Kevin Freiheit: A Sabres challenge for you

Here's a better game: guess what blackmail evidence Lindy Ruff has over the shills at WGR, the pseudo journalists at the Buffalo News, and most especially over the owner of the Sabres. In any other city he would have been fired at least two times by now. The more I think about it - one news paper, one sports talk radio station, one political party, one hockey coach... forever - I'm convinced the average IQ of Buffalonians has to be significantly lower than the rest of America.

Kevin Freiheit: A Sabres challenge for you
- KevinJames

I have a new challenge, how to find a way for fans to stay loyal to this team

enough is enough

Here's a better game: guess what blackmail evidence Lindy Ruff has over the shills at WGR, the pseudo journalists at the Buffalo News, and most especially over the owner of the Sabres. In any other city he would have been fired at least two times by now. The more I think about it - one news paper, one sports talk radio station, one political party, one hockey coach... forever - I'm convinced the average IQ of Buffalonians has to be significantly lower than the rest of America.
- lacaprup

It has nothing to do with the newspaper, WGR, or our IQ!!
Mr. Pegula has to wake up and smell the coffee that this regime is not gonna get it done!!
Lindy and Darcy are not going to get it done. 15 years is enough sampling.
Change at coach and GM is needed, badly.
That is all that matters.

It has nothing to do with the newspaper, WGR, or our IQ!!
Mr. Pegula has to wake up and smell the coffee that this regime is not gonna get it done!!
Lindy and Darcy are not going to get it done. 15 years is enough sampling.
Change at coach and GM is needed, badly.
That is all that matters.
- Sabresfan88

Kevin Dineen would've been nice while he was right here in the organization

I have a game, see how long everyone can go without defending these losers. If Miller or any player stinks, they stink. No excuses.

Here's a better game: guess what blackmail evidence Lindy Ruff has over the shills at WGR, the pseudo journalists at the Buffalo News, and most especially over the owner of the Sabres. In any other city he would have been fired at least two times by now. The more I think about it - one news paper, one sports talk radio station, one political party, one hockey coach... forever - I'm convinced the average IQ of Buffalonians has to be significantly lower than the rest of America.
- lacaprup

Way to make sure you slipped in politics into your rant. Also what does having one major news paper, and one sports talk station have to do with a cities average IQ?

Here's a better game: guess what blackmail evidence Lindy Ruff has over the shills at WGR, the pseudo journalists at the Buffalo News, and most especially over the owner of the Sabres. In any other city he would have been fired at least two times by now. The more I think about it - one news paper, one sports talk radio station, one political party, one hockey coach... forever - I'm convinced the average IQ of Buffalonians has to be significantly lower than the rest of America.
- lacaprup

No need to slam the population here. Check your own IQ. Buffalo lost half its population. One newspaper is enough. Remember us being the forgotten stepsister in Albany? Only one political party acknowledges our existance and is finally sending money our way. Now retake the test.

Was able to get 39. Upset I forgot about Rob Neidermayer

I have a new challenge, how to find a way for fans to stay loyal to this team

enough is enough
- homiedclown

a new coach could be the shake up they need.. we have seen that there are players here that can play good.. but for some reason the system or something else prevents them from doing it consistently.. time to start tinkering to figure out what the problem is again. We thought moving Roy for Ott would be a good start, well it wasn't enough, now look further up the food chain.

a new coach could be the shake up they need.. we have seen that there are players here that can play good.. but for some reason the system or something else prevents them from doing it consistently.. time to start tinkering to figure out what the problem is again. We thought moving Roy for Ott would be a good start, well it wasn't enough, now look further up the food chain.
- SabresFaninIndiana

For starters, we don't need Hecht or Ellis on the ice in the last minute.

a new coach could be the shake up they need.. we have seen that there are players here that can play good.. but for some reason the system or something else prevents them from doing it consistently.. time to start tinkering to figure out what the problem is again. We thought moving Roy for Ott would be a good start, well it wasn't enough, now look further up the food chain.
- SabresFaninIndiana

It's been my argument for years now...I've always been in favor of getting rid of Lindy, even moreso than Regier. If they both have to go to get rid of Lindy, I'm fine with that.

We have a coach for 15 years, 1 Cup Finals to show for it, 2 playoff series in the last 5 years and both of those were first round losses.

Was able to get 39. Upset I forgot about Rob Neidermayer
- BuffUhLow

I got 40.

It's been my argument for years now...I've always been in favor of getting rid of Lindy, even moreso than Regier. If they both have to go to get rid of Lindy, I'm fine with that.

We have a coach for 15 years, 1 Cup Finals to show for it, 2 playoff series in the last 5 years and both of those were first round losses.


- stashu

Do you consider Ruff to be a better coach than Barry Trotz?

36. Somehow I remember Rob Niedermayer's goal, probably because it was such an anomaly. But I misspelled his name, Woolley's name, and Gilmour's name. Also, whoever gets Vlad Tsyplakov should get an award. Do more of this stuff, it was fun.

I have a new challenge, how to find a way for fans to stay loyal to this team

enough is enough
- homiedclown

No one will ever win

I got 40.
- mhp

Congratulations!!!

It's been my argument for years now...I've always been in favor of getting rid of Lindy, even moreso than Regier. If they both have to go to get rid of Lindy, I'm fine with that.

We have a coach for 15 years, 1 Cup Finals to show for it, 2 playoff series in the last 5 years and both of those were first round losses.


- stashu

i don't get it either.. Regier has done alright with his drafting i just think the players are not being used properly.. Ellis on the 3rd and 2nd line taking faceoffs in the last minute of the game is mind bottling

Do you consider Ruff to be a better coach than Barry Trotz?
- Dwight K. Schrute

I can't consider Ruff as a better coach than anyone anymore, all he's coached this team to is mediocrity.

He walked in to a team headed by Hasek and started off with a bang, 2 not-so-great regular seasons but were followed up by great playoff performances. 4 seasons with Hasek here, playoffs every time.

Since Hasek left, we've had 2 good playoff years - both were immediately after the lost NHL season, and since then we've been crap.

I don't really feel that he as coach has brought all of this "success", but the timing of things. He comes here and has the best goalie in the game, then after the lost 04/05 season the team was tooled with guys who could perform with space given to them by rules changes.

We've had the same coach this long, we all know the team has never gone through that big of a shakeup (other than the Drury and Briere losses...), so the same guy coaching the same guys = same results. A coach who can't even get the same team to change isn't worth keeping...sorry.

Missed 16 all of them on the lefty side

I can't consider Ruff as a better coach than anyone anymore, all he's coached this team to is mediocrity.

He walked in to a team headed by Hasek and started off with a bang, 2 not-so-great regular seasons but were followed up by great playoff performances. 4 seasons with Hasek here, playoffs every time.

Since Hasek left, we've had 2 good playoff years - both were immediately after the lost NHL season, and since then we've been crap.

I don't really feel that he as coach has brought all of this "success", but the timing of things. He comes here and has the best goalie in the game, then after the lost 04/05 season the team was tooled with guys who could perform with space given to them by rules changes.

We've had the same coach this long, we all know the team has never gone through that big of a shakeup (other than the Drury and Briere losses...), so the same guy coaching the same guys = same results. A coach who can't even get the same team to change isn't worth keeping...sorry.
- stashu

I think hes a good coach, but good coaches get fired all the time. IMO its more about getting a new voice in the room. Look at the Kings last year, they got a new voice in the room at the end of the season and ended up winning a cup. Obviously not going to work every time but it can definitely revitalize a team and get them back on track.

I think hes a good coach, but good coaches get fired all the time. IMO its more about getting a new voice in the room. Look at the Kings last year, they got a new voice in the room at the end of the season and ended up winning a cup. Obviously not going to work every time but it can definitely revitalize a team and get them back on track.
- Rally_Shots

The Ruff lovers will always throw out "Well, he'll get scooped up by some other team in no time, then watch him win it all."

As if it matters what he does after he would be let go. Whatever he would do would have no bearing on what we "lose" if he was gone...

I can't consider Ruff as a better coach than anyone anymore, all he's coached this team to is mediocrity.

He walked in to a team headed by Hasek and started off with a bang, 2 not-so-great regular seasons but were followed up by great playoff performances. 4 seasons with Hasek here, playoffs every time.

Since Hasek left, we've had 2 good playoff years - both were immediately after the lost NHL season, and since then we've been crap.

I don't really feel that he as coach has brought all of this "success", but the timing of things. He comes here and has the best goalie in the game, then after the lost 04/05 season the team was tooled with guys who could perform with space given to them by rules changes.

We've had the same coach this long, we all know the team has never gone through that big of a shakeup (other than the Drury and Briere losses...), so the same guy coaching the same guys = same results. A coach who can't even get the same team to change isn't worth keeping...sorry.
- stashu

My point is, everyone dwells on Ruff and Regier being here for 15 years. Remember, both of these guys had to deal with the mandate of 3 different owners. All with a different vision of the team. Rigas said he would get all the tools necessary but the only tool he got us was Corkum. Golisano ran this team like the Oakland A's. Do the best you can but make sure the money stays in the black. Pegula brings a whole different vision. He loves this team, loves the city but he has to look at how these guys do under his new mandates. Ruff and Regier are basically in full year 2 of Pegula's ownership and he has to evaluate these guys based on the performance of the team. Canning the coach 6 games into a season that includes no preseason games and a good sized turnover of the roster does not offer the type of sample size needed to can Ruff. (yet). I'm not saying that Ruff should be here the whole year even if we continue to lose. I'm saying that there are good teams out there that have not started very well. Pittsburgh is 3-3 with losses to some terrible teams (Islanders). It's a short season, yes, but even if we had a different coach, is this the roster of a Stanley Cup contender?

Do you consider Ruff to be a better coach than Barry Trotz?
- Dwight K. Schrute

Good question, one that I'm not really sure of to be honest. I will say that given the last couple of teams the Predators have put on the ice I feel like Lindy and Trotz would be more successful if they were coaching the other team. What better team for Lindy to employ his defensive no non-sense and evenly spread goal scoring system than the Predators (especially when they had Suter and Weber). It's weird though, here we look down upon Lindy but a lot of fans in Nashville look at Trotz as an outstanding coach. Aside from maybe 06-07 I think the two teams have been pretty even as far as talent goes (I might be wrong given how I don't watch to many predators games).

My point is, everyone dwells on Ruff and Regier being here for 15 years. Remember, both of these guys had to deal with the mandate of 3 different owners. All with a different vision of the team. Rigas said he would get all the tools necessary but the only tool he got us was Corkum. Golisano ran this team like the Oakland A's. Do the best you can but make sure the money stays in the black. Pegula brings a whole different vision. He loves this team, loves the city but he has to look at how these guys do under his new mandates. Ruff and Regier are basically in full year 2 of Pegula's ownership and he has to evaluate these guys based on the performance of the team. Canning the coach 6 games into a season that includes no preseason games and a good sized turnover of the roster does not offer the type of sample size needed to can Ruff. (yet). I'm not saying that Ruff should be here the whole year even if we continue to lose. I'm saying that there are good teams out there that have not started very well. Pittsburgh is 3-3 with losses to some terrible teams (Islanders). It's a short season, yes, but even if we had a different coach, is this the roster of a Stanley Cup contender?
- Dwight K. Schrute

This. I think people are just tired of watching the same style of play for so long