Talk is usually cheap. Not in the Buffalo Sabres' dressing room. This season, talk — along with the absence of it —

was costly.

The Sabres, by management's design or maybe by happenstance, are a team full of quiet guys.

It runs from the low-key veterans (Teppo Numminen, Jochen Hecht and Jason Pominville) to the

toned-down younger guys (Daniel Paille, Andrej Sekera and Clarke MacArthur).

One longtime announcer and former NHL player, while watching the Sabres practice in his

team's arena on game day, remarked, "I've never, ever been to such a quiet morning skate.

Nobody's saying anything."

No one is saying the Sabres need a loudmouth like Sean Avery in the room. But too many

quiet players did lessen the Sabres. During a few off-the-record chats, some Sabres said the

silence diminished their days.

It was described as this: Imagine walking into a room eager to start your day. You're

excited about getting ready to play in front of 19,000 fans, thrilled to be living in the

fantasy world of a professional hockey player. You're bubbling to chat and get more psyched

up, giddy with anticipation about the drop of the puck.

You get to the rink and ... nothing. It seems no one is sharing your fun or excitement. You

look left and a guy is silently lacing his skates. You look right and the teammate may as well

be Charlie Chaplin or Marcel Marceau.

It's a downer, no doubt about it.

The usual silence was briefly shattered in late December. The team had a terrible,

lackluster outing against Washington. Someone spoke up, said some teammates needed to play

better. At least one person was annoyed by the constructive criticism.

Everyone had better get thicker skin over the summer. The Sabres insist the verbiage is

vital to becoming a better team next season.

"We have to try and find a way to be a little more accountable to one another," captain Craig

Rivet said after cleaning out his locker. "It was talked about this year. Accountability

amongst the guys, if you're not used to it, it will feel very uncomfortable. But if you

understand what it's all about, you're going to reap the benefits. I think this team has kind

of been introduced to it, and I think we talked about it at the end of the year here, that

this is something that's going to have to be addressed next year.

"I think it will be."

It doesn't have to just be longtime veterans like Rivet speaking up, either. Patrick Kaleta

has played fewer than 100 games, but he hasn't taken a shift off in any of them. He should

have no qualms about demanding the same from others. The same goes for Paul Gaustad, another

effort guy still in the early stages of his career.

"We're a young team. We keep saying that every year," center Derek Roy said. "At some

point, we're going to have to mature as individuals."

Actions still speak louder than words. If the Sabres perform on the ice, what is or isn't

said in the dressing room will be of little consequence. But until the team performs and ends

a two-year playoff drought, the Sabres could use a little talking to.

"You want to find a way to be a championship team, not just a team that makes the

playoffs," forward Adam Mair said. "That takes a more consistent effort in terms of our

[competitive] level at times, our effort at home. Maybe that does come down to some

accountability."