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SABRES PLAYING OUT OF CHARACTER |
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January is gone. It could not have ended any worse for the Sabres than it had.
They lost more games than they won.
Their Power Play looked like a trainwreck.
Their Penalty Kill units were discombobulated.
They were losing one on one wall battles.
They were making stupid decisions with the puck.
After last weekend's crap storm In Columbus and Long Island, Lindy Ruff had seen enough.
It was time to get his team's head straight.
He, James Patrick, and Brian McCutcheon did not like what they were seeing.
Enough was enough.
Ruff's a pretty fiery guy, and he decided to hop high atop his pulpit to preach his daily sermon entitled:
"We Need Guys To Play Out Of Character".
Afer back-to-back losses to The Islanders and Blue Jackets, Lindy had come to the conclusion that his team--- however talented it is--- was not paying the price for their success. They were no leaving it all out on the ice. They were withholding their bst effort, in lieu of letting their talent carry the day.
Uh Uh.
Lindy don't play like that.
Lindy felt that his team was exhibiting bad habits.
Bad habits turned into turnovers. They turn into soft goals. They tur into 3 on 1s while your D are caught up ice.
They turn into chaos, and Lindy is not a big fan of haos.
Lindy spoke with the media after practice on theis past Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. He made the same singular point each time:
"Our guys have to be willing to play out of character."
I know for a fact that he's been on his players' butts all week long in practice. Darcy's a pretty persistent guy and he'll ride his horses until he see the behaviour that he's looking for.
Here's a quick highlight reel of evidence that Lindy's Boys are doing the little things, the out of character things to win games:
1). Dan Paille freight-training ZChara on the halfwall in last night's win in Boston was a thing of beauty. Danny stands 6 feet and a buck ninety. Chara 7'3" on skates and 270 lbs. It doesn't matter. Paille caught the pinching Dman in a vulnerable position and finished his check. Think of the impact that that one play will have on the entire Sabres bench that a rookie call-up from Rochester annhilated one of the best Dman in the game, on the road.
What I liked most about that play is that Paille knew that he'd be feeling some pain himself, however, he threw himself at Chara and eliminated him from the play. Lindy loves when guys do such things.
2). Toni Lydman's tussle with Brad Boyes. Its not whether Lydman won the fight or not, its that he was willing to slam his knuckles off a guy's windshield in order to land two or three on Boyes' button. When was the last time that Lydnam tossed his mitts and had at it?
Lydman is not a fighter, however, he's as strong as an ox. He ate two good shots while his sweater was up over his head, and be bled all over himself the rest of the game. Lydman's efforts will not go unnoticed by his coaches and teammates.
His fight was out of his character. Lindy Ruff loves that action!
By all accounts I'd say that the coach's motivatonal speeches have helped to turn his team's energy and momentum in the right direction.
So sayeth the sheppaerd, so doeth the flock !!
3). Nathan Paetsch's head first shot block on ZChara's point blast in Buffalo on Tuesday night. Are you friggon kidding me? Nathan Paetsch selling out at the end of a shift and giving up his bean for his team. Muy Macho !
The Chara blast busted a hole in Paetsch's bucket.
(Later, after the game, Paetsch sent the helmet to the Boston room for Chara's autograph)
These three examples of playing out of character will no doubt inspire and lift the spirits of the Sabres team in February, March, April and beyond !
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Got a text message from a friend late last night that Jaro Spacek will be ok.
"Strained knee. No structural damage."
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More later
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