Hey guys. I was talking about this over a few beers with my neighbor (yes my neighbor in Virginia is also from the B-Lo area) and I'm pretty certain that this year will be Ruff's last stand. We haven't won a playoff series since 2007 and with the new ownership and improvements in money/commitment there aren't really any excuses. He got the first season with Pegula because he's well liked and the problems were thought to have fallen on the previous ownership. With another playoff missing year I couldn't imagine him not being shipped off next spring if he can't get this team into the post season.

What do guys think? Will he finally be thrown over board if this team falls short again? What if we make it and get booted out in the first round?

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If the team doesn't make the playoffs, I think it's all on how they miss them. If they lose some big-name guys to injuries and lose a good number of games in that time perioud, I can totally see him keeping his job. If it's with lesser injuries than last season and they still miss the playoffs, I think he'll be gone.

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I thought your neighbor was a dick.

hahaha, different neighbor. That jackass is from Baltimore.

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I wonder what howie thinks about this?

I am your neighbor. Nice living room furniture BTW.

Also, I was crucified for similar sentiments last offseason. I thought he was going to get shitcanned and he probably should have. This is it. Guy is a businessman and I think he treats this organization as such(Pegula).

I would love to believe that. I really would but Pegula has such a hard on for the Sabres of old that it would break the heart of the little kid inside him to fire Ruff.

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I don't think so, in fact I highly doubt it. This is a transition season for the team, so as such Ruff won't be viewed as failing if they miss the playoffs. If some or most of the young players level off or regress that will be more damning than if they sit in April. For now, the organization will look for Ennis, Hodgson, Adam, Foligno, Gerbe, Myers, Weber, and maybe McNabb if he plays in Buffalo, to get better and start being impact players. I doubt they all tank enough for Ruff to get looked at, whether he should stay or not.

You may have a point there. I too love Ruff from the old days (as well as the not-so-old days) and want to see him succeed in Buffalo. Sometimes I wonder what happened to the old Ruff. Wasn't he more fiery back in the day? Did oncoming age cool him down, or past Sabre management wear him out? I'd like him to start having fun again- he needs a reason to smile.

It seems like he has the "Old man grouchy asshole" fire but not the "I'd follow him into hell" kind of fire.

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Lindy Ruff being fired by Buffalo would rank among the greatest days in my life. I've wanted him gone for years...

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Check out my website: http://www.artistzero.com

"That wasn't very nice...I do believe you killed my hat."

Driver of the FIRE LINDY RUFF Bandwagon since 2008.

I hope so.... I still think that even if they don't make the playoffs they will give him another year under the excuse "we need just one or two more pieces" attitude. Especially if Hodgson doesn't workout as a high scoring phenom like everyone is expecting.

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Girgy's signing changes the landscape of next season. We probably will not even need Coho to be a high scoring phenom because you insert Girgy for Grigs in the AHL. Grigs starts immediately for the Sabres. This is going just swell.

Ruff just sharted himself. No fallbacks.

Me to bro. He's not a good coach IMO. He has single handedly ruined some of the careers of past Sabres player and I'm hoping he gets canned Grigs and Girgs come up.

Unless Ruff wins a playoff series this upcoming season he should be canned.

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"If you want to know what I've been doing lately, I've been driving around from Tim Horton's to Tim Horton's, rolling up the rim. Haven't won anything yet. Thanks." - Lindy Ruff

He has also single handedly made other players better.

Your argument is flawed.

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what players has he made better?

the list of players hes ruined is longer then the number hes "saved"

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Check out my website: http://www.artistzero.com

"That wasn't very nice...I do believe you killed my hat."

Driver of the FIRE LINDY RUFF Bandwagon since 2008.

Exactly.

@ Skyline if my argument is supposedly "flawed" yours should be ridiculously flawed. Lindy's prolly ruined 4x as many careers then he has helped. And honestly ya he's been here for sometime and really nothing to show for it. In the end all that matters is the Sabres captain and team mates holding that cup up at the end of the nhl playoffs and he's come close a few times but really in the end that's all that matters. I don't really wanna wait around and have Girgs and Grigs have there true potential masked by Ruff. Unless we win a playoff series this year it should be lights out for Ruff. He's had many chances over the years.

Darcy is proving himself under the new owner it's time Lindy does to.

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"If you want to know what I've been doing lately, I've been driving around from Tim Horton's to Tim Horton's, rolling up the rim. Haven't won anything yet. Thanks." - Lindy Ruff

We all agree Vanek is a much better defensive player now? That was Ruff's doing. Brian Campbell, made into the offensive threat he is today under Ruff.

Briere flourished under Ruff. Drury played his best statistical years in Buffalo under Ruff. You also got to think at how many players we let go and they never had as good of a year as they did with Buffalo also.

The only player he might have ruined, is Afinegenov, but his head wasn't right. I don't see this "list" you're talking about. You can have this argument with every coach in the league. You win some players and you lose some players you coach. Not everyone pans out from a coach.

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Let's see your list then.

Well both you need to show some evidence to support your arguements to be proven either way. Chalk them up to opinions. It really doesn't matter if he's made anyone induvidual player better or worse. Its a fucking team sport and he has not won a cup in 15 years as the TEAMS coach.

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