Published by hockeybuzz.com, 5-10-2019
The Buffalo Sabres coaching situation is entering treacherous waters as an already small group of candidates got smaller. The big dog on the list was three-time Cup-winner Joel Quenneville who, as expected, went to the Florida Panthers. Two other name coaches went off the board as Alain Vigneault (PHI) and Todd McLellan (LAK) went in rapid succession last month and the list of "meh" candidates got even shorter after Vigneault hired two former head coaches, Michel Therrien and Mike Yeo, to be his assistants.
Yesterday we found out that Sweden National head coach Rickard Grönborg signed a contract to coach ZSC Lions in Switzerland. The early stages of the story had sources saying that Sabres general manager Jason Botterill is leaning heavily towards a veteran NHL head coach and that Anaheim, Edmonton and Ottawa, who are all without head coaches, are leaning that way as well. Grönborg was the hot international name on the list of coaching candidates and is widely respected on the international scene with Team Sweden going for their third consecutive World Championship gold this month. However, he hasn't coached a full season since 2004-05 when he was an assistant with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL and his only head coaching experience was in Tier III Junior A.
Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe is the name most widely heard as he's a young, analytics-driven bench-boss who's had success wherever he's coached, which includes hoisting the AHL's Calder Cup last year. The Marlies are romping their way through the Eastern Conference right now having swept the first two rounds and after the playoffs are finished he could very well be in the Toronto Maple Leafs plans sooner rather than later.
So where does that leave Buffalo and the three other bottom-dwelling teams in search of a solution behind the bench?
Not much.
Showing posts with label lindy ruff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lindy ruff. Show all posts
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
With any kind of decent coaching, Buffalo's D, as is, should make big strides
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-28-2017
Yeah, I said it.
Although a top-four of Rasmus Ristolainen, Nathan Beaulieu, Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe isn't quite a Cup-contending core, with any kind of coaching, along with solid goaltending (and, of course, goal-scoring,) it should be enough for the team to make a big jump from their poor 2016-17 season.
The Sabres had about as bad a season as a team could've had last year and the brunt of the fan backlash fell on the shoulders of Buffalo's defense corps. If it were up to many, veteran players like Bogosian and Josh Gorges would've been on the first Greyhound Bus out of Buffalo mid-season. Some, like myself, acknowledge the poor play of the defense but also attribute the Sabres 78-point season to a number of other factors which includes a dismal start to the season after losing Jack Eichel and Evander Kane to injuries and a strict adherence to the system employed by head coach Dan Bylsma.
The former is easy to quantify while the latter, without revealing insight from the players, is almost impossible to prove. However, the fact that there indeed was a disconnect between player and coach, which ultimately lead to Bylsma's firing, does give credence to the belief that his systems didn't fit the personnel GM Tim Murray gave him. We can add in that the roster Murray build wasn't a Cup-contender either. It had plenty of holes and, according to some reports, he had no answers when owner Terry Pegula asked what he was going to do moving forward. Murray was fired along with Bylsma and the team is starting fresh.
New GM Jason Botterill inherited a team that has some definitive strengths up front, goaltending that looks solid and a defense corps that has a hole in the top-pairing. Many had hoped that he'd somehow be able to find a d-man to fill said hole, but pickin's are slim this off season. One player that may be considered for the top pair is free agent, Kevin Shattenkirk jowever, being the top free agent defenseman in a brutally thin market means the puck-mover will probably be asking for top dollar with some suggesting 7yrs./$7M per season. With his good, but not great, 2017 playoff performance, that seems quite high and is probably out of Buffalo's reach.
There are other FA d-men available but most would be considered top-four at best with Washington's Karl Alzner and the NY Rangers Brendan Smith maybe being able to hold down a top-pairing spot in Buffalo. After that there's aged vets like Chicago's Brian Campbell and Johnny Oduya, Montreal's Andrei Makarov and a pair of 33 yr. olds in Trevor Daley (PIT) and Dan Girardi (NYR) who wouldn't be a good fit for the Sabres.
What it comes down to at this juncture is basically, what you see on the back end right now, is pretty much what you're going to see next season. It's a proposition that have some in a tizzy. Yet most feel that with a new GM and head coach in Phil Housley, the Sabres are in a transitional period, especially on the back end where Housley is coming in with visions of an attacking group of puck movers. As dire as it might seem to some right now, with any decent coaching, this group of defensemen should be able to hold their own and help the Sabres progress.
Lindy Ruff has yet to win a Stanley Cup but he's been able to take flawed teams to the playoffs and talented teams deep into May and June. When he was in Buffalo he wanted his teams attacking when he had the talent, but he also leaned towards the defensive side of the equation when his team lacked firepower up front. In 2009-10 he had a Vezina Trophy winning goalie in Ryan Miller and Rookie of the Year in defenseman Tyler Myers. They made the playoffs. Although his defense was active he wasn't in full-bore attack mode for 60 minutes like when he coached his back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals teams.
Ruff went into the 2010-11 minus two of his top three defensemen as Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman were lost to free agency. They were replaced by Jordan Leopold and Shaone Morrisonn with Morrisonn starting out the season on the team's top-pairing with Myers. But as the two suffered early in the season, Morrisonn fell down (and even out of) the lineup while Myers was dropped to the second pairing and eventually landed with third-year pro Chris Butler. Leopold moved up top with gritty, veteran defenseman Steve Montador while the bottom-pairing was a mix of Andrej Sekera (who ended up with plenty of time in the top-four,) Mike Weber, the plummeting Craig Rivet (who was eventually waived by Buffalo) and Marc-Andre Gragnani.
There was a lot of mixing and matching by Ruff that season as players like Morrisonn and Rivet fell precipitously, Myers suffered through a sophomore slump, Sekera and Butler rose while Leopold and Montador held steady in their roles. It ended up being a defense by committee in that these were the top-four in even strength ice-time:
Leopold--18:00
Montador--17:16
Sekera--17:11
Myers--16:57
The same four were atop in average time on ice:
Leopold--23:19
Myers--22:27
Sekera--21:05
Montador--19:43
The Sabres made the playoffs that season with only one player in the top-50 in point production (Thomas Vanek, 73) but with scoring by committee that placed them ninth in the league. Miller had a 2.59 GAA and .916 Sv%, well off of his Vezina highs, and the Sabres fell from a fourth-best GAA in 2009-10 to 16th in 2010-11.
Buffalo started out the 2010-11 season with Derek Roy and Tim Connolly centering a top-six that featured Vanek, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford and Tyler Ennis on the wings. It was the last time Buffalo made the playoffs and they did so with a lineup that was weaker as a whole and especially up front in the top-six at center than last year's Sabres.
Having said that, a top-four featuring Ristolainen, Beaulieu, Bogosian and McCabe isn't that far removed from the top-four that Ruff started with, or even finished with, in 2010-11.
On April 8, 2011, the Sabres clinched a playoff berth after Nathan Gerbe tied the score at 3-3 half-way through the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers. The defensemen in that overtime game ranked by TOI were:
Butler--25:04
Myers--24:45
Gragnani--22:11
Montador--20:13
Weber--15:12
Morrisonn--13:27
Just sayin'
You can relive the highlights from that Philly game and a raucous Buffalo crowd with this mcskyns YouTube video:
Yeah, I said it.
Although a top-four of Rasmus Ristolainen, Nathan Beaulieu, Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe isn't quite a Cup-contending core, with any kind of coaching, along with solid goaltending (and, of course, goal-scoring,) it should be enough for the team to make a big jump from their poor 2016-17 season.
The Sabres had about as bad a season as a team could've had last year and the brunt of the fan backlash fell on the shoulders of Buffalo's defense corps. If it were up to many, veteran players like Bogosian and Josh Gorges would've been on the first Greyhound Bus out of Buffalo mid-season. Some, like myself, acknowledge the poor play of the defense but also attribute the Sabres 78-point season to a number of other factors which includes a dismal start to the season after losing Jack Eichel and Evander Kane to injuries and a strict adherence to the system employed by head coach Dan Bylsma.
The former is easy to quantify while the latter, without revealing insight from the players, is almost impossible to prove. However, the fact that there indeed was a disconnect between player and coach, which ultimately lead to Bylsma's firing, does give credence to the belief that his systems didn't fit the personnel GM Tim Murray gave him. We can add in that the roster Murray build wasn't a Cup-contender either. It had plenty of holes and, according to some reports, he had no answers when owner Terry Pegula asked what he was going to do moving forward. Murray was fired along with Bylsma and the team is starting fresh.
New GM Jason Botterill inherited a team that has some definitive strengths up front, goaltending that looks solid and a defense corps that has a hole in the top-pairing. Many had hoped that he'd somehow be able to find a d-man to fill said hole, but pickin's are slim this off season. One player that may be considered for the top pair is free agent, Kevin Shattenkirk jowever, being the top free agent defenseman in a brutally thin market means the puck-mover will probably be asking for top dollar with some suggesting 7yrs./$7M per season. With his good, but not great, 2017 playoff performance, that seems quite high and is probably out of Buffalo's reach.
There are other FA d-men available but most would be considered top-four at best with Washington's Karl Alzner and the NY Rangers Brendan Smith maybe being able to hold down a top-pairing spot in Buffalo. After that there's aged vets like Chicago's Brian Campbell and Johnny Oduya, Montreal's Andrei Makarov and a pair of 33 yr. olds in Trevor Daley (PIT) and Dan Girardi (NYR) who wouldn't be a good fit for the Sabres.
What it comes down to at this juncture is basically, what you see on the back end right now, is pretty much what you're going to see next season. It's a proposition that have some in a tizzy. Yet most feel that with a new GM and head coach in Phil Housley, the Sabres are in a transitional period, especially on the back end where Housley is coming in with visions of an attacking group of puck movers. As dire as it might seem to some right now, with any decent coaching, this group of defensemen should be able to hold their own and help the Sabres progress.
Lindy Ruff has yet to win a Stanley Cup but he's been able to take flawed teams to the playoffs and talented teams deep into May and June. When he was in Buffalo he wanted his teams attacking when he had the talent, but he also leaned towards the defensive side of the equation when his team lacked firepower up front. In 2009-10 he had a Vezina Trophy winning goalie in Ryan Miller and Rookie of the Year in defenseman Tyler Myers. They made the playoffs. Although his defense was active he wasn't in full-bore attack mode for 60 minutes like when he coached his back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals teams.
Ruff went into the 2010-11 minus two of his top three defensemen as Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman were lost to free agency. They were replaced by Jordan Leopold and Shaone Morrisonn with Morrisonn starting out the season on the team's top-pairing with Myers. But as the two suffered early in the season, Morrisonn fell down (and even out of) the lineup while Myers was dropped to the second pairing and eventually landed with third-year pro Chris Butler. Leopold moved up top with gritty, veteran defenseman Steve Montador while the bottom-pairing was a mix of Andrej Sekera (who ended up with plenty of time in the top-four,) Mike Weber, the plummeting Craig Rivet (who was eventually waived by Buffalo) and Marc-Andre Gragnani.
There was a lot of mixing and matching by Ruff that season as players like Morrisonn and Rivet fell precipitously, Myers suffered through a sophomore slump, Sekera and Butler rose while Leopold and Montador held steady in their roles. It ended up being a defense by committee in that these were the top-four in even strength ice-time:
Leopold--18:00
Montador--17:16
Sekera--17:11
Myers--16:57
The same four were atop in average time on ice:
Leopold--23:19
Myers--22:27
Sekera--21:05
Montador--19:43
The Sabres made the playoffs that season with only one player in the top-50 in point production (Thomas Vanek, 73) but with scoring by committee that placed them ninth in the league. Miller had a 2.59 GAA and .916 Sv%, well off of his Vezina highs, and the Sabres fell from a fourth-best GAA in 2009-10 to 16th in 2010-11.
Buffalo started out the 2010-11 season with Derek Roy and Tim Connolly centering a top-six that featured Vanek, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford and Tyler Ennis on the wings. It was the last time Buffalo made the playoffs and they did so with a lineup that was weaker as a whole and especially up front in the top-six at center than last year's Sabres.
Having said that, a top-four featuring Ristolainen, Beaulieu, Bogosian and McCabe isn't that far removed from the top-four that Ruff started with, or even finished with, in 2010-11.
On April 8, 2011, the Sabres clinched a playoff berth after Nathan Gerbe tied the score at 3-3 half-way through the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers. The defensemen in that overtime game ranked by TOI were:
Butler--25:04
Myers--24:45
Gragnani--22:11
Montador--20:13
Weber--15:12
Morrisonn--13:27
Just sayin'
You can relive the highlights from that Philly game and a raucous Buffalo crowd with this mcskyns YouTube video:
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Deja vu all over again?
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-6-2017
One full season removed from the 2004-05 lockout, the Buffalo Sabres were the toast of the National Hockey League boasting an extremely fast and highly skilled hockey team that eventually went on to win the President's Trophy for most points in the league. They were known as the "Ferrari Sabres" or "the team built for the 'New NHL.'"
All of us fans remember fondly watching Buffalo light the lamp on a nightly basis and with the way that team could skate and score, no lead was safe. It was a "New NHL" where skaters were allowed to skate and pylons who once survived by clutching, gabbing and intimidating their way to a long career were relegated to the scrap heap.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a deep run in the playoffs for Buffalo.
Mid-season then coach Lindy Ruff started complaining that clutching and grabbing had been creeping back into the game. It was like putting a governor on his team. Speed kills and it happened to be on the Sabres side. For two rounds in the playoffs they overcame a much tighter game but they eventually fell to a much bigger and stronger Ottawa Senators team that was able to manhandle them.
I remember Chris Drury after the final game of their 4-1 series loss with blood on his face from blocking a shot in the crease. He was ticked at his team mates response to a tighter, tougher series as they couldn't do much in the face of a different style of play that they'd grown accustomed to. Ottawa advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals and were in-turn manhandled by the Anaheim Ducks who used old-school intimidation, mainly from Chris Pronger who got away with a lot in the Finals.
Point being, the league changed in mid-stream that season and Buffalo had no chance with a team built the way it was.
I bring this up because of last night's game against the New Jersey Devils. Fact is the Sabres lost the game because they couldn't muster up an attack and the Devils scored two powerplay goals against the league's second-worst penalty kill. Buffalo may have survived had the second goal been rightly disallowed. A New Jersey stick nicked goalie Robin Lehner's glove as he was about to snare a shot and regardless of what the goalie said afterwards, any contact will throw mess up the timing in a glove-save like that and should be considered interference. The goal, which was a result of Lehner not being able to cleanly glove that shot, should have been disallowed.
But even that's not the point as the Sabres have not had the benefit of calls going their way lately.
Last night the New Jersey throttled Buffalo's speed heading into the Devils zone and effectively eliminated the Sabres' forecheck. For a better explanation, here's what WGR550's Paul Hamilton wrote:
"One of the reasons Monday’s game against the Devils was so boring is when a defenseman would go back for the puck, the Sabres forechecker would get picked by his partner. That is clear interference." However, it was not called by the officials.
Hamilton went on to say that he did not like head coach Dan Bylsma's response in the matter. "I don’t like what I heard today from Dan Bylsma on how to make the game even tighter."
He quotes Bylsma as saying, "I’m more of an advocate of allowing some interference on the forecheck, to detour the speed. I think the rules that we have are good ones when it comes to that.
“If you dump a puck in, the guy that’s within distance of you can hold you up or stay in his space and impede you. If I dump it in, then no one can hold up me, so personally I’m actually a guy that thinks we should hold up a little more.”
First off, it's a really puzzling response by Bylsma as his team does have speed and likes to get in on the forecheck. But secondly, it smacks of what occurred back in 2007 when clutching and grabbing slowly made it's way back into the league.
It makes me wonder how much longer the leagues new-found speed-game will last.
One full season removed from the 2004-05 lockout, the Buffalo Sabres were the toast of the National Hockey League boasting an extremely fast and highly skilled hockey team that eventually went on to win the President's Trophy for most points in the league. They were known as the "Ferrari Sabres" or "the team built for the 'New NHL.'"
All of us fans remember fondly watching Buffalo light the lamp on a nightly basis and with the way that team could skate and score, no lead was safe. It was a "New NHL" where skaters were allowed to skate and pylons who once survived by clutching, gabbing and intimidating their way to a long career were relegated to the scrap heap.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a deep run in the playoffs for Buffalo.
Mid-season then coach Lindy Ruff started complaining that clutching and grabbing had been creeping back into the game. It was like putting a governor on his team. Speed kills and it happened to be on the Sabres side. For two rounds in the playoffs they overcame a much tighter game but they eventually fell to a much bigger and stronger Ottawa Senators team that was able to manhandle them.
I remember Chris Drury after the final game of their 4-1 series loss with blood on his face from blocking a shot in the crease. He was ticked at his team mates response to a tighter, tougher series as they couldn't do much in the face of a different style of play that they'd grown accustomed to. Ottawa advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals and were in-turn manhandled by the Anaheim Ducks who used old-school intimidation, mainly from Chris Pronger who got away with a lot in the Finals.
Point being, the league changed in mid-stream that season and Buffalo had no chance with a team built the way it was.
I bring this up because of last night's game against the New Jersey Devils. Fact is the Sabres lost the game because they couldn't muster up an attack and the Devils scored two powerplay goals against the league's second-worst penalty kill. Buffalo may have survived had the second goal been rightly disallowed. A New Jersey stick nicked goalie Robin Lehner's glove as he was about to snare a shot and regardless of what the goalie said afterwards, any contact will throw mess up the timing in a glove-save like that and should be considered interference. The goal, which was a result of Lehner not being able to cleanly glove that shot, should have been disallowed.
But even that's not the point as the Sabres have not had the benefit of calls going their way lately.
Last night the New Jersey throttled Buffalo's speed heading into the Devils zone and effectively eliminated the Sabres' forecheck. For a better explanation, here's what WGR550's Paul Hamilton wrote:
"One of the reasons Monday’s game against the Devils was so boring is when a defenseman would go back for the puck, the Sabres forechecker would get picked by his partner. That is clear interference." However, it was not called by the officials.
Hamilton went on to say that he did not like head coach Dan Bylsma's response in the matter. "I don’t like what I heard today from Dan Bylsma on how to make the game even tighter."
He quotes Bylsma as saying, "I’m more of an advocate of allowing some interference on the forecheck, to detour the speed. I think the rules that we have are good ones when it comes to that.
“If you dump a puck in, the guy that’s within distance of you can hold you up or stay in his space and impede you. If I dump it in, then no one can hold up me, so personally I’m actually a guy that thinks we should hold up a little more.”
First off, it's a really puzzling response by Bylsma as his team does have speed and likes to get in on the forecheck. But secondly, it smacks of what occurred back in 2007 when clutching and grabbing slowly made it's way back into the league.
It makes me wonder how much longer the leagues new-found speed-game will last.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Sabres continute a tough stretch against the leaders of the western conference
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
The Dallas Stars are hot right now having won four in a row and eight of their last 10. Overall Dallas is off to a 16-4-0 start, best in franchise history. The Stars are leading the league in scoring at 3.55 goals/game, they have the league's second highest scorer in Tyler Seguin (28 pts.) and it's third in defending scoring champ, Jamie Benn (27 pts.) plus they have 23 yr. old John Klingberg who's sixth in scoring while leading all defenseman with 22 points.
Dallas has good size, a great mix of vets and youth, and is coached by Lindy Ruff an 18 yr. veteran behind the bench who has won 669 regular season games. Ruff's Dallas team has size and skill and likes to dictate the pace with speed. And if they get the lead on you, look out. Dallas is 9-1-0 when leading after one period, 8-0-0 when leading after two.
If the Sabres want to beat the league's best team tonight at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, it would behoove them get on the scoreboard first. In their last 10 games they're 4-0-0 when scoring first, 1-3-2 when they fall behind.
The Sabres are no slouches when playing with the lead either. They're 4-1-0 on the year when leading after one period, 6-0-0 when leading after two. And in a bit of a twist from early predictions, the Sabres have been carried by their goaltending and defense. With all the firepower acquired in the off season, Buffalo ranks 27th in the league in scoring at 2.21 goals/game. Their goalie tandem of back-up Chad Johnson, who will get the start tonight, and rookie Linus Ullmark have helped lead the team to 18th overall in goals-against average (2.68.)
The Sabres are getting shots to the net, but they're having trouble lighting the lamp, and even the powerplay, which is ranked 4th in the league sputtered mightily during the last game at St. Louis as they went 0-4 including a goose-egg on two 5-on-3's. They also faltered on the penalty kill allowing two goals on three chances. Add it up, and with better special teams play, the Sabres may have gotten out of St. Louis with two points instead of the one they got via the shootout.
This isn't an indictment on the team as it's best to keep things in perspective. Despite being near the quarter-pole on the season, this young Sabres squad (2nd youngest in the league) is still learning about each other and still acclimating their play to head coach Dan Bylsma's system. They'd been without their No.2 defenseman, Zach Bogosian, until the Dallas game on Tuesday and they lost Evander Kane for 10 games while he nursed a lower-body injury. Kane came back for Thursday's game at St. Louis and was a plus-1 in 20:55 all-purpose minutes.
The Sabres are in the midst of a tough stretch where they're facing some of the best teams in the western conference. Beginning with Tuesday's home match-up against Dallas, come Saturday November 28th, they'll have faced the Stars twice, the Blues twice and the Nashville Predators twice with Carolina thrown in for good measure. Those three western conference teams are a combined 40-14-4 at this juncture of the season and presently sit one, two and three, respectively, in the conference. (Carolina is dead-last in the east and tied for last in the league with Edmonton.)
Like the Buffalo Bills playing the New England Patriots this Monday night, if the Sabres want to be the best, they'll need to beat the best and they'll have four opportunities in the next week to see just how they measure up.
**********
Today was an optional pre-game skate that was run by assistant coach Dave Barr, according to WGR's Paul Hamilton. He went on to tweet that all the players were on the ice.
Game-time is 8:30.
The Dallas Stars are hot right now having won four in a row and eight of their last 10. Overall Dallas is off to a 16-4-0 start, best in franchise history. The Stars are leading the league in scoring at 3.55 goals/game, they have the league's second highest scorer in Tyler Seguin (28 pts.) and it's third in defending scoring champ, Jamie Benn (27 pts.) plus they have 23 yr. old John Klingberg who's sixth in scoring while leading all defenseman with 22 points.
Dallas has good size, a great mix of vets and youth, and is coached by Lindy Ruff an 18 yr. veteran behind the bench who has won 669 regular season games. Ruff's Dallas team has size and skill and likes to dictate the pace with speed. And if they get the lead on you, look out. Dallas is 9-1-0 when leading after one period, 8-0-0 when leading after two.
If the Sabres want to beat the league's best team tonight at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, it would behoove them get on the scoreboard first. In their last 10 games they're 4-0-0 when scoring first, 1-3-2 when they fall behind.
The Sabres are no slouches when playing with the lead either. They're 4-1-0 on the year when leading after one period, 6-0-0 when leading after two. And in a bit of a twist from early predictions, the Sabres have been carried by their goaltending and defense. With all the firepower acquired in the off season, Buffalo ranks 27th in the league in scoring at 2.21 goals/game. Their goalie tandem of back-up Chad Johnson, who will get the start tonight, and rookie Linus Ullmark have helped lead the team to 18th overall in goals-against average (2.68.)
The Sabres are getting shots to the net, but they're having trouble lighting the lamp, and even the powerplay, which is ranked 4th in the league sputtered mightily during the last game at St. Louis as they went 0-4 including a goose-egg on two 5-on-3's. They also faltered on the penalty kill allowing two goals on three chances. Add it up, and with better special teams play, the Sabres may have gotten out of St. Louis with two points instead of the one they got via the shootout.
This isn't an indictment on the team as it's best to keep things in perspective. Despite being near the quarter-pole on the season, this young Sabres squad (2nd youngest in the league) is still learning about each other and still acclimating their play to head coach Dan Bylsma's system. They'd been without their No.2 defenseman, Zach Bogosian, until the Dallas game on Tuesday and they lost Evander Kane for 10 games while he nursed a lower-body injury. Kane came back for Thursday's game at St. Louis and was a plus-1 in 20:55 all-purpose minutes.
The Sabres are in the midst of a tough stretch where they're facing some of the best teams in the western conference. Beginning with Tuesday's home match-up against Dallas, come Saturday November 28th, they'll have faced the Stars twice, the Blues twice and the Nashville Predators twice with Carolina thrown in for good measure. Those three western conference teams are a combined 40-14-4 at this juncture of the season and presently sit one, two and three, respectively, in the conference. (Carolina is dead-last in the east and tied for last in the league with Edmonton.)
Like the Buffalo Bills playing the New England Patriots this Monday night, if the Sabres want to be the best, they'll need to beat the best and they'll have four opportunities in the next week to see just how they measure up.
**********
Today was an optional pre-game skate that was run by assistant coach Dave Barr, according to WGR's Paul Hamilton. He went on to tweet that all the players were on the ice.
Game-time is 8:30.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Stay onsides, and while you're at it, Buffalo, how about a better start?
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
For the third time this young season the Buffalo Sabres scored a goal but had it overturned because they were deemed offside because of a coaches challenge. It happened in the very first game of the season vs. Ottawa nullifying a game-tying goal that would have clearly pushed the momentum in the Sabres favor. Instead, the score remained 2-1 and the Senators would leave the First Niagara Center with the 3-1 victory.
Last Thursday with the Sabres in Sunrise, Florida facing the Panthers, a goal by Tyler Ennis was overturned because he couldn't keep his skate on the line while he and Jack Eichel were entering the Florida zone. The goal would have put the Sabres up 2-0, but it remained a one-goal game until Jonathan Huberdeau tied the score about four minutes later. After enduring constant pressure from the Panthers and a barrage of shots, Buffalo would hold on for the win.
Last night against the western conference-leading Dallas Stars, it was deja vu all over again as the Sabres tied the score at 2-2 only to have the goal overturned when it was deemed Ennis had put himself offside. Like the Ottawa game to open the season, that momentum-changer was taken away and Buffalo would eventually fall to Dallas by a 3-1 score.
"I knew it was offside even before the puck went in," head coach Dan Bylsma told the gathered media of Ennis' non-goal. "It's certainly disappointing."
For the third time this young season the Buffalo Sabres scored a goal but had it overturned because they were deemed offside because of a coaches challenge. It happened in the very first game of the season vs. Ottawa nullifying a game-tying goal that would have clearly pushed the momentum in the Sabres favor. Instead, the score remained 2-1 and the Senators would leave the First Niagara Center with the 3-1 victory.
Last Thursday with the Sabres in Sunrise, Florida facing the Panthers, a goal by Tyler Ennis was overturned because he couldn't keep his skate on the line while he and Jack Eichel were entering the Florida zone. The goal would have put the Sabres up 2-0, but it remained a one-goal game until Jonathan Huberdeau tied the score about four minutes later. After enduring constant pressure from the Panthers and a barrage of shots, Buffalo would hold on for the win.
Last night against the western conference-leading Dallas Stars, it was deja vu all over again as the Sabres tied the score at 2-2 only to have the goal overturned when it was deemed Ennis had put himself offside. Like the Ottawa game to open the season, that momentum-changer was taken away and Buffalo would eventually fall to Dallas by a 3-1 score.
"I knew it was offside even before the puck went in," head coach Dan Bylsma told the gathered media of Ennis' non-goal. "It's certainly disappointing."
Sunday, March 22, 2015
A petulant Lindback? And, Lindy Ruff's 2006-07 gameplan can help bring this thing home
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Perhaps it was the headline that read, Lindback courts many fans' displeasure, and the notion put forth that "he’s on his way to becoming one of the most reviled Sabres ever," as written by the author, Jon Vogl of The Buffalo News. Or maybe it was the number of games he's played in consecutively, which has reached eight, all since Michal Neuvirth was traded to the NY Islanders. Or it may have been something unseen, but Sabres goalie Anders Lindback began last night's game versus the New Jersey Devils in a petulant mood.
He wasn't angry, throwin' crosschecks or elbows or anything like that, but it seemed as if there was a slight change in his demeanor as seen when he handled the puck early in the game. It looked as if something was bugging him, throwing him off a bit. It had the look as if he'd mentally thrown his arms up to say, "whatever."
Perhaps it was the headline that read, Lindback courts many fans' displeasure, and the notion put forth that "he’s on his way to becoming one of the most reviled Sabres ever," as written by the author, Jon Vogl of The Buffalo News. Or maybe it was the number of games he's played in consecutively, which has reached eight, all since Michal Neuvirth was traded to the NY Islanders. Or it may have been something unseen, but Sabres goalie Anders Lindback began last night's game versus the New Jersey Devils in a petulant mood.
He wasn't angry, throwin' crosschecks or elbows or anything like that, but it seemed as if there was a slight change in his demeanor as seen when he handled the puck early in the game. It looked as if something was bugging him, throwing him off a bit. It had the look as if he'd mentally thrown his arms up to say, "whatever."
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
A poignant post-game question sticks a fork in the Lindy Ruff Era
Following yesterday's home loss to Winnipeg, a fatal question was directed towards embattled Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff: "Lindy, this fan-base clearly hates this team, do you understand their [booing]?"
Ruff stood there like a man with no fight left in him and answered, "I understand, I totally understand."
Today Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced that Ruff would be relieved of his duties after 15+ seasons as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres.
It was a sad day, yet it had to be a relief for everyone from Ruff, to his players to the fan-base once the decision was made and announced. The weight of poor start had grown so heavy that it's doubtful anything but Ruff's firing could lift it.
This was big news splattered everywhere throughout the hockey world and was the prominent story for the NHL Network throughout the day. After all, Ruff was the longest tenured coach in the NHL, the second longest in American pro sports leagues (San Antonio Spurs coach, Greg Popovich.)
Rochester Americans coach Ron Rolston will take over the reigns of a 6-10-1 Buffalo Sabres team that goes in to tomorrow's game at Toronto 27th in the league. It's a team that's in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight season under owner Terry Pegula.
It had to be a difficult decision for Pegula, basically having to eat his "Lindy ain't goin' nowhere" proclamation. He stood by Ruff throughout, but when words like "this fan-base hates this team" ring true to the tune of relentless booing for 40 minutes, something needed to be done. And Ruff is gone.
I can guarantee that 99% of Buffalo fans don't hate Ruff personally, they just hate the product on the ice. It was a bad movie. Groundhog Day, hockey-style. And who's to blame for that product is still under scrutiny.
With Ruff now gone, the onus is completely on the players from this point forward, and it's now Regier's ass that's on the line. This is a team that he ultimately put together. These are the players that he wanted. This is the team that got his coach fired.
A visibly upset Regier took the podium today and thank his friend and former coach for everything he did for the organization.
For a guy who sets his team up in the off season and pretty much sticks with it throughout the season, except for some tinkering at the deadline, this was an unusual move. But Regier, and it would seem the organization, still has their eyes set upon making the playoffs. And the product on the ice lead by Ruff simply wasn't getting the job done.
With the Winnipeg game as "the tipping point," Regier met with the powers that be this morning, while Ruff went about his normal routine, then proceed to Ruff's house to tell him the news. Upon learning of that, the now "former coach" only asked that he be allowed to go say goodbye to his players which he did at the team bus as they were getting ready to go to Toronto.
At the end of a very difficult press conference today, Regier nearly broke down when asked how his long-time coach should be remembered. "As a great coach," he said and after gathering himself for a second he continued, "Someone who should be..."
Regier closed by choosing to remember Ruff as legendary NY Islanders coach Al Arbour, "with a sense of humor."
Fans of the Sabres will not remember Ruff that way, simply because a) they don't know anything about Arbour or b) Ruff does not have four Stanley Cup rings like Arbour had.
I'll remember Ruff as a coach who was a steadying force through a multitude of changes in ownership--four owners--during his 15-plus seasons. He also had success with two of those owners: a Stanley Cup Final appearance with one--the Rigas'--and two Eastern Conference Finals with another--Tom Golisano.
I'll remember Ruff as a coach who could be successful with different personnel--from the "hardest working team in hockey" to the post-lockout Ferrari squad of 2006-07. A coach who could also juggle that through league wide changes in style from the clutch and grab 90's to the post-lockout "new NHL."
But I'll also remember him as a coach who relied too heavily on his starting goaltender to bail out his system, and one who also couldn't get his goalie rotation figured out. He also put too much faith into bottom-six players who were like himself yearning for them to play way beyond their capabilities and/or "show the way,"
And I'll also remember saying throughout his tenure, save for a few seasons, that this team should decline the penalty because of their atrocious play with the man advantage.
The coming days, weeks and months will tell us a little something about the team that Darcy Regier built and just how much talent Ruff had to work with. It will tell us about the players themselves and just how thick and heavy that cloud was hanging over them.
But come tomorrow night it will be a strange sight seeing someone else behind the bench as Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres instead of Lindy Ruff.
Good Luck, Lindy.
Statement from owner Terry Pegula: "The hockey world knows how I and the entire Buffalo Sabres organization feel about Lindy Ruff not only as a coach but also as a person. His long tenure with the Sabres has ended. His qualities have made this decision very difficult. I personally want Lindy to know that he can consider me a friend always."
Ruff stood there like a man with no fight left in him and answered, "I understand, I totally understand."
Today Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced that Ruff would be relieved of his duties after 15+ seasons as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres.
It was a sad day, yet it had to be a relief for everyone from Ruff, to his players to the fan-base once the decision was made and announced. The weight of poor start had grown so heavy that it's doubtful anything but Ruff's firing could lift it.
This was big news splattered everywhere throughout the hockey world and was the prominent story for the NHL Network throughout the day. After all, Ruff was the longest tenured coach in the NHL, the second longest in American pro sports leagues (San Antonio Spurs coach, Greg Popovich.)
Rochester Americans coach Ron Rolston will take over the reigns of a 6-10-1 Buffalo Sabres team that goes in to tomorrow's game at Toronto 27th in the league. It's a team that's in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight season under owner Terry Pegula.
It had to be a difficult decision for Pegula, basically having to eat his "Lindy ain't goin' nowhere" proclamation. He stood by Ruff throughout, but when words like "this fan-base hates this team" ring true to the tune of relentless booing for 40 minutes, something needed to be done. And Ruff is gone.
I can guarantee that 99% of Buffalo fans don't hate Ruff personally, they just hate the product on the ice. It was a bad movie. Groundhog Day, hockey-style. And who's to blame for that product is still under scrutiny.
With Ruff now gone, the onus is completely on the players from this point forward, and it's now Regier's ass that's on the line. This is a team that he ultimately put together. These are the players that he wanted. This is the team that got his coach fired.
A visibly upset Regier took the podium today and thank his friend and former coach for everything he did for the organization.
For a guy who sets his team up in the off season and pretty much sticks with it throughout the season, except for some tinkering at the deadline, this was an unusual move. But Regier, and it would seem the organization, still has their eyes set upon making the playoffs. And the product on the ice lead by Ruff simply wasn't getting the job done.
With the Winnipeg game as "the tipping point," Regier met with the powers that be this morning, while Ruff went about his normal routine, then proceed to Ruff's house to tell him the news. Upon learning of that, the now "former coach" only asked that he be allowed to go say goodbye to his players which he did at the team bus as they were getting ready to go to Toronto.
At the end of a very difficult press conference today, Regier nearly broke down when asked how his long-time coach should be remembered. "As a great coach," he said and after gathering himself for a second he continued, "Someone who should be..."
Regier closed by choosing to remember Ruff as legendary NY Islanders coach Al Arbour, "with a sense of humor."
Fans of the Sabres will not remember Ruff that way, simply because a) they don't know anything about Arbour or b) Ruff does not have four Stanley Cup rings like Arbour had.
I'll remember Ruff as a coach who was a steadying force through a multitude of changes in ownership--four owners--during his 15-plus seasons. He also had success with two of those owners: a Stanley Cup Final appearance with one--the Rigas'--and two Eastern Conference Finals with another--Tom Golisano.
I'll remember Ruff as a coach who could be successful with different personnel--from the "hardest working team in hockey" to the post-lockout Ferrari squad of 2006-07. A coach who could also juggle that through league wide changes in style from the clutch and grab 90's to the post-lockout "new NHL."
But I'll also remember him as a coach who relied too heavily on his starting goaltender to bail out his system, and one who also couldn't get his goalie rotation figured out. He also put too much faith into bottom-six players who were like himself yearning for them to play way beyond their capabilities and/or "show the way,"
And I'll also remember saying throughout his tenure, save for a few seasons, that this team should decline the penalty because of their atrocious play with the man advantage.
The coming days, weeks and months will tell us a little something about the team that Darcy Regier built and just how much talent Ruff had to work with. It will tell us about the players themselves and just how thick and heavy that cloud was hanging over them.
But come tomorrow night it will be a strange sight seeing someone else behind the bench as Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres instead of Lindy Ruff.
Good Luck, Lindy.
Statement from owner Terry Pegula: "The hockey world knows how I and the entire Buffalo Sabres organization feel about Lindy Ruff not only as a coach but also as a person. His long tenure with the Sabres has ended. His qualities have made this decision very difficult. I personally want Lindy to know that he can consider me a friend always."
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Take a load off Terry
For those who did not happen to catch the Grammy's on Sunday night, check out this All-star band covering The Band's, "The Weight" in a tribute to the late Levon Helm.
Elton John is the centerpiece with the likes of Mavis Staples, Alabama Shakes' Brittnay Howard and Mumford and Sons channelling Helm, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson in a rousing rendition of the epic 1968 release.
From the book Across the Great Divide, The Band In America, author Barney Hoskyns asks Robertson about the character in the song, who's simple directive--a favor for a friend--turns into an "incredible predicament."
"One thing leads to another," says Robertson, "and all of a sudden it's like 'Holy Sh!t, what has this turned into?'"
So...
What does this have to do with the Sabres?
While watching Buffalo struggle in Ottawa last night, one could see that there's something weighing heavy on the team.
Perhaps it's the weight of high expectations gone south or the seemingly constant struggle to find their identity. Perhaps its the burden of a fan base left wondering what the hell it did wrong and clamoring for something, anything, to cling to.
Or, the team could be struggling because of the heavy weight that's upon the shoulders of their coach, Lindy Ruff.
Whatever the cause, this team is stumbling right now.
Sure, they came out strong Tuesday night, like they've often done in years past. But a failure to pot a goal against a hot goalie left them frustrated, like so many times in the past.
That frustration traditionally leads to brain-cramps in the second period. Sure enough, Ottawa scored a shortie in the second.
Then a familiar refrain of nervous uncertainty followed by another quick goal against.
Finally they spend the rest of the game in a valiant attempt to get back in, only to fall short. And in the end, another loss.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Lindy Ruff is doing his best, but he's being crushed right now and it would seem as if he can barely breathe.
Maybe it's been that way for a while with myself and many others just not seeing it. Then again, maybe it's just never been this much of a burden, especially when the entire organization wants to do their best for their owner.
Whatever the circumstances, this team is in a bad way and doesn't seem to be getting any better. It's gotten to the point that maybe owner Terry Pegula should do his coach a favor and take a load off.
Ruff's a good guy and has guided this team through many adverse situations. He's re-invented himself and the team through no less than four ownership changes. And he's digging deep to find something else. But perhaps he doesn't have anything else to give.
The "B" side single of "The Weight" has the band covering Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released."
Perhaps it's time to flip that 45 over.
Elton John is the centerpiece with the likes of Mavis Staples, Alabama Shakes' Brittnay Howard and Mumford and Sons channelling Helm, Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson in a rousing rendition of the epic 1968 release.
From the book Across the Great Divide, The Band In America, author Barney Hoskyns asks Robertson about the character in the song, who's simple directive--a favor for a friend--turns into an "incredible predicament."
"One thing leads to another," says Robertson, "and all of a sudden it's like 'Holy Sh!t, what has this turned into?'"
So...
What does this have to do with the Sabres?
While watching Buffalo struggle in Ottawa last night, one could see that there's something weighing heavy on the team.
Perhaps it's the weight of high expectations gone south or the seemingly constant struggle to find their identity. Perhaps its the burden of a fan base left wondering what the hell it did wrong and clamoring for something, anything, to cling to.
Or, the team could be struggling because of the heavy weight that's upon the shoulders of their coach, Lindy Ruff.
Whatever the cause, this team is stumbling right now.
Sure, they came out strong Tuesday night, like they've often done in years past. But a failure to pot a goal against a hot goalie left them frustrated, like so many times in the past.
That frustration traditionally leads to brain-cramps in the second period. Sure enough, Ottawa scored a shortie in the second.
Then a familiar refrain of nervous uncertainty followed by another quick goal against.
Finally they spend the rest of the game in a valiant attempt to get back in, only to fall short. And in the end, another loss.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Lindy Ruff is doing his best, but he's being crushed right now and it would seem as if he can barely breathe.
Maybe it's been that way for a while with myself and many others just not seeing it. Then again, maybe it's just never been this much of a burden, especially when the entire organization wants to do their best for their owner.
Whatever the circumstances, this team is in a bad way and doesn't seem to be getting any better. It's gotten to the point that maybe owner Terry Pegula should do his coach a favor and take a load off.
Ruff's a good guy and has guided this team through many adverse situations. He's re-invented himself and the team through no less than four ownership changes. And he's digging deep to find something else. But perhaps he doesn't have anything else to give.
The "B" side single of "The Weight" has the band covering Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released."
Perhaps it's time to flip that 45 over.
Friday, February 8, 2013
On Regeir, Ruff and the Sabres defense
Lindy Ruff received a vote of confidence from GM Darcy Regier on Wednesday. In other news, the sun rose again.
When the Buffalo News' Mike Harrington asked Regier if changes were in the air--either player or coaching--due to a 1-6-1 record after a 2-0 start, Regier proclaimed, "It won't be the coach."
In any other town it could be construed as the kiss of death. But as we've seen after 15 seasons Regier remains staunchly behind his head coach, and one would take his word as gospel.
But Harrington points out that Ruff and owner Terry Pegula had a meeting early Wednesday morning. Ruff, of course, did not divulge any specifics with Ruff stating simply that the owner always meets with his coach and GM.
Fair enough.
But the growing discontent amongst the fan-base and Ruff's longevity without recent success, which Harrington points out, begs the question, is the Lindy Ruff era be coming to a close?
*************
Ruff's defense is a mess, still. They're tied for last in the league in goals-against, and if there were a statistical category for odd-man rushes against, one would think they be near the top in that category as well.
Regier acknowledged that the defense is in shambles, but also noted that Ruff is a defensive coach. "Lindy has an area of expertise within an expertise of coaches." he said on WGR's Schoppsie and the Bulldog yesterday. "I believe it is to solve those problems defensively."
Not sure what to make of that. Yes, we know Ruff's a defensive coach. His assistants, or those with coaching "expertise" on the back-end, are James Patrick and Teppo Numminen. While Numminen was just brought on board in 2011 and has been upstairs, Patrick has been an assistant on the bench since 2006.
If Ruff's arse is on the line, his defense is to blame. And if he wants to get it out of the hot seat, he needs to take the reigns of the defense.
In that same segment Bulldog posed the question to Regier, "Is it too complicated a question to answer, why you have the defensive problems if he's such an accomplished coach?"
Regier answers by saying, "This is a very short-term area where we have problems. This team has historically been pretty good defensively."
And now for the league rankings since the end of the first lockout:
Historically pretty good indeed, Mr. Regier. In fact, middle of the road, which is where the team has finished in four of those seven years.
Assistant coach James Patrick is an all-around good guy and has been an assistant since 2006. He has incredible amount of experience gained from his 1,280 games played in the NHL. He's also no stranger to scoring either having accumulated 639 points during his 24 NHL seasons.
Yet, there seems to be a disconnect between what he's done, what he wants his players to do and what the players are actually doing.
The inability to consistently defend a two-on-one is something we've been seeing for years. Players not pinching at the right time is another problem area which leads to the aforementioned odd-man rushes going the other way. The inability of the defenseman to get the puck out of their own zone has been a constant for years.
Oddly enough, these were all traits that Patrick excelled at. Yet his defense has had trouble with all of the above.
And, when leading after two periods:
Those are just the facts. Players regressing, vets looking older and slower than they should and the Keystone Cops comparisons are not easily quantifiable, yet have been evident for a few years now. And although the names have changed, the tandem of Ruff and Patrick have remained.
Simply put, if Regier isn't looking to oust Ruff, perhaps there should be more scrutiny of Patrick's performance as Ruff's defensive assistant.
When the Buffalo News' Mike Harrington asked Regier if changes were in the air--either player or coaching--due to a 1-6-1 record after a 2-0 start, Regier proclaimed, "It won't be the coach."
In any other town it could be construed as the kiss of death. But as we've seen after 15 seasons Regier remains staunchly behind his head coach, and one would take his word as gospel.
But Harrington points out that Ruff and owner Terry Pegula had a meeting early Wednesday morning. Ruff, of course, did not divulge any specifics with Ruff stating simply that the owner always meets with his coach and GM.
Fair enough.
But the growing discontent amongst the fan-base and Ruff's longevity without recent success, which Harrington points out, begs the question, is the Lindy Ruff era be coming to a close?
*************
Ruff's defense is a mess, still. They're tied for last in the league in goals-against, and if there were a statistical category for odd-man rushes against, one would think they be near the top in that category as well.
Regier acknowledged that the defense is in shambles, but also noted that Ruff is a defensive coach. "Lindy has an area of expertise within an expertise of coaches." he said on WGR's Schoppsie and the Bulldog yesterday. "I believe it is to solve those problems defensively."
Not sure what to make of that. Yes, we know Ruff's a defensive coach. His assistants, or those with coaching "expertise" on the back-end, are James Patrick and Teppo Numminen. While Numminen was just brought on board in 2011 and has been upstairs, Patrick has been an assistant on the bench since 2006.
If Ruff's arse is on the line, his defense is to blame. And if he wants to get it out of the hot seat, he needs to take the reigns of the defense.
In that same segment Bulldog posed the question to Regier, "Is it too complicated a question to answer, why you have the defensive problems if he's such an accomplished coach?"
Regier answers by saying, "This is a very short-term area where we have problems. This team has historically been pretty good defensively."
And now for the league rankings since the end of the first lockout:
- 2005/06: G/G--#5; GA/G--#10; PK--#2
- 2006/06: G/G--1; GA/G--13; PK--20
- 2007/08: G/G--4; GA/G--22; PK--11
- 2008/09: G/G--13; GA/G--14; PK--14
- 2009/10: G/G--10; GA/G--4; PK--2
- 2010/11: G/G--9; GA/G--18; PK--13
- 2011/12: G/G--17; GA/G--18; PK--19
- 2012/13: G/G--8; GA/G--29; PK--19
Historically pretty good indeed, Mr. Regier. In fact, middle of the road, which is where the team has finished in four of those seven years.
Assistant coach James Patrick is an all-around good guy and has been an assistant since 2006. He has incredible amount of experience gained from his 1,280 games played in the NHL. He's also no stranger to scoring either having accumulated 639 points during his 24 NHL seasons.
Yet, there seems to be a disconnect between what he's done, what he wants his players to do and what the players are actually doing.
The inability to consistently defend a two-on-one is something we've been seeing for years. Players not pinching at the right time is another problem area which leads to the aforementioned odd-man rushes going the other way. The inability of the defenseman to get the puck out of their own zone has been a constant for years.
Oddly enough, these were all traits that Patrick excelled at. Yet his defense has had trouble with all of the above.
And, when leading after two periods:
- 2005/06: #8 (.892)
- 2006/07: 12 (.842)
- 2007/08: 25 (.800)
- 2008/09: 26 (.794)
- 2009/10: 1 (1.000)
- 2010/11: 20 (.833)
- 2011/12: 10 (.893)
Those are just the facts. Players regressing, vets looking older and slower than they should and the Keystone Cops comparisons are not easily quantifiable, yet have been evident for a few years now. And although the names have changed, the tandem of Ruff and Patrick have remained.
Simply put, if Regier isn't looking to oust Ruff, perhaps there should be more scrutiny of Patrick's performance as Ruff's defensive assistant.
Monday, February 4, 2013
"Lindy ain't goin' nowhere"
Sure enough, Mr. Pegula, and it would seem as if your team ain't either, unless you say so.
It was a nice thought there, Uncle Terry. But, that was nearly two years ago, and the honeymoon is pretty much over.
After two wins to start the 2013 season--one good one vs. Philly and a somewhat lucky one at Toronto--the bottom has fallen out. The Sabres are 1-5-1 since.
That's not good. And neither is the way they've been losing.
After a stellar effort to defeat Boston at TD Gardens this past Thursday, the Sabres came out flat in a clunker at Montreal (6-1) on Saturday and gave away a game that they were in control of yesterday vs. Florida (4-3.)
Take away the efforts of Thomas Vanek who leads the league in points (19) and assists (11,) his linemates Jason Pominville and Cody Hodgson, as well as goalie Ryan Miller, and you'd have a team that would be near the bottom of the league.
Head coach Lindy Ruff has a mess on his hands with his defense, he's gotten very little secondary scoring and the team is dead last on the dot with an historically low faceoff percentage (42.5%.)
Those are just the facts.
Strong emotional, psychological, and motivational undercurrents are pulling the team down and something needs to be done.
On the eve of this abbreviated season, GM Darcy Regier received a contract extension based upon his work since the team was bought by Pegula. His moves have been shrewd and it would seem as if he's doing what's asked of him.
Ruff, though, is a different story. He just can't seem to pull it all together.
There really aren't any excuses this season. His "system" is in disarray. The defense can't defend and looks like the Keystone Cops in front of Miller. Secondary scorers are missing opportunities. They can't finish a team off and continue to play not to lose instead of playing to win. And much of the team looks flat and unmotivated far too often.
To varying degrees, each of these monsters have individually reared their ugly heads over the past seven seasons and much of the time the team has been able to tread water. But this season, they've all come together and if this continues, the Sabres will be all but out of the playoffs by the end of the month
This convergence has got Ruff so out of sync that he's like a gambler who can't make the right bet, even if it's near 50/50. He'll keep betting black, hoping that it will come up soon, but the wheel keeps coming up red.
A good example would be his goalie "rotation."
Over the years, because of poor back-ups, Ruff has had to abandon a scheduled day off for Miller because the team needs two points. Miller starts and the team invariably drops the game. It happened in Florida yesterday. Because of slow starts to the season, like this one, the pressure has been on to get every point possible. Ruff buckle's, passes that pressure on to Miller and it will take some time for the team to recover.
Another well he keeps going to is his reliance on his "tried and true" players. Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad, Adam Mair; they were all Ruff favorites throughout the years and he relied on them time and again.The latest example,though, was how he played Jochen Hecht yesterday.
Hecht has always been a favorite of Ruff, but he's really no more than a fourth-liner, and except for maybe an odd shift here and there, he should never sniff the top-six, much less the top line. Over the years Hecht, like other Ruff favorites, have spent way too much time up where they don't belong.
And it came to a crescendo yesterday as Hecht garnered 19:35 of even strength ice-time. Vanek, who is averaging 2.38 points/game and was named the NHL's 3rd-star for the month of January, played 16:32 five-on-five.
That's inexcusable.
But it is a trend that dates to at least the 2011 playoffs vs. Philly. Vanek was 7th in even strength time on ice behind the aforementioed Roy and Gaustad, Tyler Ennis, Hecht, Rob Neidermayer and Drew Stafford. Total average ice-time for the series had Vanek behind Stafford, Roy, Gaustad, and Tim Connolly.
From everything I've read, Ruff's a good guy, but when decisions like this are being made, he's lost himself. If you've lost yourself, it's pretty hard to gain the trust of anyone you're coaching. And if there's no trust, you end up lame and 1-5-1 in your last seven games.
As much as we should respect Uncle Terry for what he's done so far, he also needs to make an incredibly tough decision.
His personal allegiance to his coach, a Sabre he's admired, is having a detrimental affect upon the team's play. If his coach can be detached and still keep his job, surely the players can do the same. And it would seem as if that mentality permeates the team right now.
That's cause for dismissal. And Pegula is the one that needs to do it.
It's been said many times that Regier will not fire his coach, but because Pegula unequivocally proclaimed "Lindy ain't goin' nowhere," he may get lucky and may not need to.
If that's the road the organization wants to go down, there's only one person that should hand Ruff the pink slip, and that's Terry Pegula.
It was a nice thought there, Uncle Terry. But, that was nearly two years ago, and the honeymoon is pretty much over.
After two wins to start the 2013 season--one good one vs. Philly and a somewhat lucky one at Toronto--the bottom has fallen out. The Sabres are 1-5-1 since.
That's not good. And neither is the way they've been losing.
After a stellar effort to defeat Boston at TD Gardens this past Thursday, the Sabres came out flat in a clunker at Montreal (6-1) on Saturday and gave away a game that they were in control of yesterday vs. Florida (4-3.)
Take away the efforts of Thomas Vanek who leads the league in points (19) and assists (11,) his linemates Jason Pominville and Cody Hodgson, as well as goalie Ryan Miller, and you'd have a team that would be near the bottom of the league.
Head coach Lindy Ruff has a mess on his hands with his defense, he's gotten very little secondary scoring and the team is dead last on the dot with an historically low faceoff percentage (42.5%.)
Those are just the facts.
Strong emotional, psychological, and motivational undercurrents are pulling the team down and something needs to be done.
On the eve of this abbreviated season, GM Darcy Regier received a contract extension based upon his work since the team was bought by Pegula. His moves have been shrewd and it would seem as if he's doing what's asked of him.
Ruff, though, is a different story. He just can't seem to pull it all together.
There really aren't any excuses this season. His "system" is in disarray. The defense can't defend and looks like the Keystone Cops in front of Miller. Secondary scorers are missing opportunities. They can't finish a team off and continue to play not to lose instead of playing to win. And much of the team looks flat and unmotivated far too often.
To varying degrees, each of these monsters have individually reared their ugly heads over the past seven seasons and much of the time the team has been able to tread water. But this season, they've all come together and if this continues, the Sabres will be all but out of the playoffs by the end of the month
This convergence has got Ruff so out of sync that he's like a gambler who can't make the right bet, even if it's near 50/50. He'll keep betting black, hoping that it will come up soon, but the wheel keeps coming up red.
A good example would be his goalie "rotation."
Over the years, because of poor back-ups, Ruff has had to abandon a scheduled day off for Miller because the team needs two points. Miller starts and the team invariably drops the game. It happened in Florida yesterday. Because of slow starts to the season, like this one, the pressure has been on to get every point possible. Ruff buckle's, passes that pressure on to Miller and it will take some time for the team to recover.
Another well he keeps going to is his reliance on his "tried and true" players. Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad, Adam Mair; they were all Ruff favorites throughout the years and he relied on them time and again.The latest example,though, was how he played Jochen Hecht yesterday.
Hecht has always been a favorite of Ruff, but he's really no more than a fourth-liner, and except for maybe an odd shift here and there, he should never sniff the top-six, much less the top line. Over the years Hecht, like other Ruff favorites, have spent way too much time up where they don't belong.
And it came to a crescendo yesterday as Hecht garnered 19:35 of even strength ice-time. Vanek, who is averaging 2.38 points/game and was named the NHL's 3rd-star for the month of January, played 16:32 five-on-five.
That's inexcusable.
But it is a trend that dates to at least the 2011 playoffs vs. Philly. Vanek was 7th in even strength time on ice behind the aforementioed Roy and Gaustad, Tyler Ennis, Hecht, Rob Neidermayer and Drew Stafford. Total average ice-time for the series had Vanek behind Stafford, Roy, Gaustad, and Tim Connolly.
From everything I've read, Ruff's a good guy, but when decisions like this are being made, he's lost himself. If you've lost yourself, it's pretty hard to gain the trust of anyone you're coaching. And if there's no trust, you end up lame and 1-5-1 in your last seven games.
As much as we should respect Uncle Terry for what he's done so far, he also needs to make an incredibly tough decision.
His personal allegiance to his coach, a Sabre he's admired, is having a detrimental affect upon the team's play. If his coach can be detached and still keep his job, surely the players can do the same. And it would seem as if that mentality permeates the team right now.
That's cause for dismissal. And Pegula is the one that needs to do it.
It's been said many times that Regier will not fire his coach, but because Pegula unequivocally proclaimed "Lindy ain't goin' nowhere," he may get lucky and may not need to.
If that's the road the organization wants to go down, there's only one person that should hand Ruff the pink slip, and that's Terry Pegula.
Monday, January 28, 2013
"D"ecision Day coming tomorrow
Mikhail Grigorenko played his 5th game as a Buffalo Sabre yesterday.
The rookie center had two shots in over 17:00 of ice time and with no points. He remains pointless through five games.
Points would have been nice although the coaching staff and front office are more concerned with what is best for him and the team. He hasn't done anything blatantly wrong, save for some rookie mistakes, and seems to have grown in this short "tryout" period.
Methinks there's no reason for him to be sent back to junior. He's adapted well to the speed of the NHL and seems to be loosening up enough to be able to focus upon his offense a bit more. Yesterday he drove to the net and had himself a beautiful scoring opportunity but was stifled.
Grigorenko is still trying to do a little too much, trying to make plays that worked in junior, but to a man, many of his teammates think that the kid is a well-rounded pro who is growing with each game and doing what's necessary to stick with the team.
Plus he has size--6'3", 200 lbs--and he looks big on the ice.
This team needs two things right now--size and skill. Grigorenko has both.
He should stay.
************
On Saturday, Lindy Ruff was remorseful concerning Grigorenko, pretty much apologizing for "burning" one of the kid's five "tryout" games.
The basis for putting him on the fourth line between fighter John Scott and diminutive Nathan Gerbe was an attempt to keep the Staal brothers, most notably Eric, the elder, in check.
Mike Robitaille was on WGR today saying that he'd rather have Jochen Hecht defend against Staal instead of Grigorenko because Staal would've "ate [the rookie] up." Then he followed up saying it's all about winning the game.
Quick reminder there, Roby, the Sabres lost that game 3-1.
Two things on this thought process.
First off, Eric Staal is 6'4", 205 lbs. Ruff was countering with Cody Hodgson, 6'0", 185; Tyler Ennis, 5'9", 160; Hecht, 6'1", 200.
Once again, Grigorenko is 6'3", 200 lbs. Which Sabre would have a better chance matching up physically against Staal?
Second. How will Grigorenko get better if not playing agianst the best?
Yes, he's a rookie. Yes, he has a lot to learn. And yes, Staal probably would have given him more than he could handle. But fact is, they lost with Ruff's scheming on that one. Youngsters playing against quality veterans offer an opportunity to learn. It also shows a player that the coach does have confidence in him. I'm not saying Grigorenko should've shadowed Staal, but Ruff had the last line change and could have managed the matchup.
*************
Back in 2006 the Sabres rolled three lines playing stop me if you can. Since then Ruff has his team playing more of a defensive game trying to match up with the opposition, just like the aforementioned game vs. Carolina. Except for one season where it worked to a "t" in 2009/10, the results have been wildly inconsistent leaning heavily towards the negative.
A huge dose of talent left the team in 2007 with the departure of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. Ruff, I believe did well in adjusting his game plan more towards the defensive side during the last five seasons. The results were pretty mediocre, but based upon the talent he had to work with, as well as the changing of the league towards a grittier style, they were what they were--not a Cup-contender, but simply a playoff contender.
This team has more skill now than at any point during the last five seasons.
Looking down the middle the Sabres had Derek Roy, the oft-injured Tim Connolly, Jochen Hecht and Paul Gaustad for many years. They were so weak that wingers Brad Boyes and Ville Leino were brought in to play center.
The top-three centers--Ennis, Hodgson, Grigorenko--are, in fact, centers and have the wherewithal to produce. Although very young, this group as a whole, seem to be getting better and have an upside that will surpass the previous groupings.
They seem to be meshing well with their linemates as well, at least on the top-two lines.
Wingers Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville are playing a Sedin's-type two-player game on the top line and at one point were leading the league in points. Hodgson has learned to play off of those two--as opposed to Roy who always had to be the star--and potted three goals in four games before Vanek went down.
The Ennis line, with Marcus Foligno and Drew Stafford, had a miraculous late-season run last year. Although past performance is not indicative of future results, that line slowly seems to be regaining that chemistry as the individual players are beginning to find their games. Ennis is skating much better and Foligno seems to be finding out what made him successful last season. Stafford is still finding his way, but, he knows how to score.
The top-six, as a whole would easily match-up with any of the top-six post-Drury/Briere and with a little more seasoning, will surpass them.
The bottom six from years past featured Hecht, Paul Gaustad, Clarke MacArthur, Patrick Kaleta and a host of aged veterans like Mike Grier and Rob Neidermayer mixed with borderline NHL grinders like Adam Mair and Matt Ellis.
Right now they have Steve Ott who is an easy top-nine/solid top-six winger playing on the third line (until Vanek's injury) and Grigorenko, who has top-six skill. Noted NHL pest Patrick Kaleta can hold his own on the third line as well.
Rounding out the bottom-six are Hecht, the diminutive Nathan Gerbe and Big John Scott.
Waiting in the wings are the skilled Leino and solid fourth-liner Cody McCormick, both of whom are on IR right now.
When Leino returns, forming a Grigorenko/Ott/Leino line, the Sabres would have three scoring lines. When McCormick returns, the fourth line would consist of Hecht, McCormick and Kaleta--all solid--who would form a formidable checking line.
Point being, when this team gets healthy, they have the skill to dictate and force the other teams to play match-up.
With Grigorenko in the lineup, the centers fall into place, the lines fall into place (with the return of Leino and McCormick) and a good dose of size is added to a team that's still small relative to Cup-contenders like Boston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and the NY Rangers. His skill-level wouldn't hurt either.
That's why he needs to stick.
There are still holes on the Sabres, and there will still be growing pains, but they have a nice collection of skilled forwards.
Pretty sure as a group they'd much rather attack and it would play to their strengths moreso than the defensive match-up scheming.
But, that's for the coach to figure out.
The rookie center had two shots in over 17:00 of ice time and with no points. He remains pointless through five games.
Points would have been nice although the coaching staff and front office are more concerned with what is best for him and the team. He hasn't done anything blatantly wrong, save for some rookie mistakes, and seems to have grown in this short "tryout" period.
Methinks there's no reason for him to be sent back to junior. He's adapted well to the speed of the NHL and seems to be loosening up enough to be able to focus upon his offense a bit more. Yesterday he drove to the net and had himself a beautiful scoring opportunity but was stifled.
Grigorenko is still trying to do a little too much, trying to make plays that worked in junior, but to a man, many of his teammates think that the kid is a well-rounded pro who is growing with each game and doing what's necessary to stick with the team.
Plus he has size--6'3", 200 lbs--and he looks big on the ice.
This team needs two things right now--size and skill. Grigorenko has both.
He should stay.
************
On Saturday, Lindy Ruff was remorseful concerning Grigorenko, pretty much apologizing for "burning" one of the kid's five "tryout" games.
The basis for putting him on the fourth line between fighter John Scott and diminutive Nathan Gerbe was an attempt to keep the Staal brothers, most notably Eric, the elder, in check.
Mike Robitaille was on WGR today saying that he'd rather have Jochen Hecht defend against Staal instead of Grigorenko because Staal would've "ate [the rookie] up." Then he followed up saying it's all about winning the game.
Quick reminder there, Roby, the Sabres lost that game 3-1.
Two things on this thought process.
First off, Eric Staal is 6'4", 205 lbs. Ruff was countering with Cody Hodgson, 6'0", 185; Tyler Ennis, 5'9", 160; Hecht, 6'1", 200.
Once again, Grigorenko is 6'3", 200 lbs. Which Sabre would have a better chance matching up physically against Staal?
Second. How will Grigorenko get better if not playing agianst the best?
Yes, he's a rookie. Yes, he has a lot to learn. And yes, Staal probably would have given him more than he could handle. But fact is, they lost with Ruff's scheming on that one. Youngsters playing against quality veterans offer an opportunity to learn. It also shows a player that the coach does have confidence in him. I'm not saying Grigorenko should've shadowed Staal, but Ruff had the last line change and could have managed the matchup.
*************
Back in 2006 the Sabres rolled three lines playing stop me if you can. Since then Ruff has his team playing more of a defensive game trying to match up with the opposition, just like the aforementioned game vs. Carolina. Except for one season where it worked to a "t" in 2009/10, the results have been wildly inconsistent leaning heavily towards the negative.
A huge dose of talent left the team in 2007 with the departure of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. Ruff, I believe did well in adjusting his game plan more towards the defensive side during the last five seasons. The results were pretty mediocre, but based upon the talent he had to work with, as well as the changing of the league towards a grittier style, they were what they were--not a Cup-contender, but simply a playoff contender.
This team has more skill now than at any point during the last five seasons.
Looking down the middle the Sabres had Derek Roy, the oft-injured Tim Connolly, Jochen Hecht and Paul Gaustad for many years. They were so weak that wingers Brad Boyes and Ville Leino were brought in to play center.
The top-three centers--Ennis, Hodgson, Grigorenko--are, in fact, centers and have the wherewithal to produce. Although very young, this group as a whole, seem to be getting better and have an upside that will surpass the previous groupings.
They seem to be meshing well with their linemates as well, at least on the top-two lines.
Wingers Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville are playing a Sedin's-type two-player game on the top line and at one point were leading the league in points. Hodgson has learned to play off of those two--as opposed to Roy who always had to be the star--and potted three goals in four games before Vanek went down.
The Ennis line, with Marcus Foligno and Drew Stafford, had a miraculous late-season run last year. Although past performance is not indicative of future results, that line slowly seems to be regaining that chemistry as the individual players are beginning to find their games. Ennis is skating much better and Foligno seems to be finding out what made him successful last season. Stafford is still finding his way, but, he knows how to score.
The top-six, as a whole would easily match-up with any of the top-six post-Drury/Briere and with a little more seasoning, will surpass them.
The bottom six from years past featured Hecht, Paul Gaustad, Clarke MacArthur, Patrick Kaleta and a host of aged veterans like Mike Grier and Rob Neidermayer mixed with borderline NHL grinders like Adam Mair and Matt Ellis.
Right now they have Steve Ott who is an easy top-nine/solid top-six winger playing on the third line (until Vanek's injury) and Grigorenko, who has top-six skill. Noted NHL pest Patrick Kaleta can hold his own on the third line as well.
Rounding out the bottom-six are Hecht, the diminutive Nathan Gerbe and Big John Scott.
Waiting in the wings are the skilled Leino and solid fourth-liner Cody McCormick, both of whom are on IR right now.
When Leino returns, forming a Grigorenko/Ott/Leino line, the Sabres would have three scoring lines. When McCormick returns, the fourth line would consist of Hecht, McCormick and Kaleta--all solid--who would form a formidable checking line.
Point being, when this team gets healthy, they have the skill to dictate and force the other teams to play match-up.
With Grigorenko in the lineup, the centers fall into place, the lines fall into place (with the return of Leino and McCormick) and a good dose of size is added to a team that's still small relative to Cup-contenders like Boston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and the NY Rangers. His skill-level wouldn't hurt either.
That's why he needs to stick.
There are still holes on the Sabres, and there will still be growing pains, but they have a nice collection of skilled forwards.
Pretty sure as a group they'd much rather attack and it would play to their strengths moreso than the defensive match-up scheming.
But, that's for the coach to figure out.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Thoughts on the Carolina home and home
After a 6-3 shelling at the hands of Carolina on Thursday, it didn't take head coach Lindy Ruff long to get that choking feeling and move veteran center/winger Jochen Hecht up to the third line.
Ruff used this as his excuse/reasoning, "We tried to be a little bit harder on [Eric]Staal. We used [Steve] Ott and [Patrick] Kaleta and Hecht against him," he said. "It was the only reason. I thought we had to try to slow [him down]." Staal had the hat trick vs. the Sabres in Carolina the night before.
Of course, that meant rookie Mikhail Grigorenko, playing in his fourth of possibly five "tryout" games was demoted to the fourth line.
Grigorenko, who had been middle-of-the road, but was showing signs of progressing, turned out to be a casualty of Ruff's reliance on the "tried and true." Hecht is one of Ruff's favorite players, one that he believes he can count on in all situations.
From the moment Hecht was signed to a one year deal, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before he climbed up the lines into a spot that was beyond his talents (that would be anything above the fourth line.) Sure enough, it was last night.
In years past, Ruff has been seen as stunting the growth of his young players either being too hard on them or putting them in a position to fail. Now, even though Grigorenko has done what's asked of him, he gets demoted to a line with fighter John Scott and little Nathan Gerbe.
At today's skate, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald thinks that Ruff may have some remorse. “It’s like burning a game,” Ruff was quoted as saying.
Sure enough, they only have five games to decide whether the 18 yr. old center sticks or gets sent back to Jr. At 6:48 of ice time, to get a better "match up," Ruff did burn a game. And further burned his reputation of leaning on "his" guys into the brains of every Sabre fan.
Being on the third line getting 10-12 minutes a game is not a bad way to get introduced into the NHL. Doing what the coach tells you to do--focusing upon defense, even though you have mad offensive skills--should get you more ice-time, not less.
Ruff screwed up last night. Everyone in Sabreland knows it (except maybe for Terry Pegula and Darcy Regier) and I would hazard to guess that Grigorenko's a little perplexed at Ruff's decision.
Let's hope "Grigs" has the wherewithal to get past it and move forward.
************
There's a reason I dislike twitter, other than the fact that it's inane. One should never trust an initial reaction while dealing in disappointment.
After last night's loss. I wanted Lindy Ruff to be fired. I also wanted to see WGR's Paul Hamilton and Howard Simon and Chris "Bulldog" Parker canned as well. What the hell, I wanted Jeremy White and Mike Schoppsie fired too, like I always do.
It's an obvious overreaction, which is why twitter is pretty much useless, unless you want to laugh at someone.
But, here are the reasons why the aforementioned should at least be on notice:
Lindy Ruff--Relying on an old stand-by--Jochen Hecht--to get the job done. The Sabres lost 3-1. His "old standbys" have gotten him to the playoffs twice in the last five seasons, never getting the team past the first round.
Howard Simon--What a sore loser. Still. Before the 'Canes home-and-home, Simon had the audacity to belittle the organization with an article entitled 'Canes mediocre since raising the Cup. He is, of course, sure that Buffalo would have won it had they not fallen on hard times vs. Carolina back in 2006. But why bag on an organization that at the very least is not that far below the Sabres? Oh, and no comment section either.
Paul Hamilton--Sabres D-man Tyler Myers is off to a slow start--again. In an interview with Hamilton a couple of days ago, Myers had the "audacity" to laugh at a perceived lack of confidence in himself. A laugh Hamilton described as "condescending." Whoa there, pardner, nobody does that to THE Paul Hamilton. Myers has now got himself an overweight beagle annoyingly barking up a storm. Yesterday the hound almighty opened up his post-game article with, "Since I felt Tyler Myers was playing worse than he does, I figured I'd make him my focus this game." Talk about condescending. Really? Oh, and as usual, no comment section.
Chris "Bulldog" Parker--Bulldog's been really annoying lately, especially when it comes to the Bills and specifically Ryan Fitzpatrick. The season's over, and despite a Syracuse reunion at the top two spots on the coaching staff, and a possibility of a reunion with their QB of the last three seasons, it's back to the old punching bag, Fitzpatrick, and Bulldog's article, Are we done with Fitz? Yes, Bulldog, we know you're done with Fitz as a starter. But your plan, "if [you] were the Bills--pick the best [QB] I can with the 8th pick and hope he's ready to play in September?" Really? I'm glad you're not the GM. Like the Bills don't have holes at linebacker (at least two,) CB and WR. Glad I don't listen to you and that Schoppsie guy anymore.
Mike Schoppsie--Shoulda been fired long ago. Arrogance and perceived "entertainment." This is the same guy that once had some suggestions to help Ryan Miller get out of his goaltending slump. Schoppsie's suggestions were based on his time as a goalie, in an intramural floor hockey league. This is also the same guy who said faceoffs are not as important as people make them out to be. My suggestion is that you ask the Sabres about Carolina's go-ahead goal last night. Or go ask Edmonton why Nail Yakupov was able to tie the score with 4 seconds left in the third. What a maroon.
Jeremy White--The Jim Rome wannabe shtick is old. Has been old for a while. A waffler who said that he's happy to have the NHL back, yet was willing to boycott NHL players during the lockout. Said that he'd watch AHL players play for the crest. Never went to a Rochester game during the lockout.
Like Mike Trivisonno said one time down here in Cleveland. Fire all the media.
************
Yeah, can fire 'em all, except for WGR's John Murphy.
Would like to say thank your, Mr. Murphy, for your knowledgeable and insightful journalistic approach to the Buffalo sports scene.
Oh, and thanks for letting us know that 2013 unrestricted free agent Logan Coture of San Jose' is a huge Buffalo Sports fan.
************
Back to the Sabres.
Lindy "the tinkerer" Ruff held firm to his top two lines for three games with only the top line scoring. It would seem as if he'll be changing things up a bit for the afternoon game tomorrow at Washington.
Tomorrow's skate will give us more of an insight, but making one simple move may be a good way to approach things--exchange Steve Ott for Marcus Foligno on the second line.
Having Ott replace Foligno will give Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford the same kind of forward Foligno is, only he's more experienced, has played with star players in a top-line/top-six role and he has produced.
Plus, having Ott ready to take faceoffs will allow Ennis to "cheat" a little more knowing that he has an excellent face-off man in waiting should he get tossed. Maybe that's what Ennis was hinting at when he said,
"Maybe another big guy on my line, we could be mutual at it and cheat on draws and have them take some. I have to improve at it."
Ennis is presently 38.6% on draws. Ott is at 61.9.
Rookie Grigorenko is 57.2% on draws.
Foligno dropping down with Grigorenko and Gerbe on the third line would still give that line a power forward presence and it might even help Grigorenko.
Who knows?
Ruff used this as his excuse/reasoning, "We tried to be a little bit harder on [Eric]Staal. We used [Steve] Ott and [Patrick] Kaleta and Hecht against him," he said. "It was the only reason. I thought we had to try to slow [him down]." Staal had the hat trick vs. the Sabres in Carolina the night before.
Of course, that meant rookie Mikhail Grigorenko, playing in his fourth of possibly five "tryout" games was demoted to the fourth line.
Grigorenko, who had been middle-of-the road, but was showing signs of progressing, turned out to be a casualty of Ruff's reliance on the "tried and true." Hecht is one of Ruff's favorite players, one that he believes he can count on in all situations.
From the moment Hecht was signed to a one year deal, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before he climbed up the lines into a spot that was beyond his talents (that would be anything above the fourth line.) Sure enough, it was last night.
In years past, Ruff has been seen as stunting the growth of his young players either being too hard on them or putting them in a position to fail. Now, even though Grigorenko has done what's asked of him, he gets demoted to a line with fighter John Scott and little Nathan Gerbe.
At today's skate, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald thinks that Ruff may have some remorse. “It’s like burning a game,” Ruff was quoted as saying.
Sure enough, they only have five games to decide whether the 18 yr. old center sticks or gets sent back to Jr. At 6:48 of ice time, to get a better "match up," Ruff did burn a game. And further burned his reputation of leaning on "his" guys into the brains of every Sabre fan.
Being on the third line getting 10-12 minutes a game is not a bad way to get introduced into the NHL. Doing what the coach tells you to do--focusing upon defense, even though you have mad offensive skills--should get you more ice-time, not less.
Ruff screwed up last night. Everyone in Sabreland knows it (except maybe for Terry Pegula and Darcy Regier) and I would hazard to guess that Grigorenko's a little perplexed at Ruff's decision.
Let's hope "Grigs" has the wherewithal to get past it and move forward.
************
There's a reason I dislike twitter, other than the fact that it's inane. One should never trust an initial reaction while dealing in disappointment.
After last night's loss. I wanted Lindy Ruff to be fired. I also wanted to see WGR's Paul Hamilton and Howard Simon and Chris "Bulldog" Parker canned as well. What the hell, I wanted Jeremy White and Mike Schoppsie fired too, like I always do.
It's an obvious overreaction, which is why twitter is pretty much useless, unless you want to laugh at someone.
But, here are the reasons why the aforementioned should at least be on notice:
Lindy Ruff--Relying on an old stand-by--Jochen Hecht--to get the job done. The Sabres lost 3-1. His "old standbys" have gotten him to the playoffs twice in the last five seasons, never getting the team past the first round.
Howard Simon--What a sore loser. Still. Before the 'Canes home-and-home, Simon had the audacity to belittle the organization with an article entitled 'Canes mediocre since raising the Cup. He is, of course, sure that Buffalo would have won it had they not fallen on hard times vs. Carolina back in 2006. But why bag on an organization that at the very least is not that far below the Sabres? Oh, and no comment section either.
Paul Hamilton--Sabres D-man Tyler Myers is off to a slow start--again. In an interview with Hamilton a couple of days ago, Myers had the "audacity" to laugh at a perceived lack of confidence in himself. A laugh Hamilton described as "condescending." Whoa there, pardner, nobody does that to THE Paul Hamilton. Myers has now got himself an overweight beagle annoyingly barking up a storm. Yesterday the hound almighty opened up his post-game article with, "Since I felt Tyler Myers was playing worse than he does, I figured I'd make him my focus this game." Talk about condescending. Really? Oh, and as usual, no comment section.
Chris "Bulldog" Parker--Bulldog's been really annoying lately, especially when it comes to the Bills and specifically Ryan Fitzpatrick. The season's over, and despite a Syracuse reunion at the top two spots on the coaching staff, and a possibility of a reunion with their QB of the last three seasons, it's back to the old punching bag, Fitzpatrick, and Bulldog's article, Are we done with Fitz? Yes, Bulldog, we know you're done with Fitz as a starter. But your plan, "if [you] were the Bills--pick the best [QB] I can with the 8th pick and hope he's ready to play in September?" Really? I'm glad you're not the GM. Like the Bills don't have holes at linebacker (at least two,) CB and WR. Glad I don't listen to you and that Schoppsie guy anymore.
Mike Schoppsie--Shoulda been fired long ago. Arrogance and perceived "entertainment." This is the same guy that once had some suggestions to help Ryan Miller get out of his goaltending slump. Schoppsie's suggestions were based on his time as a goalie, in an intramural floor hockey league. This is also the same guy who said faceoffs are not as important as people make them out to be. My suggestion is that you ask the Sabres about Carolina's go-ahead goal last night. Or go ask Edmonton why Nail Yakupov was able to tie the score with 4 seconds left in the third. What a maroon.
Jeremy White--The Jim Rome wannabe shtick is old. Has been old for a while. A waffler who said that he's happy to have the NHL back, yet was willing to boycott NHL players during the lockout. Said that he'd watch AHL players play for the crest. Never went to a Rochester game during the lockout.
Like Mike Trivisonno said one time down here in Cleveland. Fire all the media.
************
Yeah, can fire 'em all, except for WGR's John Murphy.
Would like to say thank your, Mr. Murphy, for your knowledgeable and insightful journalistic approach to the Buffalo sports scene.
Oh, and thanks for letting us know that 2013 unrestricted free agent Logan Coture of San Jose' is a huge Buffalo Sports fan.
************
Back to the Sabres.
Lindy "the tinkerer" Ruff held firm to his top two lines for three games with only the top line scoring. It would seem as if he'll be changing things up a bit for the afternoon game tomorrow at Washington.
Tomorrow's skate will give us more of an insight, but making one simple move may be a good way to approach things--exchange Steve Ott for Marcus Foligno on the second line.
Having Ott replace Foligno will give Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford the same kind of forward Foligno is, only he's more experienced, has played with star players in a top-line/top-six role and he has produced.
Plus, having Ott ready to take faceoffs will allow Ennis to "cheat" a little more knowing that he has an excellent face-off man in waiting should he get tossed. Maybe that's what Ennis was hinting at when he said,
"Maybe another big guy on my line, we could be mutual at it and cheat on draws and have them take some. I have to improve at it."
Ennis is presently 38.6% on draws. Ott is at 61.9.
Rookie Grigorenko is 57.2% on draws.
Foligno dropping down with Grigorenko and Gerbe on the third line would still give that line a power forward presence and it might even help Grigorenko.
Who knows?
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Lindy Ruff and his coaches are really the keys to this shortened season
Unlike last season, when some of the prognosticators had the Sabres finishing atop the Northeast Division and nearly all had them in the playoffs based upon their off-season acquisitions, this year any "exuberance" has been tempered.
The Sabres made a big splash in the 2011 off-season with the trade for D Robyn Regehr, the trade for and contract extension of D Christian Ehrhoff and the signing of F Ville Leino. Unfortunately the team finished right where they'd been for three of the previous four seasons--in the playoff bubble mix.
This season most predict the Sabres to finish right in the playoff bubble mix again and nearly all of them point to having the stars align for the team to actually get in. They'll need a positive impact from new Sabres Steve Ott and John Scott, they'll need their young centers Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson to effectively fill their top-six center roles and they'll need to replace the scoring that left when Derek Roy was traded to Dallas.
All are valid points, but probably the most pressing issue with the team will be how Lindy Ruff and his coaching staff handle the team.
There's very little room for error in a shortened 48-game season. There's no getting out of the gate slowly and making a late season rally for the playoffs. Nor can any team, especially Buffalo, afford to go in a prolonged slump. With the Sabres, they can't look to the Western Conference for points (11-6-1 last season,) as all games will be vs. the East (28-26-10) and the powerhouses within (6-11-3 vs. the Atlantic Division.)
Ruff, it would seem, has been micro-managing this team ever since Chris Drury and Daniel Briere left in 2007, either by necessity or design, and the results have been pretty mediocre--two playoff appearances (booted in the first round both times) and three years on the outside looking in.
In defense of his record, the talent drop-off from the 2006/07 season was significant, especially down the middle where at one point last season his centers were Roy, Luke Adam/ Ville Leino/Jochen Hecht, Paul Gaustad, and Cody McCormick/Paul "Chewy" Szczechura/Matt Ellis. That was before Ennis landed in the middle and before Hodgson was traded for.
But some of that was of his own design as well. He kept Ennis on the wing, despite the kid's need for more ice, until necessity dictated his move to center. His insistence that Roy be between Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville was a reliance upon (way) past success. He consistently placed Hecht in a top-six role and frequently gave fourth line centers extended minutes on the top line.
Ruff has no choice but to play his young guns at center this season as three of his four centers from two years ago are no longer with the team. But still, a dependency upon the "old tried and true" will have a chance to come to the fore as Hecht was re-signed and could find himself playing in the top-six for a period should one of the youngsters stumble.
Chemistry will be of the utmost importance this season as dictated by a compact schedule. That Ruff is a "tinkerer" with line combos is a given--to a negative extreme--and an abbreviated season will give him ample opportunity to further rationalize his tinkering
On many occasions the coach has had his lines on a short leash--save for his "tried and true" line combos from years past. The line of Ennis with Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno was a revelation late last season, but will he keep this line together should they stumble? Is Hodgson looking over his shoulder at Hecht if Vanek and Pominville get into a funk?
Past results are not necessarily indicative of what's to come, but "old dog" Lindy may feel the pressure to juggle lines like he's always done. The end result of that juggling is inconsistency and weird combos featuring fourth-liners like Adam Mair or Ellis playing extended in-game minutes on the top line. Once again, his team has failed to make the playoffs in three of the last five seasons.
Another area of concern this year will be how he handles his goalies, one of Ruff's weakest areas.
Ryan Miller is a scrawny goalie who tires under a heavy workload. You can see it in his slow glove and lack of focus when he's played too much.
Ruff has never been able to find the proper rhythm to his goalie rotation, save for 2009/10 when Miller was dead-on in his Vezina-winning season. He'll talk about a rotation, then go on intuition and when that fails he'll start talking about a rotation again.
He's already stated that he expects to use Miller in 36-38 games this season, which really shouldn't be that much of a problem for the 30 yr. old netminder. Finding the right time to get back up Jhonas Enroth in the mix, though, will be key to the success of the team.
Enroth himself will be crucial to that success as he'll be looked upon to provide work similar to a stellar 2010/11 (9-2-2) as opposed to his inconsistent 2011/12 season (8-11-4.) He has a clearly defined role as back-up after flirting with dreams of starting last season when Miller went down. He was not ready to be a #1 then and barring injury he'll not get that opportunity this year. But in the 10-12 games he'll be slated to play in, he'll need to get as many points as possible.
The coaching staff joining Ruff behind the bench should also be on notice.
The Sabres defensemen under James Patrick, have not looked solid since 2009/10 when the team took the Northeast Division. They've been very inconsistent despite having plenty of veteran presence on the back-end.
Amongst the problems that have plagued his defensemen: they still haven't learned when it's appropriate to join the rush for the offense Ruff covets, and come crunch-time, at times they lacked the poise to lock down a late one-goal lead. Patrick has eight NHL defensemen to work with this season, many of them veterans. Can he guide them in their roles? Or will they continue their inconsistent play?
On offense, the power play under first year coach, Kevyn Adams, finished 16th last season. Adams will be integrating some new players into the powerplay units, due to Roy's departure, but in a "some things never change" move, Ruff and Adams look to be leaning towards Pominville on the point of the first powerplay unit. It's something that really hasn't worked in the past, yet it looks as if they'll continue to go to that muddy well.
And in another of Ruff's "tried and true" leanings, the first powerplay unit will probably feature Ehrhoff joining Pominville on the point with Leino and Vanek working the half-walls. They will be joined by Hodgson who will be Roy's replacement. The second unit will have youngsters Ennis, Stafford and Foligno down low with Myers and Leopold at the point.
Ruff has also mentioned that he's toying with the idea of using defenseman TJ Brennan in a "specialist" role on the powerplay. Whether or not that innovation comes to fruition is to be determined, but they needed to find a spot for Brennan. The fourth-year AHL d-man was second in defenseman scoring in the league and proficient on the powerplay for the Amerks. Exposing him to waivers would most certainly mean losing him.
Sabres owner Terry Pegula famously stated, "Ruff ain't goin' nowhere," at his first press conference so the longest tenured coach in Sabres history obviously has the full backing of his owner. Yet Ruff really seems to be too holding tightly to the reigns and it would seem as if that spills over to his players. On offense, how many times has he pointed out that x-player was "gripping the stick too tight" on a missed opportunity? And on defense, how many Keystone Cops incidents have we witnessed late in games?
With Pegula clearly on his side, and a GM who's said time and again that as long as he's in Buffalo, Ruff will be his coach, there's really no reason for him to feel pressure coaching. He has a veteran group of players punctuated by some pretty talented youngsters. He has an above average to elite goalie and a solid backup manning the net.
Ruff has the personnel to challenge for the Northeast Division crown, or at least a playoff spot, but micro-managing may be holding them back. If ever there was a time to "release the hounds," it's this season. Hockey is a game, let them go out and play.
But, is that within him?
The Sabres made a big splash in the 2011 off-season with the trade for D Robyn Regehr, the trade for and contract extension of D Christian Ehrhoff and the signing of F Ville Leino. Unfortunately the team finished right where they'd been for three of the previous four seasons--in the playoff bubble mix.
This season most predict the Sabres to finish right in the playoff bubble mix again and nearly all of them point to having the stars align for the team to actually get in. They'll need a positive impact from new Sabres Steve Ott and John Scott, they'll need their young centers Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson to effectively fill their top-six center roles and they'll need to replace the scoring that left when Derek Roy was traded to Dallas.
All are valid points, but probably the most pressing issue with the team will be how Lindy Ruff and his coaching staff handle the team.
There's very little room for error in a shortened 48-game season. There's no getting out of the gate slowly and making a late season rally for the playoffs. Nor can any team, especially Buffalo, afford to go in a prolonged slump. With the Sabres, they can't look to the Western Conference for points (11-6-1 last season,) as all games will be vs. the East (28-26-10) and the powerhouses within (6-11-3 vs. the Atlantic Division.)
Ruff, it would seem, has been micro-managing this team ever since Chris Drury and Daniel Briere left in 2007, either by necessity or design, and the results have been pretty mediocre--two playoff appearances (booted in the first round both times) and three years on the outside looking in.
In defense of his record, the talent drop-off from the 2006/07 season was significant, especially down the middle where at one point last season his centers were Roy, Luke Adam/ Ville Leino/Jochen Hecht, Paul Gaustad, and Cody McCormick/Paul "Chewy" Szczechura/Matt Ellis. That was before Ennis landed in the middle and before Hodgson was traded for.
But some of that was of his own design as well. He kept Ennis on the wing, despite the kid's need for more ice, until necessity dictated his move to center. His insistence that Roy be between Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville was a reliance upon (way) past success. He consistently placed Hecht in a top-six role and frequently gave fourth line centers extended minutes on the top line.
Ruff has no choice but to play his young guns at center this season as three of his four centers from two years ago are no longer with the team. But still, a dependency upon the "old tried and true" will have a chance to come to the fore as Hecht was re-signed and could find himself playing in the top-six for a period should one of the youngsters stumble.
Chemistry will be of the utmost importance this season as dictated by a compact schedule. That Ruff is a "tinkerer" with line combos is a given--to a negative extreme--and an abbreviated season will give him ample opportunity to further rationalize his tinkering
On many occasions the coach has had his lines on a short leash--save for his "tried and true" line combos from years past. The line of Ennis with Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno was a revelation late last season, but will he keep this line together should they stumble? Is Hodgson looking over his shoulder at Hecht if Vanek and Pominville get into a funk?
Past results are not necessarily indicative of what's to come, but "old dog" Lindy may feel the pressure to juggle lines like he's always done. The end result of that juggling is inconsistency and weird combos featuring fourth-liners like Adam Mair or Ellis playing extended in-game minutes on the top line. Once again, his team has failed to make the playoffs in three of the last five seasons.
Another area of concern this year will be how he handles his goalies, one of Ruff's weakest areas.
Ryan Miller is a scrawny goalie who tires under a heavy workload. You can see it in his slow glove and lack of focus when he's played too much.
Ruff has never been able to find the proper rhythm to his goalie rotation, save for 2009/10 when Miller was dead-on in his Vezina-winning season. He'll talk about a rotation, then go on intuition and when that fails he'll start talking about a rotation again.
He's already stated that he expects to use Miller in 36-38 games this season, which really shouldn't be that much of a problem for the 30 yr. old netminder. Finding the right time to get back up Jhonas Enroth in the mix, though, will be key to the success of the team.
Enroth himself will be crucial to that success as he'll be looked upon to provide work similar to a stellar 2010/11 (9-2-2) as opposed to his inconsistent 2011/12 season (8-11-4.) He has a clearly defined role as back-up after flirting with dreams of starting last season when Miller went down. He was not ready to be a #1 then and barring injury he'll not get that opportunity this year. But in the 10-12 games he'll be slated to play in, he'll need to get as many points as possible.
The coaching staff joining Ruff behind the bench should also be on notice.
The Sabres defensemen under James Patrick, have not looked solid since 2009/10 when the team took the Northeast Division. They've been very inconsistent despite having plenty of veteran presence on the back-end.
Amongst the problems that have plagued his defensemen: they still haven't learned when it's appropriate to join the rush for the offense Ruff covets, and come crunch-time, at times they lacked the poise to lock down a late one-goal lead. Patrick has eight NHL defensemen to work with this season, many of them veterans. Can he guide them in their roles? Or will they continue their inconsistent play?
On offense, the power play under first year coach, Kevyn Adams, finished 16th last season. Adams will be integrating some new players into the powerplay units, due to Roy's departure, but in a "some things never change" move, Ruff and Adams look to be leaning towards Pominville on the point of the first powerplay unit. It's something that really hasn't worked in the past, yet it looks as if they'll continue to go to that muddy well.
And in another of Ruff's "tried and true" leanings, the first powerplay unit will probably feature Ehrhoff joining Pominville on the point with Leino and Vanek working the half-walls. They will be joined by Hodgson who will be Roy's replacement. The second unit will have youngsters Ennis, Stafford and Foligno down low with Myers and Leopold at the point.
Ruff has also mentioned that he's toying with the idea of using defenseman TJ Brennan in a "specialist" role on the powerplay. Whether or not that innovation comes to fruition is to be determined, but they needed to find a spot for Brennan. The fourth-year AHL d-man was second in defenseman scoring in the league and proficient on the powerplay for the Amerks. Exposing him to waivers would most certainly mean losing him.
Sabres owner Terry Pegula famously stated, "Ruff ain't goin' nowhere," at his first press conference so the longest tenured coach in Sabres history obviously has the full backing of his owner. Yet Ruff really seems to be too holding tightly to the reigns and it would seem as if that spills over to his players. On offense, how many times has he pointed out that x-player was "gripping the stick too tight" on a missed opportunity? And on defense, how many Keystone Cops incidents have we witnessed late in games?
With Pegula clearly on his side, and a GM who's said time and again that as long as he's in Buffalo, Ruff will be his coach, there's really no reason for him to feel pressure coaching. He has a veteran group of players punctuated by some pretty talented youngsters. He has an above average to elite goalie and a solid backup manning the net.
Ruff has the personnel to challenge for the Northeast Division crown, or at least a playoff spot, but micro-managing may be holding them back. If ever there was a time to "release the hounds," it's this season. Hockey is a game, let them go out and play.
But, is that within him?
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Sabres' "top-line" lauded for their performance vs. Carolina
Center Derek Roy was reunited with wingers Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville nine games ago when Pittsburgh came to town. They came out smokin' but then fell into a bit of a funk.
In that first game, 6-2 Sabres win, the line combined for 2 goals and 3 assists five-on-five. Add in Roy's short-handed tally, assisted by Pominville, and the complete stat-line for the game is 3 goals, 4 assists and an astounding plus-10 by that line.
After that, the bottom fell out. The next seven games they combined for 2g, 6a and a minus-11:
After last night's 3-2 OT win versus Carolina, you would think that the line had a dominating performance. The Buffalo News had this as one of it's headlines, Sabres' first line rewards Ruff's patience.
Paul Hamilton really liked the "top-line." On WGR's Howard Simon Show this morning, he said, "They spent most of the time in the offensive zone. It was like night and day, [Thomas] Vanek got himself moving, he was skating, he was active and I think it really helped the line do what they're supposed to do, and that's score goals."
Actually, that line didn't score goals. Both Vanek and Pominville lit the lamp on the powerplay, both finished with a goal and an assist each while linemate Roy went pointless (although he banged a couple off of the post.)
Vanek and Pominville have been doing this all season no matter who's centering that line going back to rookie Luke Adam who started the year there and had 10g/10a before slumping.
Through the 2011 portion of the season both Vanek and Pominville were at a point-per-game pace. Vanek is mired in a 2012 calender-year slump while Pominville was Mr. Steady up until those seven games between Pittsburgh and Carolina.
Ruff had himself a difficult decision to make. Yesterday before the Carolina game, Ruff mentioned that this was the toughest stretch that Pominville's gone through all season (see above stats.) And what does he do?
Ruff goes to Roy and asks him if he should keep the line together.
The same Derek Roy who's been centering a line that was invisible for the better part of the last seven games.
The same Derek Roy who's having the worst statistical season since his rookie year.
The same Derek Roy who from the Milan Lucic hit on November 14 through the end of the teams' record-setting road losing streak of 12 games on January 24 had 4 goals, 9 assists and was a minus-11. In the 31 games he played in during that stretch, the team went from the top-half of the Eastern Conference to the bottom with a 10-17-4 record.
The same Derek Roy who had this to say in the middle of the above mentioned malaise, “We had high expectations at the start of the year. We knew that,” he said, who has only eight goals and 24 points (as of the Jan. 9 writing.) “Going forward now there’s low expectations. So now it’s easier to play. We just play loose, play fun. Go out there and play hard."
You've got to be kidding, Lindy, right?
Oh yeah, I forgot, Roy's like a son to you (11:50-mark.) You end up throwing your leading goal scorer (five years running) under the bus in that same interview.
That interview was on February 21st which, coincidentally, is the same time that the "top-line" started tanking. A quick reminder, from that night vs. the NY Islanders through the Winnipeg loss this past Monday--a span of seven games. Thomas Vanek had 1 goal (that very same night @ the Islanders,) 1a and was a minus-3. Pominville went on his worst scoring drought of the year, 0g, 2a, minus-4 and Lindy's son had 1g, 3a and was a minus-4.
Getting back to Ruff's question to Roy, if you are Derek Roy and you're having the type of season he's having, and you get the opportunity to remain with the teams' top scorers and use them as a life preserver, what the hell else would you say other than, "yes, keep the line together."
Another reminder, both goals by Vanek and Pominville were on the powerplay last night and Roy did not factor in either.
Therefore the "top-line," five-on-five at least is still in a funk.
****
Ryan Miller has been on a tear: 4-1-0, 1.61gaa and a .953 sv.% in his last five games. Over the last 10 he's 7-1-2 with a 1.80 gaa and a .942 sv. %. He's not allowed more than three goals in any of the contests and had back-to-back shutouts on the road.
He was the NHL first star of the week last week.
In that first game, 6-2 Sabres win, the line combined for 2 goals and 3 assists five-on-five. Add in Roy's short-handed tally, assisted by Pominville, and the complete stat-line for the game is 3 goals, 4 assists and an astounding plus-10 by that line.
After that, the bottom fell out. The next seven games they combined for 2g, 6a and a minus-11:
- Roy--1g (powerplay,) 3a, minus-4
- Vanek--1g, 1a, minus-3
- Pominville--0g, 2a, minus-4
After last night's 3-2 OT win versus Carolina, you would think that the line had a dominating performance. The Buffalo News had this as one of it's headlines, Sabres' first line rewards Ruff's patience.
Paul Hamilton really liked the "top-line." On WGR's Howard Simon Show this morning, he said, "They spent most of the time in the offensive zone. It was like night and day, [Thomas] Vanek got himself moving, he was skating, he was active and I think it really helped the line do what they're supposed to do, and that's score goals."
Actually, that line didn't score goals. Both Vanek and Pominville lit the lamp on the powerplay, both finished with a goal and an assist each while linemate Roy went pointless (although he banged a couple off of the post.)
Vanek and Pominville have been doing this all season no matter who's centering that line going back to rookie Luke Adam who started the year there and had 10g/10a before slumping.
Through the 2011 portion of the season both Vanek and Pominville were at a point-per-game pace. Vanek is mired in a 2012 calender-year slump while Pominville was Mr. Steady up until those seven games between Pittsburgh and Carolina.
Ruff had himself a difficult decision to make. Yesterday before the Carolina game, Ruff mentioned that this was the toughest stretch that Pominville's gone through all season (see above stats.) And what does he do?
Ruff goes to Roy and asks him if he should keep the line together.
The same Derek Roy who's been centering a line that was invisible for the better part of the last seven games.
The same Derek Roy who's having the worst statistical season since his rookie year.
The same Derek Roy who from the Milan Lucic hit on November 14 through the end of the teams' record-setting road losing streak of 12 games on January 24 had 4 goals, 9 assists and was a minus-11. In the 31 games he played in during that stretch, the team went from the top-half of the Eastern Conference to the bottom with a 10-17-4 record.
The same Derek Roy who had this to say in the middle of the above mentioned malaise, “We had high expectations at the start of the year. We knew that,” he said, who has only eight goals and 24 points (as of the Jan. 9 writing.) “Going forward now there’s low expectations. So now it’s easier to play. We just play loose, play fun. Go out there and play hard."
You've got to be kidding, Lindy, right?
Oh yeah, I forgot, Roy's like a son to you (11:50-mark.) You end up throwing your leading goal scorer (five years running) under the bus in that same interview.
That interview was on February 21st which, coincidentally, is the same time that the "top-line" started tanking. A quick reminder, from that night vs. the NY Islanders through the Winnipeg loss this past Monday--a span of seven games. Thomas Vanek had 1 goal (that very same night @ the Islanders,) 1a and was a minus-3. Pominville went on his worst scoring drought of the year, 0g, 2a, minus-4 and Lindy's son had 1g, 3a and was a minus-4.
Getting back to Ruff's question to Roy, if you are Derek Roy and you're having the type of season he's having, and you get the opportunity to remain with the teams' top scorers and use them as a life preserver, what the hell else would you say other than, "yes, keep the line together."
Another reminder, both goals by Vanek and Pominville were on the powerplay last night and Roy did not factor in either.
Therefore the "top-line," five-on-five at least is still in a funk.
****
Ryan Miller has been on a tear: 4-1-0, 1.61gaa and a .953 sv.% in his last five games. Over the last 10 he's 7-1-2 with a 1.80 gaa and a .942 sv. %. He's not allowed more than three goals in any of the contests and had back-to-back shutouts on the road.
He was the NHL first star of the week last week.
Friday, March 2, 2012
I blame Ryan Miller (and other thoughts)
Think about it.
Ryan Miller just finished stopping 82 shots in back-to-back games. He got the shutout in each.
It's the first time that a goalie has done that since 2010 when Miller did it in his Vezina winning season. It was the first time it was done on the road since the Bruins Tim Thomas did it back in 2008.
No small feat.
Miller has been hot lately. But he's been ramping it up for quite a while. He seemed to have bottomed out, along with the team, during their franchise-record 12-game road losing streak that finally ended in New Jersey on Jan. 24.
He entered that game with a 3.15 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. Since that game in New Jersey he's gone 10-2-3 with four shutouts (including a shutout in a shootout loss to the NY Rangers Feb. 1,) his goals against average is down to 2.58 and his save percentage is up to .915. Both of those latter numbers are right around his career numbers.
Those are not Dominik Hasek/Martin Brodeur elite numbers, but what he's done, especially after the departure of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, is carry the team on his back for long stretches and be consistent enough to keep them in the playoff race most years, like he's doing this year.
Without Miller this season the team would be near the bottom of the league, just like they were when he was slumping/recovering from the Milan Lucic hit.
And if you take him out of the equation for 2007/08 and 2008/09, the team probably would have had a lottery pick instead of mid-first rounders. Although they did well with Tyler Myers at #12 in 2008, Zack Kassian, their 13th overall pick in 2009 was traded for a center earlier this week--Cody Hodgson.
This edition of the Sabres is on a pace to score the least amount of goals since the 2002/03 season. In 2003 the team finished with the fifth worst record in the league and picked Thomas Vanek with the #5-overall pick.
So, I blame Ryan Miller because he's kept the Sabres from bottoming out and getting upper-level draft talent for at least two years.
And it looks as if he's doing it again.
Carrying on with that theme, after watching Hodgson last night, I could see two things--Vancouver has some real good forward depth from the skill side to be able to trade away a talent like him and Hodgson already looks to be better than almost anyone on the team up-front.
His skating is pretty smooth, he has great on-ice vision, his transition game is quick, he backs off the defenders and he always seems to be in the right position. His line was clearly the best line on the ice last night, and although he didn't register a point, he was on the break as linemates Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford combined on the latter's goal.
I don't know if it's Hodgson's overall talent or the Sabres lack of upper-eschelon talent up-front, maybe it's a combination of the two, but the Sabres brass really need to upgrade the talent up-front in the off-season. Hodgson was a good start (potential great start,) but it looks as if he's already leaving a couple of "top-six" guys in the dust.
Which brings us to a "top-six" guy on the Sabre who's been MIA for a big chunk of the 2012 calendar year--Thomas Vanek.
Vanek's in a slump, which isn't all that peculiar.
But his four goals in 23 games since the beginning of the calendar year should at least be of note. As should his upper body injury that kept him out of three games. Since his return from injury, though, he's managed three goals, three assists and is a plus-2 in 11 games.
Vanek and linemate Jason Pominville were the only contributors to the Sabres offense during the first half of the season. Pominville has continued his steady, productive pace while Vanek has dropped off.
Lindy Ruff has had Derek Roy centering those two for quite a few games now and they still don't seem to click. When you put Hodgson's line up against Roy's line, the latter looks like it has checking line talent.
On WGR's The Howard Simon Show 10 days ago, Ruff had some interesting thoughts on the two. Ruff called his relationship with Roy, "almost like a father/son relationship where you're tough on your kid" (11:50-mark.) Ruff was almost playful in his response.
But when it came to Vanek, Ruff became terse. Because of Vanek's penchant for dumb penalties in the offensive zone this year, Simon asked Ruff how much rope will the talented goal-scorer get. Ruff responded cut and dry, "No more rope anymore."
"I've probably given out too much rope in that situation during the year," Ruff continued, "and there's been too many conversations about the type of penalties he's taken."
As he delves into his response a little further, Ruff ties in Vanek's penalties as costly in important games throughout the year, especially the games he pointed out earlier where the Sabres could've come away with points most notably Carolina early in the year and St. Louis in January.
Ruff basically throws Vanek under the bus, indirectly blaming him for a handful of losses and then continues his theme, "I've told him there's no more rope. If you want to take those penalties, whether we think there was a penalty or not, I don't want him taking any more."
Vanek is not innocent, by any stretch of the imagination, but who'd have thought that Roy would be Ruff's boy, and Vanek, the team's leading goal scorer for five years running, would be Ruff's whipping boy?
*shrugs*
Ryan Miller just finished stopping 82 shots in back-to-back games. He got the shutout in each.
It's the first time that a goalie has done that since 2010 when Miller did it in his Vezina winning season. It was the first time it was done on the road since the Bruins Tim Thomas did it back in 2008.
No small feat.
Miller has been hot lately. But he's been ramping it up for quite a while. He seemed to have bottomed out, along with the team, during their franchise-record 12-game road losing streak that finally ended in New Jersey on Jan. 24.
He entered that game with a 3.15 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. Since that game in New Jersey he's gone 10-2-3 with four shutouts (including a shutout in a shootout loss to the NY Rangers Feb. 1,) his goals against average is down to 2.58 and his save percentage is up to .915. Both of those latter numbers are right around his career numbers.
Those are not Dominik Hasek/Martin Brodeur elite numbers, but what he's done, especially after the departure of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, is carry the team on his back for long stretches and be consistent enough to keep them in the playoff race most years, like he's doing this year.
Without Miller this season the team would be near the bottom of the league, just like they were when he was slumping/recovering from the Milan Lucic hit.
And if you take him out of the equation for 2007/08 and 2008/09, the team probably would have had a lottery pick instead of mid-first rounders. Although they did well with Tyler Myers at #12 in 2008, Zack Kassian, their 13th overall pick in 2009 was traded for a center earlier this week--Cody Hodgson.
This edition of the Sabres is on a pace to score the least amount of goals since the 2002/03 season. In 2003 the team finished with the fifth worst record in the league and picked Thomas Vanek with the #5-overall pick.
So, I blame Ryan Miller because he's kept the Sabres from bottoming out and getting upper-level draft talent for at least two years.
And it looks as if he's doing it again.
Carrying on with that theme, after watching Hodgson last night, I could see two things--Vancouver has some real good forward depth from the skill side to be able to trade away a talent like him and Hodgson already looks to be better than almost anyone on the team up-front.
His skating is pretty smooth, he has great on-ice vision, his transition game is quick, he backs off the defenders and he always seems to be in the right position. His line was clearly the best line on the ice last night, and although he didn't register a point, he was on the break as linemates Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford combined on the latter's goal.
I don't know if it's Hodgson's overall talent or the Sabres lack of upper-eschelon talent up-front, maybe it's a combination of the two, but the Sabres brass really need to upgrade the talent up-front in the off-season. Hodgson was a good start (potential great start,) but it looks as if he's already leaving a couple of "top-six" guys in the dust.
Which brings us to a "top-six" guy on the Sabre who's been MIA for a big chunk of the 2012 calendar year--Thomas Vanek.
Vanek's in a slump, which isn't all that peculiar.
But his four goals in 23 games since the beginning of the calendar year should at least be of note. As should his upper body injury that kept him out of three games. Since his return from injury, though, he's managed three goals, three assists and is a plus-2 in 11 games.
Vanek and linemate Jason Pominville were the only contributors to the Sabres offense during the first half of the season. Pominville has continued his steady, productive pace while Vanek has dropped off.
Lindy Ruff has had Derek Roy centering those two for quite a few games now and they still don't seem to click. When you put Hodgson's line up against Roy's line, the latter looks like it has checking line talent.
On WGR's The Howard Simon Show 10 days ago, Ruff had some interesting thoughts on the two. Ruff called his relationship with Roy, "almost like a father/son relationship where you're tough on your kid" (11:50-mark.) Ruff was almost playful in his response.
But when it came to Vanek, Ruff became terse. Because of Vanek's penchant for dumb penalties in the offensive zone this year, Simon asked Ruff how much rope will the talented goal-scorer get. Ruff responded cut and dry, "No more rope anymore."
"I've probably given out too much rope in that situation during the year," Ruff continued, "and there's been too many conversations about the type of penalties he's taken."
As he delves into his response a little further, Ruff ties in Vanek's penalties as costly in important games throughout the year, especially the games he pointed out earlier where the Sabres could've come away with points most notably Carolina early in the year and St. Louis in January.
Ruff basically throws Vanek under the bus, indirectly blaming him for a handful of losses and then continues his theme, "I've told him there's no more rope. If you want to take those penalties, whether we think there was a penalty or not, I don't want him taking any more."
Vanek is not innocent, by any stretch of the imagination, but who'd have thought that Roy would be Ruff's boy, and Vanek, the team's leading goal scorer for five years running, would be Ruff's whipping boy?
*shrugs*
Thursday, February 16, 2012
2002/03 revisited
The Buffalo Sabres have scored 137 goals in 56 games for an average of 2.44 goals/game. At that pace they'll end up with a total of roughly 200 goals this season.
For some perspective, they have not scored that little since the 2002/03 season when they scored a grand total of 190 goals en route to the fifth worst record in the league.
Miro Satan lead the team in goals that seasons with 26. He was followed by Ales Kotalik (21,) Curtis Brown and Chris Gratton (15 each,) J.P. Dumont and Taylor Pyatt (14 each,) and Tim Connolly (12.)
That 2002/03 team was the remnants of the "hardest working team in hockey" of the late '90's and would soon be rebuilt into "the team built for the New NHL."
The remnants of that 2005-2007 "Ferrari" team make up the present group that is on a pace to end up with a top-five pick in this year's draft. And, oddly enough, wingers are predominant in the goal-scoring department. Although the leader should surpass the 26 goals of Satan, they probably will not have the number of double-digit goal scorers (9) the 2002/03 team had.
Plus-minus is another dismal stat for this edition of the Sabres. Hearkening back to 2002/03, that team had five players in the double-digit negative lead by Connolly's minus-28. Jay McKee (-16,) Dumont (-14,) captain Stu Barnes (-13,) and Maxim Afinogenov (-12) rounded out the bottom-five.
As for the present team none should come close to Connolly's minus-28, but it looks as if more than five have a good shot at negative double-digit.
That 2002/03 team was 25th in the league five-on-five (0.84,) 20th in powerplay efficiency (14.4%,) and t-6th (Detroit) in penalty kill (85.4%.)
This edition presently sits 18th five on five (0.93,) 19th on the power play (16.9%,) and 18th on the kill (81.5%.)
In goal, Martin Biron was the starter back then and he went 17-28-6 with a 2.56 gaa and a .908 sv. %. The team ranked 13th in the league in goals against/game with 2.67.
Ryan Miller is 16-17-3 with a 2.75 gaa and a .909 sv. % while the team ranks 22nd in goals against/game (2.84.)
What does this all mean?
The roller coaster ride is near the bottom again.
Since Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff took over, they peaked in '99 with the Stanley Cup Final loss. The team that previous GM John Muckler built, was dismantled and the Sabres proceeded to bottom out getting the fifth overall pick in 2003. They were rebuilt by Regier and rose again, reaching the semi-finals in back-to-back seasons (2006, 2007.) They were dismantled again in the summer of 2007 and are now about to bottom out again.
Will Regier and Ruff be in charge of another rebuild/retool?
Who knows. But if you took a Cup Finals team and dismantled it, built an era-specific team that only went as far as a Conference Finals, and are looking at a lottery pick this season, I'd say no.
For some perspective, they have not scored that little since the 2002/03 season when they scored a grand total of 190 goals en route to the fifth worst record in the league.
Miro Satan lead the team in goals that seasons with 26. He was followed by Ales Kotalik (21,) Curtis Brown and Chris Gratton (15 each,) J.P. Dumont and Taylor Pyatt (14 each,) and Tim Connolly (12.)
That 2002/03 team was the remnants of the "hardest working team in hockey" of the late '90's and would soon be rebuilt into "the team built for the New NHL."
The remnants of that 2005-2007 "Ferrari" team make up the present group that is on a pace to end up with a top-five pick in this year's draft. And, oddly enough, wingers are predominant in the goal-scoring department. Although the leader should surpass the 26 goals of Satan, they probably will not have the number of double-digit goal scorers (9) the 2002/03 team had.
Plus-minus is another dismal stat for this edition of the Sabres. Hearkening back to 2002/03, that team had five players in the double-digit negative lead by Connolly's minus-28. Jay McKee (-16,) Dumont (-14,) captain Stu Barnes (-13,) and Maxim Afinogenov (-12) rounded out the bottom-five.
As for the present team none should come close to Connolly's minus-28, but it looks as if more than five have a good shot at negative double-digit.
That 2002/03 team was 25th in the league five-on-five (0.84,) 20th in powerplay efficiency (14.4%,) and t-6th (Detroit) in penalty kill (85.4%.)
This edition presently sits 18th five on five (0.93,) 19th on the power play (16.9%,) and 18th on the kill (81.5%.)
In goal, Martin Biron was the starter back then and he went 17-28-6 with a 2.56 gaa and a .908 sv. %. The team ranked 13th in the league in goals against/game with 2.67.
Ryan Miller is 16-17-3 with a 2.75 gaa and a .909 sv. % while the team ranks 22nd in goals against/game (2.84.)
What does this all mean?
The roller coaster ride is near the bottom again.
Since Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff took over, they peaked in '99 with the Stanley Cup Final loss. The team that previous GM John Muckler built, was dismantled and the Sabres proceeded to bottom out getting the fifth overall pick in 2003. They were rebuilt by Regier and rose again, reaching the semi-finals in back-to-back seasons (2006, 2007.) They were dismantled again in the summer of 2007 and are now about to bottom out again.
Will Regier and Ruff be in charge of another rebuild/retool?
Who knows. But if you took a Cup Finals team and dismantled it, built an era-specific team that only went as far as a Conference Finals, and are looking at a lottery pick this season, I'd say no.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
What Would You Rather End Up With?
A flashy loss? Or a boring win?
Throughout the first half of last Tuesday's Versus' telecast of the Flyers/Sabres game, Lindy Ruff kept reminding his players that this wasn't pond hockey. Funny. That's probably the same thing he's been preaching for the past four years as his team always tries to be like the '06/7 "Ferrari" he coached in the second post-lockout year. Indubitably, that team was an offensive juggernaut that could overcome nearly any deficit at nearly any point in a regular season game.
But as much as this and the previous four incarnations of the Sabres want to be like that group, and as much as we Sabres fans would love to see that again, they just don't have the overall, top-notch talent and depth they had in 2006. They do have the overall speed of their predecessor, but their ability to finish isn't close to that level.
On Friday night at home versus the Florida Panthers, that question seemed to be answered in a 2-1 overtime victory for Buffalo. Unfortunately for the fans wanting to be entertained in a winning effort, it looked like a game right out of the late 90's.
"Left-wing lock." "Neutral-zone trap." "Collapsing in front of the net." It all came together to provide about as much entertainment as a Devils game from the first Jacques Lemaire tenure. About the only thing missing defensively was a version of Tampa Bay's 1-3-1.
As boring as it was, the Sabres came out with a victory. As boring as the Devils were, they came away with three Stanley Cups. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
And there's the rub. It comes down to wins and losses and who's left standing at the end of the season.
Looking back over the last four years, it was the latter that garnered them the most success. And that style of play, as boring as it may be, could be the identity that Lindy Ruff and the Sabres have been looking for.
After 13-plus seasons with the same head coach and the same GM searching for an identity is kind of absurd, isn't it?
Maybe. But considering all of the changes during their tenure, it's not all that surprising. They've had to continually adapt as the circumstances surrounding them changed.
And, once again, the tandem is adapting, this time with new-found freedom and heightened expectations. Terry Pegula took off the chains of the previous ownership and is letting Regier and Ruff run with it.
But, the first quarter of this season is eerily similar to the first half of last season, which is eerily similar to the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Confusion reigns as they search for who they really are and how they consistently approach games. Where once there were easy definitions like "the hardest working team in hockey" from 1999 and "the team built for the new-NHL" in 2006, about the only definition that stuck is that they're inconsistent and ill-defined, save for the fact that they're considered "easy to play against."
The last moniker, though, is not completely true. They can be tough to play against like in the 2009/10 season and last years playoffs versus Philadelphia, but they can be easily dismissed when they gravitate towards form over function, fashion over fundamentals.
The 2011 playoff match-up versus the Flyers last April is the epitome of the Sabres inconsistencies and provides an interesting study in contrasting styles. After four games the series was tied at two games apiece. In the Sabres wins, they gave up zero goals. In their losses they gave up nine. In their wins they tightened things up and scored the few opportunities afforded them. In their losses, they opened things up and got burned.
Which brings us to this season. Last Tuesday, the Sabres coughed up a three goal lead to the Flyers and eventually lost in overtime. They came out and skated themselves to a 3-0 lead but eventually fell into unhealthy habits like turnovers and defensive zone breakdowns. They just didn't know what to do out there, had no idea as to who they were or needed to be. There were other factors involved in the loss, for sure, but they had no sense of focus after getting that lead, save for the 19th minute of the third when they tied it up with the extra attacker.
It's the exact same thing we've been seeing as fans for the last four years. And it's something that must surely bother Pegula. Just how long he'll live with this remains to be seen. He's said that the role of an owner is to be liked. But as the patriarch of a team that is 6-9-2 on home ice and has played some of its worst hockey to boot, he can't be too happy with the results.
Ultimately it's up to the owner to define what he wants from his franchise. Presently it would seem as if his GM and Coach are suffering from a divorce of styles. The former seems to be geared towards finesse while the latter is seems to need an increased level of hard-nosed compete. Whether this team, as constructed, can mold the two styles into one remains to be seen, but based upon the last four-plus seasons, it doesn't seem as if the two sides can be reconciled.
The fact is, they have a style of play that's been successful when executed properly. It's not pretty, nor is it flashy, nor is it highlight reel calibre on a nightly basis, but it wins hockey games. Its a style predicated upon simple, safe game that relies on positioning and smart plays. If and when there is a breakdown with the skaters, goalie Ryan Miller, or back-up Jhonas Enroth are usually in sync to the point where they can make a big save. And it's a style that transcends talent-level. It's called playing as a team.
Three days after the blown lead to Philadelphia, the surprising Florida Panthers came to town and the Sabres came away with at 2-1 overtime win. To say this game was a defensive struggle is an understatement. Either goalie could've been one of the stars of the game with a spectacular save or two. Outside of the three goals scored (two on breakaways by the Sabres, the other on a five-on-three for the Panthers,) there were very few bonafide scoring opportunities.
Jason Pominville, who scored the game winner, put it this way, "It wasn't a pretty one, but we got it done against a team that was going really well," he said. "We talked about trying not to hand them opportunities by giving pucks away, and we were better with the puck. You want to generate more, but at the same time I thought we stuck with it."
Ryan Miller ponied on that, "It probably wasn't the most exciting game for the fans, but I'm glad we stuck with our system," Miller said. "We had a tired team that was going to try and trap us, and I thought we did a good job of eliminating odd-man rushes and turnovers. Sometimes that's how you have to do it."
The "system" that Miller is alluding to is one that's predicated upon defensive zone responsibilities, a strong back check, a strong compete to get the puck, smart plays to dump the puck out of the zone, using speed on the counter-attack and burying what few opportunities they might have in the game.
This is the same system that was evident in the two shutouts of the playoff match-up with the Flyers last April. And it was a system that helped Miller win the Vezina Trophy back in 2010.
It's also a style of play that Ruff knows well dating back to his first foray into coaching. He was an assistant with the Florida Panthers back in the mid-90's under head coach Doug MacLean. In 1996 the Panthers made an unlikely run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Florida had an average at best team that went 41-31-10 in the regular season. Their top point producer was Scott Mellanby who's 70 points was less than half of league-leader Mario Lemieux's 161 and runner up Jaromir Jagr's 149. But the Panthers played a solid team game bolstered by a goalie, John Vanbiesbrouck, who played a solid, if unspectacular, game.
That team opened their playoff run against a pretty good Boston Bruins team and defeated them resoundingly four games to one. Next they upset the Philadelphia Flyers--featuring one of the league's top goalies in Ron Hextall and one of the most feared forward lines in the league as well, "The Legion of Doom"--in six games. The Panthers then proceeded to beat Lemieux and Jagr's Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The dream eventually came crashing to an end, as former Sabres draft pick Uwe Krupp scored the Game Four, series-clinching, triple-overtime winner for the Colorado Avalanche. But it was a helluva run for a decidedly underdog group of overachievers.
Ruff saw first-hand how a team, one with a lot less talent then he presently has, can go far in the playoffs. And he brought that with him to Buffalo in 1997. In his first season as the Sabres head coach they reached the Eastern Conference Finals. The following year he managed to get his club to Game-6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals on the strength of Dominik Hasek in goal, and with a team dubbed "the hardest working team in hockey."
Lindy's system which came so close would soon be cast aside as GM Darcy Regier rebuilt his team for "the new-NHL." Gone was the grit and determination and the teamwork that went into the five previous playoff seasons. It was replaced by skill and finesse; and lots of it. Regier loaded up for a "new-NHL," one that would take the chains of clutching and grabbing off of skill players and allow them to skate unobstructed.
It's now been nearly four and a half years since "the new NHL" and the "Ferrari" that was the 2006/7 Buffalo Sabres had their zenith. And for the last four-plus years, the era-specific race car Regier built finds itself in a stock car race with restrictor plates.
Just what goes on behind the scenes when Regier and Ruff get together is unknown, but there seem to be a distinct separation between what the former sees as a successful formula and what the latter can do with the pieces he's given.
Ruff, for his part, is not an innocent bystander in the process, nor should he be exonerated for the on-ice product either.
His failure to provide a definitive style of play has lead to inconsistency from game to game, period to period, even shift to shift. And nowhere is this schizophrenia more pronounced than in net. Their goaltending, is directly affected by the success and failure the team playing in front of them.
In Miller's 2010 Vezina season, Hank Tallinder and Calder winner, Tyler Myers provided a solid top-pairing who were a combined plus-26 on the team and anchored a penalty kill that was second in the league. It was a defense corps that also had dependable vets like Toni Lydman and Steve Montador. Youngins like Andrej Sekera and Chris Butler kept it as simple as possible.
The Sabres ended up winning the Northeast Division that season despite the fact that the they lacked a true #1 center and had a top-six that was brutally inconsistent at times, which was exposed in their six game loss to Boston.
They followed that playoffs with an atrocious start last fall, one that, not surprisingly featured a team that could not figure out who it was. Former Captain Craig Rivet mentioned early on last season that the team didn't have an identity. Eventually, after a sub-.500 first half, they found their way.
Beginning in the 2011 portion of the season, the team roared back and was one of the hottest teams in the NHL come playoff time. On more than one occasion players were heard to say that they were playing more like a team and it would seem as if their inner desire came to the fore. How many time have you heard Lindy Ruff as his team to play "out of character?" For the the first time in three and a half years, the team did exactly that to reach the playoffs as a 7th seed.
In the first four games versus the Flyers, they played so "out of character" that a Philadelphia sports piece the Sabres were said to be actually "out-physicaling" the Flyers.
The Sabres fell in seven games, but it was actually lost in Game-6, in overtime, when a very young defense finally succumbed to an experienced group of talented Flyers forwards.
The premise this season was to get his defense, to jump into the play more. Offensive-minded defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was acquired and the team started no less than five offensive-minded puck movers on the back end. Of course this lead to a high-risk/high-reward style that's been inconsistent at best, a disaster at worst. The Sabres goalies have been hung out to dry way too much and they have been up the the Hasekian task of stealing a game on a nightly basis.
It wasn't until Friday's game versus the Panthers that the team finally seemed to figure it out. Caught in a situation where numerous regulars were out due to injury, the team was filled with an inordinate amount of youngins and borderline AHL'ers called up from Rochester as replacements for the fallen. Ruff simply could not preach anything other than sound, fundamental hockey as he was forced to simplify his gameplan.
And they came out on top versus a team that had been on quite a roll. The Sabres team that showed up at the F'N Center that night was a team that Ruff knows well. It's devoid of the elite Sidney Crosby's, Pavel Datsyuk's and Alex Ovechkin's. It was a group of players working hard as a team in a game where they would allow no puck would go unchallenged, nor would the opposition be allowed to get off a decent shot. It worked. And they won.
They played a similar style the next night versus the Rangers, but unfortunately a combination of weak goaltending by Enroth and missed opportunities by the forwards equaled a 4-1 loss. It wasn't a bad game, per se', but when those two factors come together, it usually ends up in a loss, for any team.
Because of circumstances Ruff was forced to revert back to his original self this weekend, with a coaching style long on defense, short on gambling. And maybe he's even come full circle.
He will have a tough decision to make when his injured regulars return, will he continue to go high-risk high-reward or will be keep it simple? Will it be better for this team to think offense first and try to lock things down or lock it down first and counter-attack?
Will he continue to coach a flashy loss or a boring win?
What would you rather see?
Throughout the first half of last Tuesday's Versus' telecast of the Flyers/Sabres game, Lindy Ruff kept reminding his players that this wasn't pond hockey. Funny. That's probably the same thing he's been preaching for the past four years as his team always tries to be like the '06/7 "Ferrari" he coached in the second post-lockout year. Indubitably, that team was an offensive juggernaut that could overcome nearly any deficit at nearly any point in a regular season game.
But as much as this and the previous four incarnations of the Sabres want to be like that group, and as much as we Sabres fans would love to see that again, they just don't have the overall, top-notch talent and depth they had in 2006. They do have the overall speed of their predecessor, but their ability to finish isn't close to that level.
To Skate? Or Not To Skate? That Is the Question.
On Friday night at home versus the Florida Panthers, that question seemed to be answered in a 2-1 overtime victory for Buffalo. Unfortunately for the fans wanting to be entertained in a winning effort, it looked like a game right out of the late 90's.
"Left-wing lock." "Neutral-zone trap." "Collapsing in front of the net." It all came together to provide about as much entertainment as a Devils game from the first Jacques Lemaire tenure. About the only thing missing defensively was a version of Tampa Bay's 1-3-1.
As boring as it was, the Sabres came out with a victory. As boring as the Devils were, they came away with three Stanley Cups. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
And there's the rub. It comes down to wins and losses and who's left standing at the end of the season.
Still Searching For Their Identity
Lindy Ruff and his team seemed to have been searching for an identity for years, fluctuating between high risk/high reward entertainment and a boring, shutdown defense.Looking back over the last four years, it was the latter that garnered them the most success. And that style of play, as boring as it may be, could be the identity that Lindy Ruff and the Sabres have been looking for.
After 13-plus seasons with the same head coach and the same GM searching for an identity is kind of absurd, isn't it?
Maybe. But considering all of the changes during their tenure, it's not all that surprising. They've had to continually adapt as the circumstances surrounding them changed.
And, once again, the tandem is adapting, this time with new-found freedom and heightened expectations. Terry Pegula took off the chains of the previous ownership and is letting Regier and Ruff run with it.
But, the first quarter of this season is eerily similar to the first half of last season, which is eerily similar to the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Confusion reigns as they search for who they really are and how they consistently approach games. Where once there were easy definitions like "the hardest working team in hockey" from 1999 and "the team built for the new-NHL" in 2006, about the only definition that stuck is that they're inconsistent and ill-defined, save for the fact that they're considered "easy to play against."
The last moniker, though, is not completely true. They can be tough to play against like in the 2009/10 season and last years playoffs versus Philadelphia, but they can be easily dismissed when they gravitate towards form over function, fashion over fundamentals.
The 2011 playoff match-up versus the Flyers last April is the epitome of the Sabres inconsistencies and provides an interesting study in contrasting styles. After four games the series was tied at two games apiece. In the Sabres wins, they gave up zero goals. In their losses they gave up nine. In their wins they tightened things up and scored the few opportunities afforded them. In their losses, they opened things up and got burned.
Which brings us to this season. Last Tuesday, the Sabres coughed up a three goal lead to the Flyers and eventually lost in overtime. They came out and skated themselves to a 3-0 lead but eventually fell into unhealthy habits like turnovers and defensive zone breakdowns. They just didn't know what to do out there, had no idea as to who they were or needed to be. There were other factors involved in the loss, for sure, but they had no sense of focus after getting that lead, save for the 19th minute of the third when they tied it up with the extra attacker.
It's the exact same thing we've been seeing as fans for the last four years. And it's something that must surely bother Pegula. Just how long he'll live with this remains to be seen. He's said that the role of an owner is to be liked. But as the patriarch of a team that is 6-9-2 on home ice and has played some of its worst hockey to boot, he can't be too happy with the results.
Terry Pegula May Need To Step In As A Marriage Counselor
Ultimately it's up to the owner to define what he wants from his franchise. Presently it would seem as if his GM and Coach are suffering from a divorce of styles. The former seems to be geared towards finesse while the latter is seems to need an increased level of hard-nosed compete. Whether this team, as constructed, can mold the two styles into one remains to be seen, but based upon the last four-plus seasons, it doesn't seem as if the two sides can be reconciled.
The fact is, they have a style of play that's been successful when executed properly. It's not pretty, nor is it flashy, nor is it highlight reel calibre on a nightly basis, but it wins hockey games. Its a style predicated upon simple, safe game that relies on positioning and smart plays. If and when there is a breakdown with the skaters, goalie Ryan Miller, or back-up Jhonas Enroth are usually in sync to the point where they can make a big save. And it's a style that transcends talent-level. It's called playing as a team.
Three days after the blown lead to Philadelphia, the surprising Florida Panthers came to town and the Sabres came away with at 2-1 overtime win. To say this game was a defensive struggle is an understatement. Either goalie could've been one of the stars of the game with a spectacular save or two. Outside of the three goals scored (two on breakaways by the Sabres, the other on a five-on-three for the Panthers,) there were very few bonafide scoring opportunities.
Jason Pominville, who scored the game winner, put it this way, "It wasn't a pretty one, but we got it done against a team that was going really well," he said. "We talked about trying not to hand them opportunities by giving pucks away, and we were better with the puck. You want to generate more, but at the same time I thought we stuck with it."
Ryan Miller ponied on that, "It probably wasn't the most exciting game for the fans, but I'm glad we stuck with our system," Miller said. "We had a tired team that was going to try and trap us, and I thought we did a good job of eliminating odd-man rushes and turnovers. Sometimes that's how you have to do it."
Lindy May Be Coming Full-Circle
The "system" that Miller is alluding to is one that's predicated upon defensive zone responsibilities, a strong back check, a strong compete to get the puck, smart plays to dump the puck out of the zone, using speed on the counter-attack and burying what few opportunities they might have in the game.
This is the same system that was evident in the two shutouts of the playoff match-up with the Flyers last April. And it was a system that helped Miller win the Vezina Trophy back in 2010.
It's also a style of play that Ruff knows well dating back to his first foray into coaching. He was an assistant with the Florida Panthers back in the mid-90's under head coach Doug MacLean. In 1996 the Panthers made an unlikely run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Florida had an average at best team that went 41-31-10 in the regular season. Their top point producer was Scott Mellanby who's 70 points was less than half of league-leader Mario Lemieux's 161 and runner up Jaromir Jagr's 149. But the Panthers played a solid team game bolstered by a goalie, John Vanbiesbrouck, who played a solid, if unspectacular, game.
That team opened their playoff run against a pretty good Boston Bruins team and defeated them resoundingly four games to one. Next they upset the Philadelphia Flyers--featuring one of the league's top goalies in Ron Hextall and one of the most feared forward lines in the league as well, "The Legion of Doom"--in six games. The Panthers then proceeded to beat Lemieux and Jagr's Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The dream eventually came crashing to an end, as former Sabres draft pick Uwe Krupp scored the Game Four, series-clinching, triple-overtime winner for the Colorado Avalanche. But it was a helluva run for a decidedly underdog group of overachievers.
Ruff saw first-hand how a team, one with a lot less talent then he presently has, can go far in the playoffs. And he brought that with him to Buffalo in 1997. In his first season as the Sabres head coach they reached the Eastern Conference Finals. The following year he managed to get his club to Game-6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals on the strength of Dominik Hasek in goal, and with a team dubbed "the hardest working team in hockey."
Trends Come and Go, But Solid Defense Is Never Completely Out Of Vogue
Lindy's system which came so close would soon be cast aside as GM Darcy Regier rebuilt his team for "the new-NHL." Gone was the grit and determination and the teamwork that went into the five previous playoff seasons. It was replaced by skill and finesse; and lots of it. Regier loaded up for a "new-NHL," one that would take the chains of clutching and grabbing off of skill players and allow them to skate unobstructed.
It's now been nearly four and a half years since "the new NHL" and the "Ferrari" that was the 2006/7 Buffalo Sabres had their zenith. And for the last four-plus years, the era-specific race car Regier built finds itself in a stock car race with restrictor plates.
Just what goes on behind the scenes when Regier and Ruff get together is unknown, but there seem to be a distinct separation between what the former sees as a successful formula and what the latter can do with the pieces he's given.
No Free-Pass For the Coach
Ruff, for his part, is not an innocent bystander in the process, nor should he be exonerated for the on-ice product either.
His failure to provide a definitive style of play has lead to inconsistency from game to game, period to period, even shift to shift. And nowhere is this schizophrenia more pronounced than in net. Their goaltending, is directly affected by the success and failure the team playing in front of them.
In Miller's 2010 Vezina season, Hank Tallinder and Calder winner, Tyler Myers provided a solid top-pairing who were a combined plus-26 on the team and anchored a penalty kill that was second in the league. It was a defense corps that also had dependable vets like Toni Lydman and Steve Montador. Youngins like Andrej Sekera and Chris Butler kept it as simple as possible.
The Sabres ended up winning the Northeast Division that season despite the fact that the they lacked a true #1 center and had a top-six that was brutally inconsistent at times, which was exposed in their six game loss to Boston.
They followed that playoffs with an atrocious start last fall, one that, not surprisingly featured a team that could not figure out who it was. Former Captain Craig Rivet mentioned early on last season that the team didn't have an identity. Eventually, after a sub-.500 first half, they found their way.
Beginning in the 2011 portion of the season, the team roared back and was one of the hottest teams in the NHL come playoff time. On more than one occasion players were heard to say that they were playing more like a team and it would seem as if their inner desire came to the fore. How many time have you heard Lindy Ruff as his team to play "out of character?" For the the first time in three and a half years, the team did exactly that to reach the playoffs as a 7th seed.
In the first four games versus the Flyers, they played so "out of character" that a Philadelphia sports piece the Sabres were said to be actually "out-physicaling" the Flyers.
The Sabres fell in seven games, but it was actually lost in Game-6, in overtime, when a very young defense finally succumbed to an experienced group of talented Flyers forwards.
Enter A 2011/12 Season With Big-Time Acquisitions and Increased Expectations
The premise this season was to get his defense, to jump into the play more. Offensive-minded defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was acquired and the team started no less than five offensive-minded puck movers on the back end. Of course this lead to a high-risk/high-reward style that's been inconsistent at best, a disaster at worst. The Sabres goalies have been hung out to dry way too much and they have been up the the Hasekian task of stealing a game on a nightly basis.
It wasn't until Friday's game versus the Panthers that the team finally seemed to figure it out. Caught in a situation where numerous regulars were out due to injury, the team was filled with an inordinate amount of youngins and borderline AHL'ers called up from Rochester as replacements for the fallen. Ruff simply could not preach anything other than sound, fundamental hockey as he was forced to simplify his gameplan.
And they came out on top versus a team that had been on quite a roll. The Sabres team that showed up at the F'N Center that night was a team that Ruff knows well. It's devoid of the elite Sidney Crosby's, Pavel Datsyuk's and Alex Ovechkin's. It was a group of players working hard as a team in a game where they would allow no puck would go unchallenged, nor would the opposition be allowed to get off a decent shot. It worked. And they won.
They played a similar style the next night versus the Rangers, but unfortunately a combination of weak goaltending by Enroth and missed opportunities by the forwards equaled a 4-1 loss. It wasn't a bad game, per se', but when those two factors come together, it usually ends up in a loss, for any team.
What's the Formula For Success With This Team?
He will have a tough decision to make when his injured regulars return, will he continue to go high-risk high-reward or will be keep it simple? Will it be better for this team to think offense first and try to lock things down or lock it down first and counter-attack?
Will he continue to coach a flashy loss or a boring win?
What would you rather see?
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