Buffalo, N.Y. – Dressed in black and wearing a frown to match, ever-brooding Buffalo Sabres co-captain Chris Drury made it clear Wednesday that his focus was on the future and not the past.
Drury wasn’t in the mood to entertain questions about what happened in February, when he was knocked out and bloodied by Ottawa forward Chris Neil’s blindside hit. And forget the bad blood that exists between the Sabres and Senators as they prepare to open the Eastern Conference finals. Drury was only looking forward to getting the best- of-seven series started tonight in Buffalo.
“I don’t think I have a choice,” Drury said. “If you get caught looking behind you, you’re not going to be ready for the next challenge. … It’s our job to get mentally and physically ready for Game 1.”
The Senators are prepared, too, although coach Bryan Murray was pleased to know there were enough story lines to keep everyone occupied this week.
“I think we all know the history,” Murray said. “It’s a matter of just playing now.”
There’s been plenty to discuss about the Northeast Division rivals. The series is a rematch from last year, when Buffalo eliminated Ottawa, the East’s top-seeded team, in five games in a second-round series. And then there’s what happened Feb. 22, when Neil’s check sparked a brawl between the teams.
Drury downplayed the hit, even though he missed four games because of a concussion.
“I don’t really have any feelings on it,” Drury said. “For me, it ended when I stood up, got stitched up, showered up and that was it.”
Neil was glad Drury wasn’t seriously hurt, but added Wednesday he wouldn’t have done anything different.
“That’s part of hockey,” said Neil, who was not penalized on the play. “If that hit’s there in the playoffs, I’m going to make it.”
The Sabres are back in the conference finals for the second straight year, attempting to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third time.
The Senators are making only their second conference finals appearance and have never advanced to the Cup Finals. The closest they came was losing Game 7 of the 2003 East finals to the New Jersey Devils, one of many defeats that have led to Ottawa earning the label of postseason underachievers.
Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson has appeared in every playoff game in franchise history, and believes this year’s different.
“There’s so many things that are different that you can’t compare it to previous years,” Alfredsson said. “We’re happy where we are now. And we’re happy at this stage, four teams left, and we’re just going to try to make the most of it.”
