Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - After a bit of a tough start to the 2024-25 season, the Buffalo Sabres finally got their first win this past weekend, and did so with a victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Following a few days off from game action since Saturday's win, the Sabres embark on a short three-game road trip that starts Wednesday night in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff has coached quite a few games against the Penguins over his years behind the bench, specifically against Sidney Crosby.
"A ton of respect for him, obviously, coaching against him, and then actually coaching him in a couple Olympics, where you really get to see what a player is all about when you're behind the bench, you're in practice with them," said Ruff during his weekly appearance on the "Jeremy and Joe Show" on WGR. "I think he's an example of how he was able to change his game and become a player that was able to score a lot of goals down low, or tip goals, screen goals, rebound goals."
During training camp and the preseason, the Sabres appeared to be focusing on physicality and speed as an identity for the team. In their first win of the season on Saturday night, the Sabres showcased their size and new found forechecking ability against the defending champions.
"I think every team does a real good job of identifying what their team strengths are, and I think Buffalo has been a great team off the rush," Ruff said Wednesday with Jeremy White and Joe DiBiase. "When you're forcing dump-ins and you've got to generate chances in different ways, obviously you have to do it by forechecking. I think you can do it with size, you can do it with quickness. You can do it by making sure you outnumber people. But I think we've been getting the pucks in quick, our puck recoveries have been good. We're near the top when it comes to that."
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Earlier in the week at Sabres practice, captain Rasmus Dahlin and forward Peyton Krebs got into a fight after a big open-ice hit. The two players reconciled after practice, and both noted the competitiveness of practices under their new head coach.
"I think we've put together very competitive practices. We're not out there to hurt each other in practice, but we're trying to get in the way people, we're trying to get into the body," Ruff noted. "I think, in some instances, you're going to see tempers flare a little bit. I think on any team, if somebody feels they've got a cheap shot or they shouldn't have gotten hit as hard as they got hit in practice, I use the phrase, 'boys will be boys.' They'll get mad at each other. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I think both players were able to laugh about it afterwards."
Puck drop on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh is slated for 7 p.m. ET. Pregame coverage on WGR starts at 6 p.m. ET with Mike Schopp and the Bulldog.