HockeyRhetoric

Putting aside the zealots and haters, the public opinion of Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier tends to swing back and forth to align with the favorability of the team. We group our opinion of them with our opinion of the team. We’re incapable of analyzing those two individuals objectively. There’s enough of a sample size for people to offer generalizations, backed with an endless catalog of examples, to attack or support Ruff or Regier or both. Grand, sweeping evaluations are always subjective in sports and, despite their guided nature, it’s appropriate to qualify opinions on Ruff or Regier as such. » Read the rest of this entry «

How many times were we told over the summer and in the weeks leading up to the regular season that Ville Leino would play center full-time? Weren’t you always a little skeptical? Every Sabres fan is familiar with Lindy Ruff’s tendency to shuffle his forward lines at the first sign of trouble.

Over the course of these past few weeks, it’s become unclear to me what the long term plan is for Leino. Are the Sabres committed to making him into a reliable center or is the priority instead to make him into a productive scorer, regardless of position? » Read the rest of this entry «

Things are pretty bad in Sabreland. Nothing is going well. And I don’t want to hear excuses or prevarications.

Clearly the Sabres record cannot be pointed to one specific problem. There are many problems that fall within the larger issue of the Sabres inability to overcome crisis. The questions on my mind are questions that have surrounded this organization for quite some time now — long enough that most have pretty obvious answers. Familiarity, however, does not make them any less troubling. » Read the rest of this entry «

I’ve been thinking a lot about Lindy Ruff these past 24-hours. Before I get into this, I think it’s worth mentioning that my idea of how professional hockey should be played is absolutely formed around Lindy’s. The effect of my proximity to his success and my emotional investment in his teams can’t be ignored. I have a soft spot for Lindy. He’s been the coach of the Sabres for as long as I’ve been a real fan. » Read the rest of this entry «

I’ve been thinking a lot about the ’05-’06 Sabres team and trying to remember how it felt watching them play in the regular season. I can faintly recall a game in Philadelphia around this point in the season four-years-ago. It was one of those games where the Sabres won in incredible fashion. Someone on the Sabres scored late to tie it and then Mike Grier finished the job when he scored with close to five-seconds left in the third period, putting the BUF ahead, 6-5. The Flyers had been lazy with their coverage, obviously expecting the game to continue into overtime. I think it was Hecht who made a brilliant play from behind the net to chip it out in front and Grier was able to poke it between the legs of the goaltender. RJ went bat-shit I’m sure but Lorentz’s reaction is what really stuck with me. He was totally impressed and lauded the Sabres for playing until the end — never giving up. Immediately after the final seconds passed, Lorentz said something like and the game is over. I’ll always remember how matter-of-factly he said it. The message was clear: this Sabres team will steal games and points if you give them the tiniest sliver of an opportunity to do so. » Read the rest of this entry «