Confirmed with Link: Lindy Ruff named Head Coach, Press Conference at 1:00 PM EDT
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Fjordy
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Well I see the difference but Ruff has limited resources and an unbalanced roster. I'm mad at Adams, if he gave Ruff a good roster to fight for the playoffs then I would understand, but that's not it. While I'm not saying Ruff is perfect and I have some questions for him too, it's mostly on Adams.
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I'm of the opinion that its the players, not the coach. Same issues, multiple coaches, different styles.
toddkaz
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I just thought we would see a better defensive system under Ruff. Maybe we are in the stats but watching the games it doesn't feel like it.
Fjordy
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I'm not sure you can with this defense build good defense system. I don't like our defense, it's just not balanced and not that good at defense. Our best defensemen were Dahlin and Jokiharju, and that's despite Dahlin's tough start due to injury and some mistakes. What does that say about the rest of our defense? Byram is bad at defense and has been bad in Colorado the last few years. Power is not good at defense so far and doesn't even have anyone to learn from. Samuelsson has been terrible this season even on the third pair. Clifton is okay for the third pair, but nothing more. Jokiharju is a guy who for some reason can't find chemistry with either Dahlin or Power, he's not bad at anything but he's not good either, to me he looks more like a guy who wants to move the puck more and attack, but why do we need a player like that in the top 4, where we already have Dahlin and Power, and Adams also to add Byram.
This simply shows Adams' ineptitude in constructing a defense, Botterill, by the way, had the same problem.
Multiple coaches and they've all, at some point, tried to implement a better defensive system.
And they've all failed. The only constant is the players. They say the right things but actions speak louder than words.
Fjordy
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Yet nearly every player to leave Buffalo seems to go on to achieve bigger and better things. It’s a culture thing.
Where is the team that attacked the hell out of the Rangers? That looked like a properly coached team.
Seems they've gotten improvement out of Thompson, continued growth from Peterka, the initial 3rd line worked and Byram has been good at creating 5-on-5 offense of late.
Cozens and Quinn have slid backwards, Dahlin and Power have been inconsistent in their own zone and the biggest issue is the goaltending has been below par when looking at Luukkonen from last season to this or looking at Levi vs. just about every other goalie in the league.
They've had an uptick on the PP after initial struggles (4th in the league by % since October 25th) and the PK has remained about the same (again, goaltending).
There seems to be growth there. I'd love to find out what they are trending in terms of settled offense compared to last year since it does seem they have nights when they forecheck their nuts off instead of playing fly-by rush hockey like last year. But I'd like to see the 5-on-5 numbers there. Also seems like they've cut down a bit on the odd-man rush chances against to a small handful a game (3-ish) down from the bundles last season (seemed like 8-10 a night when I would track it).
Cozens and Quinn have slid backwards, Dahlin and Power have been inconsistent in their own zone and the biggest issue is the goaltending has been below par when looking at Luukkonen from last season to this or looking at Levi vs. just about every other goalie in the league.
They've had an uptick on the PP after initial struggles (4th in the league by % since October 25th) and the PK has remained about the same (again, goaltending).
There seems to be growth there. I'd love to find out what they are trending in terms of settled offense compared to last year since it does seem they have nights when they forecheck their nuts off instead of playing fly-by rush hockey like last year. But I'd like to see the 5-on-5 numbers there. Also seems like they've cut down a bit on the odd-man rush chances against to a small handful a game (3-ish) down from the bundles last season (seemed like 8-10 a night when I would track it).
Fjordy
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Zman5778
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The big thing I've noticed as far as the last couple years to this year:
The number of backdoor goals allowed (ie, goals directly resulting from backdoor passes) has gone WAY, WAY down. Under Donnie, it seemed like we'd give up one of those layups every night or every other night.
I think I can count on one hand the number of those goals we've given up this year.
I've yet to see plays where I am wondering where Byram's effort is defensively. That's still my critique of Power - he just doesn't engage to win the puck defensively fast enough and so he's often left looking foolish. Dahlin is more with the puck on his stick, continuing to be too soft or a bit too tricky instead of being a little safer or harder on the puck at times. I always harken back to Ray Bourque's comment that anything one does in the NHL should be done hard.
Byram may not be the brightest at his in-zone play, but I don't worry about if he's trying to get to someone or to get a stick or hand on somebody in front and I don't worry that he's going to short-arm his clears.
I tend to agree on that. And I would say that it's better sticks in the defensive zone from the forwards in particular. I have too many plays still where I'm wondering what someone on the defense is doing - why are they both below the goal line on 1 opponent or why are they drifting above the faceoff dot during settled defensive time or why are they not putting hands/stick/arm/leg on their check to at least disrupt people around the net more - but maybe it's starting to come along.
Seeing Thompson track all the way back into his own zone and determined to take the puck off the opponent he's pursuing has been one of the few warm and fuzzy things this season. Seeing Peterka body someone off a puck is another. Benson since coming back off the injured list and Zucker-McLeod-Greenway's early play...
Zman5778
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I know Colorado fans had mentioned this, but it still surprises me how willing Byram is to engage physically. Generally speaking, his brand of smooth-skating, offense-first defenders are rather shy when it comes to physicality. It sure seems to me that Byram WANTS to be a well-rounded, all-situations defenseman.
Zman5778
Moderator
I think one of my hairs turns grey every single time a Dman drifts above the faceoff dot when the opponent is cycling the puck while we're PKing. I get that sometimes a D is following the guy with the puck.........but holy hell.....if you're not following a guy on the PK...STAY BELOW THE DOT. Christ.
That has to absolutely infuriate Ruff.
Fjordy
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Well he was just bad in D zone, even worse than Power in metrics, now Owen may have already passed him. Byram is an offensive Dwho will probably never be good at defense. That's why the trade didn't make sense in the first place.
Dahlin and Jokiharju were our best defenders in their zone, even despite the difficult start due to injury and Rasmus' mistake, he still turned out to be better than Byram and Power in the D zone, and it is frightening how incorrectly and unbalanced our defense is composed.
Zman5778
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The dude is 23 years old. It sure seems to me that he's WILLING to be good at defense.....and usually, if a guy is willing.....it'll come around.
I know we all want the playoffs RIGHT FREAKING NOW......but there is still LOTS of development to come with individual players. Byram is no exception
Yeah, when he knows he's going to get hit and still makes the play I wince, thinking back to his concussion stuff. It's crazy that he's only played just over 2 full seasons worth of regular season games due to that stuff. Just for some mind bending stuff, he's been in the NHL for parts of 5 seasons and has just 5 more games played than Peterka (182 to 177).
Right now, Ruff seems willing to utilize him as a wild card. It's unusual that a team can roll three defensemen who could soak 24+ minutes a night in games without it being the result of injury. And even with Byram's success, he's basically a 50/50 player at 5-on-5 for zone starts. (Not that Dahlin or Power are heavily stilted, at 56 and 55 percent each... Jokiharju is at 60% and well... yeah.)
Fjordy
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I'm not saying he doesn't want to, I just mentioned that Byram is a guy who doesn't do well in defense, we have too much attacking defense. I'm not saying that we should sell Byram right now, but I would like to see a different defense, maybe at TDL or in the summer, we'll see.
sabremike
#1 Tageaholic
So when should we expect this team to make the playoffs? 2026? 2029? 2034? How much more "development" do we have to endure before accomplishing the single easiest accomplishment in all of pro sports? The Hershey Bears have higher standards than an alleged NHL team and it's ridiculous.
sabremike
#1 Tageaholic
There was no good reason whatsoever that the entire staff should've kept their positions. It's just absolute lunacy.
It doesn't look like they're that far off. All three should be fixable, those moments smoothed off by repetition and experience.
Jokiharju also got 60% O-zone starts. It's a lot easier to defend when the play starts at the other end of the ice unless you have Sammi Salo in net.
Right at the moment, I don't think any of them have been particularly good. It seems most nights there is someone who has screwed up badly. I haven't brought myself to go watch the Flyers game because... ewww, Flyers win. Nobody needs that. (Insert, don't put that evil on me gif here).
I'd like to see Ruff get more out of his d-zone play, sure.
I have concerns about Power after having watched him now for parts of six seasons that it is just not there when it comes to the urgency of getting into defensive competitions - again this has NOTHING TO DO WITH HITTING - but everything to do with closing on his man to disrupt someone, getting inside position to block them off from having easy possession around the net, or pinning people out along the boards just by leaning on them. That last bit he's seemed to get better at. I don't think Wilford is the guy to get that out of him. If I was Ruff, I would be looking for the next defense whisperer assistant coach.
I have concerns with Dahlin that he can't channel the feisty parts of his game yet, that he switches off thought and even sometimes effort. It may be part of his usage - all those minutes do lend to wanting to conserve energy - but the times I see him at his offensive blueline sort of half-assing it back for a loose puck that someone on the other team blows past him to get is getting pretty high.
