Confirmed with Link: Lindy Ruff named Head Coach, Press Conference at 1:00 PM EDT

[WeDislikeEich]

Talking about getting "dirtier goals" is music to my ears. And the forwards helping more in the defensive zone.

Please, please make this work.

Same here! I was nodding my head yes as he was talking about that. lol

Also when he said he wants to have a high powered offense AND play good defense too.
I just remember Granato once saying that he was focused on coaching offense and the players had to find their defensive game on their own. I believe that was shortly after he took over for Krueger, who completely killed the Sabres offense, but still… that quote always stuck with me. It’s the NHL - the best league in the world ffs - you should be able to coach + play offense and defense at the same time.
Then this past season they seemed to finally focus on coaching defense and the offense fell off.

I missed listening to Lindy talk more than I realized. It’s just so clear & obvious how knowledgable and experienced he is. Maybe it seems so obvious because of the list of coaches we’ve had since Lindy. lol

 

[Ace]

Try thinking of this as if the exact opposite had happened.

Adams fires Don and has no idea what kind of coach he wants next. He’s so unsure of what the team he has been in charge of needs that he plans to cast the widest net imaginable and it will be months until he figures out what kind of style he’s looking for. So lost that first time coaches with very little experience and legends of the game have an equal shot at convincing him they’re the man for the job. You run a hardcore defensive system meant to slow down the game that isn’t a fit for the drafting I’ve been doing or the players I’ve signed? Hey…maybe it’s your lucky day! Gotta keep every door open and have as exhaustive a search as possible or Bissonette and McIndoe will criticize us!

 

[BUCKSHOT]

The best part about this whole thing is seeing some of the more pessimistic (recently anyways) posters do the complete face turn and some of the other normally optimistic posters do a complete heel turn.

We truly are in the upside down.

I had to revisit my 'blocked' list

 

[TehDoak]

In general this entire thing has gotten incredibly stupid.

I'm actually more shocked that someone at the Buffalo news picked up the phone to call around to sources and get some actual truth to the matter.

It's typical Adams though. Push the narrative that paints him and his boss in the best possible light.

We aren't "spending below the cap floor", we're "letting the kids play"

We didn't "just sign the guy we wanted" we had an "extensive search where I spoke to a double digit amount of people about this role"

Typical Adams doublespeak.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

I'm sure there will be shots fired about HF in general or me in particular, and I full expect heels to be dug in but this needed to be said:

It's Ryan Lambert. I'm pretty sure the Sabres ran over his dog when he was a kid or something, because not once in his professional life has he ever had a good thing to say about the Sabres. If they hadn't hired Ruff, his piece would have been about how the Sabres bungled it again because the obvious choice in Ruff was right there.

 

[TehDoak]

It's Ryan Lambert. I'm pretty sure the Sabres ran over his dog when he was a kid or something, because not once in his professional life has he ever had a good thing to say about the Sabres. If they hadn't hired Ruff, his piece would have been about how the Sabres bungled it again because the obvious choice in Ruff was right there.

He's a boston fan.

But, let's be honest, 13 years without making the playoffs makes you a pretty easy speedbag for people to punch down at.

 

[5 Minute Major]

Talking about getting "dirtier goals" is music to my ears. And the forwards helping more in the defensive zone.

Please, please make this work.

Exactly. We need just a couple players to lead the way. You don’t need a roster of tough guys. The team sees a couple of their own sacrificing and having success it becomes infectious. Then you have five or seven guys doing in.

It would be nice to see some guys do things outside of their comfort zone. That’s when you know you have the makings of a good team. Things you do for each other on the ice. Be tight knit there as well as in the dressing room and outside the arena.

 

[Fezzy126]

I was not pleased with a lot of their defense backsliding this year so I know I'm biased. I also didn't like Marty's work in Anaheim or them turfing him because they didn't like his work. But... Ruff may think he's doing the right things. His interview with Biron mentioned the forwards being better in their own zone and that's like music to my ears. Getting it out of them... let's see if it happens.

Wilford had Dahlin and Power to work with, as well as guy like Samuelsson (when healthy) that has been deeply ingrained in the game due to his bloodlines. They also added another top 5 pick in Byram later on. Bottom line - He had a TON to work with here.

It may sound silly, but I want much more from this group and felt Wilford was absolutely holding them back from really hitting their ceilings.

 

[Dubi Doo]

I was not pleased with a lot of their defense backsliding this year so I know I'm biased. I also didn't like Marty's work in Anaheim or them turfing him because they didn't like his work. But... Ruff may think he's doing the right things. His interview with Biron mentioned the forwards being better in their own zone and that's like music to my ears. Getting it out of them... let's see if it happens.

That's what makes this hire beautiful. If Ruff, a well respected coach in the league, cant get these guys to buy into winning hockey, then that's all the evidence I need that we'll need to retool the forward core.

 

[Tracy]

The only important question is whether Adams looped in DEI.

He was likely the best man for the job. So it was based on merit, as it should be.

 

[Dubi Doo]

As Chain pointed out, he never said interviewed. Which gets back to my point of how stupid this all is.

What a decade+ of playoffless hockey does to a motha lucka...

 

[Intermission]

That's what makes this hire beautiful. If Ruff, a well respected coach in the league, cant get these guys to buy into winning hockey, then that's all the evidence I need that we'll need to retool the forward core.

What potentially makes this hire beautiful is as Lindy Ruff charges for the next level of accountability he describes, the players indeed conform.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

 

[Mattilaus]

Probably reading too much into this, but with Marty's interview earlier, thats now two interviews where he has been asked about who he is excited to coach and when he mentions forwards, he doesn't say a word about Skinner. Heard him talk about Thompson, Tuch, Quinn, Peterka, and Cozens all to varying degrees, but not a word about Skinner unless I missed it.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

 

[The Blunder Years]

Okay who’s stepping up big time under Lindy and who’s in the doghouse. I see Quinn or Benson being his guys. I could see Tage being in the doghouse

 

[Zman5778]

MOAR!!! Inject this straight into my veins.

Hits that nostalgia perfectly.....AND gets me excited for the season.

 

[Zach716]

Probably reading too much into this, but with Marty's interview earlier, thats now two interviews where he has been asked about who he is excited to coach and when he mentions forwards, he doesn't say a word about Skinner. Heard him talk about Thompson, Tuch, Quinn, Peterka, and Cozens all to varying degrees, but not a word about Skinner unless I missed it.

Seems like everyone believes he’s cooked under Ruff

 

[beerme1]

Hours later this is still blowing my mind. I would have preferred rehiring Tim Murray to bringing Ruff back. Murray would have made more sense. At least you could make the argument that he was inexperienced and has maybe gotten better in in interim. Ruff has spent the interim underachiever and getting fired for the exact same reasons he got fired the first time in Buffalo. Just mind blowing how utterly stupid this is.

112 points with NJ last season. Please make a better argument for how stupid this is. He's not my first choice but C'mon. In my mind top 3 - 5 choices. I welcome Lindy back.

 

[Dingo44]

Anyone else forget John Murphy worked at Channel 4 for a while?

 

[Beerz]

I'm just glad they ditched the whole "win the cup" talk and are just focusing on taking it one step at a time

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Ace]

Okay who’s stepping up big time under Lindy and who’s in the doghouse. I see Quinn or Benson being his guys. I could see Tage being in the doghouse

Unless Adams acquires two new top six centers…he can hate Tage all he wants…he’s playing him big minutes. You gonna play Cozens as a 1? Krebs as a 2? I don’t think so, Tim.

 

[Deevo]

It's Ryan Lambert. I'm pretty sure the Sabres ran over his dog when he was a kid or something, because not once in his professional life has he ever had a good thing to say about the Sabres. If they hadn't hired Ruff, his piece would have been about how the Sabres bungled it again because the obvious choice in Ruff was right there.

He never has a good thing to say about anybody.

 

[The Blunder Years]

Unless Adams acquires two new top six centers…he can hate Tage all he wants…he’s playing him big minutes. You gonna play Cozens as a 1? Krebs as a 2? I don’t think so, Tim.

Benson, Kulich, Savoie, Ostlund and Wahlberg all have center experience