Wait, what just happened??!

So yesterday, I guess the Sabres organization, or parts of it, decided it was time to shake it up. I don't know if anyone did any actual dancing (I would say negative on that), but things did get shaken up. All shook up. (K)


So if you have been a fan of the Sabres for anything more than, I dunno, 2 weeks, you probably know Pat LaFontaine. Hell, a hockey fan in general for more than 2 weeks. Great player, great man, just all around great. My dad was setting the stage for a love of Pat LaFontaine early for me and my sisters, so we have known of him since we were really little. If I could not name any other player at a young age, I for sure could name him. So when this news came about that he was going to be a part of the Sabres organization, I pretty much saw the tears forming in his eyes. But wait, they let Darcy go too??! Might as well have told my father santa came already because this was like Christmas for this man. He has hated Darcy since forever (I guess pretty much the whole time he was here?), and it seems a lot of other people had too, or if they didn't before, this year they were starting to. Whatever your thoughts may have been on him, it was time for a change. The job was just not getting done (obviously), and Rolston getting let go too, well yeah, a no brainer really.

Ted Nolan coming back is something I can not say yay or nay to as I don't remember when he was here the first time (I was a child, sorry), but I do know the story my dad has told me dozens of times. He was coach of the year, then fired sometime after. Yikes. Also, google gives you a little note of something when you search his name:

"ted nolan blackballed"

ok then

So I would like to say that I guess he deserves another shot at this coaching thing. Hell, I would have let my 90 year old grandmother try to coach them at this rate. Nothing at this point can hurt now can it? Probably not.

So we now have Patty Lalalalalafontaine as director of hockey operations or some jazz, and a new (old??) coach to shake things up. Now we know this will take time, of course it will. Starting from scratch always does. I am just glad Terry Pegula actually figured that out and now we can put things in motion. Franchises have let go of coaches after courses of single digit losses, but he wanted to take his time. Hell if Darcy can have 16 YEARS, why not give Rolston more than a couple months to see how things turn out hmmm? (Granted the 16 Darcy years are not all on the back of Pegula, but you get my drift). Mr. Pegula had said that he does not give up on people, he wants to work with them, and have everyone work together to see what can get done, but sometimes things just need to change. He is just lucky he bought a team in a city not only known for good neighbors, but also, as it seems, boat loads of patience. Ahh yes.

So, here we are standing on the verge of something new and exciting. Hell I am even going to the game tomorrow, my first one since early 2011 I think? I am just ready to see someone new behind the bench (new, old, new). I am just hoping this can put a spark back into these guys, make them feel like good things are to come. At least I hope they will. At this point, hope is all we really have now isn't it? Oh and if you have a LaFontaine jersey, make sure you wear it with much pride, because that man sure as hell deserves it.

Locker room renovations? Really?

Granted, I always thought the locker room was pretty shabby, but come on. Is that really going to help? Is the morale going to be so boosted by that, that a guy will come in and be like "oh wow, awesome new room! lemme score a goal tonight!"...no. It will not really matter. It might help a little I guess, but it should be bottom of the barrel priorities. How about WHO'S INSIDE the locker room first? I'm sure that will have to be worked on in the summer also. Whatever effort was put in by this team this season was just not enough to advance, same story as last year.

I commend this man for trying to make the place better for the guys, really. It does deserve to be up there with other teams in terms of how nice it is and blah blah, but the team also has to show it's the caliber to actually deserve it. Things are getting better, but they are far from there yet. I hope this summer with new ownership can shed some light on some things, like getting us some new faces, as we have quite a bit of free agents, and signing some of these same guys would make for no advantage come October. Some should stay, but more should probably go. I understand people being proud of the fact the team even MADE the playoffs when we were counted out wayyy before that for any type of post season run. More needs to happen though, it needs to build season by season. The season after you should make the 2nd round, and go up from there, not stay stagnant. If that is happening, something needs a shake up, whether it be coaching, players, etc.

Do you see teams keeping a coach year after year after failed attempts at playoff runs or if they were cut short? No. A lot of times that coach is out of there before the team even cleans out their lockers. I don't think Lindy Ruff is necessarily a BAD coach, but maybe his style or coaching is not working for this core of guys, or maybe just some of them. From the looks of the press conference this morning though, it seems Lindy will be here to stay for some time longer, so who knows. I just feel something must change before October, and something more than the adding of a guy like a Brad Boyes or the like. It seems to be just a patch on a situation, then the guy ends up gone sooner or later anyway. We have had some guys here for forever it seems, and the results seem to stay the same. It gets me frustrated to no end how no one ever seems to want to stir the pot with this team ever. Make a move that will be like "wow, this team is really looking to do something" yeah, how bout that? Pominville, Vanek, Connolly, Stafford, etc. are not rookies anymore. There is no growth and development for them to hit, they are where they are probably going to be for the rest of their careers, they are not like Ennis and Gerbe. What you are going to see at the highest (and lowest) is what you can expect if you keep them on the roster. The big men in the suits will have to figure out if this is the core they want, is that what they think will make this team get somewhere someday. Granted, a lot of guys are signed for a bit and will probably not be moved, but regardless, in my opinion, Connolly would need to go. Lalime also, and maybe even Montador, Grier and especially Niedermayer. Some of those spots need to be filled in with new guys, and then if next year takes a nosedive because of it, you work from there. But it seems like they want to stay wayyy too safe just because these guys have been here for so long. Come on, mix it up will ya? Geez.

Ok, that was super long. But yeah, that's what I had to say about all that.

Changes, lots of them

So our new owner is here and it is official, and it is making people CRAZY it seems. He promised us a whole lot, like a Stanley Cup, and within three years no less. Wow sir, that is a lot to live up to I will say. He seems like a genuine man though, he is a fan like the rest of us, and he cried seeing a veteran player at his own press conference. While I did laugh a little (I couldn't help it...) it was quite touching to see this was a dream come true for this man, billionaire or not. Hopefully he can do something for us, there seems to be a lot of faith in him and it is a good feeling of starting over almost. He wants to put money into this team, and he doesn't care how much either. His goal is what all of ours has been for a very long time. We want a championship so bad we can taste it. So, Terry Pegula, welcome! :)

The game last night vs. the Thrashers was a pretty good way to welcome Mr. Pegula in, we won and everyone was in high spirits. The arena was very lively, and the little ceremony before the game was nice also.

Paul Gaustad kicked some ass, and was the Lexus leader. He had a fight, a goal, and was all around awesome. I like when he is recognized and praised because he is a really hard working player and he deserves it. Everyone has ups and downs, and people want to call out certain players a lot, but it is a team effort to win folks. So, yay Gaustad, good job! :)

Jason Pominville, to me, seems like the next one in line to be captain of the team. Craig Rivet was waived, and they are putting him out there in hopes someone will take him for a little bit less money. Now, I guess I never had a positive or negative opinion of Rivet, but for some reason that we do not know, he wasn't playing at all. At that rate it would seem time to get rid of a guy if he is just taking up room in the press box, for whatever reason it might be. Maybe he will find a team to round out his career with and be happy there, we shall see. Everyone deserves to play, he should go somewhere where they will let him.

We have two more home games in hand, and hopefully the guys can keep riding this postive energy wave and win them here. After the initial happiness wears off from this and it is business as usual is when we know what we are in for. We know the boys have somewhat of a history of inconsistency, so we'll see what they can do. Game on!!