HockeyRhetoric

I watched this game with a stress ball and a defibrillator. That’s how I roll. » Read the rest of this entry «

Chances are the most successful people in your life also have the most passion for what they do. Intelligence and talent help but those are just tools to help you achieve success. Passion is what matters most. The important elements in our lives when we are younger — like family, friends and education — are almost always the source of our passion. Maybe you and your mom liked to see musicals together when you were younger and you eventually became an actress. Or maybe your brother died of cancer when you were younger and you eventually became a physician. You can’t replicate the passion those people have for acting or medicine and because of that, they’ll be more successful than many of their more talented or smarter counterparts. » Read the rest of this entry «

My first thought when staring at this blank Microsoft Word Document is that this entry will surely be the most irrational thing I’ve ever written for public consumption. I was devastated with what I saw from the Sabres when they played against the Senators the other night . This was supposed to be a bounce back game for the Sabres after two strait losses and disappointing efforts. If you were unfortunate enough to be around me during the game, you surely assumed I was bipolar, rapid-cycle. In the course of about three-hours, I felt both great about the Sabres and about as low as a fan could feel about his team. Ottawa brings that out of me. Watching the Ottawa Senators score goals on the Sabres has the potential to bring about a debilitating anxiety attack within me. I’m not kidding. » Read the rest of this entry «

Unless the team is in an unthinkable slump or it seems as though the coach has lost control of the locker room, coaching changes should only happen during the offseason. Owners and general managers need to understand that coaches are dealing with professional athletes; everyone is essentially trying hard if not for the team then for themselves to ensure they get paid. Coaching in the NHL is different than any other sport. It’s not about designing plays. It’s about the big picture – playing a style, implementing a system. Those things don’t develop overnight. So when you fire a coach midseason, you’re basically saying you made a huge mistake and you want to cut your losses for the season. You’re basically throwing your season away. I always wonder when coaches get fired if the owners or GMs have forgotten why they hired that particular coach in the first place. And if they haven’t forgotten, has the coach really failed to do what you expected him to do or is it that the coach’s plan wasn’t what was expected? » Read the rest of this entry «

The Sabres have a defensive system in place where they try to mix young developing defenseman with cerebral older veterans. If you look back, you see it in every Sabres team since Lindy Ruff’s been coaching here. The Sabres prefer a quick skating, puck control type of defense. It works well if you have the right players. But the effectiveness of this defense is also directly dependent on the forwards and defenseman playing within the system.

That means that the players need to play with a lot of effort. The Sabres win when they play harder than other teams. That’s fine, I’m confident with Lindy Ruff’s ability to motivate his players but this is the National Hockey League, everyone is literally a professional. As an organization, you can’t expect your professional team to outwork every other professional team in order to win games. » Read the rest of this entry «