Rasmus Dahlin wasn’t kidding about how hockey has become his sole obsession.

BUFFALO Womens Justin Abdelkader Jersey , N.Y. (AP) Rasmus Dahlin wasn’t kidding about how hockey has become his sole obsession.No more than an hour after completing his introductory news conference in Buffalo on Monday, the NHL’s No. 1 overall draft pick had already changed into a yellow Sabres practice uniform and, with stick in hand, was on his way to hit the ice with a number of fellow prospects.Finally, after a monthlong pre-draft process of interviews, testing and cross-country travel that culminated in hearing his name called first from the podium in Dallas on Friday, Dahlin was back in his element.”I used to play some golf and hang out with friends, but, yeah, I love to play hockey and that’s my 100 percent thing I usually do,” the 18-year-old Swedish defenseman said. ”I’m a pretty boring guy.”Off the ice, maybe.On the ice, Dahlin is considered anything but boring with a heads-up, smooth-skating and play-making style that has already drawn comparisons to elite Swedish defensemen such as Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson and former Detroit Red Wings star Nicklas Lidstrom.In Buffalo, he’s already captured the imagination of a win-starved base of fans, many of whom started submitting orders for Dahlin’s No. 26 Sabres jersey moments after he formally pulled one on to close the news conference.And yet Luke Glendening Jersey , amid the buzz Dahlin has generated since the Sabres won the NHL draft lottery in April, it’s unrealistic to presume one player alone can turn around a franchise that has finished last in three of the past five years, not made the playoffs since 2011 and not won a playoff series since 2007.”I don’t actually think that way,” Dahlin said of whether he feels the weight of expectations on his 6-foot-2, 181-pound frame. ”I’ll bring everything I can to this team and, yeah, try to win hockey games. That’s what I think about.”General manager Jason Botterill was quick to interject once Dahlin completed his answer.”He doesn’t need to be the savior,” Botterill said, before listing the talented young group of players already on Buffalo’s roster, including forward Jack Eichel.”Look, we certainly have to have better results on the ice,” he said. ”But we’re certainly excited to bring Rasmus into our core group here and how they can grow together.”On a day dedicated to Dahlin, Botterill struck an upbeat tone in steering away most questions that featured any hint of negativity.Concerns still abound for Botterill entering his second summer on the job.The Sabres have no established depth in goal after last week’s decision to not re-sign third-year starter Robin Lehner.Offense remains an issue on a team that’s not had a player score 30 goals or 70 points since Jason Pominville in 2011-12, during his first stint in Buffalo.Their payroll structure is out of balance for a losing team, with six players set to make a base salary of $5 million or more, including Eichel Martin Frk Jersey , whose eight-year, $80 million contract kicks in this season.Culture remains a question after center Ryan O’Reilly suggested the team adopted a losing mindset last season.Rather than worry how a gloomy culture might affect newcomers such as Dahlin, Botterill is counting on Buffalo’s youngsters to begin changing the atmosphere.”We’re not expecting them to lead the room, but we’re expecting them to bring their positive attributes, their competitiveness to that group,” Botterill said.”It’s what we challenged our players at the end of the season. They had to change how they trained. They had to change how they approach the games,” he added. ”The beauty of the National Hockey League is that you can make adjustments, you can make jumps in the standings fairly quickly.”Botterill chuckled when Dahlin said he was already looking forward to playing Buffalo’s cross-border rival Toronto next season.”The question was asked to me before about changing the culture, changing our results on the ice,” Botterill said. ”That’s what we need to bring, players who are very competitive, who want to make a difference.”NOTES: The Sabres will open a four-day rookie development camp Wednesday. … Botterill says the Sabres won’t buy out the final year of Matt Moulson’s contract, but adds the veteran forward won’t play in Buffalo. Moulson spent most of last season on loan to AHL Ontario.— NEW YORK (AP) — The Nashville Predators liked the way a lot of things went in their season opener, especially since they came away with a win.P.K. Subban scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Predators held on to beat New York 3-2 Thursday night and spoil the regular-season debut of new Rangers coach David Quinn.“I thought we played a pretty good game,” Subban said. “For our team http://www.redwingsshoponline.com/authentic-mike-green-jersey , we’re at our best when we’re disciplined. At the end, I think we would’ve liked to shut it down a little sooner and quicker and a little easier, but we got it done.”Subban fired a one-timer from beyond the inside edge of the right circle in front of the blue line at 3:28 of the final period to put Nashville ahead.Filip Forsberg and Colton Sissons also scored and Pekka Rinne stopped 34 shots for the Predators, the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners with 117 points last season.“Every time you start the season, you always feel butterflies and you are a little nervous before the game,” Rinne said. “It was a good game for us. I thought we created a lot, starting in the first period. … It was a good first game.”Sissons’ long empty-netter with 1:24 left pushed Nashville’s lead to 3-1, before Pavel Buchnevich pulled the Rangers back within one with 35 seconds remaining.“We did some good things,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. “There are things that we could be better at. … We were competitive and turned the puck over a little bit too much.”Jesper Fast scored and Henrik Lundqvist had 30 saves for the rebuilding Rangers.New York traded several stars at the trade deadline last winter in a youth movement and then missed the playoffs last spring for the first time in eight years. Quinn was hired from Boston University to replace the fired Alain Vigneault.“I didn’t think we really played to the level that we’re looking for,” Quinn said. “Obviously, we are up against a team that’s one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, so it was certainly a great test. I just thought we were hesitant. I didn’t think we hounded the puck like we did in the preseason.”After a scoreless first period, each team broke through in a fast-paced second in which the Rangers outshot the Predators 17-15. Both goalies made big stops to limit the other team to just one goal.Nashville took a 1-0 lead on Forsberg’s wrist shot from the right slot into the top left corner at 3:54.Fast tied it at 7:37 as he deflected Filip Chytil’s centering pass from behind the goal line on the left side.Both teams had chances in the opening period.Lundqvist denied Mattias Ekholm in close about 90 seconds in, stopped Ryan Johansen on a 2-on-1 break with 8:14 left, and then gloved Craig Smith’s hard wrist shot on a Nashville power play with 2 1/2 minutes to go.Rinne, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner as the league’s top goalie Womens Nick Jensen Jersey , stopped Buchnevich’s shot on a Rangers rush 6 1/2 minutes in, turned away a wraparound attempt by Zuccarello midway through the period, and then made a sprawling save on Zuccarello’s attempt in the closing seconds to keep it scoreless.NOTES: Forsberg now has three goals and nine points in nine games against the Rangers. … The Predators improved to 4-5-0 in season openers on the road. … The teams conclude the season series Dec. 29 at Nashville. … The Rangers fell to 8-5-1 in their last 14 openers. … Fast is one point away from 100 in his career. … Lundqvist became the ninth player in franchise history to appear in at least one regular season game in 14 different seasons with the Rangers, joining Rod Gilbert (18), Brian Leetch (17), Harry Howell (17), Ron Greschner (16), Jean Ratelle (16), Ott Heller (15), Walt Tkaczuk (14), and Mike Richter (14).UP NEXTPredators: At the New York Islanders on Saturday night.Rangers: At Buffalo on Saturday night.