Lindy Ruff admits it. He can be bullheaded at times, especially when the Buffalo Sabres'

coach thinks he is right.

Now is one of those times.

The Sabres visit the New York Rangers tonight in an extended scoring slump. The way things

have been going the last 16 games, the scoreboard operator in Madison Square Garden probably

won't even have to count to three.

Ruff sees a few reasons why. He hasn't liked the way his players have attacked opponents.

He doesn't like their lack of presence near the net. He doesn't feel enough players have

joined the offensive rush.

A problem, apparently, is getting the players to continually see the same things.

"Our habits have to lead to good scoring," Ruff said Saturday. "I still don't think some of

our habits in the game, from net-front presence to attacking from different places —

some of our habits aren't good enough yet.

"I've just gone through them [with the players]. We'll meet on them [today]. Players are

bullheaded sometimes. Coach is really bullheaded sometimes. We've got to find some common

ground on this one. I think I'm going to win this battle. In the last 14, 15 games, it isn't

working. I think I can get them where I need them to go."

The puck certainly hasn't been going where it needs to go: the net. The Sabres, 2-6-2 in

the past 10 games, have averaged just 2.3 goals during the slide. They have scored only 38

times in the past 16 games while going 4-9-3. They have two goals or fewer in nine of the

outings.

"It's been kind of a dry spell for a lot of guys," right wing Mike Grier said.

Indeed, the scoring problem is a team-wide dilemma.

The top-six forwards are slumping: Tim Connolly has two goals in 13; Jason Pominville has

one in nine; Thomas Vanek has two in nine; Drew Stafford, who is out with a groin injury, has

scored once in 16 games.

The third and fourth lines are asleep as well: Jochen Hecht has two goals in 15 games; Matt

Ellis is scoreless in 23 games; Grier has no goals in 17; Patrick Kaleta has none in 10; Tim

Kennedy has been blanked eight times; Adam Mair snapped a 10-game drought Friday.

The defensemen have chipped in just 23 goals this season. The top blue-liner, Tyler Myers,

has eight tallies but only one in the past 16 games.

"I went through all the offensive situations, and we had some great opportunities," Ruff

said of Friday's 3-2 overtime win against Philadelphia. "It was a night that realistically we

could have had four or five. Some were good saves, but we can't keep using the other team's

goalie as a reason for only ending up with two goals at the end of the night. We've got guys

that are better shooters and guys that have got to put it away."

Grier wants the team to adopt a shoot-first philosophy.

"I've been guilty of that as much as anyone, turning down some shots and opportunities," he

said. "This time of year, you've just got to get pucks on the net and see what happens."

Connolly scored the overtime winner Friday when goalie Michael Leighton stopped Toni

Lydman's shot and Connolly was in front for the rebound.

"That's kind of what we're going to need," captain Craig Rivet said. "We're going to need

shots going to the net, and we're going to need more traffic, guys that want to stay in that

area. If you're going to play in the perimeter, on the outside, it's going to be tougher for

us to score goals. We need to be better in that area, just getting more pucks to the net and

more traffic in front of the net."

An improved power play would help, too. The Sabres are connecting at a measly 3.5 percent

in the last nine games, scoring once on 29 chances.

"Especially in the playoffs, power play is so valuable," Rivet said. "We need to make sure

these last 19 games that we're really going to work on this and key on that aspect of our

game. When we do have chances, we need to take advantage of them."