It wasn't a thing of beauty, but it was a win nonetheless.
In his third game since taking over the head coaching reigns, Ron Rolston finally got his first victory as a head coach in the NHL, a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay and their potent offense.
The Lightning came into the game with a league best 3.70 goals/game and the 7th best powerplay. Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier, and Cory Conacher must have been licking their chops looking at this one. The Sabres defense had given up the fourth most goals against in the league (3.23) and had a penalty kill ranked in the bottom half.
With the score tied 1-1 in the 2nd, the Sabres had a parade to the penalty box that lasted nearly a full five minutes with 43 seconds being down two men. With the help of a fortuitous post rung by Stamkos 5-on-3, the Sabres weathered that tornado and, unlike previous games this season, the weathered the entire second period as well.
Ryan Miller came up strong throughout the game and was awarded the 1st star. But unlike other nights this season, he wasn't tested often. The defense looked much better position-wise and kept most of the shots to the outside. They also refrained from screening their goalie and made cross-ice, one-timers into long passes giving Miller ample time to scoot over.
The post hit by Stamkos was one of two breaks that the Sabres got last night, the first being Cody Hodgson's eighth goal of the season. Hodgson gathered the puck behind the net and sent it out front to Jason Pominville but it deflected off of Tampa d-man Sami Salo into the net. That tied the score not long after Stamkos put the Lightning up 1-0.
Rolston called it a "gritty win" last night and it was. Not from the sense of a street brawl with, say, Boston, but from the perspective that they were exorcising (or trying to exorcise) the many demons that have plagued this team throughout the 2013 season.
Not everything was corrected last night, but they moved the puck much better out of their zone with fewer (although still too many) turnovers. They also had sustained pressure in the offensive zone more than we've seen all year. Their defense was tighter and they had fewer breakdowns.
"Baby steps," as Rolston put it the other day.
And the true grit came out when they came back from Stamkos' goal a mere 1:30 into the game and while they had that parade to the box early in the second period. Plus, they were able to get the lead in the third and hold it, not by sitting back, but by attacking more than they've done so far.
Are they Stanley Cup contenders? No. Are they among the elite in the conference or division? No. Is this the beginning of a drive to the playoffs? It's their fourth win in the last 14 games.
What we may have seen is a bottoming out last Saturday vs. the NY Islanders. There's still a ton of work to do, but a victory like last night should start moving the confidence meter a notch away from despair.
And now Rolston is 1-2 as Sabres interim head coach.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Rolston's Challenge continues
No, it's not a series on CWTV or the Hallmark channel. It's the task of the new Sabres head coach. Although the 2013 edition of the Buffalo Sabres has all the makings of a soap opera right now.
Sabres' bench-boss Ron Rolston had no idea what he was walking into when he made the jump from Rochester to Buffalo.
After Saturday's 4-0 home loss to the NY Islanders, he continues to dig deeper in search of answers.
Yesterday marked the first time in his short tenure that he's had a the chance to put the team through a full practice.
And after watching his team skate, the operative word he came up with is "patience."
Via Bill Hoppe, buffalohockeybeat.com: “I know patience isn’t big with anybody,” interim coach Ron Rolston said Monday inside the First Niagara Center after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s tilt in Tampa Bay against the Lightning. “It’s not big with me. It’s not big with fans. It’s not big with media. But right now, it’s going to be a process.”
It's been six days since the Lindy Ruff era ended and the retraining of the Sabre's began. In that short span, this is what we've learned about the team from Rolston:
Sunday was an off day for the team, and Rolston had plenty of time to go over the debacle that was the Islanders game, and this is what he came away with:
The next step for him is how the team practices.
Hoppe says that Rolston, who was dubbed "the first professor at the University of Sabres," is still in instructor mode doing a lot of 'educational teaching,' and the thing that he's working on is pace. 'Pace,' deduced Hoppe, 'not just team speed but doing everything quickly – has been a big message from the coach.'
I culled an interesting quote from Walter Gretzky, "the Great One's" father and mentor when it comes to practice.
From totalgameplan.com:
The Sabres have always been a fast team, even while adding more grit to the lineup. But they've looked extremely slow this shortened season. When you watch other teams play, especially the upper-echelon teams, they're continually in motion, continually in overdrive and always seem to be moving north-south with a sense of purpose.
“In terms of team speed, and not only is it how you can skate, but how you move the puck and how clean you are moving the puck and where your support is moving the puck,” Rolston said. “So there’s a lot of elements to a team being a fast team, and right now … we need to be much faster.”
The Sabres more often than not seem to be plodding at times, cruising at others, rarely kicking it into gear. There are probably a number of factors involved, like practicing at a causal pace.
In his first segment on WGR, Rolston said he is looking at each player individually, "Right now, there are habits we can change." he said. "We talk about systems but right now it's the individual within the system and the details that those individuals have. If we're not going to be detailed we're not going to have good habits."
Picking up the pace at practice will help iron some things out. This is a team that's been in Lindy Ruff's system for many years, most of them for their entire careers. They know where to be and what needs to be done and it's not too far-fetched to believe that many players--too many--have had a laissez-faire attitude. But as game-day has proven time and again, a waltz through practice will leave you a step or two behind during the game.
Rolston seems to be on the right track. He's trying to sort out this mess and he's taking "baby steps." He's there to teach, correct and, one would assume, eventually evaluate for the future.
Regardless of whether or not this season is lost, Rolston has the task of rooting out the bad habits that each individual has and laying a foundation with which to build upon for the future of the Sabres that are in the system. There's a lot of talent there right now and the team is not going to bring any of them into a laconic and/or toxic situation.
"We have a lot of players in Rochester who are talented, "he said. "We just want to make sure we have the right environment here when we do [bring a player up] especially with younger players. Right now we want to make sure we solidify things first, take care of what's going on here."
And the Rolston challenge continues with a game tonight at Tampa Bay.
Sabres' bench-boss Ron Rolston had no idea what he was walking into when he made the jump from Rochester to Buffalo.
After Saturday's 4-0 home loss to the NY Islanders, he continues to dig deeper in search of answers.
Yesterday marked the first time in his short tenure that he's had a the chance to put the team through a full practice.
And after watching his team skate, the operative word he came up with is "patience."
Via Bill Hoppe, buffalohockeybeat.com: “I know patience isn’t big with anybody,” interim coach Ron Rolston said Monday inside the First Niagara Center after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s tilt in Tampa Bay against the Lightning. “It’s not big with me. It’s not big with fans. It’s not big with media. But right now, it’s going to be a process.”
It's been six days since the Lindy Ruff era ended and the retraining of the Sabre's began. In that short span, this is what we've learned about the team from Rolston:
“From what I saw [looking at video,] it was more there were just a lot of shortcuts … a lot of rest in shifts,” Rolston said prior to the Sabres’ 3-1 loss to the Leafs. “The things that you just have to eliminate if you’re going to be a good hockey team.”--February 21
“We’re the team that blinks first when you have a stare down,” Rolston said this afternoon inside the Northtown Center following his first full practice as coach. “The faceoff's in the (Toronto) zone and we make a mistake in execution, and the next thing you know it’s a 2-1 game going into the third,” Rolston said. “And that’s part of the reason things aren’t going the way we want them to go.” He added: “In this league, if you have even a short span of a couple of shifts where you don’t execute, that can be the difference in a game. A lot of times that’s been the case here.”--February 22
Sunday was an off day for the team, and Rolston had plenty of time to go over the debacle that was the Islanders game, and this is what he came away with:
“There’s two things,” Rolston said. “You go into hockey games and some teams hope they’re going to win, and some teams know they’re going to win in this league that night. The better teams are the knowing teams, and we’re right now the hope team.
“To get from hope to know is a process. And to get there, you got to do a lot of things well, and you got to do them for 60 minutes. We’re still hoping. Our job is to get to the point we’re knowing.”So how do you get from "hoping" to "knowing?"
The next step for him is how the team practices.
Hoppe says that Rolston, who was dubbed "the first professor at the University of Sabres," is still in instructor mode doing a lot of 'educational teaching,' and the thing that he's working on is pace. 'Pace,' deduced Hoppe, 'not just team speed but doing everything quickly – has been a big message from the coach.'
I culled an interesting quote from Walter Gretzky, "the Great One's" father and mentor when it comes to practice.
From totalgameplan.com:
"One day, when Wayne Gretzky was already the greatest hockey player in the world, he was practicing with his team, the Edmonton Oilers. Walter watched from the stands. Afterwards, the two drove home together.
'You just wasted two hours of your life,' Walter Gretzky told his son. 'If you’re going to practice, then do it right.'"
The Sabres have always been a fast team, even while adding more grit to the lineup. But they've looked extremely slow this shortened season. When you watch other teams play, especially the upper-echelon teams, they're continually in motion, continually in overdrive and always seem to be moving north-south with a sense of purpose.
“In terms of team speed, and not only is it how you can skate, but how you move the puck and how clean you are moving the puck and where your support is moving the puck,” Rolston said. “So there’s a lot of elements to a team being a fast team, and right now … we need to be much faster.”
The Sabres more often than not seem to be plodding at times, cruising at others, rarely kicking it into gear. There are probably a number of factors involved, like practicing at a causal pace.
In his first segment on WGR, Rolston said he is looking at each player individually, "Right now, there are habits we can change." he said. "We talk about systems but right now it's the individual within the system and the details that those individuals have. If we're not going to be detailed we're not going to have good habits."
Picking up the pace at practice will help iron some things out. This is a team that's been in Lindy Ruff's system for many years, most of them for their entire careers. They know where to be and what needs to be done and it's not too far-fetched to believe that many players--too many--have had a laissez-faire attitude. But as game-day has proven time and again, a waltz through practice will leave you a step or two behind during the game.
Rolston seems to be on the right track. He's trying to sort out this mess and he's taking "baby steps." He's there to teach, correct and, one would assume, eventually evaluate for the future.
Regardless of whether or not this season is lost, Rolston has the task of rooting out the bad habits that each individual has and laying a foundation with which to build upon for the future of the Sabres that are in the system. There's a lot of talent there right now and the team is not going to bring any of them into a laconic and/or toxic situation.
"We have a lot of players in Rochester who are talented, "he said. "We just want to make sure we have the right environment here when we do [bring a player up] especially with younger players. Right now we want to make sure we solidify things first, take care of what's going on here."
And the Rolston challenge continues with a game tonight at Tampa Bay.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
From the purgatory of the last five seasons to "Hockey Hell"
"It's not about talent, it's about playing a certain way right now."
So said Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers after yesterday's 4-0 loss to the NY Islanders which dropped Buffalo right to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
That loss was their second under interim coach Ron Rolston, fourth in a row and sixth in their last seven games. For the month of February they are 3-9.
The boo-birds were out in full force last night at the F'N Center and many started leaving with about 15 minutes left in the 3rd period after John Tavares put the Isles up 3-0.
Fans actually could have started exiting after Mark Streit and Michael Grabner scored goals 65 seconds apart late in the second period.
The Sabres are playing like crap right now, and what's truly amazing about this team is how they crumble at the first sign of adversity.
They nearly weathered another suspect second period last night--that 20-minute time frame which has been downfall of this team all season. Yes, one should question, or stare in disbelief, as to how Isles winger Matt Moulson could thread a cross-ice pass through four Buffalo defenders to a streaking Streit for a tap-in. But more than that, you need to question why veteran Sabres defenseman Christian Ehrhoff would attempt a cross-ice pass at the NY blueline a minute later.
Grabner, who is noted for anticipating that kind of stupidity, turned it into a breakaway. Not only did he put the puck past Ryan Miller, but Ehrhoff's stick also went, as the defenseman attempted a limp-wristed stick check.
Miller, who has been outstanding in the last six games, looked as if he just said "Screw it" on the play. He has turned aside countless shots on odd-man rushes and defensive giveaways with the opponents looking at a gaping wide net. Miller had, and has had for years, a birds eye view of a turnover heading back his way. Most of the time he comes up with the save.
The Sabres netminder has clearly been frustrated this year, and when it was mentioned by Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times that his teammates seem to be frustrated as well, Miller chirped, "Well, it's about God Damn time."
**************
K.I.S.S.
Keep it simple, stupid.
"I keep saying it, but it's a little thing, it's so big," said Myers postgame, "make simple plays throughout an entire game."
This team, especially in front of a home crowd, tends to get too fancy. They try to put on a show when their talent-level doesn't allow for that level of fanciness. The result is usually a turnover that often finds the back of the Sabres net.
Ehrhoff should have known better. He is a veteran on this team. He should know his opponent, know who's on the ice and know what they like to do. He should also know that it's Hockey 101: don't make a cross ice pass like that with three defenders pressing, dumb-ass.
"We're a good team with a lot of stupid mistakes right now," said Sabres forward Steve Ott. "And it sucks."
Sure does, Steve. Is it correctable?
"We're on the bottom on the ground right now," he continued, "we're kicked in. But it's the guys that rise, the character that has to continue to show and that's when the team can start getting out of this hole."
Agreed. But who on this team is willing to say, "Me. I'll take it?"
*************
Where are the "character" guys? Is it within the leadership group?
Alternate captain Thomas Vanek was there post game. He missed another golden opportunity and was robbed by Evgeni Nabokov as well. "I'm a goal scorer that's not scoring goals right now," said Vanek.
Miller was there post game. "Not a very strong performance overall," he said matter of factly, "Nothin' else, man." His interview was short. "I had an opportunity to at least keep it to a one goal game, and [I] didn't step up and take it," he added.
Captain Jason Pominville....
was no where to be found. Perhaps he was off somewhere looking for Roysie's blankie. Pominville has 2 goals, 2 assists and is a minus-3 during the 12 games of February. His play is languishing.
The other alternate captain, Drew Stafford, was no where to be found as well. Just like his offense. He has one goal this season.
Those three with the letters on their sweater are the remnants of GM Darcy Regier's "vaunted" core of skaters. Those three were chosen as leaders last season along with other "core" members Derek "Roysie" Roy and Paul Gaustad who were traded last year. Last season the team missed he playoffs and it seems as if this team will miss the playoffs this year as well.
Is it a leadership void or issue in the locker room, Mr. Ott?
"No, I think this leadership group is solid," he said post game. "It's definitely not a leadership or accountability aspect."
Just go ask them. Oh, that's right. Where's Pominville? Where's Stafford?
God love him. Ott is there after every game talking to the media and for him the glass is always half-full. Had he been around Buffalo as long as Ryan Miller, though, methinks he'd be throwing around some unprintable words.
The proof is in the pudding with this leadership group. There is no leadership. No character. No passion. No intestinal fortitude.
*************
"It's almost like 'Here we go again,'" said Myers.
Only it's worse.
Buffalo having a glass jaw is nothing new. But there was a time when only a few teams could put them on the ropes via one mistake. Now, it's pretty much every team in the league.
This team is pretty bad right now, so bad that Jessica Pegula, daughter of Sabres owner Terry Pegula, was said to have tweeted (and quickly rescinded,) "Lets just call a spade a spade. The Sabres are really bad... #makesmemad".
Ouch.
A spade is a spade. The core is the core. The home crowd is still booing. And the Sabres record is a clear indicator of how good this team is right now.
Will Rolston be able to fix this team?
I like how WGR's Paul Hamilton put it, "When you watch this team, they are who they are, and I’m not sure what Ron Rolston or any other coach can do about it." he wrote. "It’s a soft, mentally weak group and always has been. If Rolston can get that trait out of them, he should win the Jack Adams Trophy."
Rolston has been in the pro ranks for all of a year and a half. He went from teaching teenagers to dealing with pros in Rochester to dealing with well-to-do pros in Buffalo. That may be more of a jump than rookie Mikhail Grigorenko going from junior to the pros.
It's to the point now where Rolston may just be an evaluator and if they continue their descent into "Hockey Hell," that's all he should be doing, eventually giving player evaluation to his superiors so that they can decide which players they want moving forward.
There's no reason to believe that this team can make it out of the basement, no matter how much they try to simplify and avoid mistakes.
Not with remnants of "the core" in leadership positions.
This may be one of the worst seasons since 2002/03 when Regier finished the dismantling of "the hardest working team in hockey" on his way to building "a team built for the new NHL."
That was a bad year. And this one may be even worse.
This team is unwatchable right now, the losses keep piling up and the Sabres are looking at a draft pick that might be higher than Vanek at #5-overall.
But, as my friend Cisco put it, "If you're going to shit the bed, at least do it in the shortest ever season."
So said Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers after yesterday's 4-0 loss to the NY Islanders which dropped Buffalo right to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
That loss was their second under interim coach Ron Rolston, fourth in a row and sixth in their last seven games. For the month of February they are 3-9.
The boo-birds were out in full force last night at the F'N Center and many started leaving with about 15 minutes left in the 3rd period after John Tavares put the Isles up 3-0.
Fans actually could have started exiting after Mark Streit and Michael Grabner scored goals 65 seconds apart late in the second period.
The Sabres are playing like crap right now, and what's truly amazing about this team is how they crumble at the first sign of adversity.
They nearly weathered another suspect second period last night--that 20-minute time frame which has been downfall of this team all season. Yes, one should question, or stare in disbelief, as to how Isles winger Matt Moulson could thread a cross-ice pass through four Buffalo defenders to a streaking Streit for a tap-in. But more than that, you need to question why veteran Sabres defenseman Christian Ehrhoff would attempt a cross-ice pass at the NY blueline a minute later.
Grabner, who is noted for anticipating that kind of stupidity, turned it into a breakaway. Not only did he put the puck past Ryan Miller, but Ehrhoff's stick also went, as the defenseman attempted a limp-wristed stick check.
Miller, who has been outstanding in the last six games, looked as if he just said "Screw it" on the play. He has turned aside countless shots on odd-man rushes and defensive giveaways with the opponents looking at a gaping wide net. Miller had, and has had for years, a birds eye view of a turnover heading back his way. Most of the time he comes up with the save.
The Sabres netminder has clearly been frustrated this year, and when it was mentioned by Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times that his teammates seem to be frustrated as well, Miller chirped, "Well, it's about God Damn time."
**************
K.I.S.S.
Keep it simple, stupid.
"I keep saying it, but it's a little thing, it's so big," said Myers postgame, "make simple plays throughout an entire game."
This team, especially in front of a home crowd, tends to get too fancy. They try to put on a show when their talent-level doesn't allow for that level of fanciness. The result is usually a turnover that often finds the back of the Sabres net.
Ehrhoff should have known better. He is a veteran on this team. He should know his opponent, know who's on the ice and know what they like to do. He should also know that it's Hockey 101: don't make a cross ice pass like that with three defenders pressing, dumb-ass.
"We're a good team with a lot of stupid mistakes right now," said Sabres forward Steve Ott. "And it sucks."
Sure does, Steve. Is it correctable?
"We're on the bottom on the ground right now," he continued, "we're kicked in. But it's the guys that rise, the character that has to continue to show and that's when the team can start getting out of this hole."
Agreed. But who on this team is willing to say, "Me. I'll take it?"
*************
Where are the "character" guys? Is it within the leadership group?
Alternate captain Thomas Vanek was there post game. He missed another golden opportunity and was robbed by Evgeni Nabokov as well. "I'm a goal scorer that's not scoring goals right now," said Vanek.
Miller was there post game. "Not a very strong performance overall," he said matter of factly, "Nothin' else, man." His interview was short. "I had an opportunity to at least keep it to a one goal game, and [I] didn't step up and take it," he added.
Captain Jason Pominville....
was no where to be found. Perhaps he was off somewhere looking for Roysie's blankie. Pominville has 2 goals, 2 assists and is a minus-3 during the 12 games of February. His play is languishing.
The other alternate captain, Drew Stafford, was no where to be found as well. Just like his offense. He has one goal this season.
Those three with the letters on their sweater are the remnants of GM Darcy Regier's "vaunted" core of skaters. Those three were chosen as leaders last season along with other "core" members Derek "Roysie" Roy and Paul Gaustad who were traded last year. Last season the team missed he playoffs and it seems as if this team will miss the playoffs this year as well.
Is it a leadership void or issue in the locker room, Mr. Ott?
"No, I think this leadership group is solid," he said post game. "It's definitely not a leadership or accountability aspect."
Just go ask them. Oh, that's right. Where's Pominville? Where's Stafford?
God love him. Ott is there after every game talking to the media and for him the glass is always half-full. Had he been around Buffalo as long as Ryan Miller, though, methinks he'd be throwing around some unprintable words.
The proof is in the pudding with this leadership group. There is no leadership. No character. No passion. No intestinal fortitude.
*************
"It's almost like 'Here we go again,'" said Myers.
Only it's worse.
Buffalo having a glass jaw is nothing new. But there was a time when only a few teams could put them on the ropes via one mistake. Now, it's pretty much every team in the league.
This team is pretty bad right now, so bad that Jessica Pegula, daughter of Sabres owner Terry Pegula, was said to have tweeted (and quickly rescinded,) "Lets just call a spade a spade. The Sabres are really bad... #makesmemad".
Ouch.
A spade is a spade. The core is the core. The home crowd is still booing. And the Sabres record is a clear indicator of how good this team is right now.
Will Rolston be able to fix this team?
I like how WGR's Paul Hamilton put it, "When you watch this team, they are who they are, and I’m not sure what Ron Rolston or any other coach can do about it." he wrote. "It’s a soft, mentally weak group and always has been. If Rolston can get that trait out of them, he should win the Jack Adams Trophy."
Rolston has been in the pro ranks for all of a year and a half. He went from teaching teenagers to dealing with pros in Rochester to dealing with well-to-do pros in Buffalo. That may be more of a jump than rookie Mikhail Grigorenko going from junior to the pros.
It's to the point now where Rolston may just be an evaluator and if they continue their descent into "Hockey Hell," that's all he should be doing, eventually giving player evaluation to his superiors so that they can decide which players they want moving forward.
There's no reason to believe that this team can make it out of the basement, no matter how much they try to simplify and avoid mistakes.
Not with remnants of "the core" in leadership positions.
This may be one of the worst seasons since 2002/03 when Regier finished the dismantling of "the hardest working team in hockey" on his way to building "a team built for the new NHL."
That was a bad year. And this one may be even worse.
This team is unwatchable right now, the losses keep piling up and the Sabres are looking at a draft pick that might be higher than Vanek at #5-overall.
But, as my friend Cisco put it, "If you're going to shit the bed, at least do it in the shortest ever season."
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Ron Rolston's assesment of the team he inherited
On February 20, 2013, Lindy Ruff was fired by the Buffalo Sabres after 16 years as head coach.
It's a landmark date.
For the past five seasons--a period marked at the beginning by the loss of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere (another landmark date)--the team as languished in mediocrity. And thus, for the past five seasons, there was a debate amongst Sabres fans: were those results because of inadequate coaching or the players they had to work with?
With Ruff now gone, we should begin to a better idea. But don't take my word.
We'll let the words of interim coach Ron Rolston speak about the team.
Roslton had been on the job less than 48 hours and his comments were pretty direct.
In his words, this is what he has to work with:
Bill Hoppe, who does exceptional work at buffalohockeybeat.com, used a term in that last link that we've been seeing a lot of over the past five-plus seasons--the Sabres wilted. And that's not a good thing.
Tonight Rolston will be coaching his first home game against the NY Islanders. The team is 3-5-1 at home this season, 115-73-28 during the last five-plus seasons.
It's a landmark date.
For the past five seasons--a period marked at the beginning by the loss of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere (another landmark date)--the team as languished in mediocrity. And thus, for the past five seasons, there was a debate amongst Sabres fans: were those results because of inadequate coaching or the players they had to work with?
With Ruff now gone, we should begin to a better idea. But don't take my word.
We'll let the words of interim coach Ron Rolston speak about the team.
Roslton had been on the job less than 48 hours and his comments were pretty direct.
In his words, this is what he has to work with:
“From what I saw [looking at video,] it was more there were just a lot of shortcuts … a lot of rest in shifts,” Rolston said prior to the Sabres’ 3-1 loss to the Leafs. “The things that you just have to eliminate if you’re going to be a good hockey team.”--February 21
“We’re the team that blinks first when you have a stare down,” Rolston said this afternoon inside the Northtown Center following his first full practice as coach. “The faceoff's in the (Toronto) zone and we make a mistake in execution, and the next thing you know it’s a 2-1 game going into the third,” Rolston said. “And that’s part of the reason things aren’t going the way we want them to go.” He added: “In this league, if you have even a short span of a couple of shifts where you don’t execute, that can be the difference in a game. A lot of times that’s been the case here.”--February 22
Bill Hoppe, who does exceptional work at buffalohockeybeat.com, used a term in that last link that we've been seeing a lot of over the past five-plus seasons--the Sabres wilted. And that's not a good thing.
Tonight Rolston will be coaching his first home game against the NY Islanders. The team is 3-5-1 at home this season, 115-73-28 during the last five-plus seasons.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Who is in charge of the Buffalo Sabres hockey operations?
Terry Pegula is the owner of the Buffalo Sabres. He has a lot of money. He bought the team as a fan and it was a welcome change for the team and the fans of Buffalo as he released the financial chains.
He wants to win. He wants to win as an owner and as a fan. And he's put his money where his mouth was.
That part is in place.
One of the golden rules of managing a business is hiring people who are smarter than yourself, which was pretty easy for Pegula. He walked into the F'N Center with no knowledge about running a sports team. That being said, he did hire some quality individuals who worked for quality organizations.
He laid out his team:
Team President, Ted Black--Black is a PR/media guy, and he's damn good at it. He was vice president of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1999-2008 and helped Mario Lemieux rebuild the franchise. After that he was senior vice president and general manager of FSN Pittsburgh. Ted is not in charge of the hockey operations, and he'll let everyone know that during his weekly show on WGR when fans inundate him with personnel questions. Black is also alternate governor for the team.
Chief Development Officer, Cliff Benson--Benson is a CPA and attorney. He was at Pegula's side when the latter donated $88M to start up Penn State's Div-1 hockey program. He was there when Pegula bought the Sabres. Benson's main job is overseeing development outside of hockey operations as well as charitable works. He's a community relations kinda guy.
Senior Advisor, Ken Sawyer--Sawyer is the guy who advises Pegula on organizational decisions concerning the hockey operations. He worked for the NHL as a CFO for 14 years. He was with the Penguins with Lemieux in 1999 as one of his senior executives for 11 years. He's the guy who can get the big things done especially when dealing with the league.
Senior Vice President/Director of Hockey Operations--____________________
General Manager--Darcy Regier
There's the hole that Pegula really needs to invest in, with both a quality hire and a good amount of money to lure someone to Buffalo.
Apparently Regier has been in charge of that.
Yikes. Not a very good track record, especially in giving the team an identity. Make no mistake, if he's told to get something done, he'll be able to do it, as evidenced by the last two years of transactions.
But to ask him to define this team? It will be in his image and likeness. And he's a guy who could not compete in the NHL. He's had an affinity for soft-but-skilled players and puck-moving defensemen and knows nothing about grit and toughness.
He has not been able to identify and aquire hockey players. Real hockey players. Thick-skinned professionals who will not be denied at any point in the period, game or season. Guys who don't "want to win" (because all players want to win,) but guys who hate to lose.
How many of those players have been with the franchise post Chris Drury/Daniel Briere? Not many. As of right now the best of those is Ryan Miller. Steve Ott is like that. Patrick Kaleta, Nathan Gerbe even Thomas Vanek and Robyn Regehr, in a subtle way, all hate to lose.
Regier's core from the past six seasons and his acquisitions?
Not so much.
So, Terry, as the Lindy Ruff era officially came to a close, perhaps a look at your organization would be a place, THE place, to start your drive to the Stanley Cup.
The task of Sawyer and yourself is to hire the best hockey mind in the hockey operations business. One with a proven background of winning the Stanely Cup.
None of us outside the NHL circle know who's available, but a very good candidate may be Larry Robinson.
Robinson has had success everywhere he's gone. He started his career in one of the greatest organization in the NHL--the Montreal Canadians--who had one of the greatest coaches of all time in Scotty Bowman and was a major part of one of the greatest dynasties in NHL history--"The Flying Frenchmen" of the '70's. He won six Stanley Cups as a player.
His coaching resume' has him winning three Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils as both an assistant and as head coach.
Presently he's an assistant with the San Jose' Sharks. One of the reasons he went to the west coast, apparently, was to be close to his grandkids.
*shrugs*
It's been said that he was willing to take an assistant coach with the Canadians, but there was no opening, so the east coast is not out of the question.
Regardless of whether or not the team would want him or whether or not he'd come to Buffalo, Terry Pegula needs to fill that gaping hole in his organization.
Especially if their de facto Ops-guy, Darcy Regier, is no longer with the team come season's end.
He wants to win. He wants to win as an owner and as a fan. And he's put his money where his mouth was.
That part is in place.
One of the golden rules of managing a business is hiring people who are smarter than yourself, which was pretty easy for Pegula. He walked into the F'N Center with no knowledge about running a sports team. That being said, he did hire some quality individuals who worked for quality organizations.
He laid out his team:
Team President, Ted Black--Black is a PR/media guy, and he's damn good at it. He was vice president of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1999-2008 and helped Mario Lemieux rebuild the franchise. After that he was senior vice president and general manager of FSN Pittsburgh. Ted is not in charge of the hockey operations, and he'll let everyone know that during his weekly show on WGR when fans inundate him with personnel questions. Black is also alternate governor for the team.
Chief Development Officer, Cliff Benson--Benson is a CPA and attorney. He was at Pegula's side when the latter donated $88M to start up Penn State's Div-1 hockey program. He was there when Pegula bought the Sabres. Benson's main job is overseeing development outside of hockey operations as well as charitable works. He's a community relations kinda guy.
Senior Advisor, Ken Sawyer--Sawyer is the guy who advises Pegula on organizational decisions concerning the hockey operations. He worked for the NHL as a CFO for 14 years. He was with the Penguins with Lemieux in 1999 as one of his senior executives for 11 years. He's the guy who can get the big things done especially when dealing with the league.
Senior Vice President/Director of Hockey Operations--____________________
General Manager--Darcy Regier
There's the hole that Pegula really needs to invest in, with both a quality hire and a good amount of money to lure someone to Buffalo.
Apparently Regier has been in charge of that.
Yikes. Not a very good track record, especially in giving the team an identity. Make no mistake, if he's told to get something done, he'll be able to do it, as evidenced by the last two years of transactions.
But to ask him to define this team? It will be in his image and likeness. And he's a guy who could not compete in the NHL. He's had an affinity for soft-but-skilled players and puck-moving defensemen and knows nothing about grit and toughness.
He has not been able to identify and aquire hockey players. Real hockey players. Thick-skinned professionals who will not be denied at any point in the period, game or season. Guys who don't "want to win" (because all players want to win,) but guys who hate to lose.
How many of those players have been with the franchise post Chris Drury/Daniel Briere? Not many. As of right now the best of those is Ryan Miller. Steve Ott is like that. Patrick Kaleta, Nathan Gerbe even Thomas Vanek and Robyn Regehr, in a subtle way, all hate to lose.
Regier's core from the past six seasons and his acquisitions?
Not so much.
So, Terry, as the Lindy Ruff era officially came to a close, perhaps a look at your organization would be a place, THE place, to start your drive to the Stanley Cup.
The task of Sawyer and yourself is to hire the best hockey mind in the hockey operations business. One with a proven background of winning the Stanely Cup.
None of us outside the NHL circle know who's available, but a very good candidate may be Larry Robinson.
Robinson has had success everywhere he's gone. He started his career in one of the greatest organization in the NHL--the Montreal Canadians--who had one of the greatest coaches of all time in Scotty Bowman and was a major part of one of the greatest dynasties in NHL history--"The Flying Frenchmen" of the '70's. He won six Stanley Cups as a player.
His coaching resume' has him winning three Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils as both an assistant and as head coach.
Presently he's an assistant with the San Jose' Sharks. One of the reasons he went to the west coast, apparently, was to be close to his grandkids.
*shrugs*
It's been said that he was willing to take an assistant coach with the Canadians, but there was no opening, so the east coast is not out of the question.
Regardless of whether or not the team would want him or whether or not he'd come to Buffalo, Terry Pegula needs to fill that gaping hole in his organization.
Especially if their de facto Ops-guy, Darcy Regier, is no longer with the team come season's end.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
"The First Professor" hits the real world
Sabres GM Darcy Regier hired Ron Rolston as head coach of the Rochester Americans in the 2011 off-season. He was immediately dubbed "the first professor at the University of Sabres."
That moniker was pinned on him as the team, under new owner Terry Pegula, began to lay a foundation for the future. Pegula is noted for his open wallet approach to free agency, but he also has put a premium on scouting and player development.
As the "first professor," Rolston was in charge with teaching the fundamentals to the youngsters coming up through the organization. That's what he was noted for as head coach for a very successful US Hockey National Team Development Program.
As the new, albeit interim, head coach he'll be in charge of a Buffalo Sabres Team Development Program. The team is in a mess right now and is in need of structure, especially on the back end.
According to Regier, Rolston's teams "play with structure, discipline, they have a work ethic." And no where will the structure and discipline be more welcome than on defense.
CBC.ca delves into Rolston via an interview with Ron's younger brother Brian, a recently retired veteran of over 1200 NHL games.
Here's what Brian had to say:
Another area for Rolson to address is the lack of secondary scoring through the underperformance of some players, most notably Drew Stafford and, to an extent, Marcus Foligno. Both made up two-thirds of a potent line, with Tyler Ennis in the middle, that almost jettisoned the Sabres into the playoffs in the 2011/12 season.
Stafford has been downright abysmal, which is a huge step back from being inconsistent for the length of his career in Buffalo. He has the size and skill to be a consistent 20-25 goal scorer, but for some reason his head seems to be somewhere else way too often.
Foligno was developed under Rolston in Rochester for much of the 2011/12 season before being called up.
The big power forward took it to the next level with a vengeance scoring 13 points in 14 games. Foligno was the epitome of north/south--strong to the net, strong in the corners of the offensive zone, strong on the back-check.
Like the team as a whole, Foligno is off to a rather slow start with only one goal thus far. He also seems to have lost those attributes which lead to success in his first pro campaign a year and a half ago.
Other youngsters up-front who will need more attention are Cody Hodgson, Ennis and, maybe most importantly, rookie Mikhail Grigorenko, all of whom are young centers on this team.
Hodgson spent the entire lockout with Rolston over in Rochester. He was a point per game player during that time. He'll probably never be known as a two-way center, but if he continues to score and be the glue that keeps the top line together, then nearly all will be forgiven.
Tyler Ennis was finally moved to the middle by Ruff last year and he responded with a fantastic run. This season he's provided the only consistent secondary scoring on the team with 5 goals and 8 assists through 17 games.
As for Grigorenko, he's just getting his feet wet and is looked upon as a future top-six/top-line center. He has been relegated to the bench for much of the young season in favor of veteran Jochen Hecht on the third line. The mantra from the organization was that he would be developed slowly--playing some, sitting some--much like the Boston Bruins did with Tyler Seguin.
Grigorenko has not been lighting it up, nor has he been a total disaster. Rolston's structure and attention to detail should help the 18 yr. old develop a sound NHL foundation with which to build upon.
It all starts tonight in Toronto against Maple Leaves team that's found new life under new head coach Randy Carlyle. They are presently third in the Northeast Division, sixth in the Eastern conference, have a 10-7-0 record including 4-2-0 vs. the Northeast. Buffalo beat the Leaves in their second game of the season--a game Ryan Miller stole--and gained a point in an OTL eight days later.
Rolston is being thrown into the fire with a mish-mash of styles and skill-levels to work with. And more importantly he'll be guiding a team that lacks a true identity. What he'll be relying upon moving forward is the innate professionalism within each player as he tries to move this underachieving group forward.
Right now there are only two players on this roster who have played up to their level thus far--Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller.
Vanek found new life to his game during the lockout while playing in Austria, his homeland. He leads the league in points (25) and goals (12.)
Miller has been under duress all season, maybe even his entire career in Buffalo, and has acquitted himself well lately. During the past six games he's given up more than two goals once (4, Pittsburgh,) stole a game on Long Island to help end a poor run by the team, and was named 2nd star in a loss to Boston.
The rest will need to fall into place, the defense in front of Miller and the offense behind Vanek.
And it will be up to the "first professor" to bring it all together as he moves from the "university" into the real world of the NHL.
That moniker was pinned on him as the team, under new owner Terry Pegula, began to lay a foundation for the future. Pegula is noted for his open wallet approach to free agency, but he also has put a premium on scouting and player development.
As the "first professor," Rolston was in charge with teaching the fundamentals to the youngsters coming up through the organization. That's what he was noted for as head coach for a very successful US Hockey National Team Development Program.
As the new, albeit interim, head coach he'll be in charge of a Buffalo Sabres Team Development Program. The team is in a mess right now and is in need of structure, especially on the back end.
According to Regier, Rolston's teams "play with structure, discipline, they have a work ethic." And no where will the structure and discipline be more welcome than on defense.
CBC.ca delves into Rolston via an interview with Ron's younger brother Brian, a recently retired veteran of over 1200 NHL games.
Here's what Brian had to say:
"[Ron] demands that everybody is prepared; and he wants a north-south game. His attention to detail starts with having to take care of the defensive end first," Brian said. "I was lucky to play nine seasons for a great coach in Jacques Lemaire, and Ron would ask me, 'What does Jacques do here? What does he think about this?'
In Boston, we had a rule: the forwards back-checked the puck and the defence took the middle of the ice away. The goalies knew the shot was coming from the outside. Ron will be like that. He'll set up a defensive system and expect the players to stick with it."There have been fans bemoaning Lindy Ruff's defensive "system" over the past four or five seasons preferring "the Ferrari" of 2006/07. But, you can't do a damn thing if you don't have the puck, or turn the puck over when you have it. Or have the puck end up in the back of your net because you're constantly out of position or losing your man.
Another area for Rolson to address is the lack of secondary scoring through the underperformance of some players, most notably Drew Stafford and, to an extent, Marcus Foligno. Both made up two-thirds of a potent line, with Tyler Ennis in the middle, that almost jettisoned the Sabres into the playoffs in the 2011/12 season.
Stafford has been downright abysmal, which is a huge step back from being inconsistent for the length of his career in Buffalo. He has the size and skill to be a consistent 20-25 goal scorer, but for some reason his head seems to be somewhere else way too often.
Foligno was developed under Rolston in Rochester for much of the 2011/12 season before being called up.
The big power forward took it to the next level with a vengeance scoring 13 points in 14 games. Foligno was the epitome of north/south--strong to the net, strong in the corners of the offensive zone, strong on the back-check.
Like the team as a whole, Foligno is off to a rather slow start with only one goal thus far. He also seems to have lost those attributes which lead to success in his first pro campaign a year and a half ago.
Other youngsters up-front who will need more attention are Cody Hodgson, Ennis and, maybe most importantly, rookie Mikhail Grigorenko, all of whom are young centers on this team.
Hodgson spent the entire lockout with Rolston over in Rochester. He was a point per game player during that time. He'll probably never be known as a two-way center, but if he continues to score and be the glue that keeps the top line together, then nearly all will be forgiven.
Tyler Ennis was finally moved to the middle by Ruff last year and he responded with a fantastic run. This season he's provided the only consistent secondary scoring on the team with 5 goals and 8 assists through 17 games.
As for Grigorenko, he's just getting his feet wet and is looked upon as a future top-six/top-line center. He has been relegated to the bench for much of the young season in favor of veteran Jochen Hecht on the third line. The mantra from the organization was that he would be developed slowly--playing some, sitting some--much like the Boston Bruins did with Tyler Seguin.
Grigorenko has not been lighting it up, nor has he been a total disaster. Rolston's structure and attention to detail should help the 18 yr. old develop a sound NHL foundation with which to build upon.
It all starts tonight in Toronto against Maple Leaves team that's found new life under new head coach Randy Carlyle. They are presently third in the Northeast Division, sixth in the Eastern conference, have a 10-7-0 record including 4-2-0 vs. the Northeast. Buffalo beat the Leaves in their second game of the season--a game Ryan Miller stole--and gained a point in an OTL eight days later.
Rolston is being thrown into the fire with a mish-mash of styles and skill-levels to work with. And more importantly he'll be guiding a team that lacks a true identity. What he'll be relying upon moving forward is the innate professionalism within each player as he tries to move this underachieving group forward.
Right now there are only two players on this roster who have played up to their level thus far--Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller.
Vanek found new life to his game during the lockout while playing in Austria, his homeland. He leads the league in points (25) and goals (12.)
Miller has been under duress all season, maybe even his entire career in Buffalo, and has acquitted himself well lately. During the past six games he's given up more than two goals once (4, Pittsburgh,) stole a game on Long Island to help end a poor run by the team, and was named 2nd star in a loss to Boston.
The rest will need to fall into place, the defense in front of Miller and the offense behind Vanek.
And it will be up to the "first professor" to bring it all together as he moves from the "university" into the real world of the NHL.
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."
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