By Bill Hoppe

Olean Times Herald

BUFFALO – On his opening shift in the Sabres’ 3-2 win over the rough-and-tumble Flyers on Saturday, Patrick Kaleta leveled Ryan Parent, the first of several exploits in what was possibly the winger’s finest NHL effort.

In the second period, Kaleta set up Tyler Ennis’ first NHL goal.

Then, late in the third period, with the Sabres clinging to the lead, Kaleta roared into the Philadelphia zone and knocked Kimmo Timonen off the puck beside his net. Seconds later, Kaleta raced down the ice and stripped the puck from Daniel Carcillo.

“I think Pat could’ve been close to our best forward on the ice (Saturday), really from an all-around game,” said coach Lindy Ruff, whose Sabres, winners of three straight, host the Florida Panthers tonight at HSBC Arena. “He set the tone on the first shift. …

“Those are the type of efforts I’m talking about that are going to make us a team that can make us win those type of games,” he said.

It’s no secret the Sabres, a soft team in recent seasons, must keep matching their opponents’ physical play if they hope to maintain first place in the Northeast Division. Kaleta’s aggressive style is critical to the Sabres’ fortunes.

Kaleta also wreaked havoc Friday, when he had a game-high six hits while skating 14:32 (two seconds less than his career best) in Buffalo’s 2-1 shootout triumph over gritty Calgary.

“Part of our motto is that we got to control the play and that we got to worry about what we’re doing and not what the other team’s doing,” said Kaleta, a veteran of 114 NHL games. “Setting the tempo of the game is part of that.”

When Ruff taps Kaleta, his top agitator and hitter, on the shoulder this season, he’s calling on a more mature, well-rounded player.

That’s why Ruff can entrust Kaleta with ice time equal to or greater than some of the Sabres’ top scoring threats. Kaleta played more than sniper Thomas Vanek on Friday.

After Mike Grier strained his groin last week, Ruff moved Kaleta to the top checking line beside Jochen Hecht and Tim Kennedy.

“(Kaleta’s) such a good skater,” Ruff said. “He’s actually real good with the puck, and at the same time you got to keep your head up. He’ll keep you honest. He’s a guy I don’t think other teams would welcome playing against because you never know when he’s coming.”

Coincidentally, fewer hits could be the biggest sign of Kaleta’s maturation. Ruff challenged the 23-year-old during the preseason, telling him to stop looking for the big hit so he can keep himself in the play.

So far, 17 games into the season, Ruff said Kaleta’s reigned in some aggressiveness, only experiencing a “few hiccups.”

“For the most part, (it’s good) if he can play that style of game he played in Philly, even against Calgary,” Ruff said.

Kaleta said at certain points in a game he could still chase hits to bring the team some energy, “which may have me running around a little bit out of position.”

But Kaleta’s mostly left that style in the past.

“I think the more ice time you can get, the more into the game I can get,” he said. “I don’t have to go looking for the hits, and they can just come to me. It’s a lot easier to play my game. But I have confidence in Lindy and where he puts me. I think he knows what’s right for me.”

Not only is he becoming very confident in pissing people off and not backing down to anyone, but his skills with the puck have been improved a ton and it's because he makes the smart play with the puck..