Believer

Boom… Knies… Awesone OT win.

Will be rooting for you, @inkman! Between the detox, stress, lack of sleep, and the uppers, sounds like your body and mind are off kilter… Wishing you find your healthy balance soon after you get settled into your new role with your old employer… Let your spirit, your family and friends, and us here at Sabrespace be your strength until then!

Was with you until the last paragraph.

Reinhardt just killing it… Montour having a good series as well… Hard to believe we had them and lost them… KA better turn the culture around or we risk losing Dahlin like Eichel… Top players get sick of losing… Contracts be damned.

Watching the Tampa Florida series for three games… our Sabres are not yet close to these teams in any area… Ruff and his coaches have their work cut out for them… and Adams better deliver a handful of playoff vets.

Did you see Cooper yell red faced at his bench to get them pumped before the puck drop in Game 3 tonight? Don’t ever recall Granato doing that.

Like your adds… Keeping Krebs… He is young, has high compete, and will find a role with Ruff… Will be shocked if he’s moved…

Ruff said discipline will be applied to ice time minutes… He can also choose to not dress a player and have him watch from the press box (worked wonders with Thompson last season)… It’s really the only practical leverage a Coach has. Suppose fines in certain situations could apply as well… Then there is the relationship side of applying consequences… Tough love… The tough part is easy… The love part requires genuine caring and finesse with modern players… Know as an old guy myself I’m much more attuned to the caring side of the transaction today… Could be wrong, but got the impression Ruff is attuned to communicating and working effectively with young players.

From one old guy to another… well said.

Great question. Agree with every post above. Good stuff. Also think Ruff brings invaluable experience to Adams decision-making… If Ruff had been here, doubt the preseason prospect auditions would have taken priority over getting his starting players game ready… Doubt the Three Goalie Rotation would have gone on for nearly two plus months… Doubt the Player Stunt dissing the fans and poisoning the locker room would have gone on at all… And Ruff has current knowledge of potential players Adams is considering bringing to Buffalo. He’s coached against every one of them recently, whoever they are. This can be great input to Adams.

And, I don’t gamble… Just making an informed observation… Frankly, not a big Tuch fan… He has hockey IQ, the size, speed and skills… Saw him glide through too many shifts this season… Ruff is just the man to energize Tuch and take him to the next level… When Ruff was describing what he expected from a player, he could have been talking to Tuch, imo.

Tuch was featured in several photos with Pegula and Ruff by the BN… Would bet a bunch he is named the new Captain.

Not a Power fan. Doubt he will ever have grit and dominate physically despite his size…Would have traded him for veteran SC forward help while he still has high value. BUT… Ruff said he wants a defensive team that skates fast, plays fast, and exits their zone quickly with long passes… Up ice passing is Power’s strength… and he’s unafraid to take risks joining the O deep in the opponents zone… Just needs a better decision-making that will come with experience and coaching. Bet Ruff is excited to work with the kid.

Older and wiser… Not as quick?… When a reporter asked him about his view of Analytics, Ruff immediately reeled off 4-5 measures he said he uses regularly as examples… in addition to the Eye Test. The guy’s mind is quick like electric.

÷

Truth.

He is on the record he is going the UFA route… He doesn’t expect to be resigned by the Sabres. Agree we need a couple three more vets… preferably with SC experience… and most on the roster need more grit and compete… Adams offseason challenge… Think Ruff will separate the boys from the men in short order.

Still young and still motivated… Don’t know his upside, but would like to have seen how he responded to Ruff.

Watched Steven’s play for many years in Washington as a season ticket holder… He would bring a tough, physical mindset to our young D corps… Agree it is a pipe dream.

Looking forward to Skinner’s next comedy interview video. Ha!

Dahlin, Power, Thompson, Benson, Cozens, Johnson, UPL… Couple Amerks earn a spot like Kuhlich, Rosen… Think Ruff will get better results from them than Granato did.

With the talent here, he should do better. Easily.

Feelings aside… Ruff is a Hockey Man… an attribute in short supply in the Sabres organization…

The Country Club is over… Enjoy your summer boys… It is all business starting at camp… Whether it was Adams or Pegula… I am delighted with the choice.

Samuelsson has a lot of balls talking about the team needs to work harder next season… Watched this guy glide through too many shifts without ever taking an opponent into the boards or even finishing his checks… Mr. JustCallMeGlance.