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Sabres want Myers to stay (or even get more) aggressive

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James OBrien

In many cases, people wonder if a suspension might dull a player’s edge, especially if it isn’t the first instance. Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers doesn’t expect to change the way he plays coming off a three-gamer on Wednesday, which only delights his head coach.

“I don’t think I need to be changing my game. I’m not the type of guy that’s reckless or looking to injure somebody,” Myers said. “I think on that play, I was just trying to be aggressive and I think at my height and with my size, I think it’s going to happen sometimes. You have to be aware of it for sure, but I don’t think I want to change my game.”

While the 23-year-old stands at around 6-foot-8, he’s not known as physically punishing defenseman on the same level as other giants like Zdeno Chara. But aggressiveness isn’t always merely about throwing your body around, as Sabres bench boss Ted Nolan notes.

“We really like that mentality and I’m glad he said that. We don’t want him to lose that. We actually want him to be a little bit more aggressive,” Nolan said. “And when I say ‘aggressive,’ it’s aggressive carrying the puck, it’s aggressive shooting, it’s aggressive skating, it’s those type of things. If he play’s aggressively, he’s going to be a great, great player.”

It could be a physical night, however, as the Sabres face off against their increasingly bitter neighbors the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

Here’s video of the Myers suspension, if you need to jog your memory:

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins