The Buffalo Sabres started Thursday?s practice by working on the power play. They stretched, then worked on the power play some more. They took a water break, then went back to the power play.
Any guesses as to what part of their game needs to improve?
The Sabres? session in HSBC Arena was devoted exclusively to fixing a power play that is in a 2- for-33 drought. The players test what they learned tonight when they host Atlanta.
Coach Lindy Ruff accepted blame for the power play not being 3 for 33. The Sabres squandered a five-on-three during Wednesday?s 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers. Ruff tried a new personnel combination ? Jochen Hecht, Ales Kotalik, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek and Brian Campbell ? and it failed miserably.
?That falls on my shoulders,? Ruff said. ?We had some different guys out there, and our approach wasn?t good. We wanted Al to shoot it, but in the situation he got too deep, he got too high, [Blair] Betts is one of their best penaltykilling [shot] blocking forwards [and he blocked a couple of shots].
?I didn?t like what I saw. I don?t think they were prepared well enough, and that was really my responsibility there.?
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Barring a setback overnight, the Sabres should have Derek Roy in the lineup. The center, who?s missed four games with a shoulder injury, practiced fully Thursday.
?I felt pretty good,? Roy said. ?I?m moving the puck well, shooting well. . . .We?ll see how the skate goes in the morning. Hopefully, [today] I?ll feel good and be ready to go.?
Roy participated in the powerplay drills, teaming with Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad, Campbell and Pominville.
?We tried to put him in a situation that was more game-like,? Ruff said. ?We gave him some powerplay time. We did a lot of faceoffs, which puts some stress on that [shoulder] area, and we?ll see how he feels.?
Tim Connolly and Maxim Afinogenov skipped practice to rest their groin injuries and are out tonight. Adam Mair and Clarke Mac- Arthur sat out with bumps and bruises. Mair will play and MacArthur is probable after getting crosschecked into the net by New York?s Brendan Shanahan in the closing seconds Wednesday.
?We?ll see if he?s able to play,? Ruff said. ?I think a number of things happened to him. We just kept him out because he didn?t even feel like he could practice.?
Ruff called for a Shanahan suspension immediately following the game. It?s unlikely, but the coach was content with the NHL?s inquiry.
?I?ve got to give the league credit,? he said. ?They called right after the game and were aware of it and going to deal with it and look at it. That part I?m satisfied with.?
Defenseman Jaroslav Spacek is doubtful for tonight. He practiced and also did a full off-ice workout for the first time. He will get a better feel for a return date this morning when he sees how his ailing back responded.
Any guesses as to what part of their game needs to improve?
The Sabres? session in HSBC Arena was devoted exclusively to fixing a power play that is in a 2- for-33 drought. The players test what they learned tonight when they host Atlanta.
Coach Lindy Ruff accepted blame for the power play not being 3 for 33. The Sabres squandered a five-on-three during Wednesday?s 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers. Ruff tried a new personnel combination ? Jochen Hecht, Ales Kotalik, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek and Brian Campbell ? and it failed miserably.
?That falls on my shoulders,? Ruff said. ?We had some different guys out there, and our approach wasn?t good. We wanted Al to shoot it, but in the situation he got too deep, he got too high, [Blair] Betts is one of their best penaltykilling [shot] blocking forwards [and he blocked a couple of shots].
?I didn?t like what I saw. I don?t think they were prepared well enough, and that was really my responsibility there.?
? ? ?
Barring a setback overnight, the Sabres should have Derek Roy in the lineup. The center, who?s missed four games with a shoulder injury, practiced fully Thursday.
?I felt pretty good,? Roy said. ?I?m moving the puck well, shooting well. . . .We?ll see how the skate goes in the morning. Hopefully, [today] I?ll feel good and be ready to go.?
Roy participated in the powerplay drills, teaming with Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad, Campbell and Pominville.
?We tried to put him in a situation that was more game-like,? Ruff said. ?We gave him some powerplay time. We did a lot of faceoffs, which puts some stress on that [shoulder] area, and we?ll see how he feels.?
Tim Connolly and Maxim Afinogenov skipped practice to rest their groin injuries and are out tonight. Adam Mair and Clarke Mac- Arthur sat out with bumps and bruises. Mair will play and MacArthur is probable after getting crosschecked into the net by New York?s Brendan Shanahan in the closing seconds Wednesday.
?We?ll see if he?s able to play,? Ruff said. ?I think a number of things happened to him. We just kept him out because he didn?t even feel like he could practice.?
Ruff called for a Shanahan suspension immediately following the game. It?s unlikely, but the coach was content with the NHL?s inquiry.
?I?ve got to give the league credit,? he said. ?They called right after the game and were aware of it and going to deal with it and look at it. That part I?m satisfied with.?
Defenseman Jaroslav Spacek is doubtful for tonight. He practiced and also did a full off-ice workout for the first time. He will get a better feel for a return date this morning when he sees how his ailing back responded.
