There are times when Lindy Ruff wants to end a news conference on his terms, when he wants his final words to be the lasting impression. This morning was one of those times.
"You can look over there and say, 'That's where we want to be.' Thanks," said Ruff, as he quickly turned through the media members and headed off to prepare for tonight's game between his Sabres and the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Sabres have been talking Stanley Cup since Day One of training camp, and a meeting with the defending champs should be a good measuring stick. Ruff hopes his team is no longer full of itself, which the coach believes was part of the reason for Saturday's 6-3 mashing at the hands of the Rangers.
"I thought so. It looked like it," Ruff said about having an ego-inflated team. "Part of it came from a 9-3 win against Philly your last preseason game, getting almost 20 chances in Ottawa, thinking this is all going to be about offense.
"It's not hard to correct. I'm waiting to see what the response is."
---John Vogl
