"The not-so-subtle hints have been making their way into Lindy Ruff's chats for a couple of weeks. Derek Roy, the Buffalo Sabres' coach said, needs to play better.

No one has to tell Roy. He's fully aware.

The center enters tonight's game against Pittsburgh in Mellon Arena on another cold streak. Roy has no goals in the last eight games and only one in the last 13 outings.

The slump should be over. Roy and Thomas Vanek worked a perfect give-and-go during Friday's 2-1 victory over Boston, with Roy staring at an empty net. He missed.

For a guy with a total of 60 goals during the previous two seasons, it was tough to handle.

"The other night I missed an empty net, and that doesn't happen," Roy said Sunday. "It puts them down, 3-1, and that just puts the game out of reach. Especially come the latter half of the season, we're going to need that. I've just got to make that shot. The puck rolled and whatnot, but I've still got to make that shot. There's no excuses."

It's good Roy doesn't want to use any excuses for his extended slide because the coach doesn't want to hear them.

"Those are the plays he's got to make a difference on," Ruff said in HSBC Arena before heading to Pittsburgh. "I don't want to stand here and talk about the opportunities. I want to talk about the times he's cashed in."

There hasn't been a lot of talk this season. Roy has 11 goals and is on pace for 17, which would be the lowest full-season total of his career. He had 28 goals last season and 32 the year before, earning first-line status.

He game has been off from the start — it took 12 games to get his first goal of the season — and Tim Connolly has become the top middle man, especially after a recent 16-game point streak.

"I've got to get on a streak now," Roy said. "We're winning games, but we can't rely on Timmy all the time to get the points. I've got to step up.""