Lindy

[wonderbread]

Thanks for posting that. I really believed that Laviollette thought he could win a "time game", that is, move goalies in and out faster than Buffalo could break their weaknesses and tendencies. By the time Buffalo breaks down his good, but average goalies, the Flyers should have scored enough to move on.

Quality post. Nice read. You may want to submit your resume to the snooze. You could give Bucky a run for his job.

Over time even the best goalies get "figured out" to some extent....(even Chicago has solved Loungo by shooting high).

 

Boucher cheats on the post,

 

Bobrosky can't defend high shots, ...(that's why I don't think Bob comes back in the series).

 

Leighton has had a career of rebound control problems. (Thank you very much says Tyler Ennis!)

 

Suddenly Lavy has no good choices in goal. He's has to pick someone and trust.

 

I listened to some radio this week, and there was a lot of talk about how cheap goalies were the way to go. But much like average Major League baseball pitchers, they may look great the first two times through the batting order, but by the third time the hitters have figured them out.

 

Miller will be just as good the third time through the order. He's extremely sound fundamentally. Occasionally he shows problems (like high glove 6 weeks ago) but he can correct. Leighton will always have rebound problems IMO.

[calti]

didnt you read the thread this week.....Ruff is being outcoached this series.

if the sabres lose game 6 he will be a mediocre coach...and if they lose game 7

he will be an awful coach and pegula should fire him---but if they win game 6

he will be a hall of fame coach with great loyalty to Buffalo.

[Miss_The_Amerks]

I wont lie. My perception of Lindy has changed, and it has little to do with recent performance and more of me actually thinking about the alternatives. Originally this season I was saying I'd like him to stay, but wouldn't be real upset to see him go. Now I would be relatively upset.

[Eleven]

Gragnani made the decision for him with his play at the end of the season. Lindy didn't have much choice and Gragnani has taken full advantage of his opportunity. It's not as if the Sabres defense was healthy and Lindy decided to play a hunch.

 

Uh-huh.

 

I have to ask: Do you get dizzy from spinning so much? You're like Karl Rove, buddy.

[ThePebble19]

I think the true test of Lindy's coaching, at least this season, comes tomorrow. Had a big lead in Game 5, allowed the Flyers to get back in it with a complete defensive shell. But it seemed as if he was able to regain their focus, and obviously, it paid off.

 

Can he have this team ready to play 60 minutes of focused hockey tomorrow? History says yes, Ruff is 10-4 in Series Clinching Opportunities in his career. 3 of those 4 losses came in the '01 Playoffs so, if you throw that year out, his record is 9-1.

[Eleven]

I think the true test of Lindy's coaching, at least this season, comes tomorrow. Had a big lead in Game 5, allowed the Flyers to get back in it with a complete defensive shell. But it seemed as if he was able to regain their focus, and obviously, it paid off.

 

Can he have this team ready to play 60 minutes of focused hockey tomorrow? History says yes, Ruff is 10-4 in Series Clinching Opportunities in his career. 3 of those 4 losses came in the '01 Playoffs so, if you throw that year out, his record is 9-1.

 

January, February and March don't count?

[ThePebble19]

January, February and March don't count?

 

Ah crap, I meant to type series, not season.

 

My bad.

[jad1]

I think you give Ruff credit for sticking with guys who struggled early in the year (Butler, Sekera, Gerbe, Nierdermeyer). You give him credit for not pushing the panic button with Miller after games 2 and 3, even after Enroth played so well at the end of the season. You give him credit for the way the penalty kill has played in the playoffs, and even some credit for the power play. You give him credit for owning the crazy gamesmanship that happens in the playoffs (not sure how much it helps, but it's fun watching Laviolette having to answer questions about being a whiner).

 

But most of all, you credit him for the way the team has played out-of-character, matching the Flyers physical game.

[nfreeman]

There are things that Ruff controls....

 

The biggest being lines, and ice time......

 

In that regard some things are astounding:

 

1. Butler leads team in ice-time (Myers second)

2. Granani brought up to QB the powerplay (he will finish this series with more playoff ice time, than regular season ice-time)

3. Having a hunch that Niedermayer would deliver in the biggest situations.

4. Even with the Philly forecheck, Ruff has stuck with possession hockey for zone clears. The only time I think this has backfired, is with he long changes in the second period.

 

This series isn't over by any means. But you can't say Ruff has been stale, he's making bold moves in the face of the Flyer's overwhelming skating talent (on paper at least).

Excellent post.

 

Granani doesn't see a Sabres uniform if not for injuries. That is not coaching that is a unfortunate situation turning into a positive. You can say the same for Neidermayer. If Hecht was healthy would Neidermayer see the ice?

Gragnani made the decision for him with his play at the end of the season. Lindy didn't have much choice and Gragnani has taken full advantage of his opportunity. It's not as if the Sabres defense was healthy and Lindy decided to play a hunch.

 

I think McCormick would get scratched before Niedermayer, at least until Lindy wanted to shake it up a bit.

 

For both Niedermayer and Gragnani, though, they were in the rotation when guys got hurt, as they always do this time of year, they seized their opportunities, and Lindy recognized them stepping up quickly and is squeezing a ton of benefit out of it for the team. That is a strong coaching move.

 

Really? There's a non-injured Sabres defenseman who hasn't been playing much this series. It's a choice.

Boom!

 

I'm still shaking my head at the thought of putting Kaleta, Gaustad and Vanek on a line. Not once, but twice. It's either good coaching or outright madness.

Gaustad and especially Kaleta have more offensive game than you are giving them credit for, and Vanek wasn't doing anything with TC and Pommer.

 

Can he have this team ready to play 60 minutes of focused hockey tomorrow? History says yes, Ruff is 10-4 in Series Clinching Opportunities in his career. 3 of those 4 losses came in the '01 Playoffs so, if you throw that year out, his record is 9-1.

Wow. Great stat. Thanks.

 

I think I just started to feel overconfident.

 

Screw you Philly. Have a nice summer.

 

I think you give Ruff credit for sticking with guys who struggled early in the year (Butler, Sekera, Gerbe, Nierdermeyer). You give him credit for not pushing the panic button with Miller after games 2 and 3, even after Enroth played so well at the end of the season. You give him credit for the way the penalty kill has played in the playoffs, and even some credit for the power play. You give him credit for owning the crazy gamesmanship that happens in the playoffs (not sure how much it helps, but it's fun watching Laviolette having to answer questions about being a whiner).

 

But most of all, you credit him for the way the team has played out-of-character, matching the Flyers physical game.

Great post.

 

Please post more often, btw.

[drnkirishone]

All I will say is when Lindy is finally gone as the coach people will look back and see how good we had it with him in charge. Having said that I hope he is here for a few more seasons at the least

[wjag]

Uh-huh.

 

I have to ask: Do you get dizzy from spinning so much? You're like Karl Rove, buddy.

 

Got a good chuckle out of that.. Calling Deluca Rove is akin to kicking him in the .....

 

I think you give Ruff credit for sticking with guys who struggled early in the year (Butler, Sekera, Gerbe, Nierdermeyer). You give him credit for not pushing the panic button with Miller after games 2 and 3, even after Enroth played so well at the end of the season. You give him credit for the way the penalty kill has played in the playoffs, and even some credit for the power play. You give him credit for owning the crazy gamesmanship that happens in the playoffs (not sure how much it helps, but it's fun watching Laviolette having to answer questions about being a whiner).

 

But most of all, you credit him for the way the team has played out-of-character, matching the Flyers physical game.

 

Calling timeouts mid-game and yanking goalies is in vogue this playoff season. The more I watch and listen to Ruff the more amazed I am of how he values veterans but still gives a rookie a chance to win a game. Time will tell, but you never get the feeling Ruff would pull Miller.

[samothyev]

if the sabres lose game 6 he will be a mediocre coach...and if they lose game 7

he will be an awful coach and pegula should fire him---but if they win game 6

he will be a hall of fame coach with great loyalty to Buffalo.

 

 

Got anymore of what you were smoking last night? Regardless of what happens this year Lindy will be a Hall of Fame coach. Look at what he's done with what he has had to use over the years and say let Laviolette, Bylsma etc. try the same thing and see what happens!

 

LET'S GO BUFFALO!!!!!!!

[thesportsbuff]

Ruff for Jack Adam's campaign picking up steam? If the Sabres beat the Flyers that's just another bullet on his season resume.

 

(Lemaire, the shoe-in, fails to bring his team to playoffs. Ruff takes his team to playoffs AND knocks off arguably the best team in the East for most of the year)

[Weave]

Ruff for Jack Adam's campaign picking up steam? If the Sabres beat the Flyers that's just another bullet on his season resume.

 

(Lemaire, the shoe-in, fails to bring his team to playoffs. Ruff takes his team to playoffs AND knocks off arguably the best team in the East for most of the year)

 

The Jack Adams Trophy is a regular season award so the Sabres playoff performance is irrelevant. And the nominees for the award were already announced. Ruff wasn't among them.

 

Names are escaping me but think Tampa, Vancouver, and Nashville.

[thesportsbuff]

The Jack Adams Trophy is a regular season award so the Sabres playoff performance is irrelevant. And the nominees for the award were already announced. Ruff wasn't among them.

 

Names are escaping me but think Tampa, Vancouver, and Nashville.

 

Ah, didn't see that they were announced. Guess we can write this off as "another huge hit to my credibility" /nfreeman

[Weave]

Ah, didn't see that they were announced. Guess we can write this off as "another huge hit to my credibility" /nfreeman

 

 

Well, that's kind of a given, isn't it? :P :nana:

[deluca67]

Got anymore of what you were smoking last night? Regardless of what happens this year Lindy will be a Hall of Fame coach. Look at what he's done with what he has had to use over the years and say let Laviolette, Bylsma etc. try the same thing and see what happens!

 

LET'S GO BUFFALO!!!!!!!

Sabres Hall of Fame is a definite. NHL Hall of Fame? His isn't even close.

[wjag]

Ah, didn't see that they were announced. Guess we can write this off as "another huge hit to my credibility" /nfreeman

 

Two in a week..

[wjag]

Sabres Hall of Fame is a definite. NHL Hall of Fame? His isn't even close.

 

Really?

[EZBills7]

Ruff has been and is a top-notch NHL coach. If the Sabres were ever dumb enough to let him go, tons of teams would be lining up to dump their current coach for him.

 

The main issue I have over the past few years is over-using Miller, but it seems the backup goaltending has been terrible except for Enroth this season.

 

And, as much as we hate watching the "Alamo mode" defensive play once they have the lead, they are 3-0 in those games this series so far, and only in the last game did Philly actually tie the score. If they had stayed more aggressive and given up a lead on an odd-man rush, people would be all over Ruff for the team not playing a more defensive game, so there's always room to criticize if you want to.

 

Here's to Lindy! :beer: :beer: :beer:

[thesportsbuff]

IMO I think Lindy, right now, is on pace to go to the HoF. If he retired right now, no way. But if he wins a cup or two (especially if it's Buffalo's first, because that would add to the aura of the accomplishment) I think he could easily find himself on the ballet.

[bunomatic]

If a cup was a prerequisite to getting in the hall of fame my guess is they'd have to toss out a lot of great players,coaches and team builders that are already in the hall.

[Kelly the Dog]

The defensive shell that people complain about worked perfectly in both of the 1-0 victories. I'm not all that happy with it either sometimes but if you're going to criticize it you also need to acknowledge when it works. And all three games we went into a defensive shell we won.

[thesportsbuff]

Not necessarily a requirement, but it's the pinnacle of the professional. I'm not sure that he's accomplished enough to get in without winning a cup. Either way, if he retired today, he wouldn't get in. It depends what he does with the rest of his career. For all we know he could leave Buffalo and go down as one of the biggest coaching busts in history with a different club.. who knows?

[wjag]

Isn't he about to coach his 100th playoff game today?