You think you're frustrated with the Buffalo Sabres? Rene Robert feels your pain and then some. The only difference between you and him these days is, well, the former right winger

played on one of the famed lines in NHL history and his No. 14 hangs from the rafters at HSBC

Arena.

Well, it's up there for now, anyway.

To say he's frustrated is an understatement. Robert has grown increasingly angry and

disgusted from watching his former team, your favorite team, miss the playoffs in two straight

seasons after building a contender. He also wanted fans to know they weren't alone.

"If I didn't care, I wouldn't say a word," he said. "I've been frustrated for I don't know

how many years. I want nothing other than to see this team to succeed and do well."

He certainly cares.

Passion during a telephone conversation last week poured from Robert, one-third of the

high-flying, hair-flowing French Connection in the 1970s. Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and

Robert had one of the best lines in NHL history and helped the Sabres reach the Stanley Cup

finals in 1975.

Robert, 60, whose number was retired in 1995 during a ceremony in Memorial Auditorium, said

he was ostracized two years ago for criticizing the Sabres on the radio. Sabres minority owner

Dan DiPofi, their chief operating officer, said alumni privileges that include free tickets

and access to a private suite were revoked for Robert's behavior, not his opinions.

"He had been treating people in our box office rudely and being a bit of a jerk," DiPofi

said. "We do things for the alumni that's a basic way to thank them for things they do for us

in the community. He had been rude to people in our office and expecting things when he wants

them. [Sabres Alumni President] Larry Playfair was consulted on it every step of the way, and

he was completely on board with it."

Regardless, the spat is not what infuriates Robert. It's the hockey.

"I'm not looking for a handout," he said. "I live very well. I'm sure I'm going to take

another slap for this, but I really don't give a [darn]. Sometimes, people have blinders on

when it's time to listen to the truth. But how many years can you go on before finally saying,

"[The criticism] is right'? I just want them to know the truth."

Robert's beef is with majority owner Tom Golisano and his second-in-command, minority owner

Larry Quinn, whose decisions contributed to the Sabres becoming the first team in history to

win the Presidents' Trophy for having the NHL's best record one year and missing the playoffs

in the two years that followed.

"For years, they've been looking at me like I'm [ticked] off and I'm grumpy, but that's not it

at all," Robert said. "They always have excuses for why they don't win. If Golisano has no

interest in hockey and wants to nickel and dime everything, sell the team to someone that's

interested in winning.

"The fans of Buffalo deserve better than what they've been getting. I'm frustrated. I speak my

mind when nobody else does. [Former teammates] are afraid that the Sabres will get mad at

them. I don't care because I don't work for them. I'll tell people the truth."

Blunt, opinionated, brash, outspoken and, many believe, accurate.

That was Robert's reputation as a player, and not much has changed. Several former Sabres

players who were reached last week agreed with Robert's assessment but did not want their

names used. They didn't want to get caught up in controversy or involved in a feud with

management.

Publicly, Robert stands alone. Privately, he has plenty of company. Several ex-teammates

supported him and called for changes at the top. Golisano, the billionaire once praised for

rescuing the Sabres from bankruptcy, is now being criticized in hockey circles for not making

a strong enough commitment to winning.

"Rene is going to tell you what's on his mind, and he has a [funny] way of putting things,"

one ex-Sabre said with a laugh. "He always had a bit of a chip on his shoulder but usually,

when it comes to hockey, he's right. And he is right. I agree with him. I know a lot of guys

out there feel the same way he does."

Quinn did not return a telephone call Friday. Several former Sabres believe Quinn should be

removed from daily operations related to personnel and replaced by someone with more hockey

knowledge and experience. Robert recalled a conversation with Quinn a few years ago like this:

Robert: "What's your background, Larry?"

Quinn: "I'm a land developer."

Robert: "Do you think I could do your job?"

Quinn: "No, I don't think you could."

Robert: "Then what makes you believe you're a hockey man?"

Quinn said immediately after the season that the entire organization would be evaluated from

top to bottom.

The Sabres announced Friday that General Manager Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff would be

retained. The Sabres still have not had their season-ending news conference announcing

possible changes.

Ruff is coaching Canada in the world championships in Switzerland. He has not spoken publicly

since the season-ending win over Boston. Robert believes Ruff and Regier were placed in

difficult situations.

"If Golisano wants to retain the team and continue as an owner, he needs a president that

knows the game of hockey," Robert said. "Get a guy that runs the business aspect, get a

general manager that's given a budget to play with, carte blanche to trade whoever the hell he

wants, and go from there.

"If you look at the organizations that have been successful, you don't see owners getting

involved in hockey decisions. You hire people to do a job you're not capable of doing. Until

proven wrong, you let them do their jobs. If they can't, you get rid of them."

Sabres Clean Out

Wild looks for "new eyes'

Wild owner Craig Leipold wasted little time last week before firing GM Doug Risebrough, a move

he decided to make a month ago. The announcement came a few days after coach Jacques Lemaire

decided he would not come back.

Leipold knew changes were in order before the Wild missed the playoffs. He wanted to wait

before firing Risebrough because he didn't want to interfere with the effort to reach the

postseason. The Wild topped the Northwest Division last year.

"I just saw things, and my gut says now's the time for a change so we can go out and get the

best person out there who can take this incredible brand and great franchise and great team to

the next level," Leipold said. "It's time we get some new eyes in here."

Leipold, who took over ownership last year, will begin searching for a new general manager.

The next GM will have full authority over the hockey department, which will include

everything from the players and the style to the scouting department. The Wild for years has

been known for its defense-first (see: boring) style under Lemaire.

"He'll have the freedom and flexibility to build his own organization," Leipold said.

Isles mum on top choice

Leafs GM Brian Burke, who wound up with the seventh pick overall in the draft, would like to

get his hands on the No. 1 choice. Presumably, he would take John Tavares, a Toronto native

many believe is the top prospect. Good luck.

The Islanders sounded as if they would keep the pick, their reward for finishing last in the

league and winning the weighted draft lottery. GM Garth Snow wasn't offering any hints on

whether he would take Tavares or Victor Hedman, a 6-foot-6 defenseman from Sweden whose stock

has soared this year.

"It put a huge smile on my face," Snow said. "Obviously, it's a great moment for this

franchise and a great moment for our fans. It's going to be a great day in June. We're going

to get a great player for this team."

Philly paranoia grows

Dan Carcillo's sucker punch on Maxime Talbot in the Flyers-Penguins series looked virtually

identical to Mike Cammalleri decking Martin Havlat in the Calgary-Chicago series, but NHL

warden Colin Campbell found a major difference.

In case you missed them, Carcillo socked Talbot in the jaw off a faceoff while Cammalleri did

the same thing to Havlat. Carcillo was suspended for one game while Cammalleri was not

disciplined by the league.

Campbell on Carcillo: "With six seconds left, you have a player who never kills penalties, a

player who never takes faceoffs, coming out on a five-on-three [disadvantage] and doing what

he did — a repeat offender. So there are a number of criteria there that satisfy doing

what we had to do. ... I don't want to filter everything out of the game. But we want to take

the dumb stuff out of the game."

Campbell on Cammalleri: "When Cammalleri hit Havlat, there was a lot of risk to doing that. He

took a two-minute penalty in a game where there could have been ramifications for doing that.

But there are no ramifications when you're losing, 4-1, with six seconds left [in the case of

Carcillo]."

And the league wonders why the Flyers are paranoid.

Keenan chimes in

If Sabres fans often viewed Mike Keenan as a testy, prickly coach, perhaps their opinions will

shift slightly after "Iron Mike" supported Buffalo last week nearly 10 years after the

infamous "No Goal" controversy in the Stanley Cup finals.

Keenan and the Flames were steaming after Game One on Thursday, which ended when Havlat

scored through a screen. Replays showed Hawks winger Andrew Ladd bumping into — or

getting bumped into by defenseman Jordan Leopold — goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. In no time,

the celebration began.

"We go back to Brett Hull with his foot in the crease in winning the Stanley Cup," Keenan

said after the game. "They should have called the goal off, but the back door was open and the

parade goes on. That's what happens."