Maxim Afinogenov is trying. He has made significant progress in the last 16 months since coming to North America, but the words are still too new, too confusing, too many for him to fully grasp. For now, he's making due. 
The Buffalo Sabres, who play the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight in HSBC Arena (7:30, Empire, 107.7 FM), can see the improvement almost daily. Afinogenov understands more than he can speak. He knows curse words, confirmed by his head snapping to attention and that broad Russian smile creasing his face. 
But he's still a year away, maybe more, from mastering the post-game interview. He was stuck on the word "frustrated" last weekend after the Sabres' 5-2 win over San Jose in a game in which he scored the winner. 
"Frustrated?" the puzzled Afinogenov said, pointing to his head. Yes, were you frustrated, you know, mad, about not scoring for the previous 15 games? 
The right winger might not have immediately understood "frustrated," but he quickly captured the concept, as defined by a player with his skill, when he heard the two key words that followed: Not scoring. 
Oh, OK. Frustrated. 
"Yes," Afinogenov said. "I didn't score in many games. I've had many shots, many chances to score, but the puck no go into to the net. Now, I scored." 
The Sabres aren't worried. Afinogenov's language skills will be developed as he develops as a player. He picks his words carefully, contradictory to his out-of-control style on the ice. Like many others before him, from Gilbert Perreault to Alexander Mogilny to Dominik Hasek, his performance will force him through the communication barriers. 
His play has done the talking lately, which is why you haven't heard much from him over the last three weeks. He had 46 shots on goal, far more than any other Sabre, but did not score during the 15-game drought. He had just four assists over that span. 
"It's about ... time," winger Erik Rasmussen joked after Afinogenov scored. 
Huh? It's about time you scored. 
Oh, OK. Scored. 
Afinogenov has much to learn, but he has undeniable natural talent. He was Buffalo's best player through the first 20 games this season on his gifts alone, but teams have been buckling down when he enters the zone. He has six goals and 18 points in 33 games. He had 16 goals and 34 points in 65 games last year, his rookie season. 
He will improve when he better grasps the style played in the NHL, so one day he will called upon to explain those opportunities. People will want to know more about how he scored, what he saw, what he was thinking while making those dynamic moves down the ice. 
For now, to use a cousin of the oldest cliche in professional sports, he's taking one word at a time. Over the Christmas break, he learned "frustrated" by way of "mad" and "not scoring." 
"Sometimes, if we lose, sure I'm mad," he said. "If I score probably a couple goals, and I have chances, the team will win. If I don't score a couple times, and I've had good chances, and the team lose, I'm not happy about that." 
Give him credit. He's getting there.

The Sabres celebrated Christmas with two days off as mandated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NHL Players Association. Neither the Sabres nor the Penguins will have a full practice before the game tonight. 
Two popular Penguins - Mario Lemieux and Matthew Barnaby - will not be in the lineup. Lemieux will become the first owner to play in the NHL when he officially unretires and suits up Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Barnaby is suspended for four games after an altercation with a fan in Florida last week. 
The Sabres caught a break when Lemieux decided to wait one more day. Super Mario had been practicing with his team, but he was not expected to make the trip into Buffalo this morning. Instead, he wanted to have one more workout on his own and avoid one more day of hoopla caused by his return. 
"Thanks for waiting an extra day," center Stu Barnes said of Lemieux. "As a fan, and a lot of us are even though we're still players, I'm really excited. It's great for hockey. I was lucky enough to play with him. It was a thrill to play with him. It's a thrill to watch him. As a player, I'm not so excited."