Lindy gets Stars to 1st playoffs in 6 years

[nfreeman]

...and an upset over Anaheim isn't out of the question. Dallas has better goaltending and a similarly effective power play (both are NHL average).

 

It's also worth noting that he got a lot more out of Seguin than Claude Julien did. And got the Stars into the playoffs down the stretch after their #3 center, Rich Peverly, nearly died at a game and is out for the year.

 

For all those who wanted him gone: I hope you will give the man credit, and I hope you'll root for him to beat Anaheim.

[darksabre]

Nah, I'll be rooting for one last Cup for Teemu.

[Doohickie]

For all those who wanted him gone: I hope you will give the man credit, and I hope you'll root for him to beat Anaheim.

 

I never said he wasn't a good coach but yeah, I wanted him gone. 16 years with the same team just wasn't healthy anymore for either him or the team. Ironically, the Stars are my home-market franchise.

[wjag]

...and an upset over Anaheim isn't out of the question. Dallas has better goaltending and a similarly effective power play (both are NHL average).

 

It's also worth noting that he got a lot more out of Seguin than Claude Julien did. And got the Stars into the playoffs down the stretch after their #3 center, Rich Peverly, nearly died at a game and is out for the year.

 

For all those who wanted him gone: I hope you will give the man credit, and I hope you'll root for him to beat Anaheim.

 

That's a tough assignment for Dallas. I think Dallas will be lucky not to get swept.

[Huckleberry]

Nah, I'll be rooting for one last Cup for Teemu.

 

Same, and a first for Saku :D

[Kristian]

...and an upset over Anaheim isn't out of the question. Dallas has better goaltending and a similarly effective power play (both are NHL average).

 

It's also worth noting that he got a lot more out of Seguin than Claude Julien did. And got the Stars into the playoffs down the stretch after their #3 center, Rich Peverly, nearly died at a game and is out for the year.

 

For all those who wanted him gone: I hope you will give the man credit, and I hope you'll root for him to beat Anaheim.

 

Good for Lindy, but I still wanted him gone, as things needed to change around here, and he was a part of it.

 

And I'll never root for the Stars, that's like rooting for the Flyers or Boston.

Edited April 15, 2014 by Kristian

[Weave]

Rooting for the Stars would make me feel icky.

[Corp000085]

As others have said, Lindy Ruff is an excellent coach, but his time had come here. All things being the same, I'd love to rewrite history and have Regier fired first, Murray brought in, and have Murray decide Lindy's fate. However, I'm satisfied with exercising some demons by finally signing Nolan to the long term contract he earned almost 20 years ago. Now, with that being said, I'll never root for the Stars, but it would be nice for Lindy to advance his team and demonstrate some of that playoff magic he used to display here.

[Eleven]

...and an upset over Anaheim isn't out of the question. Dallas has better goaltending and a similarly effective power play (both are NHL average).

 

It's also worth noting that he got a lot more out of Seguin than Claude Julien did. And got the Stars into the playoffs down the stretch after their #3 center, Rich Peverly, nearly died at a game and is out for the year.

 

For all those who wanted him gone: I hope you will give the man credit, and I hope you'll root for him to beat Anaheim.

 

Almost all of the criticisms have been proven illegitimate.

[carpandean]

I liked Lindy here and I'm happy for him there. That said, the only two things that I didn't like about his firing were: (1) it wasn't done sooner, and (2) Darcy didn't go with him. The organization needed a change, top-to-bottom, but they limped along with status-quo.

[SwampD]

Almost all of the criticisms have been proven illegitimate.

Sheesh! Does he still have you on retainer? ;)

 

Even if that's true (and I'm not sure that it is), he is currently just another non-Sabre douche that I don't care about,… made doubly so because he is the coach of a team from Texas. I'll wish him well when he retires.

[Claude_Verret]

I wanted him gone because I knew he was a good coach and it was past his time here.

[PASabreFan]

There's nothing to see here. Everybody git along.

[nfreeman]

I didn't really start the thread to reopen the "he shouldn't have been canned" argument. That's water under the bridge. My point was simply to point out that he was, and is, a really good coach.

[Eleven]

I didn't really start the thread to reopen the "he shouldn't have been canned" argument. That's water under the bridge. My point was simply to point out that he was, and is, a really good coach.

 

That he is. I still would have trouble rooting for any team from Texas and especially this team.

[freester]

The fact that Dallas is going to the playoffs is just another indictment of Darcy's incompetence. I think the real message is that Dallas is going to the playoffs because they made a bold move to trade for Seguin and draft Nichushkin. These are both moves that Darcy should have done and didn't. The fact that Lindy is a great coach is obvious and I am happy he is going to the playoffs.

[PASabreFan]

I didn't really start the thread to reopen the "he shouldn't have been canned" argument. That's water under the bridge. My point was simply to point out that he was, and is, a really good coach.

 

Sorry, nfreeman. Sorry to cut you off. Wolf has some breaking news about where bears defecate… Wolf?

[pastajoe]

And I'll never root for the Stars, that's like rooting for the Flyers or Boston.

 

I agree, but also include Montreal. The tough part is picking the lesser of two evils if they play each other. I think I still like the Flyers the least, in part because of their fans.

[Jsixspd]

It was still time for a change - but The Weasel threw Lindy under the bus, while trying (and succeeding for almost a year) to distract T-Pegs from the obvious fact that the Weasel himself was the biggest problem plaguing the Sabres.

[shrader]

One very important name has yet to be mentioned, Jim Nill.

[darksabre]

One very important name has yet to be mentioned, Jim Nill.

 

Yup. He was the favorite by some here for the Sabres GM job and it appears those who liked him were correct. He's done an excellent job with the Stars so far.

[Jsixspd]

I don't know that a lot can be said, plus or minus, for Lindy Ruff's tenure as the Stars HC at this early stage. The Stars really haven't showed any tremendous improvement this year, points wise, over the previous 3 full 82 game seasons. They finished this season with 91 points. But here's the breakout (ignoring the short 2013 season)

 

2010 - 88 points

 

2011 - 95 points

 

2012 - 89 points

 

That averages 90.7 points So the Stars this season, with 91 points, are only 0.3 points above their 3 year average. Seems like just luck of the draw they made it in this year, frankly. They had 4 more points in 2011 than this season, and didn't qualify.

 

Now, in average points earned per game, in 2013 - the 48 game season - the Stars earned only 1.0 points per game

 

This year, 91 points/82 games = 1.1 points earned per game, a modest improvement. But I don't know that it's fair to compare a 48 game season head to head to an 82 game season.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Jsixspd

[Eleven]

Nill did a nice job, but has more work to do. IIRC, he was a "seller" at the deadline.

[X. Benedict]

I don't know that a lot can be said, plus or minus, for Lindy Ruff's tenure as the Stars HC at this early stage. The Stars really haven't showed any tremendous improvement this year, points wise, over the previous 3 full 82 game seasons. They finished this season with 91 points. But here's the breakout (ignoring the short 2013 season)

 

 

Dallas hasn't been in the playoffs in 5 years.

Nobody expected them to make it this year.

Nice season for Jim Nill, Ruff-Patrick.

[Jsixspd]

Well, I'm not buying into the idea that the team is better under Ruff than the previous coach. A 0.3 point increase over the average of the past 3 full seasons isn't statistically significant.

 

The qualifying points for playoff berth was lower this season. In checking the standings at ESPN, I believe In 2010, it was 95, 2011, 97, and in 2012 95. If the competition hadn't softened, the Stars may very well have been cleaning out their lockers on Monday too.

 

One area the Stars did shine - they won every game against teams where Ryan Miller was in the crease. I was starting to wonder if Ruff knows Miller so well he knows how to coach his offense to beat him?

Edited April 16, 2014 by Jsixspd