Buffalo made a promise two years ago about a new arrival. Profiled as the NHL’s eternal underachiever, the Buffalo herd collected 91 points in the regular season. It was the club’s most points haul since the 2010–2011 season. In the end, the playoff spot was just one win away.
Last season, the team finally had to take a decisive step. What else.
The team unexpectedly took a step back, falling to only 84 points. Although there were better elements in the game at times, indiscipline again emerged as the main theme around the team. Free Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen excellent excerpts, the end result would have been even more boring to prove.
– Two years ago, we were close, and the gang imagined that now we would get to the playoffs and that somehow we should get there. However, it doesn’t work that way in this league. Everything has to be earned. We couldn’t handle the expectations or the level of demand and we went to war calling, the Buffalo defender Henri Jokiharju times last season’s disappointment to Urheilu.
An old acquaintance behind the bench
GM too Kevyn Adams the head coach was disappointed and gave the starting passes To Don Granato. It didn’t surprise, but the new recruitment did. Buffalo hired an old acquaintance as its new head coach, Lindy Ruffin.
The experienced Canadian coached Buffalo from 1997 to 2013, and it wasn’t bad at all. In his first season, Ruff led Buffalo to the conference finals. A year later, the team played in the Stanley Cup finals.
Under Ruff’s leadership, Buffalo advanced to the conference final stage no less than four times.
On the other hand, in Dallas and New Jersey, success went around the pilots. Two losses in the second round were not what was expected from the coach and the teams he led. In many places, Buffalo’s recent head coach selection has been met with disbelief. Few believed that the 64-year-old Ruff would bring anything new to Buffalo.
– The new coach has raised us to a new level. The biggest difference from last year is that we go really hard in training and the level of demands is now at a completely different level, Jokiharju assures.
Ruff is known as a coach who strongly approaches the game through tight five and defensive play. Ruff isn’t at his best when it comes to organizing modern puck-control hockey, but if Buffalo can get structure in their five-man defense and the players commit to it, a return to the spring big dance is possible.
Jokiharju says that now in Buffalo the game is approached from a collective point of view.
– The team has been brought up quite a lot. If you play for a team, you get playing time. If you don’t enjoy working and you don’t care about backstabbing or blocking shots, you won’t play much. This kind of approach pleases me, at least. There is a completely different feeling around this gang now, says Jokiharju, who has represented Buffalo for five years.
The results of practice matches should not be given too much weight, but at least the beginning is positive. The team won five of the six practice games, and however, their own net swung on average only 2.3 times per match.
That’s what Ruff expects from his team as it kicks off its season this weekend in Prague against New Jersey.
A heavy burden of recent history
For Buffalo, the ballast of history is still heavy. Thirteen years out of the playoffs is a long time, and I’m sure everyone in the organization is aware of that.
Many would like to trust in a high-quality and, above all, young team, but repeated underperformance has eroded faith in the bottom line.
Buffalo’s rankings in statistics for the seasons 2011–2024:
Scoring percentage: 29
Goals scored: 32
Goals conceded: 32
Tackles: 26
Blocked shots: 26
Starts: 31
Few believe in Buffalo until they see better results.
– I don’t think about history myself and I don’t think others do either. You have to remember that there are quite young guys here who haven’t even been here long. I’ve been here the longest, Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson. We’ve been through tough times, but this group hasn’t had to do that for too long.
As for the players, Buffalo has everything to end its dry season. Luukkonen’s goal is quickly becoming one of the league’s goalie elite, and only a few have the defensive equipment that Buffalo operates with. Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Bowen Byram and Jokiharju form the top four of the high-quality ground floor.
In the attack, it lost by Jeff Skinner and by Viktor Olofsson with the departures, pure finishing power, but on the other hand, it still has Seiteminen’s million dollars under the salary cap.
– It’s great to play as part of that kind of defense. In that, everyone feeds off each other and everyone understands that a lot of work has to be done in order to keep up. If you don’t work, someone else will. The guys are constantly striving to improve, and it’s nice to be a part of that, says Jokiharju.
Jokiharju has developed into a reliable basic defender during his five years in Buffalo. The defender from Tampere does not shine, like the elite defenders of the sport, but manages his box well both in the defensive area and in the opening play. Last season, Jokiharju’s +14 was the team’s highest power statistic quote.
– It’s not at its best yet, but pieces have been added to the whole. It’s a good summer here and I’ve been working hard. That also helps when there are already some miles behind. You don’t have to prove that much. It brings peace to work. I can consider my own playing to be more consistent.
But what about the team. Can you trust Buffalo now? Is the dry season ending now?
– Our goal cannot be more or less than a place in the playoffs. It will be a big disappointment if we don’t get there, and everyone here knows that. There are no more explanations if we fall short again. If we don’t make the playoffs, then it’s just not enough. That’s when you have to march in front of the mirror, Jokiharju says honestly.
The NHL season begins on Friday when the New Jersey Devils face the Buffalo Sabers in Prague.