Over the years we've come to yawn when the Buffalo Sabres visited The World's Most Famous Arena. You would too considering that our friends from Western New York State HAVE NOT MADE THE PLAYOFFS FOR 13 YEARS. (There's gotta be some sort of award for that. No?) The Maven suggests that yawning will not happen this evening on Seventh Avenue. This is a darn good Sabres hockey club with a darn good chance of winning. "They beat Ottawa 5-1 Tuesday night in Buffalo," reminds The Old Scout, "and they've got some awfully good kids. Keep your eye on JJ Peterka; he killed the Senators." Our old buddy Lindy Ruff is running the Sabres bench – again. It's been said that coaches coming back to a club they once handled don't do as well. The Maven says Ruff will be the exception. (Lindy gets it!) Stan Fischler talks about Matt Rempe. "The two games against New Jersey that they opened with in Prague were losses," adds The Old Scout, "but they've come around since then; especially the young guys who can score." Apart from Petera – from Munich, Germany – Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens and Vic Olofsson are superior shooters. The defense isn't too bad either. "They're deep and talented on the blue line," wrote Bill Hoppe in The Hockey News Yearbook. "Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson all are capable of playing mega minutes." Buffalo's goaltending may not be up to the Igor Shesterkin level but on any given night Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen can steal a game for Lindy. And if you're wondering why Sabres GM Kevyn Adams lured Ruff back to Western New York, it was because there was a lack of accountability on the team last semester. "I know Lindy," concludes The Old Scout, "take my word for it; there already is accountability because Ruff is a good accountant!"
