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Lindy Ruff Fired


Pegulaville26

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I really don't get the point of firing Ruff now. What has changed from the start of the season? The team underachieved?

If they "tuned him out" this season, why wasn't that obvious at the end of last season?

The problem this team had still exists: the GM.

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Agree completely. It's not like the Sabres roster is great and are under-performing. I would have waited until the summer.

Disagree, Pegulaville explained several reasons in his blog as to why Ruff needed to be gone NOW!

-basically Ruff lost the room. A new coach and Buffalo is going to be scarey good.

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Disagree, Pegulaville explained several reasons in his blog as to why Ruff needed to be gone NOW!

-basically Ruff lost the room. A new coach and Buffalo is going to be scarey good.

See, I understand this theory. And I'm fine with it. As far as it goes.

But are you really telling me that in 17 games Lindy "lost the room?" There were rumors about that when Pegula bought the team.

Who did he lose? A great deal of this team is new in the last season or two. One might argue that Vanek is at the most productive of any point in his career. Pominville? Miller? Leopold? Myers?

What happened in the first 17 games of this season that was so radically different from how they finished last season?

Precious little.

To be clear, I'm not saying "why now?" as much as "why not then?" In point of fact, Pegula should have cleaned house when he bought the team. And Regier needs to be the next to go.

Ruff may have "lost the room" but Regier put all the guys in the room.

Let's hope they don't quit on the next coach, too.

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Don't over think this guys. The reason this was done now is a face saving move. Pegula was getting hammered by critics the honeymoon period is over. Last night the fans booed almost the entire game and the arena is silent almost every night now. Also with the way the McCormick waiving was handled this morning in his wife finding out via the Internet before McCormick had time to tell her. PR battle was getting ugly in Buffalo this buys Pegula some time to turn things around.

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@radoran

To be clear, I'm not saying "why now?" as much as "why not then?" In point of fact, Pegula should have cleaned house when he bought the team. And Regier needs to be the next to go.

I agree nothing changed from the summer. Ruff really should have been fired last season, I think he was on borrowed time. But when it is a new season and the result is the same, the coach is generally the first to go.

Who did he lose? A great deal of this team is new in the last season or two. One might argue that Vanek is at the most productive of any point in his career. Pominville? Miller? Leopold? Myers?

Vanek has been productive because he is healthy....The top line has most always been competitive, but what Ruff couldn't do on a consistent basis this year is put together team effort to turn losses into wins. The team needed a new source of enthusiasm to win.

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Article by Donnnellon on mid-season coaching changes in the NHL:

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20130220_Sam_Donnellon__NHL_coaching_changes_come_often__and_often_have_successful_results.html

The question is, why is it that midseason coaching changes are far more effective in professional hockey than in the other major team sports?

Why do they appear to be more frequent, too, for that matter?

"Because there's probably not as much theory as in those other sports, especially football,'' said Keith Primeau, the former Flyers captain and now a junior coach himself. "As a hockey coach you're not just a tactician, you're part motivator. The tricky part is how to do that. How do you get the most out of your own unique group of players? It all depends on how you deliver your message, I guess.''

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I met Ruff before he started coaching....when he was a scout for the Panthers. They were just about to pick Ed Jovanoski first overall, so he was at Windsor Arena many, many times that year. We were drinking in the bar after a Spits win, and he kept bumming smokes off my buddy, like every half hour....lol.

My hats off to Ruff (although I must say, he's a dick), he had a nice run. Some very respectable numbers...1165 games coached...571 wins, 432 losses, 78 ties and 84 OTL...he won the Jack Adams in 05, took his team to the finals once (robbed by the Hull fiasco), the conference finals 4 times.....AND a respectable 57 wins 44 loses in the playoffs for a .564 playoff winning percentage. He had a great goalie in Hasek and a slightly above average goalii in Miller, so those guys helped pad the stats.

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I think the timing is weird, but it really is several seasons late. He really just hasn't been that good. I'll never understand why he lasted this long, because he really has squandered some decent rosters. He'll land elsewhere if he chooses to, but I think he's incredibly over-rated.

Still, it has to be rough on Sabres fans. He's been there coach for 16 years, so even among those who think it was probably time, there has to be a bit of sorrow.

Good luck, Buffalo

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I think the timing is weird, but it really is several seasons late. He really just hasn't been that good. I'll never understand why he lasted this long, because he really has squandered some decent rosters. He'll land elsewhere if he chooses to, but I think he's incredibly over-rated.

Still, it has to be rough on Sabres fans. He's been there coach for 16 years, so even among those who think it was probably time, there has to be a bit of sorrow.

Good luck, Buffalo

You should read the TSN.CA posts about his firing. They are lavishing praise on "Lindy on the Road and Ruff at Home". It is comical. You comments are accurate. This seems a firing about change (kind of like the Flyers firing Hitch- whom I consider a significantly better coach than Ruff).

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You should read the TSN.CA posts about his firing. They are lavishing praise on "Lindy on the Road and Ruff at Home". It is comical. You comments are accurate. This seems a firing about change (kind of like the Flyers firing Hitch- whom I consider a significantly better coach than Ruff).

It's a firing about change all right. And the fact that they did it 18 games after extending him shos what a stupid decision keeping him in the first place was.

Naturally, the guy that made both decisions is still there.

Still, it has to be rough on Sabres fans. He's been there coach for 16 years, so even among those who think it was probably time, there has to be a bit of sorrow.

Good luck, Buffalo

I know some fans who are absolutely heartbroken and some others that can't believethey brought him back for this season.

When you figure there are high school students who have never known another Sabres coach - and college students for whom "Ted Nolan" is a figure shrouded in mystery - you can get an idea of what Lindy might mean to some people in Buffalo.

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