Rolston officially #Sabres head coach

[Peanit]

I've followed the Sabres since Day 1. They have missed the playoffs 7 out of the last 11 years. I'm told the fans will have to suffer. Yeah you're right, my losing attitude is baseless.

No your attitude is this coach isn't who you wanted therefore they will lose.

 

By the way, I am 54 years old and been an avid Sabres fan since the 70s.

[SMIRNOFF]

This. I don't see this as a terrible move, but I would have preferred to at least see what could happen during the off season.

 

I'm more annoyed that Darcy is still around.

 

The part in bold.

[nobody]

Rolston took 32% of the games to a shoot-out (10/31)

This team is most likely going to be in the bottom 5 in the league for the next year or two.

 

But of course the Sabres needed regulation wins. In the end all those shoot-out points do is keep the Sabres out of the bottom 4 or 5 and still don't allow them to be a playoffs contender.

[LabattBlue]

No your attitude is this coach isn't who you wanted therefore they will lose.

Have you not been following the team for the last two years? The pending departure of Vanek and Miller? Keeping Regier? It is so much more than naming RR the permanent head coach? This team may be heading towards rock bottom.

[Meathead]

well fwiw rolstons results projected over a full season would have given the sabres a 40-29-13 record, good for 93 pts and a likely playoff spot. considering the skating zombies team he inherited and losing several veterans down the stretch itd say thats fairly impressive

[thewookie1]

I won't have a problem with RR if we get a new set of assistant coaches. If anything I am still enraged by the retaining of Darcy Regier.

[Eleven]

well fwiw rolstons results projected over a full season would have given the sabres a 40-29-13 record, good for 93 pts and a likely playoff spot. considering the skating zombies team he inherited and losing several veterans down the stretch itd say thats fairly impressive

 

Rolston's results projected over this past season would have left the team one point short.

 

That's not a reason not to hire him, by the way. It's the roster that's the problem, not the coach. Was true in February and is true now.

[Claude_Verret]

Have you not been following the team for the last two years? The pending departure of Vanek and Miller? Keeping Regier? It is so much more than naming RR the permanent head coach? This team may be heading towards rock bottom.

 

Things look bleak, but this franchise is incapable of truly bottoming out. That is a certainty. There will be no top 3 draft pick to assuage the suffering.

[LabattBlue]

Things look bleak, but this franchise is incapable of truly bottoming out. That is a certainty. There will be no top 3 draft pick to assuage the suffering.

If they trade Vanek and Miller, don't be so sure.

[Peanit]

Have you not been following the team for the last two years? The pending departure of Vanek and Miller? Keeping Regier? It is so much more than naming RR the permanent head coach? This team may be heading towards rock bottom.

I following them. I am just as pissed as you when they lose. I am just as dissapointed as you when they don't make the playoffs.

 

I don't think keeping Ralston is a bad move and I don't go on message boards and insult people.

[shoretalk]

A not surprising moment ... a classic DARCY REGIER 'well thought out' verification of why he's proven to be a consistent winning general manager for more than a generation ... but a moment to give serious consideration towards if Rolston was coming to the Sabres from outside of our system. As frustrated as I am as a fan of the Buffalo Sabres and also aware that anything that Regier does now will get me shaking my head; I think Rolston could be a good NHL coach for the new generation of professional hockey players. This mini-season debut did not provide him with the opportunity to truly create his team made up of players who buy into his philosophy so I will give him a pass but who did we really think we'd get as a head coach? A retread NHL player? I think we saw some positive signs amidst the Spring's disappointment and accepting the truth that until Darcy is fired that the possibility of discovering gems is not an element of the Sabres' story I will accept Rolston's elevation. However, as someone moving back to Buffalo I will not buy a season ticket package (And, I encourage those with season tickets to speak with their wallets.) and I am doubting whether I will be buying a game day ticket. I will be a fan ... I will want them to win ... but in a perverse sort of way I somehow want Terry to wake up and get us a general manager who knows what he is doing and that may require more losing (Suffering as Darcy would say) than I want to go through. Of course I could always turn on Hockey Night in Canada and see the new exciting Maple Leafs ... NAH, I am a Buffalo Sabres' fan who is disappointed, frustrated, angry at ownership but willing to accept that Rolston as our head coach may have some brains clicking behind those glasses that will create a team that actually puts more pucks on net in power plays than gives away to the opposition for potential short handed goals. If he can only do that ...

[LastPommerFan]

As far as on the ice goes, you're correct. I was referring more to public and national perception of the franchise. I honestly believe the Sabres are approaching the Bills at warp speed.

 

Oh, yes, absolutely. The sabres are still in the "why are they doing that? that's going to make them worse." stage in national perception. But they are rapidly approaching, "Buffalo has a ___ Team still?"

[LabattBlue]

I following them. I am just as pissed as you when they lose. I am just as dissapointed as you when they don't make the playoffs.

 

I don't think keeping Ralston is a bad move and I don't go on message boards and insult people.

Who am I insulting? The Sabres?

[Peanit]

Rolston's results projected over this past season would have left the team one point short.

 

That's not a reason not to hire him, by the way. It's the roster that's the problem, not the coach. Was true in February and is true now.

If you are going to make projections, shouldn't the first 4 or 5 games be thrown out since his system would take a few games to implement?

 

Who am I insulting? The Sabres?

"Sprinkles on your kiddie cone?"

 

I took that as an insult

[Eleven]

If you are going to make projections, shouldn't the first 4 or 5 games be thrown out since his system would take a few games to implement?

 

 

"Sprinkles on your kiddie cone?"

 

I took that as an insult

 

No; no one got to implement systems this year. And they won three of the first five Rolston games, anyway.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Rolston's results projected over this past season would have left the team one point short.

 

That's not a reason not to hire him, by the way. It's the roster that's the problem, not the coach. Was true in February and is true now.

 

I don't know.....Ruff had 13 points in 17 games

 

Rolston had 35 points in 31 games while never having run a practice with these guys and jumping in on the fly. I'd say that's a very marked improvement.

 

While I wouldn't jump for joy over this, the overall team effort and feel was much more enjoyable under Rolston. He at least has the potential to be a solid NHL coach. We're f'd with Darcy no matter what.

 

And I wouldn't be so sure Rolston rolls over for Darcy on decision making. He may look and talk like Darcy, but his actions show me more initiative.

[26CornerBlitz]

Hard to tell whether it's DR or RR speaking.

[Eleven]

I don't know.....Ruff had 13 points in 17 games

 

Rolston had 35 points in 31 games while never having run a practice with these guys and jumping in on the fly. I'd say that's a very marked improvement.

 

While I wouldn't jump for joy over this, the overall team effort and feel was much more enjoyable under Rolston. He at least has the potential to be a solid NHL coach. We're f'd with Darcy no matter what.

 

And I wouldn't be so sure Rolston rolls over for Darcy on decision making. He may look and talk like Darcy, but his actions show me more initiative.

 

1& 2, Doesn't matter; this team still stinks. I can't agree with your third line at all--this team was horrible to watch all year. And I'm not sure about what your last line means.

[dudacek]

Well, Kevin Porter is happy man.

[26CornerBlitz]

Well, Kevin Porter is happy man.

 

More PP time for KP. I'm excited.

[spndnchz]

"it speaks to the job he did and the respect he got from the players in the exit meetings, it became more and more obvious we needed to continue with Ron".

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

"it speaks to the job he did and the respect he got from the players in the exit meetings, it became more and more obvious we needed to continue with Ron".

 

I like him. I think he will even open up a little more in public now that the pressure is off to secure a full time gig.

[26CornerBlitz]

I like him. I think he will even open up a little more in public now that the pressure is off to secure a full time gig.

 

Maybe he'll ultimately do a good job as HC, but RR is the living embodiment of Meh.

[nobody]

Based on what the GR guys said this morning - under Rolston the regulation win percentange went down. It's going to be exciting adding Detroit into the division.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

This reminds me of when The Mucker hired Nolan.

 

I expect the team to play hard for him.

 

Those of you who are doing the math and figuring out that a full season would project to *x* points. There is no way that roster would maintain that pace over a full 82 game season, IMO. The kids were playing for their lives.

 

Until the roster improves all I will hope for is a hard working team, but I am not expecting much in the way of good results.

 

I think Rolston has earned his shot. I think he is a very good choice for a rebuild. Give him a 3 year contract and go from there. That said, the roster needs to improve starting now, or the rebuild will never end.