They Scare Easily?

By Chris

Remember back in elementary school where if you acted up, the teacher would move you to the front of the classroom?

You'd be shamed into behaving better because no one wanted their seat moved.

Looks like Lindy Ruff is playing teacher to his team of prepubescent pansies.

Lindy Ruff warned there would be some changes in the locker room. The players just didn’t think their head coach was being so literal.

Following Buffalo’s dismal 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, Ruff revamped the dressing room moving the majority of players’ stalls.

“We put some different voices next to different guys,” Ruff said.

The defensemen were all placed next to each other, displacing forwards Adam Mair, Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly.

Connolly’s stall was moved between two centermen in Matt Ellis and Derek Roy while Mair and Pominville were moved between Thomas Vanek and Jochen Hecht.

Paul Gaustad sat between Clarke MacArthur and Vanek while Drew Stafford was placed next to fellow Rochester American teammates Nathan Paetsch and Dan Paille.

“It’s something I’ve thought about for a long time and a decision we made as coaches,” Ruff said. “That might not be the end of the changes. There may be some other stalls moved.”

“I like the change,” Pominville said. “The defense are one one side and the forwards on the other. That’s the way it should be.”

The Sabres need more than a few seat changes. And Matt Ellis as the No. 2 center doesn't answer any of the troubling questions surrounding this team (does Connolly even use his stall anymore?).

Faceoff against Toronto from the Air Canada Center is set for 7 p.m.

It's a new year, let's see if anything changes.