GDT: Flames @ Sabres, 7:30pm Nov. 19, 2025, 🎙 📺 ESPN+/MSG

[Shoot da Puck]

[7+6=13]

I'm really disappointed in Ruff.  I thought he'd bring more out of the players than this.  If nothing else, I would have bet, he'd demand and get effort.  He seems embarrassed and called out the effort tonight, but IMO, that's on him too.  Maybe he just doesn't have the energy level anymore but he sounds more like Eeyore than Lindy Ruff to me.  

[JohnC]

The owner made a nostalgic coaching hire with a charade search process. The owner hired a sycophantic GM whom no other owner in the business, sober or not, would have even considered, let alone hire.

When your owner is stubborn and hideously incompetent, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he presides over a shambolic franchise. 
 

What this fool owner does’t understand is that when you fail for a generation yet continue to do what you have already done, the results will always be the same. He needs to go back to school and retake the class that he failed labeled “common sense 101”. 

 

[kas23]

54 minutes ago, 7+6=13 said:

I'm really disappointed in Ruff.  I thought he'd bring more out of the players than this.  If nothing else, I would have bet, he'd demand and get effort.  He seems embarrassed and called out the effort tonight, but IMO, that's on him too.  Maybe he just doesn't have the energy level anymore but he sounds more like Eeyore than Lindy Ruff to me.  

Agree with this. We saw this team beat 2 excellent teams very recently. Then they come out flat against the 2nd worst team in the NHL (we are #1). To me, ability is not the problem. They can beat good teams. What lead to last night’s result is a mix of poor leadership on the team and poor coaching.

[R_Dudley]

14 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The owner made a nostalgic coaching hire with a charade search process. The owner hired a sycophantic GM whom no other owner in the business, sober or not, would have even considered, let alone hire.

When your owner is stubborn and hideously incompetent, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he presides over a shambolic franchise. 
 

What this fool owner does’t understand is that when you fail for a generation yet continue to do what you have already done, the results will always be the same. He needs to go back to school and retake the class that he failed labeled “common sense 101”. 

 

The highlighted is also the definition of insanity which strengthens the premise some have said that this has just become his personal write off for his other successful businesses. He obviously doesn't really care what the fans feel or think. Its ruined my Sabre fanhood for sure.

 

[JohnC]

6 minutes ago, R_Dudley said:

The highlighted is also the definition of insanity which strengthens the premise some have said that this has just become his personal write off for his other successful businesses. He obviously doesn't really care what the fans feel or think. Its ruined my Sabre fanhood for sure.

 

The irony is that if he managed this franchise more competently and professionally, this franchise would be a moneymaker for him with the arena usually filled with a raucous full house, as it is with the Bandits.

He took a stronghold hockey market that included southern Ontario, and because of his foolishness, suffocated it. The owner is a fool and his buffoon behavior is tiresome.

[zow2]

Realistically against Edmonton and Calgary they should go 1-1.   So they did. Expectations were met.  Just not in the way anyone expected. 

[7+6=13]

51 minutes ago, R_Dudley said:

The highlighted is also the definition of insanity which strengthens the premise some have said that this has just become his personal write off for his other successful businesses. He obviously doesn't really care what the fans feel or think. Its ruined my Sabre fanhood for sure.

 

The only insanity is we keep saying the same things, ever how untrue they are.  I don't excuse TP, he's clearly failed.  He's made multiple different types of hires, he's fired people quickly with term on their contracts, he's now kept a GM for too long.  Nothing has worked but his decisions aren't close to being repetitive.

[JohnC]

13 minutes ago, zow2 said:

Realistically against Edmonton and Calgary they should go 1-1.   So they did. Expectations were met.  Just not in the way anyone expected. 

The issue isn't whether they should be 1-1 or 2-0 or 0-2. The meaningful issue is how they played last night. There was no passion or display of urgency in their play. It seemed as if they were going through the motions against a lesser team that played harder and cared more. Considering that the Sabres are at the bottom of their division and their wretched history of failure for a generation, that is an indictment on the whole organization. 

Losing isn't the issue. It's how their collective play showed no heart and passion It's pathetic and a disgrace.  

[Pimlach]

10 hours ago, apuszczalowski said:

Cooley is Calgarys backup............

Even the last place team is doing this with the Sabres..............

They were on a back to back.