More importantly, he has succeeded in becoming the veteran leader the Sabres envisioned when they signed him back in August. In Game 5, Grier scored a goal and also took a puck off the back of his head, blocking a shot in front of goaltender Ryan Miller.
His sacrifice and veteran savvy has not gone unappreciated, and on Monday morning, head coach Lindy Ruff praised the 35-year old Holliston native, who graduated from St. Sebastian’s and starred at Boston University.
When asked whether veteran players thrive in playoff situations, Ruff compared Grier to Boston's own Mark Recchi.
"They cherish the opportunity to be in the postseason and the chance to win it," Ruff said. "I think they realize at this point in their game that they are not going to have many more chances. It’s a great lesson for the younger players. It’s really what Mark Recchi has done for Boston so far in this series and how hard he has played. I put those two guys in sort of the same category."
Grier was honored by the comparison but quick to point out some differences, like Recchi’s 1,475 points as compared to Grier’s 367.
"It’s a nice compliment because Mark has had a great career, won Stanley Cups and had a hand in leadership in pretty much every team he’s been on," Grier said. "So it’s a pretty nice compliment being compared to a guy that has Hall of Fame credentials."
Grier has always been a huge fan of Recchi’s style, and he tries to emulate the Boston forward's game.
"He’s not the biggest guy, but he always go to the net, finish his checks, and do all the little things you need to win games," Grier said. "I know I need to be physical because I’m bigger, but yeah, I try to do all that stuff and do the little things because a player like him, they always play well at this time of year and those are the guys you look up to and want to be there for your teammates, like he is when it matters."
