SDS Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 I think Lindy has been here long enough to deserve a dedicated thread to discuss his fate. Not one that is titled "Boudreau..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Dwight Drane Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 I think Lindy has been here long enough to deserve a dedicated thread to discuss his fate. Not one that is titled "Boudreau..." I like it. Classy, considering in the span of 1 hour I see Kevin Sylvester in a coaches segment saying "Lindy ain't goin' nowhere" as Ray, Neale and Roby all talked about other coaches and Ray basically described a great coach as the opposite of what is happening here. Paul Hamilton is defending Ruff all of a sudden and using the injury excuse. Then Bucky sending in an article 95% written by 8PM with no mention of Gerbe almost getting killed, but at the same time stroking Pegula. Thank you for bringing it to the forefront, considering all things Sabres seems to have gotten a phonecall to calm the rumblings of a "concerned" fanbase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Dwight Drane Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Please excuse the length, as I sweep over my own Library of Congress submission. This should save me from 20 future posts though, so you all win. 10 coaches who have won the Cup since Lindy was hired had been hired after Ruff was hired. 7 of those coaches had been FIRED from a previous job, then went on to win the Cup with a different team....all during Ruff's tenure. 5 coaches were FIRED AFTER winning the Cup since Ruff was hired. Then there was Scotty Bowman. But WHO WOULD YOU EVER BRING IN HERE TO REPLACE RUFF? Here are the facts. Lindy names 5 guys captains who have been here for the better part of the decade and are all Darcy picks. Along with Miller that makes for 50% of the salary cap. Ehrhoff and Lieno were signed to big money deals Sekera was resigned to good money You are now up to 2/3 of the cap with Lindy/Darcy seal of approval THIS YEAR Regehr and Boyes were traded for and Leopold signed within a year Myers, Gragnani, Weber, Kaleta, Gerbe, Ennis, Enroth, Adam are all Darcy draft picks under NO constraints Hecht has always been a Lindy favorite Ellis and McCormick are filler Now....if the players are the problem....Who is responsible for bringing in all these players? Who was allowed to spend over the cap and throw an extra $25 million in upfront money at guys? Who put together this team and why is he still here? Who blesses Darcy's roster by giving C's and A's to guys who have engineered this train of mediocrity for the majority of the 21st century? Who blesses a soft roster by sitting a guy like Weber and watches his team fold while his "elite" goalie gets ambushed? It just doesn't fly anymore....and to logical, hockeyminded people that are able to call the bluff on Darcy's spreadsheet reports....it's maddening. There is NO excuse for BOTH Regier and Ruff to be employed in Buffalo at this point. This is one more year that the tandem is in control together, and in my opinion, wasted. Darcy should have been gone at the very least and this year and possibly next could have been Ruff's time to prove his salt. If the rest of this league sees the players as the problem, then I am sure Darcy is viewed in the same light. I don't argue against Ruff finding another coaching job in quick fashion, but something tells me Darcy would be out of work for quite a while unless he pulls a Jauron and takes the DB coach gig somewhere. The Sabres will probably get it together....and finish in 5th or 6th....and get bounced in the 1st round...and we can do this all over again next year. I would have changed all 3 myself....years ago. That's the problem...by defending any of the 3 at this point you are defending all 3 by default. The culture is such groupthink and intertwined that it is impossible to change anything with a TRUE chance unless you change it all. You can't begin to move forward unless you change SOMETHING to know where the weak link is for sure. 6 Coaches have now been hired AFTER Ruff was hired.....went on to win the Stanley Cup on that team....and were then FIRED! Ruff hasn't won a playoff series in 4 years. I will still contend, Ruff's success came in 2 spurts. One, after inheiriting Ted Nolan's team...the team he won the division with, the Jack Adams with, and a playoff series with Steve Shields as his goalie, then Ruff was able to add guys like Warrener, Barnes, Sanderson and Juneau at the trade deadline because the team had looser pursestrings after a final ownership change....and had a healthy and content Hasek in net. His next 2 year success was after the league made sweeping rules changes to benefit skilled, soft players, who Buffalo had built their team around. Those are 2 black swans.....having possibly the best Goalie in the history of the game and ownership on your side with the residue of a hardworking team in one stint.....and the biggest set of rules changes and enforcement in the 100+ year history of the NHL in the second stint. Lindy might just be the Trent Dilfer of coaches....and even HE has a ring. The problem is, if he makes a change so soon after glowing about these guys....it will be a blow to his pride. His fandom may not allow it. The only thing that may have gotten to him is that Boston game. Guys who have had success and can do whatever they want in life hate one thing.....and that is being made a fool of. Make no mistake, the Sabres were a laughingstock after that game and it will not be easily forgotten by the hockey world. We can only hope Pegula was embarassed by it and starting asking himself more questions about what is really going on here. If they don't right the ship over the next few weeks, it will get ugly in town. There are plenty of people that have been Coach-for-lifers who have jumped ship recently. Tom Bauerlie went on a 15 minute rant the other day of how this is a franchise in crisis and he wants the old culture burned down. The tenor on this board is different......when I get responses of "Hear-Hear!", instead of "FU!"......I know where the momentum is amongst the fans. People start to open their eyes and minds. I am not sure how this will go if a tailspin ensues. Is Pegula so entrenched that he will take fan backlash as personal? His children are very active on the web and big hockey fans. Will they start to get harassed and Pegula actually start to resent the fans? These are real possibilities. Short of a 7-3 run to calm things down....questions will linger. If the Sabres drop another 5 of 7 at home around Holiday time where ticket prices are up, fans are stressed, and conversation is aflame at the dinner table over vacations.....this could go nuclear. How will our Commander in Chief respond? I am very interested to see how this all plays out this month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itbeatswalking Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Look what happened when Pitt went down without their 2 best d men and 3 of the top forwards, their coach taught them right and they still dominated, maybe some day pegula will realize that we are never winning a cup with Darcy, lindy and half the over paid bums we got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGR4GM Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 If Ruff goes you must also send his entire staff packing with him. A complete change or nothing. IMHO I would like to see Darcy and 1-2 of the core guys go out the door first. I think that will send a strong message of "we ain't f!!k!ng around here". The "culture" has not changed merely the image and the money surrounding the team did. It has been gradual over the last 8 months or so but I am slowly starting to think that Ruff's message and style has gotten old and its time for a new coach from the outside to come in and push these guys. I have not fully dove off the proverbial bandwagon yet but this is ridiculous. No team in the NHL is good enough to win on talent alone. This "team" is playing on talent alone and losing. Its not about grit or skill or some other magical excuse. It is a complete lack of heart. "I'm not looking for the best players; I'm looking for the right ones" and ladies and gentlemen we don't have the right ones. So to be clear I am calling for Darcy's head not Ruff's although if this continues, I would like the Sabres to pull a Anaheim... hell they fired a stanely cup winning coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 We already know what I think. Fire him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Two years of missing the playoffs, and two first round exits in the last four years. He and his running mate should have been kicked to the curb in the off-season, but instead Pegs had to learn the hard way that you can't be a fanboy as an owner. He better be on the hot seat!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrico Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Time for a change. We need new blood. I've been one of many to think that Ruff has fielded a competitive team when ownership went cheap but no excuses this year. There are long stretches of games where we don't have effort. It's not like one or two guys either, more like the majority of the team. To me, that's on coaching. Just watching shots of Ruff on the bench, he looks defeated.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 All of this Tpegs this, Tpegs that. I dunno. I didn't see a Lindy Ruff under pressure during the abbreviated post-game presser tonight. I think we may be waiting a while because the new players + multiple injured players excuse sounds pretty tight to a fanboy with gold-and-blue-colored glasses on. I also suspect TPegs wouldn't fire someone so close to the holidays. If Lindy goes, I'm alright with it because in all reality it is an action that is due. But Darcy better not stay, regardless of what happens with Lindy. And the roster needs to change, regardless of what happens with Lindy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spndnchz Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Adding poll question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Tom Baurle's rant that someone mentioned elsewhere: http://www.wben.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=5578951 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrannustyrannus Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 I'm too lazy to look up the video of Pegula saying "he ain't going nowhere" but I think we all remember it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpandean Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 If Lindy goes, I'm alright with it because in all reality it is an action that is due. But Darcy better not stay, regardless of what happens with Lindy. And the roster needs to change, regardless of what happens with Lindy. This. I'm fine with a coaching change, but it won't mean much if Darcy's still picking the players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Amerk Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 It has been time for Ruff to go for a couple years now. Good guy, but his "systems" aren't working - or, the players aren't responsive - or both. There are some good players on this team. I would love to see what a different coach could do with them. Mustn't hypothesize on potential replacements, otherwise I might get scolded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 I don't think losing 5 out of 6 in games 20 through 25 of the year means that it's time to hit the panic button. Let's remember that all 6 of those games have been without their 2 best players in Myers and Miller. Stay the course. TP chose to give DR and LR the chance to show that their plan would work. One off-season and 25 games of a new season is not a sufficient evaluation period. If they don't round into form over the course of this season, including an improved playoff showing -- fine, get rid of both of them (or at least DR). If there's a big step to be taken now, I'd be totally fine with trading Roy and/or healthy-scratching Stafford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDS Posted December 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 If there's a big step to be taken now, I'd be totally fine with trading Roy and/or healthy-scratching Stafford. Why do you consider either of those a big step? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullwinkle Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 I don't think losing 5 out of 6 in games 20 through 25 of the year means that it's time to hit the panic button. Let's remember that all 6 of those games have been without their 2 best players in Myers and Miller. Stay the course. TP chose to give DR and LR the chance to show that their plan would work. One off-season and 25 games of a new season is not a sufficient evaluation period. If they don't round into form over the course of this season, including an improved playoff showing -- fine, get rid of both of them (or at least DR). If there's a big step to be taken now, I'd be totally fine with trading Roy and/or healthy-scratching Stafford. This answer is correct. Nothing is going to be done - certainly not right now - because of the simple fact that so many guys are out. Now if the team was 100% healthy, that's a different scenario and changes may be made. But not when the team itself is crippled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 This answer is correct. Nothing is going to be done - certainly not right now - because of the simple fact that so many guys are out. Now if the team was 100% healthy, that's a different scenario and changes may be made. But not when the team itself is crippled. The team may be different, the lack of effort and focus is the same as it's always been. If anything, I'd say the fact that half the team are newcomers and rookies, and we're still seeing the same old stuff, is more than enough reason for Lindy to go, and he can take Darcy with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunomatic Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Please excuse the length, as I sweep over my own Library of Congress submission. This should save me from 20 future posts though, so you all win. Hear,hear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 So is TPegs all of a sudden going to retract his "Lindy ain't goin anywhere" speech. Me thinks not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 So is TPegs all of a sudden going to retract his "Lindy ain't goin anywhere" speech. Me thinks not. Well, it's either that or retract his "Winning's not a goal, it's a belief" and "we're gonna win the Stanley Cup" statements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 I like that Lindy is still here. Give the team and guys some time to get to know each other...between all the FA's and AHL ers , these guys barely know each other. This team kind of reminds me of the Flyers of a few years ago...when every Philly fan was ready to jump of a bridge until they made it to the Finals Give them some time, friggen regular seaon still has 50+ games left...and by time i mean to Christmas...still in a funk...then i can see something having to change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Keep 'em. Get a number 1 center, then we'll talk.. Go get Staal out of Carolina... He needs a change of scenery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpandean Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Keep 'em. Get a number 1 center, then we'll talk.. Aaaaaand we're back to replacing Darcy. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted December 3, 2011 Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 I don't think losing 5 out of 6 in games 20 through 25 of the year means that it's time to hit the panic button. Let's remember that all 6 of those games have been without their 2 best players in Myers and Miller. Myers isn't one of their top 2 players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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