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PHILADELPHIA — The wrath of Lindy Ruff is not a fun thing to endure. The coach has been with the Buffalo Sabres for 11 years, so by now fans know what it’s like when he gets angry. The mouth tightens between spurts of profanities. The eyes squint, as if trying to send out daggers. Then, after his head angrily turns away for a moment, the scrunched face and squint return. The index finger points in the face of the person who’s drawn his ire.
Normally, it’s a referee, who takes the abuse for a second then skates away. Dmitri Kalinin, on the other hand, had nowhere to go Tuesday. The coach was upset with the defenseman, and Kalinin was going to hear about it.
Boy, did he. Kalinin coasted lap after lap around the Wachovia Center ice Tuesday during the morning warm-up, and Ruff was right with him. He skated next to Kalinin, yelling in his ear. He skated backward, nearly nose-to-nose with the defenseman, firing profanities in Kalinin’s face.
“Play with some passion!” screamed Ruff, who benched the veteran for Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. “Play with some [expletive] passion! You’re better than that!”
Good. Kalinin has had it coming for years.
Normally, it’s a referee, who takes the abuse for a second then skates away. Dmitri Kalinin, on the other hand, had nowhere to go Tuesday. The coach was upset with the defenseman, and Kalinin was going to hear about it.
Boy, did he. Kalinin coasted lap after lap around the Wachovia Center ice Tuesday during the morning warm-up, and Ruff was right with him. He skated next to Kalinin, yelling in his ear. He skated backward, nearly nose-to-nose with the defenseman, firing profanities in Kalinin’s face.
“Play with some passion!” screamed Ruff, who benched the veteran for Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. “Play with some [expletive] passion! You’re better than that!”
Good. Kalinin has had it coming for years.
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