only way!
02/04/2010 2:51PM
Really??????
The people that post here just like to se their posts in print, they have nothing intellegent to say.
02/04/2010 2:54PM
Restless Season Ticket Holder
I'm at the point of NO RETURN. Either change it or I'm GONE! Tired of my section looking up at the problem above: REGIER
02/04/2010 3:06PM
Pipes
Was Miller between the "proverbial pipes" or was he actually between the pipes?
02/04/2010 3:10PM
Fags
Never win the important games that matter. Big deal 2 games in hand!
02/04/2010 3:12PM
Trade
Vanek and Roy for Kovy and use their salaries to extend Kovy. Nuff said.
02/04/2010 3:21PM
Who needed the 20 minutes
It's great to see Gaustad staying after since his game hasn't been what it used to be, as well as Butler, Vanek, Kennedy, Mair, and Lalime wanting to step up their game. But where's the rest? Where's the supposed "team leader" Derek Roy? Where's our beloved Jason Pomminville? Why isn't the captain, whose game has been bad, staying after?
02/04/2010 3:27PM
Doesn't matter
Sabres are poised for a deep run in the playoffs while the Sens will be their usual waste of a playoff spot as they choke their way out in the first round.
02/04/2010 4:42PM
Overhead Camera
Can anyone tell me why when they reviewed the no-goal in the first period that bounced over Elliot's back, there was no over head camera angle, and Harry and Rick were saying they should invest in one, but in the third period when Spezza scored his2nd goal they showed a overhead angle of the net to show it went in because it bounced out so quickly? Do they only have one overhead camera at one end or something or am I missing something?
02/04/2010 4:51PM
Re: Restless Season Ticket Holder
Upset that the Sabres have one regulation loss in the last 12 home games. Terrible
02/04/2010 5:16PM
re:doenst matter
unless they play the sabres in the first round
02/04/2010 8:23PM
Slip sliding away
Slip sliding away, you know the nearest destination more is slip sliding away. The new Sabres song,as we fans pay money to see the Titanic happen year after year.WHY, FOR THE SAKE OF MANKIND, CAN`T THIS TEAM MAKE A MOVE THAT WILL REALLY MAKE A LONG TERM DIFFERENCE? We have the same players,who are not going to thrive any more than what they have playing here,so give us fans who pay big bucks something to get excited about.You can`t tell me that we are so poor that we cant afford a 2 tier player?I am not asking for a Kovalchuck,but show us fans that you are trying to bring a cup here to Buffalo.Sounds like Darcy and Quinn are afraid to do anything,cuzz they are comfortable in their job security.CCMON DO SOMETHING,JUST DON`T WATCH THE TEAM GO DOWN AGAIN,WITHOUT TRYING SOMETHING.
02/04/2010 11:00PM
restless night? whatever
they all slept like babies. cmon they didnt care when miller got run over, they didnt care when kaleta got taken out, they dont care. thats why they play 40 minute games,thats why nobody hustles back, thats why miller has to make 50 saves a night. this is just more garbage lindy ruff crap to make everyone think hes the best coach in history of sport. GARBAGE!! how about get your team to play with some freaking urgency!!!lindy ruff= sit back and.....HOPE!!
02/05/2010 1:15AM
NEED TOUGHNESS
Like Wade Belak said 3 plus years ago, "The Sabres aren't tough enough".
02/05/2010 9:00AM
Re:Re:Restles Season Ticket Holder
Seriously? No cares about 1 regulation loss. They have 2 wins in their last 8, 3 in their last 10. 8 points out of a possible 20! That does not bother you? You don't think that season ticket holders have a right to say something? In the last 11 games the Senators, a division rival have 22 out of 22 points & are within 1 point of the division lead when they were 15 points back a few weeks ago. Before you say it, the games at hand mean nothing if the Sabres can not win them so do not speculate & say that everything is fine.
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