If you thought Ville Leino’s first season in Buffalo was unimpressive, you’re not alone. Most everyone who watched him try to adapt to playing for the Sabres this past season were left underwhelmed by Leino’s play.
If you ask Leino about how he did, the way John Vogl of The Buffalo News did, you’ll find out he’s not happy with it either but he has some reasons for why he didn’t do too well and they center around everyone not named Ville Leino.
“It took me a really long time to get used to all the stuff,” Leino said. “Sometimes the flow in our game wasn’t the way that it should be. We didn’t get the puck. Our defense didn’t get the pucks to forwards. We didn’t make enough plays. We didn’t have the puck enough. The flow of the game, it wasn’t quite there.
“Sometimes when you go out there and play, it’s easy. It’s just hockey. You go. But sometimes this season I felt like it was a different game. I wasn’t feeling comfortable. I wasn’t feeling like I was just playing hockey. Sometimes I had to think too much or it just was not coming naturally.”
Leino switched positions around and the Sabres’ slump early in the year didn’t help matters either, but Leino’s words come off quite critically. Considering how grumpy Derek Roy was after the season ended and the grumbles about Lindy Ruff, you wonder if there will be big changes coming in Buffalo this summer amongst the players.