NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Lindy Ruff is a notorious tinkerer. Lines that start the first period often are broken up by the third. If something isn't working, he's quick with the hook.

The Buffalo Sabres coach seems determined to take a different approach with his power play. He entered the season knowing there'd be dry spells, times when his new parts didn't quite click perfectly. Although the Sabres are just 2 for 14 with the man advantage heading into tonight's game in Nashville, he's sticking with his fresh-faced look.

This season, those new faces are the two youngest defensemen: second-year pro Chris Butler and 19-year-old rookie Tyler Myers.

"It's a great opportunity," Butler said Friday after practice in Amherst Pepsi Center. "Now I just need to start taking advantage of it and basically generate more goals back there."

Butler and Myers are power-play point men for the first time at hockey's highest level, but it's hardly a new spot for them. Butler anchored the blue line for the University of Denver, and Myers was a focal point in juniors with Kelowna of the Western Hockey League.

Two games into the NHL season, they've noticed the differences. On the plus side, their teammates are always in position and know how to find open ice. Then again, all the opponents know how to do the same things.

"It's a lot faster," Myers said before flying to Tennessee. "I think that's obvious. You just notice that the players pursue you a lot harder if you make a move on them. They'll stick with you, and they're right on your back. You've got to really try and move the puck quick."

The skaters covering the point men have quickly caught Butler's attention.

"The forwards are a lot better at getting in shot lanes here," he said. "In college, I think people blocked a lot of shots because they wore full cages, but I think it was easier to bypass the top forwards. The penalty-killing forwards in the NHL do a real good job of maintaining shot lanes. They're taking away most of your options."

The chore for newcomers is to discover alternatives. It's not easy. Very few players become elite power-play quarterbacks immediately.

"Brian Campbell didn't succeed in his first couple trips to the mound," said Ruff, referring to the former Sabres defense-man who was bounced from the man-advantage unit during his first few seasons before turning into an All-Star. "It's knowing your options, especially at this level. It's understanding what the other team is bringing as penalty killers. It's that ability to sell something and do something else.

"A young guy sometimes gets locked on an option. It's staring at a guy, and the penalty killers are reading your eyes. It's that looking one way, passing the other way, just the little subtleties that I think Myers has, that I think Butler has that ability.

"It's not just passing. It's the fake shot then the pass. It's little things that can open up one guy for a split second. There were some good plays. There were some real good plays from those guys on the back end."

Though the Sabres' power play is connecting at just 14.3 percent, 26th in the league, it has one game-winning goal and may find another in Sommet Center. The Predators' penalty killers are off to a shaky start, allowing three goals on nine attempts through their first two games.

A lot will depend on Butler and Myers creating chances. Ruff counted 11 scoring opportunities with the man advantage during Thursday's 2-1 victory over Phoenix. The final one was a goal by Thomas Vanek with 3:53 to play.

"Obviously, with the number of power plays we had [Thursday] night, we need to get more than one," Butler said. "I've gotten more comfortable even in the last couple games. It translates into practice where you're more comfortable, then you're trying to make plays instead of trying to make that safe play. I think that's something I'm going to try to do is make more plays back there, use shot passes more and make sure I'm trying to get pucks to the net."

Myers played six minutes of power-play time against the Coyotes, second among blue-liners to Craig Rivet's 7:18. As Ruff said, he's earned it. Like Butler, Myers just wants to make sure he keeps earning it.

"I'm very fortunate that they're giving me that opportunity," Myers said. "We generated a lot of chances last game. We've just got to make sure we start burying them."

Sabres vs. Predators

Faceoff: 8 p.m. in Sommet Center

TV: MSG

Radio: 550 AM

2008-09 series: Predators, 1-0