PerreaultForever

My favourite line from him was one I've said here many times "it's not just about goals". Lindy will tell them and show them all the little things they need to do to turn into winners. Whether or not they do it is another matter. This is why I also want Tuch as captain now more than ever. He's going to tell the rest of them to "listen to Lindy, he knows what he's talking about".

The bottom line for me on why this is a good move is this: We argue on here about why they lose all the time. Is it the coach? Is it the players? Is it the culture? Is it Adams fault? Is it Pegula's? and there is some consensus but there's also a lot of differing views. With a new coach like Gallant or Berube we'd be in the same arguments should they lose. Berube was overrated. Players won't play for new coach. We chose the wrong coach and so on. With Lindy we know this for certain, 100%, as we've seen it before. With a sufficiently talented roster Lindy knows how to win in this league. He's done it numerous times and you don't get to his win total without knowing how to win. So if this team still loses we will know for sure, 100%, that it's simply not going to happen with anybody in this franchise. There is absolutely no question that this team has to win now and barring some incredible injury bad luck they should win next year and make the playoffs and become a contender. If they still don't, then Adams has built a roster of lazy uncoachable losers (which I don't believe now) and we will have to tear it all down again and the team will likely never win until Pegula sells it. This imo will be a certainty. But for the moment, I now have hope for next season.

I'd guess he couldn't trade him because he wasn't willing to retain salary for the small return he was offered. Nobody was going to pay that salary for what he brings. He'll have a job next year but it'll be for a substantial pay cut.

Should I change the wording to block shots properly? You don't win in the NHL without shot blockers.

Jay McKee? It is time these D men learned to block shots. Peca? (take a drink)

I think the biggest change will be Lindy will be focused on winning hockey games and not player development. This, in and of itself will be a big change.

Eichel was winning late game face offs. Amazing what coaching can do. It was so close to Edmonton Vegas which would have been really good. This LA series is a bust. Maybe a couple rounds from now.........

I was thinking today that if we do want to swap some talent for grit and toughness Utah might be the best team to talk to. They will want a little more offensive flash for their new fan base.

Now that Ruff has been hired as coach, the next step is to name Tuch as captain. Why? Because he already has a relationship with and a love for his coach and thus is the best possible bridge between players and coach, which is what a captain has to be.

I do think it's now playoffs or bust for Adams next season. I could even see a scenario where, should it fail badly, Adams gets fired and Ruff stays in an interim capacity where he eventually moves into an upper advisory role after helping handle a transition to a new GM and possibly new coach. But I am hoping we never find out and are talking playoffs this time next year instead. Damn, @Brawndo is always beating me to Sabres news, now he's beating me to my own thoughts!

Start at 4:39

The money doesn't matter. We can't afford any sort of negative division at this moment. Ruff has to be allowed complete control or this will fail miserably.

Possibly. or the KHL. I think he might get a 1-2 year deal out of San Jose or Chicago though. Both teams are in full rebuild and might want a placeholder for some of their draft choices.

It's hilarious to me that I'm all too often accused of being too negative and yet I'm extremely positive about this hire. For all you Ruff haters I guess it's time for me to say: You're not real Sabres fans.

Peca, Peca, Peca..................

lol, Bruins fans going crazy with Ullmark hate (even though he actually played well) and screaming for Montgomery to be fired for not starting Swayman. Those guys mood swing like crazy. Guess that comes from high expectations. Canes comeback makes them look destined. Only saw the end but what an end it was. Now on to Vegas and oh look Stone's playing.................

I thought so. I remember this all from my youth. My father was an amateur boxer so I got schooled on all the boxing stuff early on. Everything from the "Brown Bomber" and Max Schmeling and then Ali and all the history. Boxing was a different kind of thing back then. Anyway, Winnipeg will give up a lot of shots every game against Colorado but it's kind of by design. Ullmark in for Boston, this is a new thing. Time to watch.

It's possible it pre-dates him but not to my knowledge. He was pretty much the first heavy weight to fight the way he did with speed and motion, avoiding punches and thus wearing down his opponent. He never really had a (comparatively) heavy punch and he brought a light weight style to the heavy weight division. It was revolutionary at the time and his rope-a-dope style was part of it.

safe maybe, desperation I don't think so.

It was Ali. I think when he was still Cassius Clay.

I'm perfectly fine with this. Kind of expected it. It's good for marketing. It's good for the history. It's good for an idea (even if it's fake) of turning the page and returning to glory. Ruff is a proven commodity who does know what he's doing and if these players don't play for him I doubt they play for anybody. Granato's extension came before Ruff's firing in NJ correct? If so I have to wonder if they didn't start thinking about Ruff the second he was free. About the extensive search, I look at it more positively. Bring in the coach NOW. Let him have a voice on the roster and who he wants or who he thinks might not be worth keeping. Have him here before free agency and before the draft. Let him start talking to players and telling them what he expects before they head off to Sweden or Germany or wherever. Get it started before the summer starts. I think this is smart. My only wish/concern is that I would hope Lindy can bring in his own assistants rather than sticking with Adam's guys. Maybe that'll still happen. Otherwise, I feel good about this.

I did watch it. Not as closely as I watch the Bruins but I saw the whole game. Yup, lots of shots, but not a huge difference in actual dangerous scoring chances imo. It was a classic offensive team vs. defensive team match up. Rope a dope if you are old enough to remember the analogy.

Well then that means he's the perfect choice. F'em with what they want. Only thing that matters is what they need.

I'm not burying him on PP2. You've seem to have an idea that PP1 should be the threat and PP2 is just what? prayer? I'm thinking you want TWO solid units that can give you a full 2 minutes plus threat. With this roster my PP1 is Dahlin, Thompson, Tuch, Benson, Peterka (this is assuming Benson keeps improving and doesn't have a sophomore slump) PP2 is Power, Byram, Quinn, Greenway, Cozens Tuch and Greenway are net front. Benson and Cozens play the bumper. Quinn and Thompson are the snipers, the rest are on the points. (if you notice, no Skinner)