Housley starts a new chapter

Buffalo

The Sabres' new-look blue line is already making a good impression on rookie coach Phil Housley even before Buffalo opens training camp.

"I thought I hit a long drive on the long-drive hole, and I was 10 yards behind Ryan O'Reilly," Housley said Thursday, a day after the team's annual golf tournament. "But I found out that Marco Scandella blew one past him. That was good to see a D-man hit a long drive."

No offense to O'Reilly, a forward. Housley retains a soft spot for defensemen.

The Hall of Famer spent 21 NHL seasons playing the position in a career that began in Buffalo in 1982.