Dr. Lecter
11-24-2007, 01:12 PM
He is the only player Bucky will write about. His obsessionis getting scary.
http://www.buffalonews.com/opinions/columns/buckygleason/story/213694.html
Lindy Ruff said it himself in the hours leading into Friday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He’s a pretty tolerant guy by nature. It takes a while before he loses his patience and makes a bold move, the kind that shakes up his dressing room and rattles the Sabres’ foundation.
Ruff had built up his patience early in his career while coaching the likes of Chris Gratton, so he wasn’t quite prepared to buckle and ship Maxim Afinogenov into the press box 20 games into the season. Still, you couldn’t help but wonder how much more Ruff could withstand before reaching the end of his wick.
To review, Afinogenov had one assist to show for his previous eight games, which were accompanied by a minus-6 rating. Over his previous 15 games, he was a gruesome minus-11. Basically, he had become just another player in the lineup, painfully average if not inexcusably poor when his team needed him most.
Friday’s 4-2 victory over the Canadiens was his best game in a month. He set up the Sabres’ first goal when he one-timed a perfect pass to Derek Roy in the high slot that the center redirected past Carey Price on the power play. He was on the ice with the game on the line in the final minute, chasing down a loose puck and setting up Daniel Paille for an empty-netter.
Max wasn’t flawless, of course. He coughed up the puck a couple times and took a senseless hooking penalty 10 seconds after Montreal tied the game in the third period. He darn near screwed himself into the ground while attempting a spin-o-rama later. But, ultimately, he made a difference in the Sabres’ third straight victory. Frankly, it was about time.
http://www.buffalonews.com/opinions/columns/buckygleason/story/213694.html
Lindy Ruff said it himself in the hours leading into Friday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He’s a pretty tolerant guy by nature. It takes a while before he loses his patience and makes a bold move, the kind that shakes up his dressing room and rattles the Sabres’ foundation.
Ruff had built up his patience early in his career while coaching the likes of Chris Gratton, so he wasn’t quite prepared to buckle and ship Maxim Afinogenov into the press box 20 games into the season. Still, you couldn’t help but wonder how much more Ruff could withstand before reaching the end of his wick.
To review, Afinogenov had one assist to show for his previous eight games, which were accompanied by a minus-6 rating. Over his previous 15 games, he was a gruesome minus-11. Basically, he had become just another player in the lineup, painfully average if not inexcusably poor when his team needed him most.
Friday’s 4-2 victory over the Canadiens was his best game in a month. He set up the Sabres’ first goal when he one-timed a perfect pass to Derek Roy in the high slot that the center redirected past Carey Price on the power play. He was on the ice with the game on the line in the final minute, chasing down a loose puck and setting up Daniel Paille for an empty-netter.
Max wasn’t flawless, of course. He coughed up the puck a couple times and took a senseless hooking penalty 10 seconds after Montreal tied the game in the third period. He darn near screwed himself into the ground while attempting a spin-o-rama later. But, ultimately, he made a difference in the Sabres’ third straight victory. Frankly, it was about time.