WGR: Why are the Sabres better under Ted Nolan?

[26CornerBlitz]

Why are the Sabres better under Ted Nolan?

@matthewwgr Reporting
Matthew Coller

It's not that the Buffalo Sabres have gone from the worst team in the NHL to competing for the Stanley Cup since interim head coach Ted Nolan took over, but it's hard to challenge the idea that they've been better. It has shown up in the records. Ted Nolan is 7-9-3, Rolston was 4-15-1. It's shown up visually with the team playing more competently in both zones. And it's shown up in multiple players who were struggling under Rolston and are now playing closer to up to snuff.

Along with the improvement in record and overall play has come a flood of questions to players about why things are different/better.

But are Nolan's motivational tactics really the difference? On the surface, that seems pretty dubious. After all, shouldn't NHL players be able to motivate themselves? When the players say that Nolan has them more jazzed up to play, aren't they suggesting they weren't giving it their all before?

We'll never know how much Nolan's hardest-working-team message has impacted the Sabres' play, but there are things that the statistics suggest about why the team has played better. It shouldn't be a surprise that the stats say circumstance and luck have played just has much of a role as Nolan's tweaks.

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[toejam56]

Nolan keeps things simple and gets his players to compete. He doesn't try to re invent the game. Rolston was an iPad. Nolan is sand paper.

 

[gallagt01]

Nolan keeps things simple and gets his players to compete. He doesn't try to re invent the game. Rolston was an iPad. Nolan is sand paper.

Pretty much this. Nolan's not an Xs and Os guy; never has been. But he'll get his guys to go to work.

I'm fine with having him coach a bad team bringing up the rear of the league. I question his ability to put a talented team over the top.

And I disagree with Coller. His observations are correct but the current team, under Rolston, would still be as bad as it was when he was here.

 

[punkr0x]

I think the biggest difference is the young players. Rolston had 5 players on the team with less than 20 games of NHL experience, 3 who had never played an NHL game before. Nolan recognized that they were in over their heads, and has been rotating in the more experienced players to create a more competitive environment.

 

[explore]

For the same reason the Sabres were better under Ron Rolston after Ruff was fired: it's the honeymoon period.

 

[French Connection]

I think the biggest difference is the young players. Rolston had 5 players on the team with less than 20 games of NHL experience, 3 who had never played an NHL game before. Nolan recognized that they were in over their heads, and has been rotating in the more experienced players to create a more competitive environment.

The biggest difference is that Ted knows what he is doing and Ron Ron was clueless. Calling him an Ipad coach is giving him to much credit.

Ted works the team, shows them skills during practice and corrects them when they make mistakes. Allows the D to make a play to forwards who are told to keep moving. Ron Ron was oblivious to any flow or change in the game and didn't even understand the simple concept of, you get the puck and now you keep the puck.

Ron Ron should never I mean never ever be allowed to coach hockey again.

 

[SackTastic]

I think anyone properly equipped to answer this question would be a great candidate for general manager. :p

Nolan has always had a reputation for getting players to skate through walls for him. That seems to be happening again here. He also seems to be making players earn their ice time, and also putting players in positions that they can succeed and grow.

 

[ZZamboni]

The biggest difference is that Ted knows what he is doing and Ron Ron was clueless. Calling him an Ipad coach is giving him to much credit.

Ted works the team, shows them skills during practice and corrects them when they make mistakes. Allows the D to make a play to forwards who are told to keep moving. Ron Ron was oblivious to any flow or change in the game and didn't even understand the simple concept of, you get the puck and now you keep the puck.

Ron Ron should never I mean never ever be allowed to coach hockey again.

Before getting to the AHL and NHL Ron had a respectable track record. He knows how to coach. Just not effective at the professional levels.

Maybe you meant at the professional levels? ... Agree.

If you meant Ron should never coach any hockey ever? .... Ignorant and wrong.

 

[Djp]

Nolan keeps things simple and gets his players to compete. He doesn't try to re invent the game. Rolston was an iPad. Nolan is sand paper.

3 yr olds can operate iPads easily.....

 

[Djp]

Before getting to the AHL and NHL Ron had a respectable track record. He knows how to coach. Just not effective at the professional levels.

Maybe you meant at the professional levels? ... Agree.

If you meant Ron should never coach any hockey ever? .... Ignorant and wrong.

Rolston can coach. He may be the type for juniors/college/high school where you are teaching the game.

Pro coach is different.


My gut feeling is Darcy had a big hand in tanking.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Quality of opponents, some added experience, and just simply the fact every team gets hot at some point.

The Sabres will cool off, they just arent talented enough.

 

[Disengage]

I think anyone properly equipped to answer this question would be a great candidate for general manager. :p

Nolan has always had a reputation for getting players to skate through walls for him. That seems to be happening again here. He also seems to be making players earn their ice time, and also putting players in positions that they can succeed and grow.

*cough*

*cough*

 

[Kyndig]

Under Rolston someone said Scott and crew had more o-zone starts than hodgson/ennis lines. Thats all imma say bout that.

 

[JEvans14]

Under Rolston someone said Scott and crew had more o-zone starts than hodgson/ennis lines. Thats all imma say bout that.

Do you blame him?! Did you see that snipe Scott had the other night?!

 

[Mit Yarrum]

*cough*

*cough*

Can't have him skating through any walls. He needs to be healthy at year's end so he can be bought out.

 

[indigoo]

I'm really curious about this too. Does he have some secret that other coaches may not? Wading through the clichés when evaluating just what it is he does is getting tough though.

/Back to the tank on thread...

 

[Buffalo Warlord]

Ted Nolan is a excellent communicator which bodes well for young players IMO. Team has improved quite a bit under him

 

[Kyndig]

Do you blame him?! Did you see that snipe Scott had the other night?!

From goon to goal scorer. Does this mean Leino is gonna become our new goon?

 

[Savitar]

This week there have been multiple reports from sources like TSN's Bob McKenzie saying that the Buffalo Sabres have narrowed their list of general managers down and will begin their second-round interviews soon.

Since the GM search began in early November, the Sabres have been a decidedly better team, going 7-9-3 during that stretch. While that's not a great record in and of itself, it looks like a division-winning pace compared to the 4-15-1 start the team had.

Beyond even that, interim head coach Ted Nolan seems to be getting something out of a lineup for which Ron Rolston was laughed out of town, and that alone should be enough to get him a chance to remove that interim tag.

Pat LaFontaine has stated that the newly hired GM will have the ability to choose his first coach, hence the interim tag on Nolan. That choice is the smart one, as no GM wants to be saddled with a coach that cannot or will not use the team's players in accordance with the GM's vision.

Now, with the GM search likely coming to a close in the next couple of weeks at most, the question becomes simple: Will Ted Nolan be kept on as head coach?

The most obvious factor associated with that question is who the new GM is likely to be, and, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, it seems that Jim Benning, the assistant GM for the Boston Bruins, is the favorite and will likely score the job.

Benning's hire would be a very positive thing for Nolan's job prospects moving forward. Nolan's first tenure in Buffalo coincided with Benning's time with the team as a scout. Benning also has learned under Peter Chiarelli, who has gotten the job done with another defensive-minded, role-player-loving coach in Claude Julien.

But more important that that is how Nolan has turned this current team around.

Via Bleacher Report, Great Write Up

 

[SackTastic]

*cough*

*cough*

Hey, Leino could skate through a wall of puff balls like a CHAMP.

 

[jBuds]

Contradictory article poorly written. Par for the course.

As you all know, I was a huge opponent of Rolston. But this lineup is very different than the one he had. Just needs to be recognized. No doubts about how poorly it was handled by him as a coach. Just saying.

 

[Beerz]

It wasn't very hard for the team to be improved. I think people are making a little much out of it.


That said..you can't deny players wanting to play for Teddy.

 

[sabresandcanucks]

Well...

He sent many of the kids back down and Miller has been playing lights out. I do think the players like playing for him much more than they did for Rolston.

 

[Jim Bob]

For the same reason the Sabres were better under Ron Rolston after Ruff was fired: it's the honeymoon period.

This, more vets, and Miller elevating his game.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

heres the only statistics you need to explain the last month

average age of roster up
level of competition down

Miller is ramping up for the Olympics. Seams to me as long as he has something to focus on other than how the Sabres are doing he stays mentally sharp. He's badass when he's mentally sharp. Rolston had a hard time reaching the veterans, Nolan connects well with the veterans.

Nolans biggest advantage? Tyler Myers.