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 in Buffalo on Thursday.
"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 haven't 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
that 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. It doesn't change my outlook on things. I've got to play
physical. And I want them to be aware when I'm on the ice."
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, and first since losing a six-game series to Dallas
in 1999.
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 New Jersey,
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."
The Senators closed the regular season by going 31-7-8 and are
8-2 in the playoffs, needing five games each to eliminate
Pittsburgh and New Jersey.
"We're both good teams," Senators star forward Jason Spezza
said. "I don't get caught up in the underdog, not underdog. It
seems like everyone's looking to figure out who the underdog is and
it's a waste of all our time talking about it."
Both teams have yet to trail in a series this postseason,
although the Sabres have been tested more. After eliminating the
New York Islanders in five games in the first round, Buffalo
struggled to eliminate the New York Rangers. The Sabres squandered
a 2-0 series lead before rallying to win in six games.
It should help that the Sabres need little motivation to face
Ottawa.
"I don't think it matters that it's the Senators," Sabres
goalie Ryan Miller said. "We can't get caught up in, 'It's a title
match. It's a grudge match,' or whatever boxing terminology
everyone's been throwing around. It's hockey. We've got to play."
The Senators are led by their top line -- made up of Alfredsson,
Spezza and Dany Heatley. It's a trio that has accounted for 21 of
Ottawa's 33 goals this postseason. The Senators have had 14 players
score at least a goal, but are not as balanced as the talented and
speedy Sabres.
Only one Buffalo regular -- defenseman Jaroslav Spacek -- has yet
to register a point, while 13 players have at least four points.