Is Ruff too harsh on players?

[R_Dudley]

Whither PA. :ph34r:

 

I think Hamilton missed the opportunity (or maybe knowingly passed on it) to conduct a more complicated and nuanced inquiry. The question is not whether Ruff is too hard on his players -- as others have noted, many if not all of the great coaches of today and days past can be and often are brutally hard on their players. The question is how that "hardness" is communicated, delivered and how it is tempered, offset with other sorts of feedback.

 

I have come to agree that there appears to be a weariness, a darkness, a tendency toward the negative that has infected Ruff's demeanor over the last several seasons. Some of that may just be a natural product of being in the same position, with the same players for as long as he has. Familiarity breeds contempt, or something like that. Some of it, I suspect, is also a function of how and who he is -- a bit of an Eeyore, who tends to hang in his Gloomy Place.

 

More than ever, I am in favor of a transfusion at the Coach and/or GM spot. But I don't sense even a chance of anything like happening unless/until the 2012-2013 campaign jumps the rails.

 

Great post.

 

Yes the best coaches are hard and demanding on their players, absolutely. But what i picked up on saw in the Roy interview that I am surprised no one till you picked up on is the communication angle.

 

Roy said something to the effect of instead of always berating maybe sometimes taking a video and showing what he is doing wrong or where he could be better. That my friend is the true essence of coaching. Vanek himself said Lindy treats him like a 21 yr old nothing is changed since he joined but i beg to differ everything is changed now. Vanek is now a 30 yr old adult father and husband. To continue to treat and talk to anyone who is an adult like a 21 year old is a lack of respect at the least and very demoralizing over time at the worse.

 

So where does that bring us back too. To me the questions become what is the system? What is the plan for the players to use the system ? What kind of players does it take ? How does Lindy use evrything available him to get the most out of his players? If his major contribution is just calling out bad plays and lack of effort then there is the problem. Thats is not enough to be really coaching a SC contender in my book.

 

Ah indeed PA, where art thou now brother?

[TrueBlueGED]

Weren't some people, as recently as the day before the Boston game, ripping into Ruff for slamming his team about missing the playoffs when it didn't matter anymore? Weren't there comments to the effect of "If I were coach I'd have been riding them all year, not just now!"

 

As Punch said, winning changes everything. When the Red Sox were winning, nobody cared that Terry Francona allowed drinking and poker in the clubhouse. Then they collapsed, and suddenly he ran too loose of a ship, the players weren't dedicated enough! Whatever, it's just a bunch of people trying to come up with ad hoc explanations after the fact.

 

I do believe coaches have a shelf life, and that time varies by coach and is also affected by roster turnover. Has Ruff reached his shelf life? I'm certainly not going to reject that possibility out of hand, and maybe being so harsh has something to do with it....but as Punch said, the vast majority of good coaches are the same way. Will a different voice with the same harshness yield a better result? Sure, it's possible, but I don't think we have enough information to definitively say one way or the other--those who want a change will say yes, those who support Ruff will say no, but really none of us know.

 

If I'm Pegula, I hold interviews with every player, and it wouldn't just be an inquisition on Ruff. I'd of course want to know about Ruff, but I'd ask about team chemistry, leadership, and so on. I'd want input on what is going on in that locker room and with each player before I made any coaching or player personnel decisions. The thing is, Pegula is in position to get the requisite information to figure out what is really going on...the rest of us? We're just getting snippets of information (which may or may not be biased) and trying to piece things together, and most are biased enough that they can piece the information together in a way to support completely divergent viewpoints.

[darksabre]

If we're going to criticize Ruff for being harsh, what do we call Brian Burke?

[TrueBlueGED]

If we're going to criticize Ruff for being harsh, what do we call Brian Burke?

 

I always call him a blowhard...or is that not harsh enough?

 

He is a genius though, he said his biggest offseason needs are goalie and center, and they'd be addressed through trades. Then he said he wouldn't trade his 1st round pick. I realize it's a top pick, but if I could trade it for Schneider straight up, I have to at least seriously consider it.

[apuszczalowski]

I always call him a blowhard...or is that not harsh enough?

 

He is a genius though, he said his biggest offseason needs are goalie and center, and they'd be addressed through trades. Then he said he wouldn't trade his 1st round pick. I realize it's a top pick, but if I could trade it for Schneider straight up, I have to at least seriously consider it.

I'm waiting for the blockbuster deal this offseason in TO

Burke makes a deal to acquire Vancover Goaltender..................................Roberto Luongo, to solve the teams goaltending issue

Leafs fans flood message boards to gloat about getting the gold medal winning goaltender, who only needs a change fo scenery from Vancouver and how along with Kessel and Phaneuf, and top prospects Schen and Kadri, will be hoisting the Cup where it belongs, in the Hockey Mecca of Toronto!

 

 

As for Ruff being too harsh, isn't that what everyone wanted? Or is what they wanted whatever they didn't get from Ruff?

I keep hearing how Ruff ruins players, but what player has left Buffalo and went on to have bigger success with their new team after leaving? MacArthur? (he might be the biggest, but even Atlanta gave up on him before he went on to have some success with the Leafs who took a chance on him), Kassian? Conolly? Campbell? Lydman? Tallinder? What players has Regier brought in that played alot worse then when they came here and then left and went back to having success? Moore? Bernier?

[DaGimp]

From what I see- Cody is a poor man's Timmy soft and less skill..

 

 

What trade made this team softer?? Darcy pulled out one of the best deadline days of a GM in probably the last ten years, getting an extra first and hodgson for the future. We lost what exactly in that trade? The throw in defender we got in the deal put up more points than the three players we gave up combined not to mention we now have a good center that can skate unlike gaustad and an extra first round pick.

[dEnnis the Menace]

From what I see- Cody is a poor man's Timmy soft and less skill..

 

you're kidding right? Cody is not near as soft as Timmy, and imo, is just as skilled, if not more. (the fact that he played an entire season +1game without the fans fearing him becoming a vegetable puts him miles ahead of Timmy).

[Randall Flagg]

 

 

you're kidding right? Cody is not near as soft as Timmy, and imo, is just as skilled, if not more. (the fact that he played an entire season +1game without the fans fearing him becoming a vegetable puts him miles ahead of Timmy).

Timmy wasn't known for his outstanding offseason work ethic, either.

[shrader]

I'm waiting for the blockbuster deal this offseason in TO

Burke makes a deal to acquire Vancover Goaltender..................................Roberto Luongo, to solve the teams goaltending issue

Leafs fans flood message boards to gloat about getting the gold medal winning goaltender, who only needs a change fo scenery from Vancouver and how along with Kessel and Phaneuf, and top prospects Schen and Kadri, will be hoisting the Cup where it belongs, in the Hockey Mecca of Toronto!

 

I could very easily see Luongo there next year, but I think they may get him for free. If the new CBA does allow teams a one time cap-free buyout of a contract, Luongo will be quickly on his way out of Vancouver (a pricey buyout, but they're not going to let Schneider go).

[LTS]

Care to elaborate on the bolded part?

 

See here: http://audio.wgr550.com/a/54630906/4-9-paul-hamilton-on-the-howard-simon-show.htm?pageid=401026 (go to the Mike Grier/ Lindy tag right above playlist). It discusses Lindy Ruff differences between Mike Grier's two tours with the team and also how he changed after the Olympics and has now seemingly gotten away from that.

 

He also assisted a gold medal winner the last olympics, Ill agree thats a small sample size but those games were like watching the best hockey team in the world.....

 

Yea.. he assisted who? Mike Babcock and Ken Hitchcock. Both winning coaches and one of them is probably coach of the year. It's a small sample size but perhaps if Lindy changes his name to Ruffcock he'll be a winner?

 

It's quite possible that Lindy Ruff has to adopt this attitude because no one in the locker room is stepping it up. In the past you had players like McKee, Drury, Grier who could point to their work ethic and their commitment and tell someone else.. "You suck, step it up." The team this year hasn't shown that. I've mentioned before that last year the team had Grier and Niedermeyer. Two players who sucked statistically but had the lineage and time served to tell the other players.. "You suck, step it up.". Who was there this year? I would say that this year the Sabres spent a lot of the season trying to find themselves. We heard about the multitude of players only meetings, etc. The team was in a transition.

 

For whatever reason, I think that next year we may find that players like Foligno, Ennis, and Myers are the leaders of the team, at least I hope so. I'm not sure the Sabres can go out and get the right players to fill the leadership role as part of it needs to be developed within. I am quite certain that is not Vanek or Roy. Roy is just to whiny on the ice and hasn't shown his commitment to take one for the team. Vanek is too introverted and can't get past trying to fix himself to start working on other players.

 

I'm still in favor of Ruff disappearing as coach. It has little to do with him being a hardass and everything to do with the hardheaded approach taken this year. Repeatedly the Sabres struggled at basic aspects of the game. They had trouble getting out of their zone, trouble maintaining pressure in the offensive zone. They looked atrocious on the power play (again). They showed moments of greatness on the PK and moment of sheer stupidity. Most of all it appeared to me that in many situations the team just wasn't focused and wasn't sure of what they were doing. I think that's hidden in Miller's comment "We need to figure out what kind of team we are going to be." They are schizo and Ruff does mess around just a bit too much with lines. Overall the little things add up and I think he needs to go.

[Campy]

http://wgr550.com/pa...tentId=10363936

 

I think Paul Hamilton is spot on in this article. The quotes from Roy, Vanek and Stafford are telling. Who'd really like your coach to be yapping at him for 6-7 years to his face and to the media? It seems to me what happened to this team this year is mutiny, rightful or not.

I think we're looking for fire where there's no smoke; all of the players interviewed said that they don't mind it.

[Punch]

I think we're looking for fire where there's no smoke; all of the players interviewed said that they don't mind it.

 

Some of the player's responses are not being repeated ad nauseum on WGR--- such as those made by Pominville and Ehrhoff, excerpted from the Buffalo News:

 

"Part of the reason he's hard on us is he knows he can get more out of us when he pushes us more," captain Jason Pominville said. "Different guys handle it different ways. When you're going through a tough stretch like we did where we weren't winning games on the road, you try to find different ways. For a little while, he was actually really positive even though we weren't winning games. But he was on us pretty hard to change things."

 

Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, in his first season with Buffalo after stops in San Jose and Vancouver, has played for four head coaches.

"I've played for coaches that have been harder on you," Ehrhoff said. "I've played for coaches that have been not as hard. I think it's up to the players to find their game and find their level of confidence.

 

"I think Lindy's a very fair coach. He evaluates the game pretty fair. He'll tell you to your face when you did a mistake, and he'll tell you when you did something good. I think he's pretty fair. It wasn't his fault or anything like that that we got into this position."

[darksabre]

Some of the player's responses are not being repeated ad nauseum on WGR--- such as those made by Pominville and Ehrhoff, excerpted from the Buffalo News:

 

"Part of the reason he's hard on us is he knows he can get more out of us when he pushes us more," captain Jason Pominville said. "Different guys handle it different ways. When you're going through a tough stretch like we did where we weren't winning games on the road, you try to find different ways. For a little while, he was actually really positive even though we weren't winning games. But he was on us pretty hard to change things."

 

Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, in his first season with Buffalo after stops in San Jose and Vancouver, has played for four head coaches.

"I've played for coaches that have been harder on you," Ehrhoff said. "I've played for coaches that have been not as hard. I think it's up to the players to find their game and find their level of confidence.

 

"I think Lindy's a very fair coach. He evaluates the game pretty fair. He'll tell you to your face when you did a mistake, and he'll tell you when you did something good. I think he's pretty fair. It wasn't his fault or anything like that that we got into this position."

 

And boom goes the dynamite.

[LaFontaineToMogilny]

 

I'm still in favor of Ruff disappearing as coach. It has little to do with him being a hardass and everything to do with the hardheaded approach taken this year. Repeatedly the Sabres struggled at basic aspects of the game. They had trouble getting out of their zone, trouble maintaining pressure in the offensive zone. They looked atrocious on the power play (again). They showed moments of greatness on the PK and moment of sheer stupidity. Most of all it appeared to me that in many situations the team just wasn't focused and wasn't sure of what they were doing. I think that's hidden in Miller's comment "We need to figure out what kind of team we are going to be." They are schizo and Ruff does mess around just a bit too much with lines. Overall the little things add up and I think he needs to go.

 

My main problem with Ruff this year is that he took too long to adjust 'the system' when the team was falling apart. It's no coincidence that the torrid run came shortly after he decided to go back to a simpler 'defense first' style of play. Yes, the flood of starters lost to injuries played it's part in taking the team off it's game, but when that happens you need to adapt. I think if Ruff had been more flexible and reacted faster, we would be in the playoffs right now. I expect Ruff to look at his own performance this year and I hope this is one of the take aways he gets from this wasted season.

[apuszczalowski]

I could very easily see Luongo there next year, but I think they may get him for free. If the new CBA does allow teams a one time cap-free buyout of a contract, Luongo will be quickly on his way out of Vancouver (a pricey buyout, but they're not going to let Schneider go).

They could always call up Boston to se if they can have Rask back..................

 

LTS makes a point when talking about the Sabres having veterans in the past like Grier and Neidermeyer (not the good one), who could stand up and get the younger players to possibly play harder, and I think not having anyone like that this year (except maybe Reghr) that could do that may have also had an effect. it seems like the guys they expected to step up and be the leaders weren't able to motivate others in the locker room, and a few weren't able to motivate themselves. I don't have a problem with Pomminstein as captain, I think he atleast elevated his game and was one of the ones to be able to motivate himself to come and play. I have never understood the love for Vanek as captain though. he does not strike me as the kind of person who is a leader. Theres no rule saying that the most skilled player (or highest paid player) on your team has to be the captain. He just seems like he is a quiet, shy, player who keeps to himself. Roy just seems like he is immature and in it only for himself. he seems liek the kind of player that needs someone to push him to get going.

 

The problem this offseason going forward will be shedding salary in order to move forward making changes, cause right now, the salary cap isn't going to allow them any room to make changes........

[Punch]

And boom goes the dynamite.

 

What's so irritating about this is that the mileage WGR is getting out of this meme has come from the briefest of snippets from Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek. Of course, they were only prompted to make those comments in direct response to specific questions from: WGR's Paul Hamilton.

 

Vanek said nothing to indicate he felt uncomfortable with Ruff's gruff chastisement--- yet the WGR guys are giving detailed psychological critiques of Vanek's inner turmoil based on his inflection and tone of voice. I've never heard Vanek's speech sound differently, regardless of the topic on hand. It's worth noting that Hamilton felt Roy reluctantly made the comments about Ruff. Perhaps he sounded reluctant because he was ever so gently prodded.

 

I don't think Paul Hamilton is disengenuous in any way, and I sincerely look forward to his comments during the season as he has so much access to the team--- but these are on-air talking points that will likely be forgotten by the end of the summer. In fact, WGR will drop them as a subject by the end of the week, not to be resurrected until the next losing streak under Ruff.

[That Aud Smell]

Some of the player's responses are not being repeated ad nauseum on WGR--- such as those made by Pominville and Ehrhoff, excerpted from the Buffalo News:

<snip>

 

i appreciate those quotes. it does offer some additional and worthwhile perspectve on the matter.

[Joe Pinzone]

Here's a decent piece on looking at the sabres optimistically since everyone is writing them off. I think getting rid of guys like roy and stafford would be a start.

[TheChimp]

Last time Lindy coached team Canada, the first time they met an opponent who could match their talent through all four lines, they came out flat, getting beat to loose pucks, losing board battles, and even got somewhat manhandled in the process. By Team freakin' Russia, who aren't exactly known for their Broad Street Bully impression.

 

Canada took an early 1-0 lead, which was ll the offense they could muster on that night, losing 1-2 despite outshooting the Russians 37-15.

 

Not surprisingly Roy was on the ice a lot late, while Lindy's otherwise red hot first line of Doan, Heatley and Spezza didn't see much ice in the 3rd, down by a goal.

 

Now, I'll agree the sample size is miniscule at best, but that game was like watching the Buffalo Sabres play the Panthers in a Sunday afternoon game.

 

Also, aren't the obvious choices busy coaching their NHL clubs in the playoffs, at that time?

Whew! See now this was an effective argument with me.

 

i appreciate those quotes. it does offer some additional and worthwhile perspectve on the matter.

Thank you for that.

 

I'm still in favor of Ruff disappearing as coach. It has little to do with him being a hardass and everything to do with the hardheaded approach taken this year. Repeatedly the Sabres struggled at basic aspects of the game. They had trouble getting out of their zone, trouble maintaining pressure in the offensive zone. They looked atrocious on the power play (again). They showed moments of greatness on the PK and moment of sheer stupidity. Most of all it appeared to me that in many situations the team just wasn't focused and wasn't sure of what they were doing. I think that's hidden in Miller's comment "We need to figure out what kind of team we are going to be." They are schizo and Ruff does mess around just a bit too much with lines. Overall the little things add up and I think he needs to go.

Those line changes...yeah, this is something I would want Lindy to do WAY differently than he does. IMO, if a line isn't producing or they screw up what you have been trying to teach them, you don't split them up, you leave them together, ON THE BENCH. All three of them. Both of the D-men together if it was they who screwed up. They develop cameraderie that way and an accountability as a UNIT that way. IMO.

[bcsaberks]

What's so irritating about this is that the mileage WGR is getting out of this meme has come from the briefest of snippets from Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek. Of course, they were only prompted to make those comments in direct response to specific questions from: WGR's Paul Hamilton.

 

Vanek said nothing to indicate he felt uncomfortable with Ruff's gruff chastisement--- yet the WGR guys are giving detailed psychological critiques of Vanek's inner turmoil based on his inflection and tone of voice. I've never heard Vanek's speech sound differently, regardless of the topic on hand. It's worth noting that Hamilton felt Roy reluctantly made the comments about Ruff. Perhaps he sounded reluctant because he was ever so gently prodded.

 

I don't think Paul Hamilton is disengenuous in any way, and I sincerely look forward to his comments during the season as he has so much access to the team--- but these are on-air talking points that will likely be forgotten by the end of the summer. In fact, WGR will drop them as a subject by the end of the week, not to be resurrected until the next losing streak under Ruff.

 

But don't you think Hamilton used "is lindy too tough?" as an opener to the general conversation "how do you feel about your coach"? It's a fair topic and I think the players want to talk about it. Hamilton even said "he's been hearing grumblings". I trust that. If the grumblings are from Roy, yeah who cares. If it's from Vanek it wouldn't be surprising as most of us agree it seems he and Lindy aren't BFFs. If it's from Pommers it would be shocking because he's so polished (boring) and nice. If it's from Regehr, Erhoff, Leino, vets who have had success elsewhere, you listen and you dig deeper. Again, I don't think Hamilton is trolling.

[Punch]

But don't you think Hamilton used "is lindy too tough?" as an opener to the general conversation "how do you feel about your coach"? It's a fair topic and I think the players want to talk about it. Hamilton even said "he's been hearing grumblings". I trust that. If the grumblings are from Roy, yeah who cares. If it's from Vanek it wouldn't be surprising as most of us agree it seems he and Lindy aren't BFFs. If it's from Pommers it would be shocking because he's so polished (boring) and nice. If it's from Regehr, Erhoff, Leino, vets who have had success elsewhere, you listen and you dig deeper. Again, I don't think Hamilton is trolling.

 

Yes, I do think that's how that particular topic of conversation started and I definitely think it's a fair subject to bring up, particularly in light of Ruff's specific reference to the core from this past weekend. But by using an opener like that we see Hamilton doing something he's often guilty of, namely, leading his interview subjects in a certain direction--- perhaps innocently--- but his lockerroom interviews are often full of loaded questions that only allow the interviewee to go so far with his answer:

.

PAUL HAMILTON: "Tyler, you looked like you wanted to shoot the puck there until you saw Jordan Leopold pinching in and going hard to the net--- do you think you'd like to have that one back and maybe try a wrister there instead of passing it off to the trailer?"

 

TYLER ENNIS: "Yeah, I think maybe I should have gone with my instincts when I saw Thomas stay deep in his net..."

 

By introducing the idea that Ruff is "too tough" the player is sort of stuck overthinking, off the cuff, a subject that he may or may not have given any thought to prior to the question.

 

I don't doubt several guys have grumbled about Ruff from time to time, in either off the record conversations with Hamilton or to staffers within the organization. We've all grumbled about our bosses, but even if it is a common occurrence, it isn't necessarily a true reflection of anything other than an emotional reaction in the moment. There very well may be a story here, but reading too much into a few lines of postseason lockerroom cleanout dialogue isn't enough for me to think there's clearly a problem--- only that WGR is interested in generating on-air talking points when there isn't a 1st Round Stanley Cup Playoff series to discuss.

[X. Benedict]

I don't doubt several guys have grumbled about Ruff from time to time, in either off the record conversations with Hamilton or to staffers within the organization. We've all grumbled about our bosses, but even if it is a common occurrence, it isn't necessarily a true reflection of anything other than an emotional reaction in the moment. There very well may be a story here, but reading too much into a few lines of postseason lockerroom cleanout dialogue isn't enough for me to think there's clearly a problem--- only that WGR is interested in generating on-air talking points when there isn't a 1st Round Stanley Cup Playoff series to discuss.

If players don't have a love/hate relationship with their coach - they don't have a good coach.

I'm not sure if Lindy is the guy to take them to the next level, but one thing I like is that the players aren't in charge.

Players on Ruff teams earn their time.

[bcsaberks]

Yes, I do think that's how that particular topic of conversation started and I definitely think it's a fair subject to bring up, particularly in light of Ruff's specific reference to the core from this past weekend. But by using an opener like that we see Hamilton doing something he's often guilty of, namely, leading his interview subjects in a certain direction--- perhaps innocently--- but his lockerroom interviews are often full of loaded questions that only allow the interviewee to go so far with his answer:

.

PAUL HAMILTON: "Tyler, you looked like you wanted to shoot the puck there until you saw Jordan Leopold pinching in and going hard to the net--- do you think you'd like to have that one back and maybe try a wrister there instead of passing it off to the trailer?"

 

TYLER ENNIS: "Yeah, I think maybe I should have gone with my instincts when I saw Thomas stay deep in his net..."

 

By introducing the idea that Ruff is "too tough" the player is sort of stuck overthinking, off the cuff, a subject that he may or may not have given any thought to prior to the question.

 

I don't doubt several guys have grumbled about Ruff from time to time, in either off the record conversations with Hamilton or to staffers within the organization. We've all grumbled about our bosses, but even if it is a common occurrence, it isn't necessarily a true reflection of anything other than an emotional reaction in the moment. There very well may be a story here, but reading too much into a few lines of postseason lockerroom cleanout dialogue isn't enough for me to think there's clearly a problem--- only that WGR is interested in generating on-air talking points when there isn't a 1st Round Stanley Cup Playoff series to discuss.

Ha. Yeah I perceive a lot of the loaded questions as doing the guy a favor, soft ball style, Razor does it too. "you have to do this interview, I'll make it easy for you because I understand it's not something you want to do between periods or after a loss, etc". Just being friendly or easy to work with.

 

If there were grumblings, not to get all conspiracy, but it's possible Roy anticipated it and hoped for it, knowing he could be the whistle blower on the way out of town for his buddies that stay.

 

On the other hand, Howard chimed in with "Thanks for giving us something to talk about Paul!" this morning.

 

Ultimately I think they can make it work (ruff/players). But for the first time, I'm ready for change w/ the coach.

[dEnnis the Menace]

Yes, I do think that's how that particular topic of conversation started and I definitely think it's a fair subject to bring up, particularly in light of Ruff's specific reference to the core from this past weekend. But by using an opener like that we see Hamilton doing something he's often guilty of, namely, leading his interview subjects in a certain direction--- perhaps innocently--- but his lockerroom interviews are often full of loaded questions that only allow the interviewee to go so far with his answer:

.

PAUL HAMILTON: "Tyler, you looked like you wanted to shoot the puck there until you saw Jordan Leopold pinching in and going hard to the net--- do you think you'd like to have that one back and maybe try a wrister there instead of passing it off to the trailer?"

 

TYLER ENNIS: "Yeah, I think maybe I should have gone with my instincts when I saw Thomas stay deep in his net..."

 

By introducing the idea that Ruff is "too tough" the player is sort of stuck overthinking, off the cuff, a subject that he may or may not have given any thought to prior to the question.

 

I don't doubt several guys have grumbled about Ruff from time to time, in either off the record conversations with Hamilton or to staffers within the organization. We've all grumbled about our bosses, but even if it is a common occurrence, it isn't necessarily a true reflection of anything other than an emotional reaction in the moment. There very well may be a story here, but reading too much into a few lines of postseason lockerroom cleanout dialogue isn't enough for me to think there's clearly a problem--- only that WGR is interested in generating on-air talking points when there isn't a 1st Round Stanley Cup Playoff series to discuss.

 

I am 100% on board with your line of thinking right now.

 

If players don't have a love/hate relationship with their coach - they don't have a good coach.

I'm not sure if Lindy is the guy to take them to the next level, but one thing I like is that the players aren't in charge.

Players on Ruff teams earn their time.

 

and further more, yours too.

[Trettioåtta]

I appreacite the "it's time for a change" argument. But my only worries are:

 

A) who would replace him? Lindy is a good coach in my opinion and there are few coaches i think could do a better job, especially as a lot of players have only really played for him and so may struggle to adjust to a new system? (that last part is speculation at best)

 

B) Would a change do anything? All the players seem to think he is alright/fair, a lot of players have said the problem was them not the coach and not to mention, changing coach is not always the answer (hello Caps, Habs and Leafs)