Why Drury Wears the C

Link: Buffalo News - Drury says Sabres fail to sacrifice.

I knew at some point this season that this was going to happen.  A young and relatively inexperienced team was going to rest on their laurels a bit and hope to get by on talent and luck as opposed to hard work.   Lindy Ruff said last week that we weren't going to sneak up on anyone anymore, so the effort was going to have to go up a notch higher. 

Now, co-Captain Chris Drury has done the same thing.  Great article by Tim Graham on the unacceptable play in saturday's game against Calgary, a game I only listened to on I-net radio because of the high probability of our rolling over in the face of the physical Flames playing at home on a Saturday night.  Substitute the word Ottawa for Calgary and you'll understand where my expectations for this game were, and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit in a pub eating bad food to witness it visually. 

Rick and Jim's call told me all I needed to know.

This is part of the normal evolution of young teams from doormats to winners.  First, they have to believe their own press clippings (see the miserable stretch in November for that), then they have to learn to win when they are now perceived as a winner (that's where they are right now).  Lastly, they have to defeat their nemesis in a meaningful game... Can someone say Ottawa 10 times fast?

Then and only then will they have proved to themselves that they are capable and willing to do what it takes to win it all, be the very best, if only for a short time.  Right now is a good time for guys like Dumont and Pyatt to return to the lineup.  They have more experience (at losing mind you, but experience nonetheless) at playing out a stretch run.  They've been a part of a team trying to meet the challenge of winning a lot of games in a short time.  That's the advantage they bring to the table over guys like Paille and Vanek. 

In my mind it has to start this week, the sooner the better.  They're playing a team in a similar situation to theirs in the New York Rangers.  Putting the clamp down on them tonight is a great first step in rising to the next plateau.  It'll be over the next 2+ months where we find out just what these kids are made of.  Honestly, I'm both excited to have them be in this position and scared they're going to fail.  I'm sure Chris Drury and Lindy Ruff are thinking similar things.

Ta,

Comments

[mark seland]

tom...i am a fellow rabid sabre fan located in brandon fla (outside of tampa)...if you could give me your email address i would like to send you some info which might be of interest to you...thanx, mark