Rangers’ Avery embraces the role of Sabre-rattler
By John Vogl NEWS SPORTS REPORTER
Updated: 04/24/07 9:34 AM
Sean Avery hates Daniel Briere. He hates Chris Drury, too.
The Buffalo Sabres co-captains shouldn’t take it personally, however. Avery hates everyone in blue and gold.
The New York Rangers haven’t had a game in six days, so their players have had a lot of downtime to fill. Avery has been using his to visualize his opponents in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“I’ve just secretly been making up things in my head about guys on their team that they’ve done to me so I can identify with them when we’re going in a corner,” Avery said Monday in New York. “I’ve already decided I hate all those guys, so we’re not going to have any problem with that.”
Hate is a common word when discussing Avery. His peers named him the most hated player in the NHL in a poll by the Hockey News, and he won in a landslide. Avery got 66 percent of the vote while Nashville’s Jordin Tootoo placed second with just 6 percent.
Any Atlanta player who didn’t vote for him likely would now. He agitated the Thrashers in the first round and caused them to take numerous undisciplined penalties. Avery, acquired from Los Angeles in February, does the same thing to most teams, but he can also play. He had one goal, four assists and 19 shots in the four-game sweep of the Thrashers.
“I don’t know why he feels like he has to take on this role all the time because he’s actually a pretty skilled guy,” said Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, who likely will see Avery in his crease a few times. “He just feels that’s the way he has to stay in the league, that’s fine. Hopefully, we can try and find a way to take advantage of it. He’s going to try and draw people into penalties, and if we’re smart enough he’s going to be taking them.
“It’s pointless to get caught up in his little soap operas.
” The 27-year-old is indeed young and restless, and he mixes the bold and the beautiful (the outspoken winger dates actress Elisha Cuthbert). He’s also got a plan for how to play the Sabres.
“Knocking them on their butts, really,” he said. “I think that’s the most important thing. I think if you’re doing that, then it’s tough for a team to play.”