MAXIM

[Barnabov]

Afinogenov scores with 6 seconds to lift Thrashers

 

My link

 

Personally I'm happy to see him playing so well - really salvaged his career. Too bad Buffalo wasn't able to trade him but I don't blame any GMs for not taking a chance. Thought for sure he was off to Russia to finish out his career but good to see him benefiting from the proverbial "change of scenery".

[Stoner]

Afinogenov scores with 6 seconds to lift Thrashers

 

My link

 

Personally I'm happy to see him playing so well - really salvaged his career. Too bad Buffalo wasn't able to trade him but I don't blame any GMs for not taking a chance. Thought for sure he was off to Russia to finish out his career but good to see him benefiting from the proverbial "change of scenery".

 

Yeah. And too bad the change of scenery wasn't behind the bench in Buffalo with an offensive revival across the Sabre lineup. Pair that up with Miller's play and, well, we'd be talking instant contender.

[carpandean]

Yeah. And too bad the change of scenery wasn't behind the bench in Buffalo with an offensive revival across the Sabre lineup. Pair that up with Miller's play and, well, we'd be talking instant contender.

Just to play Devil's advocate: maybe Miller wouldn't look so good behind a team with those players (Max, etc.) and a coach focused more on offense.

[mikegrier]

happy to see his revival from a 'change of scenery' as well, but I'm not all that surprised considering he's playing alongside antropov and kovalchuk. Gotta believe his stats would not be close to what they are now if he was in Buffalo.

[wonderbread]

I am personally holding him responsible for Volkun's injury. Had Max not score Ballard wouldn't have had to two hand Volkun head.

 

Nice point Mike Grier.

[tom webster]

Yeah. And too bad the change of scenery wasn't behind the bench in Buffalo with an offensive revival across the Sabre lineup. Pair that up with Miller's play and, well, we'd be talking instant contender.

 

 

His career is likely to mirror that of Sergei Samsonov.

 

While you are contemplating that, tell me all the players doing so much better after they got out of Lindy's shackles.

[The_Swannie_House]

Yeah. And too bad the change of scenery wasn't behind the bench in Buffalo

 

Ruff is the best thing this team has, why can't you Buffalo fans understand this?

[wjag]

Ruff is the best thing this team has, why can't you Buffalo fans understand this?

Not all of us want to run him out of town on a rail..

[shrader]

I am personally holding him responsible for Volkun's injury. Had Max not score Ballard wouldn't have had to two hand Volkun head.

 

Nice point Mike Grier.

 

I hate to go and ruin a decent joke, but Kovalchuk scored that goal, not Max.

[wonderbread]

I hate to go and ruin a decent joke, but Kovalchuk scored that goal, not Max.

 

 

Damn.

[Stoner]

His career is likely to mirror that of Sergei Samsonov.

 

While you are contemplating that, tell me all the players doing so much better after they got out of Lindy's shackles.

 

I don't really care what happens to players once they leave Buffalo. I care about the Sabres scoring enough goals to take advantage of an elite goaltender. I don't agree with carp's devil's advocate premise that we can't have both. The power play has come around of late, and that's encouraging.

[tom webster]

I don't really care what happens to players once they leave Buffalo. I care about the Sabres scoring enough goals to take advantage of an elite goaltender. I don't agree with carp's devil's advocate premise that we can't have both. The power play has come around of late, and that's encouraging.

 

Ruff has proved that you can have both when he has had the horses. The team will score if guys like Vanek, Roy, and Pominville score like their contracts say they should. The power play is hindered by the same thing, they have no reliable point man though Butler and Myers could develop into that.

As for Vanek, he has to decide if he wants his career to look like Mike Modano or Pierre Larouche.

[nfreeman]

His career is likely to mirror that of Sergei Samsonov.

 

While you are contemplating that, tell me all the players doing so much better after they got out of Lindy's shackles.

good post.

 

I don't really care what happens to players once they leave Buffalo. I care about the Sabres scoring enough goals to take advantage of an elite goaltender. I don't agree with carp's devil's advocate premise that we can't have both. The power play has come around of late, and that's encouraging.

Terrible rejoinder. Not responsive, not logical, and really rather whiny.

 

As for Vanek, he has to decide if he wants his career to look like Mike Modano or Pierre Larouche.

I was thinking more like Heatley (minus the soap operas) vs. Miro.

[Stoner]

Ruff has proved that you can have both when he has had the horses. The team will score if guys like Vanek, Roy, and Pominville score like their contracts say they should. The power play is hindered by the same thing, they have no reliable point man though Butler and Myers could develop into that.

As for Vanek, he has to decide if he wants his career to look like Mike Modano or Pierre Larouche.

 

It just sounds like more excuses for Ruff.

 

I take it you think Miller was elite in 05-06 and 06-07, because the Sabres' offensive production during the Hasek years was woeful. Low 200s in goals Lindy's four years with Dom. And the best power play during that period was 16%.

[Hank]

It just sounds like more excuses for Ruff.

 

I take it you think Miller was elite in 05-06 and 06-07, because the Sabres' offensive production during the Hasek years was woeful. Low 200s in goals Lindy's four years with Dom. And the best power play during that period was 16%.

 

You can't seriously put the lack of scoring from those teams on Lindy's shoulders? Who was going to score? Plante?

[tom webster]

It just sounds like more excuses for Ruff.

 

I take it you think Miller was elite in 05-06 and 06-07, because the Sabres' offensive production during the Hasek years was woeful. Low 200s in goals Lindy's four years with Dom. And the best power play during that period was 16%.

 

 

And we both know that Holzinger. Plante, Ward, et al would have been Hall of Fame, offensive machines if not for Ruff holding them back.

Miller wasn't elite in those two year's after the lock out but the team did play exciting offense while playing adequate defense. Unfortunately, they weren't able to carry it through the playoffs those first two years and unlike in Detroit were 2 or 3 years of playoff failures were met by adding to the team rather then blowing it up we will never know if that team could have been transformed into a Cup contender. Instead, Ruff has had to reinvent himself yet again and his new version of the Sabres will go as far as his underachieving offensive stars will be able to take him.

[Stoner]

You can't seriously put the lack of scoring from those teams on Lindy's shoulders? Who was going to score? Plante?

 

Ask Tugnutt.

[Stoner]

And we both know that Holzinger. Plante, Ward, et al would have been Hall of Fame, offensive machines if not for Ruff holding them back.

Miller wasn't elite in those two year's after the lock out but the team did play exciting offense while playing adequate defense. Unfortunately, they weren't able to carry it through the playoffs those first two years and unlike in Detroit were 2 or 3 years of playoff failures were met by adding to the team rather then blowing it up we will never know if that team could have been transformed into a Cup contender. Instead, Ruff has had to reinvent himself yet again and his new version of the Sabres will go as far as his underachieving offensive stars will be able to take him.

 

So Ruff has not proven you can have both.

 

Are you happy with how the power play has been coached under Ruff?

 

Does this discussion always have to come back to how Ruff can't succeed without overwhelming talent? How insulting to the man.

[TheChimp]

What does everyone think of Ruff's new line combos? Certainly not what alot of us would have done, and they're working really well. Don't you think?

[jad1]

So Ruff has not proven you can have both.

 

Are you happy with how the power play has been coached under Ruff?

 

Does this discussion always have to come back to how Ruff can't succeed without overwhelming talent? How insulting to the man.

 

I guess it does, because you continually misrepresent the point made by others that Ruff's system requires players to give an honest effort every shift to mean that Ruff needs players the level of Crosby, Malkin, and Ovechkin to succeed.

[Hank]

I don't get it. When we had Dom in net and absolutely no forwards at all (Yeah, yeah, Miro....whatever), the team played a defensive system, led the league in goals against and went to a cup.

 

When we had forward depth we led the league in scoring and went to two conference finals.

 

Who knows what would have happened if we had an owner willing to spend money on players instead of the convicts?

 

Seems to me Lindy does a decent job of adjusting his team philosophy to the talent he has, personally I think he's a damn good coach.

[nfreeman]

So Ruff has not proven you can have both.

 

Are you happy with how the power play has been coached under Ruff?

 

Does this discussion always have to come back to how Ruff can't succeed without overwhelming talent? How insulting to the man.

Do you think Drury, Briere, Soupy and Dumont constituted "overwhelming talent"?

 

What about Miller? Is he suddenly an "overwhelming talent?" Haven't you beaten the Miller-isn't-very-good drum for the last 3 years?

 

Do you think the Sabres have the same amount of talent as Washington, Philly or Pittsburgh? Or San Jose or Chicago?

 

Stop blathering and add some value to the discussion.

[Hank]

Do you think Drury, Briere, Soupy and Dumont constituted "overwhelming talent"?

 

What about Miller? Is he suddenly an "overwhelming talent?" Haven't you beaten the Miller-isn't-very-good drum for the last 3 years?

 

Do you think the Sabres have the same amount of talent as Washington, Philly or Pittsburgh? Or San Jose or Chicago?

 

Stop blathering and add some value to the discussion.

 

1. Not sure about overwhelming, but they definately contributed to one of the most potent offenses in the league.

 

2. This year, so far, yes.

 

3. Absolutely not.

[tom webster]

So Ruff has not proven you can have both.Are you happy with how the power play has been coached under Ruff?

 

Does this discussion always have to come back to how Ruff can't succeed without overwhelming talent? How insulting to the man.

 

So what you want is a vezina winning team leading the league in goals for?

 

The power play has been an issue for a long time but so has the lack of a true point man.

 

Ruff has won with the talent he has. You choose to pick and choose what years you count, I choose to look at the whole record.

 

Name a coach who has won a championship without overwhelming talent. I can think if two cases in recent (since the 70's)NHL history where a team won a Cup using the team first method. Players win championships. Belichek won nothing until Brady happened along, Shanahan nothing without Elway and Davis, Bowman nothing without Lafleur/ Dryden, Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Lindstrom.

[rbochan]

...As for Vanek, he has to decide if he wants his career to look like Mike Modano or Pierre Larouche.

Much of the time, it's more like Miroslav...