Sabres Visit Toronto With New Coach Buffalo Sabres management sent its players a major message yesterday by firing Lindy Ruff and Toronto Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle has his players on notice. The Sabres visit the Maple Leafs tonight with Ron Rolston taking over behind the bench on an interim basis. Rolston was in his second season coaching Buffalo’s AHL affiliate in Rochester before he got the call from Buffalo. When the rival Sabres come to Toronto, it’s always an interesting matchup, but the stakes will be higher tonight. “Now the onus is directly on the players to respond,” Carlyle told Rogers Sportsnet The Fan 590 about Ruff's firing. Carlyle was already steamed at his team's sluggish effort in its latest 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay. “We have to find a way to demonstrate that [tenacity] earlier in the hockey game,” Carlyle told reporters. “We only gave up nine scoring chances [against Tampa] so a lot of good things happened but it really wasn’t a sustained effort from our group. Our emotions weren’t in the game until the last seven or eight minutes.” The Sabres know all about nights like that. They have lost 11 of their last 15 games, having been held to one or no goals in three of their last five. In short, outside of Thomas Vanek’s 25 points in only 16 games, it isn’t pretty in Buffalo. Ryan Miller, likely the most outspoken of all the Sabres, isn’t getting much help, but isn’t playing very well himself either. Miller’s 2.85 goals-against average is the highest of his career and has lost his focus at times. “We’re not playing great hockey, and there’s a lot of pressure on the organization,” Miller told The Buffalo News. “I can imagine right now ownership or management need to do something. It’s unfortunate. I feel like it’s a situation we put the coach in. We weren’t executing. If we were executing but still losing, I think that’s one thing. But we’re not playing the game the right way. It’s too bad. Lindy’s a good guy, loyal guy, good coach. I just feel bad.” The Sabres have a variety of issues at this point. While Vanek’s line has consistently carried the scoring load, Buffalo has just one power play goal in its last six games (19 opportunities). The club also has big problems in the neutral zone. Opposing teams are consistently skating the puck into Buffalo territory without any fear of taking a big hit. But don’t write the Sabres off just yet. As poorly as Buffalo has played, the club sits just four points back of the eighth-place Tampa Bay Lightning. For those of you already set to put the Maple Leafs in a playoff spot, don’t jump to conclusions either. Toronto may be 10-7, but the Leafs aren’t going to keep winning when they’re allowing at least 35 shots per game. Toronto has held just two of its last 10 opponents to fewer than 30 shots and is just 3-4 at home this season. The Leafs head into Thursday’s contest as -120 favourites but watch out for the Sabres. They’ll bring it.
