The Buffalo Sabres drop the puck on a new season Thursday night.
It’s been a long training camp for the Buffalo Sabres. And now it’s time to hit the ice where the points matter.
“It’s just getting ready to roll with the punches and grind for 60 minutes. That’s all you can do,” said goaltender Alex Lyon, who stands to start between the pipes Thursday night.
The emphasis all preseason has been on being a good defensive team, and nobody’s going to appreciate that more than Lyon.
“I’m looking forward to starting the process. You put in a lot of work over the course of the last five months,” he remarked. “So, you just hope it all comes to fruition and comes together.”
Captain Rasmus Dahlin will be helping defend the blue line in front of Lyon and echoed what a lot of the locker room has been feeling going into a season, where the results could mean a generational change for Sabres fans.
“We have to come out playing really, really hard. We have to be mean,” said Dahlin. “We’re going to set the standard for the season. It’s up to us to show what we’re capable of.”
Head coach Lindy Ruff is confident about everything they’ve worked through in training camp. Now it’s time for the pedal to hit the floor.
“We didn’t get off to a good start last year. You get behind and you’re chasing it all the time, then there’s not a lot of room for error,” Ruff said. “But when you start off in a good place, it allows for a couple of injuries not to kill you and a tough week here or there.”