The Buffalo Slugs
The Buffalo Sabres are now 4 points out of a playoff spot and facing the reality that perhaps they will miss the post season for the 2nd year in a row.
This wasn’t supposed to be the way of things. They are a young team full of skill that has been to the post season before. Granted, some of those players have moved on, but many still remain.
When you really look at what this team is you come to two solutions as to why they are on the outside looking in for a playoff spot: they are either not a young team full of talent and skill, or they are massivley underachienving, which is what I think is the case.
Why though? Why are they udnerachieving?Is it a combination of things? Is it the coach? Is it the GM? The Owner? WHAT IS IT????
The answer: it’s the captain, Craig Rivet. Now Rivet is a solid veteran and a good guy. He speaks well, holds a level of respect with the younger players, and people like him. However, he clearly is not creating an atmosphere in the locker room which holds his teammates accountable. When was the last time someone not named Lindy Ruff called someone out for their mediocre play? You don’t have to give names to call someone out, just creative enough to make that happen. This is what Danny Briere and Chris Drury were amazing at. They not only could rally you behind the scenes and with their play, but they could also call you out without ever saying your name to the media. They knew how to push their team’s buttons and work with Lindy Ruff to put people on edge.
Until the Sabres find someone to truly be the face of this team again, like Drury and Briere were, few things are going to change. So at the end of the day, the fault doesn’t fall at the feet of Captain Craig Rivet, but on Darcy Regier. He has to bring someone in this offseason to become the rallying point of this organization. Someone who identifies Sabres Hockey not just with fans, but with the players.
Right now the identity of this team is not of Craig Rivet or Ryan Miller… it’s of Derek Roy. While Derek performs statistically, I will never forget last year when several people saw him and Jason Pomminville, two of the corner stones of this team, talking about how the season was over with when they still had a shot at making the playoffs. This is the current team identity: a bunch of young guys who had success early and were spoiled by it. They need real leadership to come from their roster, not from Lindy Ruff. Ruff can only do so much to motivate his guys. It’s ultimately their responsibility to hold eachother responsible, and they aren’t doing it.