Mitchy moo
07-09-2007, 08:26 AM
Tim Connolly played two games last season. He’ll be the Buffalo Sabres’ No. 1 center this year. Paul Gaustad was a machine and fan favorite in the middle of the fourth line. He’ll have to prove he can man a scoring unit and win key faceoffs.
Maxim Afinogenov has always been content to let teammates talk for him. People will now demand his comments because he’s the longest-tenured Sabre and most creative player.
The image of the Sabres changed drastically last week when Daniel Briere and Chris Drury found new homes. The essence of the team will be altered this fall. That’s when the players who remain will be forced to replace the co-captains on and off the ice.
“You’ve got some young players that obviously we are going to look to mature and fill that void,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said over the weekend. “We’ve got some players that have been around, that have a number of years under their belt. We’ve always said that that core group inside the room was a strong core. I said it’s going to be tough to replace, but we’re going to have to ask other young players to step in and fill bigger roles.”
On paper, the Sabres still have the talent to be a playoff team. Talent can only do so much. The Sabres will need players willing to carry the others when adversity inevitably finds HSBC Arena.
There are guesses as to who that will be, but it’s a fact many Sabres believe those players will show themselves.
“Now it’s an opportunity for some other guys to step up and play a bigger role,” Sabres forward Andrew Peters said. “I think as a group we have to take what Danny and Chris gave us and taught us as far as leadership goes, and everyone’s got to kind of chip in and be a leader in their own way. We can’t just rely on two guys. It’s got to be 23 guys.
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/115838.html
Maxim Afinogenov has always been content to let teammates talk for him. People will now demand his comments because he’s the longest-tenured Sabre and most creative player.
The image of the Sabres changed drastically last week when Daniel Briere and Chris Drury found new homes. The essence of the team will be altered this fall. That’s when the players who remain will be forced to replace the co-captains on and off the ice.
“You’ve got some young players that obviously we are going to look to mature and fill that void,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said over the weekend. “We’ve got some players that have been around, that have a number of years under their belt. We’ve always said that that core group inside the room was a strong core. I said it’s going to be tough to replace, but we’re going to have to ask other young players to step in and fill bigger roles.”
On paper, the Sabres still have the talent to be a playoff team. Talent can only do so much. The Sabres will need players willing to carry the others when adversity inevitably finds HSBC Arena.
There are guesses as to who that will be, but it’s a fact many Sabres believe those players will show themselves.
“Now it’s an opportunity for some other guys to step up and play a bigger role,” Sabres forward Andrew Peters said. “I think as a group we have to take what Danny and Chris gave us and taught us as far as leadership goes, and everyone’s got to kind of chip in and be a leader in their own way. We can’t just rely on two guys. It’s got to be 23 guys.
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/115838.html