The Reality of our Head Coaching Situation

[Porous Five Hole]

9 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

It’s not the coach, it’s the roster.   No coach could win with this defense group.  

The Devils are not regretting Ruff for Keefe.

 

I cannot definitely say some guy (Montgomery, Tocchet, whomever) would have better results here in Buffalo because that’s impossible, and we agree the roster is flawed…but we cannot rule out that the game has passed Ruff by. We are a third into the season and I cannot find a single reason to say, “Yea Lindy made a positive difference here” other than marketing.  

[SDS]

8 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

The Devils are not regretting Ruff for Keefe.

 

I cannot definitely say some guy (Montgomery, Tocchet, whomever) would have better results here in Buffalo because that’s impossible, and we agree the roster is flawed…but we cannot rule out that the game has passed Ruff by. We are a third into the season and I cannot find a single reason to say, “Yea Lindy made a positive difference here” other than marketing.  

I think the team looks better overall. Unfortunately, it hasn’t made a statistical difference in the standings.

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

The Devils are not regretting Ruff for Keefe.

 

I cannot definitely say some guy (Montgomery, Tocchet, whomever) would have better results here in Buffalo because that’s impossible, and we agree the roster is flawed…but we cannot rule out that the game has passed Ruff by. We are a third into the season and I cannot find a single reason to say, “Yea Lindy made a positive difference here” other than marketing.  

Lindy’s NJ team failed because of injuries on defense and a lack of goaltending.  

After Ruff was let go the NJ GM went out and got 2 goalies.   Lindy was the scapegoat for GM’s failures.  No one said the game had passed Lindy by 2 years ago when the Devils made the playoffs with over 110 points.  The funny thing about the Devils 2 years ago was that the GM worked to fix the defense before that season by trading for Marino to help add a good defensive D to the roster.  

Blaming Lindy for the terrible roster Adams created is no different than blaming Lindy for the GMs failures in NJ.

Edited Monday at 06:41 PM by GASabresIUFAN

[Porous Five Hole]

7 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Lindy’s NJ team failed because of injuries on defense and a lack of goaltending.  

After Ruff was let go the NJ GM went out and got 2 goalies.   Lindy was the scapegoat for GM’s failures.  No one said the game had passed Lindy by 2 years ago when the Devils made the playoffs with over 110 points.  The funny thing about the Devils 2 years ago was that the GM worked to fix the defense before that season by trading for Marino to help add a good defensive D to the roster.  

Blaming Lindy for the terrible roster Adams created is no different than blaming Lindy for the GMs failures in NJ.

Goaltending failed him in NJ, but let’s talk about today.  What has his system done for the Sabres? 

[Porous Five Hole]

@mjd1001, what do you disagree with? What had Lindy done that makes you think he’s the answer?
The Sabres have lost ten straight and to say coaching isn’t a problem is flawed to me.  No one should lose ten straight. Clearly he isn’t making a difference from (gulp) Ralph or Meatballs.  

[SDS]

3 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

@mjd1001, what do you disagree with? What had Lindy done that makes you think he’s the answer?
The Sabres have lost ten straight and to say coaching isn’t a problem is flawed to me.  No one should lose ten straight. Clearly he isn’t making a difference from (gulp) Ralph or Meatballs.  

The answer is right in front of you if you just learn to embrace it.

[Porous Five Hole]

1 minute ago, SDS said:

The answer is right in front of you if you just learn to embrace it.

Tell me daddy. What is it?

[triumph_communes]

Ruff is fine we’re just too young of a team in a men’s league. 

[SDS]

Just now, Porous Five Hole said:

Tell me daddy. What is it?

You: multiple coaches can’t win with the players on the ice. We must need another coach…

🤔

[GASabresIUFAN]

13 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

Goaltending failed him in NJ, but let’s talk about today.  What has his system done for the Sabres? 

Hard to know when he doesn't have enough even decent players to implement his system.  He has no defensemen who can play defense.  He has one proven playmaker in his forward group.  How can he install a workable system when his two "top" D, Byram and Power, have zero defensive fundamentals? They literally don't know how to play defense.  Do yourself a favor and watch Gretzky's commentary on Owen Power.

Did you know our 6'6 225 lbs $8 million a year D has 9 hits for the season.  9.  How is that even possible in 31 games, unless you are concentrating on not hitting anyone.

Edited Monday at 07:07 PM by GASabresIUFAN

[Porous Five Hole]

Just now, SDS said:

You: multiple coaches can’t win with the players on the ice. We must need another coach…

🤔

I guess.
My point was that Lindy is not the guy.  I don’t know if Tocchet or Keefe could have been.  But Ruff was a safe and easy hire…and I don’t think his magic dust is working. Back to the drawing board if it were up to me.  

[Porous Five Hole]

2 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Hard to know when he doesn't have enough even decent players to implement his system.  He has no defensemen who can play defense.  He has one proven playmaker in his forward group.  How can he install a workable system when his two "top" D, Byram and Power, have zero defensive fundamentals? They literally don't know how to play defense.  

If he cannot make his system work with 1OA, 1OA, and 4OA, I don’t know what to tell you.  Talent is there and I think we have a coaching problem.  Ok to agree to disagree.  

[Mango]

I find Lindy so low on the list of things that are wrong with the team, I don't know why we bother discussing it. The patient is bleeding out from multiple gunshot wounds and we have people talking about the importance of the general public washing their hands after using the bathroom. 

Yes wash your hands. It is good for everybody, but in the post industrialized almost nobody will ever die from it.

But also....this dude is over here dying over here, so what are we wasting our time on? 

[mjd1001]

29 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

@mjd1001, what do you disagree with? What had Lindy done that makes you think he’s the answer?
The Sabres have lost ten straight and to say coaching isn’t a problem is flawed to me.  No one should lose ten straight. Clearly he isn’t making a difference from (gulp) Ralph or Meatballs.  

Roster construction.

Its not even the overall talent level, but its how that talent was developed and if you have available pieces that can mesh together. 

Its not Lindy. And before him Granato. And Krueger. And Housley. And Blysma. And Nolan.  And Lindy before him.

It starts up top with Pegula, and filters down to the hockey department. I'm not as down on Adams as some, but its on him before Lindy.

To say this is coaching, its looking through a very very narrow perspective.

Edited Monday at 07:26 PM by mjd1001

[Ogelthorpe]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Who is the genius that decided Krebs is a good idea on the pp? I mean, in what universe does that make any sense? 

That's on Ruff, and it just really defies logic

I would say that's on adams with his trash evaluation and the trash trade. Adams has been fleeced on every major trade. 

[SDS]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Who is the genius that decided Krebs is a good idea on the pp? I mean, in what universe does that make any sense? 

That's on Ruff, and it just really defies logic

Are you an the accountability guy? If not then you should talk to the accountability guys.
 

You know, the ones that want to punish those who are not producing and replace them with players who produce even less and then question why such a stupid move was made.

[Mango]

25 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

If he cannot make his system work with 1OA, 1OA, and 4OA, I don’t know what to tell you.  Talent is there and I think we have a coaching problem.  Ok to agree to disagree.  

This is almost offensive vague and ambiguous. 

Draft position doesn’t equal good. It means they have a better chance of being good. Sometimes great fails without the proper supporting cast. 

[Mango]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Who is the genius that decided Krebs is a good idea on the pp? I mean, in what universe does that make any sense? 

That's on Ruff, and it just really defies logic

I think that issue is that our isn’t talented enough. And when talent isn’t enough you lean into effort. Unfortunately our effort guys and our talent guys don’t have a ton of overlap. Which is part of the reason the talent is talented enough. 
 

and around and around we gooooo……

[PerreaultForever]

30 minutes ago, SDS said:

Are you an the accountability guy? If not then you should talk to the accountability guys.
 

You know, the ones that want to punish those who are not producing and replace them with players who produce even less and then question why such a stupid move was made.

There is a bit of a trap there isn't there? What can a coach do when his potential call ups and replacements are a bunch of green rookies not NHL ready?

You want accountability it has to be based on effort, not necessarily results. If a guy tries to make the right play but fails because he's not able to that's acceptable, but if a guy floats and doesn't do anything then he should sit. Based on the Leaf game, Peterka should sit. Will he? Unlikely. Ruff is being accountable, but what can he really do?

[Flashsabre]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/ex-buffalo-sabres-coach-don-granato-weighs-in-on-winless-skid-it-s-exhausting-1.2221125

[Rasmus_]

As I said before his hire, we needed a disciplinarian type, but not the re-tread.  I love Lindy, and his run in the late 90's to early 2000's was the teams highest point of success.  I'm not sure what the fundamental flaw is, but whatever it is, it's not in this group.  It starts with accountability of the players, and their push and desire to be push harder.  I see it in some from the highlights I've watched, but this team is just parts of a good team forced together with superglue.  It isn't working. 

[JP51]

20 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

It’s not the coach, it’s the roster.   No coach could win with this defense group.  

I agree, with the exception of Dahlin this defense is atrocious the simple lack of physicality in and of itself is dooming... not to mention the unforced errors in puck movement and the mix of defenseman is not complimentary 

[Ogelthorpe]

21 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

If he cannot make his system work with 1OA, 1OA, and 4OA, I don’t know what to tell you.  Talent is there and I think we have a coaching problem.  Ok to agree to disagree.  

I put more blame on Marty Wilford been here since 21 in control of the D, and when he is fired will most likely never get another NHL coaching job. 

[jad1]

After the Calgary game, The Athletic posted a stat that I think is one of the KPIs that will indicate how successful Ruff will be as Sabres coach.

The stat was that the Sabres had the highest shooting percentage on rebounds in the League.  However they were 23rd in the league in rebound shots taken.

Listening to Ruff's press conferences, I think he is aware of this and is working on motivating the team to go to the net more.

It's proving to be a task with the current group of players, who are Leino-esque in their love for playing on the perimeter. 

Changing this mindset will help the team improve, but it's a stubborn problem that will probably take 40-60 games to fix.

[Porous Five Hole]

https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/lindy-ruff-buffalo-sabres-slump-nhl/article_0bbdf6b6-bd62-11ef-b4d4-b706877a278f.html
 

“Lindy Ruff bears some responsibility for Sabres sinking to bottom”