Myers and Ruff?

[deluca67]

I'm seem to recall many conversations during Myers' rookie year about Lindy Ruff's ability to coach Myers to the next level. I have to say that Myers for the most part of the last 96 games has been disappointing. I just don't see his game maturing. Maybe the level he entered the NHL at has thrown off expectations.

 

I guess the question is, can Myers take that next step with Lindy Ruff coaching him?

[tom webster]

I'm seem to recall many conversations during Myers' rookie year about Lindy Ruff's ability to coach Myers to the next level. I have to say that Myers for the most part of the last 96 games has been disappointing. I just don't see his game maturing. Maybe the level he entered the NHL at has thrown off expectations.

 

I guess the question is, can Myers take that next step with Lindy Ruff coaching him?

 

 

Can you get me that list of players that turned out to be better without Ruff again?

[deluca67]

Can you get me that list of players that turned out to be better without Ruff again?

MacArthur and Paille are recent examples. Lydman had a career high of +32.

 

Are you going to say you are happy with Myers' development? That Lyndy has done a good job?

[carpandean]

MacArthur and Paille are recent examples.

I'll say it again, Paille may be better off in Boston, but he is not better. Pretty much the same player, worse statistically, but maybe a little more dedicated as a role player. I don't see him as any kind of an example of an improved player after leaving Ruff.

 

MacArthur is two years removed from Buffalo and with maturity has found some consistency, but he had plenty of "hot" streaks here that showed he had potential. He's a better example than Paille, but I'd need to see something more than a young kid finding some consistency to make any kind of conclusion about a "Ruff" effect.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTjOQltm63s

[...]

Hasek won Cup next season after leaving Sabres.

[kishoph]

I'm seem to recall many conversations during Myers' rookie year about Lindy Ruff's ability to coach Myers to the next level. I have to say that Myers for the most part of the last 96 games has been disappointing. I just don't see his game maturing. Maybe the level he entered the NHL at has thrown off expectations.

 

I guess the question is, can Myers take that next step with Lindy Ruff coaching him?

 

 

 

NO !

[SabresMojo]

NO !

 

Well thought out and backed up opinion.

[X. Benedict]

MacArthur and Paille are recent examples. Lydman had a career high of +32.

 

Are you going to say you are happy with Myers' development? That Lyndy has done a good job?

 

Paille, eh? because getting dropped from 3rd line in Buffalo to 4th line in Boston and then spending the next year as a healthy scratch for 40-some games is a good developmental trajectory?

[X. Benedict]

I'm seem to recall many conversations during Myers' rookie year about Lindy Ruff's ability to coach Myers to the next level. I have to say that Myers for the most part of the last 96 games has been disappointing. I just don't see his game maturing. Maybe the level he entered the NHL at has thrown off expectations.

 

I guess the question is, can Myers take that next step with Lindy Ruff coaching him?

 

Myers is a 21 year old playing the hardest position in professional sports. He's going to look like a stud one night and a fool the next no matter who is coaching him.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Paille, eh? because getting dropped from 3rd line in Buffalo to 4th line in Boston and then spending the next year as a healthy scratch for 40-some games is a good developmental trajectory?

 

When on a team that won more playoff games in 6 weeks than 4 years?........yes?

[Iron Crotch]

It bothers me that we have an absolute giant on defense (6'8 230) who is a finesse player. I can forgive an occasional giveaway, but if you have the kind of size you HAVE to use it. I'm not sure he has it in him to play with an edge game in and game out, and he certainly doesn't have a natural mean streak. Can you coach that?

[X. Benedict]

It bothers me that we have an absolute giant on defense (6'8 230) who is a finesse player. I can forgive an occasional giveaway, but if you have the kind of size you HAVE to use it. I'm not sure he has it in him to play with an edge game in and game out, and he certainly doesn't have a natural mean streak. Can you coach that?

Probably closer to 210-215 IMO. He's a work in progress. He can be remarkable and hard to watch, sometimes on the same shift. 21.

[apuszczalowski]

I'll say it again, Paille may be better off in Boston, but he is not better. Pretty much the same player, worse statistically, but maybe a little more dedicated as a role player. I don't see him as any kind of an example of an improved player after leaving Ruff.

 

MacArthur is two years removed from Buffalo and with maturity has found some consistency, but he had plenty of "hot" streaks here that showed he had potential. He's a better example than Paille, but I'd need to see something more than a young kid finding some consistency to make any kind of conclusion about a "Ruff" effect.

My friends wife grew up with Paille and knew him pretty good. Shes a huge Sabres fan and her dad is a Bruins fan so they have watched him alot. My buddy was saying that when watching Pille, he just doesn't seem like he is interested in playing the game, like he is just out there to collect his paycheck and play. He just gets the vibe that Paille is only doing this because he grew up doing it and can. But up until spurts in the playoffs, he has been a non factor in Boston. Horton is the Wellander that looks like his games improved in Boston.

 

As for MacArthur, he went to the Thrashers and was let go there too cause they didn't feel he deserved what he would be getting (in Buffalo, it wasn't that he was bad, he just wasn't good enough to justify a roster spot after the trade deadline. He started out REALLY good in Toronto and has fizzled back into being decent, but nothing special

[Marvelo]

that speech that LaDanian Tomlinson made before the Bills game the other day gave me a bit of the chill of recognition. he said that the jets shouldn't be afraid because the Bills play "pretty ball" ie they don't play smashmouth...

 

Sabres have always played Pretty Ball too, from Day 1, and that's why they keep getting put on the scrapheap of history. Myers is a perfect pretty ball player, as are many of the new pickups and current roster. When the chips are down, they don't fight back. I don't remember a smashmouth Sabres team except for maybe Nolan's teams, but that didn't last long. I think at this level, you have to play smashmouth or you're going to get your mouth smashed.

 

Someone should have beat Lucic within an inch of his life for what he did to Miller. Our biggest player didn't, and neither did anyone else.

[LGR4GM]

The thing is its not Myers fault, hes a kid. Where are Pommers and Roy and Goose and Vanek and even Regher, leo, and Error? Thats your veteran core and other than producing points they are not physical and they don't/aren't setting the type of example this team needs to be successful. Pommers and Vanek are at least getting points but that does not make you a leader... idk whats wrong with this team but 05-06 was the last great team we had and that was a long time ago now... (06-07 was not as gritty... or as good)

[Weave]

The thing is its not Myers fault, hes a kid. Where are Pommers and Roy and Goose and Vanek and even Regher, leo, and Error? Thats your veteran core and other than producing points they are not physical and they don't/aren't setting the type of example this team needs to be successful. Pommers and Vanek are at least getting points but that does not make you a leader... idk whats wrong with this team but 05-06 was the last great team we had and that was a long time ago now... (06-07 was not as gritty... or as good)

 

Milan Lucic as a 21yr old kid would have had no problem coming to the aid of Tim Thomas. He was 21 last year. Myers doesn't have it in him. After last years' playoffs I was hopeful that the mean streak would come. Last night showed that he is a finesse player that doesn't have angry in him. It's frustrating because we've only had two eras in this league where this team could effectively deter the sort of thing that happened last night, the Playfair years, and a couple Nolan years. Other than that, we've been on the recieving end of that sort of crap without the wherewithall to deal with it on the ice and show the rest of the league that we won't tolerate it.

 

Last season Montreal got tired of being bullied by Boston. they lost most of those fights but at least the team stood up for itself. Our guys didn't. I am embarrassed.

[Eleven]

Milan Lucic as a 21yr old kid would have had no problem coming to the aid of Tim Thomas. He was 21 last year. Myers doesn't have it in him. After last years' playoffs I was hopeful that the mean streak would come. Last night showed that he is a finesse player that doesn't have angry in him. It's frustrating because we've only had two eras in this league where this team could effectively deter the sort of thing that happened last night, the Playfair years, and a couple Nolan years. Other than that, we've been on the recieving end of that sort of crap without the wherewithall to deal with it on the ice and show the rest of the league that we won't tolerate it.

 

Last season Montreal got tired of being bullied by Boston. they lost most of those fights but at least the team stood up for itself. Our guys didn't. I am embarrassed.

 

No, we had it in 2006-2007 as well. And I think Mike Peca would have made some people pay, too.

[LastPommerFan]

You can't get by being competitive for 13 years basically only using players you drafted and developed unless you're good at developing players. Now, developing all-stars? that might be a different story, but Danny Briere is a different and better player for having been through Ruff's system.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

No, we had it in 2006-2007 as well. And I think Mike Peca would have made some people pay, too.

 

Bull.

 

The Sabres were cowards....if you are refering to the Ottawa game, that was a joke. Emery could have killed Biron, but showed mercy only to have Peters come and try and fight him.

 

Earlier in the year when Briere got nailed at the bench by Ovechkin, Ovechkin challenged Drury to settle it for Briere and Drury avoided him. It came down to Briere hiding behind Campbell then spearing Ovechkin in the groin next game. Ovechkin admitted he made a stupid dirty play and was willing to fight. This was the face of the league at the time and a 50 goal scorer.

[ko12010]

No, we had it in 2006-2007 as well. And I think Mike Peca would have made some people pay, too.

 

 

I respectfully disagree with this. I agree w the poster who said 05-06 was our last great team from the aspect of overall balance and toughness and the talent and scoring ability to win it all. I think the main reason we lost in 06-07 was being out-physicaled. Ottawa took it to us w reckless abandon. We got screwed slightly in the fact that the NHL regressed closer to pre lockout clutching and grabbing rules but it was the fact we were too soft. Most talent in the league? Probably. Scoring players in abundance.

 

05-06 was one of the best hockey teams I've ever seen. Unbelievable scoring talent paired w a rookie goal tender on fire and a tough hard hitting D corps. We had great 2 way players also and veteran leadership and a pre concussed connolly who was showing his ridiculous ability w the puck. The fact that we didn't win the cup that year is a travesty I still have trouble getting over. Snake bitten w freak injuries to the 3rd degree.

 

We let the wrong guys walk especially dumont. If we had J.P. in 06-07 we may have won it all. Guy was a great 2 way player with grit and soft hands.

 

We are fairly soft now and it sucks to see. Let Myers be an offensive d man as long as we add another bad mofo dman for next yr and maybe bring Kassian up as well. We need big fierce guys to add to this team for the next few years. Another good center would be great, but imo we need hitters. We have enough scoring talent on this squad but they get clamped down by physical teams.

 

*IMO the NHL has totally gone back to pre-lockout officiating. Just a joke. Now teams like Boston can mug the teams that have been built for the post-lockout rules. One of the real reasons our 06-07 squad didn't win it all was the way the refs reverted back to old school hockey come playoff time, more and more so as each round progressed. What Boston did to a more finesse team like Vancouver was a friggin joke. Good job NHL.

 

But that brings up another point. Darcy stop building teams for regular season success bc that Sh*t goes out the window in April! I'd rather get in at the 6 seed with a smash mouth hockey team then win the division at 2 or 3 and lose to a team built like Boston like how we friggin did two years ago. I hate the NHL sometimes

[rickshaw]

 

 

*IMO the NHL has totally gone back to pre-lockout officiating. Just a joke. Now teams like Boston can mug the teams that have been built for the post-lockout rules. One of the real reasons our 06-07 squad didn't win it all was the way the refs reverted back to old school hockey come playoff time, more and more so as each round progressed. What Boston did to a more finesse team like Vancouver was a friggin joke. Good job NHL.

 

But that brings up another point. Darcy stop building teams for regular season success bc that Sh*t goes out the window in April! I'd rather get in at the 6 seed with a smash mouth hockey team then win the division at 2 or 3 and lose to a team built like Boston like how we friggin did two years ago. I hate the NHL sometimes

 

Well said. If it's thuggery that is going to win it all, then maybe all teams should build that way. It's sad when guys just play between the whistles, which is what you're supposed to do, and aren't rewarded. Teams like the Bruins are thugs and it will win out in the end over softer teams like the Canucks and Sabres.

 

I'm saddened by our response to Lucic's hit. Myers could have at the very least gotten a shot or two in before it was all said and done. But really, why isn't someone doing the same hit to Thomas? That is the question. Personally I'd want my guys to run their goalie but that's me. But maybe the Sabres are wired to try to win the game, not the game within the game??

 

Lucic should have been tossed. The NHL should suspend him for the hit. The Sabres need to figure out what they are going to do going fwd if this happens again (when it happens again)

 

As for Myers. He's a big, big kid but he's not physically strong like others, YET. He will get there and he will be a force in this league. I'm glad he's on my team and have no worries that he'll be a Norris Winner one day.

[5th line wingnutt]

I say we sit Myers and Ruff. Dress Weber, and call up Kassian and hire Barnaby as special temporary head coach.

 

And... after Scott Arniel gets fired hire him back as PP coach.

[Chief Enabler]

The defense in general is a disaster this year. As individuals they all look great on paper. This aggressive approach is a train wreck, it's like there is no defensive responsibilties this year. All the defenseman except regehr are crashing the net on almost every rush, it's alittle predictable and I am sure that is a huge part of millers problem.

 

As for Myers, I point at the coaching asking him to do too much, too fast.

 

Lindy should calm down and get back to basics, he's looking like an ass right now.

[DumbPuck]

The defense in general is a disaster this year. As individuals they all look great on paper. This aggressive approach is a train wreck, it's like there is no defensive responsibilties this year. All the defenseman except regehr are crashing the net on almost every rush, it's alittle predictable and I am sure that is a huge part of millers problem.

 

As for Myers, I point at the coaching asking him to do too much, too fast.

 

Lindy should calm down and get back to basics, he's looking like an ass right now.

 

I agree on all counts. I wonder if Lindy is in the hot seat with Pegula right now (rightfully so). While we do have a winning record, nothing has been pretty thus far. Especially yesterday. It's also not really like Lindy to lash out like that. I wouldn't be surprised if Pegula is putting some pressure on him to get things in order around here.

 

While Pegula may not be a sports leader, he definitely knows how to operate a multi-billion dollar business... I would imagine he has ways of holding people accountable.