The praise is the same from Florida to Vancouver and points in between. The kid's got

poise. Tyler Myers just doesn't get rattled.

Well, there was that one time ...

The Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche were in the midst of a wild 11-round shootout in

January. Coach Lindy Ruff finally told his remarkable rookie to give it a whirl.

You'd have thought the Sabres won the Stanley Cup. The folks in HSBC Arena cheered louder

than they had in years — especially the legions in No. 57 jerseys, a group sprouting at

a rate that rivals the 6-foot-8 defenseman as a developing lad. It was joyous insanity.

"That made me a little nervous," Myers admits with an aw-shucks grin. "I wasn't expecting

that at all."

Myers outmaneuvered Avs goaltender Craig Anderson but lost the puck, one of the rare times

he has failed to deliver. In the grand scheme, it didn't much matter. It was one of the

highlights of the season for the Sabres' 20-year-old wunderkind, who has become one of the

town's most popular athletes.

"It's definitely very flattering, and it's nice to have fans like that," said Myers, who

gets attention no matter where he appears in Western New York. "It's not too hard to miss me.

Being 6-8 you get noticed a lot, but it's nice. The fans are great here, and whenever they

come up to you I just try and be as nice as I can and just enjoy that moment with them."

The moments are about to get bigger. It's NHL playoff time. Things that worked in the

regular season may not translate now. People who were successful from October through March

can disappear in the spring.

So where does that leave Myers? He is only 20, after all. It's his first go-round in an

intensity level that's unmatched. Will he retain his poise, productivity and consistency?

Don't worry about it, says one of the men who knows him best. Myers knows how to elevate

his game.

"Tyler Myers is a very special young man," said Bruce Hamilton, the owner and general

manager of Myers' junior team, the Kelowna Rockets. "He was a man among boys in the playoffs

and into the Memorial Cup last year.

"I don't want to say he was ruthless, but he wasn't afraid to disrupt the other team by

himself. He took liberties with people, and that's what happens in the playoffs. You've got to

upset the other teams' best guys, and he did that. He's not afraid of anything."

Myers accepts most of that, but he doesn't want anyone to think he's going to turn into Rob

Ray or Scott Stevens. The focus of his defensive game will still be to force players to avoid

his long stick and wingspan. He'll remain more apt to start an offensive rush than instigate a

bare-knuckled onslaught.

But you never know when the postseason adrenaline kicks in.

"I don't think I played any different," he said of last year's 22-game playoff run. "I've

never really been the fighting type. If I have to fight, I will, but I don't really go around

looking for one. But maybe I did some things in junior that I wouldn't do here. I think it's

just the respect factor.

"Especially during playoffs, emotions are running high. Guys on both sides in a seven-game

series, you develop a hate for each other. Guys on both sides were really trying to — I

don't want to say hurt each other — but really come after each other.

"It's the first playoffs in the NHL, and I'm looking forward to it."

Myers' demeanor may change, but his role won't. The Rookie of the Year contender is the

Sabres' lockdown defenseman. He played 23:44 per game this season, three minutes more than

blue-line partner and second-place finisher Henrik Tallinder. Only 22 players in the league

averaged more.

"He's earned what he's getting, and he's going to have to continue to earn it," Ruff said.

"There's no giving away ice time. He's earned the ice time. When you look at the way he's

played, he's earned every minute he's played.

"You don't play him those minutes hoping he's going to play better. He's played really well

and he's getting the minutes. He's been a big factor in those minutes."

Myers led the Sabres' defensemen with 11 goals, 37 assists and 48 points. The offense was

at its peak whenever he'd become the fourth — or first — player involved. In what

figures to be a low-scoring series with the Boston Bruins, his play will be important at both

ends of the ice.

"You don't often circle 20-year-olds or 19-year-old defensemen and say, "This is a guy that

we've got to pay a lot of attention to,' but he's definitely a guy that you've got to be aware

of on the ice," Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said.

It's been a storybook season for Myers. Few knew if he'd make it past the 10-game limit for

junior-age players. He ended up playing all 82. He finished 11th in points among defensemen

(tied with Scott Niedermayer) and led all rookies in assists. He did it while defending the

opponents' top players.

"It's getting easier," Myers said. "It's just an adjustment coming into the league. I had

to figure out how to play against the stronger guys.

"If I look back on the three years I had in Kelowna, I came in the [Western Hockey League]

at 6-5, 175. So if you look over that long period of time, I've definitely seen some

improvements, and I'm sure it's going to happen here in the next few years. I'll start being

able to put on that man weight."

Ah, the weight issue. It usually pops up. He's put on 15 pounds since he was drafted in

June 2008, but he's still just 222. Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara, by comparison, is an inch

taller at 6-9 but weighs 33 pounds more (255). It's a big difference when creating space in

front of the net.

"I've noticed as I've put the weight on the last few years I've been able to handle more,"

Myers said. "The biggest thing I've noticed is I don't get as fatigued as fast, so I'm really

looking forward to putting on some pounds here."

He tries. Myers is an eating fiend. Steak, sushi and anything that goes on his grill fly

into his mouth. He consumes 5,000 calories per day. It's mostly for maintenance.

"I could lose 10 pounds by tomorrow if you wanted me to," he said. "That's just the way I

am. It's always been tough for me to gain weight, but it's getting a little easier now that

I've stopped growing, hopefully."

The grind of the playoffs usually takes a toll on players' pounds. Myers, by most accounts,

offsets the daily work by nightly rest.

"He hibernates," said Sabres forward Tim Kennedy, Myers' road roommate.

Added Kelowna's Hamilton: "I've talked to him some mornings through the wintertime and ask,

"What are you doing today?' He says, "Day off. Laying in bed eating.' "

"Basically," Myers said, "when I have any time off I'm taking advantage of the rest time

and most likely laying on the couch, eating a meal, watching a movie and letting the body heal

up.

"I've always been laid-back. During the season, I'm at home relaxing more than I would in

the offseason. I don't get out and do much during the year. When summer comes around,

obviously, I like to get out and mix it up a little bit, but I definitely take advantage of

the rest time."

Once the puck drops against the Bruins, Myers won't be resting. He'll be on the ice more

than any other Sabre, and people will be expecting even more.

"Just the opportunities they're giving me in key situations, it helps my confidence," Myers

said. "It forces me to come prepared, and obviously I want to show that I can keep handling

those kinds of situations."