Sabres' MacArthur making case for consistency
Clarke MacArthur and Lindy Ruff are on the same page. Now MacArthur has to prove they belong on the same team.
As training camp enters its last full week, the Buffalo Sabres have tight competition for the final few forward spots. MacArthur is in the group. He has shown signs of NHL talent. He can score. He can skate. He has the ability to defend.
Problem is, there have been times when they aren’t there at the same time. It’s why there are still questions about the fourth-year pro.
“Coach wants to see consistency out of me, and that’s one of the things that takes the longest,” MacArthur said. “I’ve really got to work at it, and that’s what I need to do to stay here full time.”
Just so everyone else is clear, his coach said the same thing.
“He’s come up, he’s played well at times, and I think sometimes a little inconsistent,” Ruff said. “But that’s pretty typical with young guys. Our strength has been our patience with a lot of players, and in Clarke’s case, we like a lot of things he does. There’s areas we’ve asked him to get better, and he continues to grow.”
MacArthur’s “why I should stick with the Sabres” file got a little thicker over the weekend. He’s one of four players to dress in all four preseason games (defenseman Mike Weber and forwards Drew Stafford and Philip Gogulla are the others), and MacArthur played well in the two games in Buffalo. More importantly, he feels he did well in two aspects of the game.
Against Toronto on Saturday, the left winger skated with center Paul Gaustad and right wing Ales Kotalik. MacArthur likes what they did defensively.
Sunday against Minnesota, he was on a line with center Jochen Hecht and right wing Jason Pominville. They scored the Sabres’ only goal when MacArthur blasted Marc-Andre Bergeron off the puck behind the net and fed Hecht out front.
“It seems like he’s picking up a little steam,” Ruff said. “I thought he started a little slow, but the last couple games have been better.”
MacArthur had to be good all the time last year, or it meant a trip back to the minors. He had eight goals and 15 points in 37 games, which was decent production for a rookie. But when he made a miscue, he didn’t get a chance to rebound. He was out of the lineup.
“When you’re young, that’s how it goes,” the 23-year-old said. “You don’t get the breaks. That’s fair.”
One thing he did have trouble dealing with was knowing he could go back to the minors even if he did play well consistently.
“The only thing I found tough last year was always filling in for a guy who’s hurt,” he said. “They’re coming back in the lineup, and it’s in the back of your mind all the time. But hopefully this year I can earn my own spot.”
Something that changes this season is there are no more free trips to and from the minors. He’s reached the point where he has to clear waivers. It could dissuade the Sabres from sending him down, or it could mean a new address should Buffalo feel he doesn’t quite fit.
“I’ve got to be on my toes here all the time,” MacArthur said. “If I let my guard down, I’ll lose my spot. I’ve got to be ready to go every night.”
