Speculation: Will Tim Murray keep Ted Nolan as head coach?

[B U F F A L O]

I'm with you. I don't have a big problem with him coming back next year but the lovefest a lot have for him is silly imo. He gets guys to play hard but he doesn't bring much else to the table and I think he's more than willing to sacrifice smart play for being 'hard-working'.

Buffalo is a blue collar city, not a surprise most of our fan base falls in love with hard working players or coaches.

Hard work is great, and you need that from some guys on the team, but I've always been taught, and prefer, to work smarter not harder. Im glad TM embraces high hockey IQ and cant wait for him to get started on that change

 

[flashsabre]

My dream scenario for next year would be:

Nolan as head coach

Dale Hawerchuk hired as assistant coach, x and o guy. He is one of the brightest hockey minds in the OHL with Barrie. Heard he is very prepared and detailed oriented and would be great for the PP.

Teppo continues to work with the defence.

Cunneyworth takes over with Rochester and helps right the ship down there with the prospects.

 

[joshjull]

I'm with you. I don't have a big problem with him coming back next year but the lovefest a lot have for him is silly imo. He gets guys to play hard but he doesn't bring much else to the table and I think he's more than willing to sacrifice smart play for being 'hard-working'.

He's willing to sacrifice smart play for being "hard working"?

What does that even mean?

 

[Chad Thundercock]

Whenever "blue-collar" crap is mentioned by Buffalo fans, I want to bash my head in.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Whenever "blue-collar" crap is mentioned by Buffalo fans, I want to bash my head in.

Agreed. Blue collar just means hard working overachiever that always fall short. Just win.

 

[hizzoner]

Right on. I always preferred an A for what I accomplished to an A for "effort".

 

[joshjull]

I wouldn't say Nolan "hates" young guys, and he probably has little if any say about them being demoted (the exception may be D'ags), but he is demeaning towards them at times during interviews calling them babies and such.

Calling them babies and such? Feel free to link some quotes to back this up.

Whenever "blue-collar" crap is mentioned by Buffalo fans, I want to bash my head in.

You and a few others don't seem to realize that without hard work AND talent a team will not win anything. Establishing a organizational culture of a "blue collar" work ethic and accountability is the first step to rebuilding the team. As we add talent to that foundation the winning will follow. That will be the case regardless of who the coach is.

Do you even watch the playoffs? If you don't realize how important hard work is to success you may want to pay closer attention.

 

[B U F F A L O]

Whenever "blue-collar" crap is mentioned by Buffalo fans, I want to bash my head in.

Buffalo is a blue collar city.

 

[explore]

My gripe with the blue collar image is what another poster mentioned: it makes us a perennial underdog. It's a loser mentality. Detroit doesn't have a blue collar image, even though it's the definition of a blue collar city, they have a winning mentality. I'd rather the Sabres have that as opposed to trying the loser mentality blue collar image that's been the Sabres identity along with finishing 7th-10th every year.

And what's wrong with being an underdog, you might ask? Underdogs aren't expected to win. It's a surprise when they do. It seems as if Buffalo always the underdog in almost every sport, I'm tired of it.

 

[VanIslander]

"blue collar" = hard working, EARNING success through effort (not lackadaisical prima donnas)

"underdog" = underrated, have yet to prove themselves top contenders

BOTH of those labels the Sabres could wear proudly.

The team was a "laughingstock" and "a joke" and "pathetic" before Nolan.

Now they are 13-13 at home after regulation, have points in 7 of their last 10 games. And they have four games in hand over the truly pathetically underachieving Oilers who are just three points ahead. The Sabes have a better goals against average than 13 of the 17 teams just ahead of them in the standings. Hard work by the skaters and solid goaltending has made this team one worthy of cheering for, even if they don't (yet) have the horses to score (a by-far league low goals for).

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Agreed. Blue collar just means hard working overachiever that always fall short. Just win.

Just win! #Kudos. They can be as blue collar as they want to be. Just put the best product on the table. Now is Tim Murray's time to find the Getzlaf, Perry in the late portions of the first round, and later.

 

[joshjull]

My gripe with the blue collar image is what another poster mentioned: it makes us a perennial underdog. It's a loser mentality. Detroit doesn't have a blue collar image, even though it's the definition of a blue collar city, they have a winning mentality. I'd rather the Sabres have that as opposed to trying the loser mentality blue collar image that's been the Sabres identity along with finishing 7th-10th every year.

Being blue collar means you work hard and its associated with being tough/gritty. Boston has a team that fits that mold and has played for two Cups, winning one. The Hawks are pretty much built with a bunch of highly talent players with a blue collar work ethic as are the Kings. I would argue any team that wins the Cup has to have this characteristic to go along with their talent.

Being the underdog usually means you have less talent/ability than your opponent. Its not synonymous with being blue collar.

And what's wrong with being an underdog, you might ask? Underdogs aren't expected to win. It's a surprise when they do. It seems as if Buffalo always the underdog in almost every sport, I'm tired of it.

You may want to revisit our sports history. I can think of only one Buffalo sports team that did anything and was viewed as the underdog while doing it. The Hasek era Sabres. And even that team road the wave of one of the greatest goalies of all time.

-On our previous run to the Cup we were one of the best teams in the game (in a 3 way tie for the most points in the league). We had one of the most excited lines in the game (The French Connection) with each member in the top 10 in the league in points. We were not the scrappy underdog.

-Coming out of the 04-05 lockout we had one of the best and deepest teams in the NHL. A team that eventually won the Presidents trophy. They could hardly be viewed as the scrappy underdog either.

-During the Bills runs to the Super Bowl they dominated the AFC and were favored in their first Superbowl. Ironically the grind it out "blue collar" Giants beat the high octane favored Bills in that first Superbowl.



I think too many are projecting their frustrations over the last several years onto Nolan and the idea of a blue collar work ethic. At the end of the day the team needs a strong work ethic as a foundation so it can have success down the road when more talent is added. That will be the case regardless of who the coach is.

 

[Paxon]

:adds "blue collar" to his list of empty sports cliches:

 

[brian_griffin]

The collar I'm wearing today is blue, green, and white plaid check, and my identity is correspondingly conflicted.

When I wear a t-shirt, I feel devoid of identity.

Sabres really missed a chance with the new 3rd sweaters to instead wear furry brown bison hides (a la Fred Flinstone) with blue denim collars.

back on topic... I don't really care if Nolan is released or retained, but fully suspect any such change isn't done until this offseason at the earliest. (I suspect Nolan will be retained for another season. Will be interesting to see if he is offerered a deal through end of '14-15 season only, and if, so, does he take the deal, or ask for longer term.)

 

[joshjull]

:adds "blue collar" to his list of empty sports cliches:

You do that but please answer post # 78

 

[Paxon]

He's willing to sacrifice smart play for being "hard working"?

What does that even mean?

I meant 'creative play' more than 'smart play'.

 

[sba]

-Coming out of the 04-05 lockout we had one of the best and deepest teams in the NHL. A team that eventually won the Presidents trophy. They could hardly be viewed as the scrappy underdog either.

Coming out of that lockout, the 05-06 team was picked dead last in the division/conference/league by many experts. What they accomplished was pretty amazing and they were underdogs up until they beat Ottawa in the playoffs soundly.

 

[Savitar]

No if we can't win then no. Murray deserves to chose his own. He is the GM and things are finally on track. Grigorenko in the minors, Solid GM etc

 

[misterchainsaw]

"blue collar" = hard working, EARNING success through effort (not lackadaisical prima donnas)

"underdog" = underrated, have yet to prove themselves top contenders

BOTH of those labels the Sabres could wear proudly.

The team was a "laughingstock" and "a joke" and "pathetic" before Nolan.

Now they are 13-13 at home after regulation, have points in 7 of their last 10 games. And they have four games in hand over the truly pathetically underachieving Oilers who are just three points ahead. The Sabes have a better goals against average than 13 of the 17 teams just ahead of them in the standings. Hard work by the skaters and solid goaltending has made this team one worthy of cheering for, even if they don't (yet) have the horses to score (a by-far league low goals for).

What?? They've won a grand total of 7 games total without the benefit of a shootout. They can't possibly be 13-13 at home after regulation. They've only won 4 home games in regulation all year.

 

[Custer99]

Why do people keep bring up the Sabres having "games in hand" over Edmonton like that's a good thing? What are we gonna do with those; come in second last?

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Sabres' Nolan keeps focus on today

Over the Boards: Sabres' Nolan keeps focus on today

Ted Nolan has rekindled his love affair with hockey and coaching in places such as Moncton, New Brunswick and Latvia. Buffalo is where he wants to continue to ply his trade for years to come, but he has no idea if he'll be allowed to do that.

Nolan, though, insists his focus is so much on today and what is happening right now with the Buffalo Sabres that he can't and won't allow himself to think about tomorrow, his future or if he will have the interim tag removed from his title and receive a multi-year contract to coach the club going forward.

"I'm more concerned in trying to prove that I'm the guy for this job to really turn it around and eventually try to win," Nolan, the Sabres interim coach since Nov. 13, told NHL.com.

Nolan doesn't think the proof he's trying to show his bosses will be influenced by the Sabres' win-loss record during the rest of this season. His task since taking over for Ron Rolston has been to change the culture and to jumpstart the development of some of the Sabres' young players. In that he's getting results, and the wins slowly have started to enter into the equation.

The Sabres entered Tuesday with a 9-12-6 record under Nolan after going 4-15-1 under Rolston. Their biggest improvements have come on defense.

[nhl]543419[/nhl]

 

[haseoke39]

Murray said the interim tag would probably be removed in the next couple of weeks. That was a couple of weeks ago, I believe. I'm starting to suspect the Grigorenko affair has raised some red flags about player use and communication.

 

[joshjull]

Murray said the interim tag would probably be removed in the next couple of weeks. That was a couple of weeks ago, I believe. I'm starting to suspect the Grigorenko affair has raised some red flags about player use and communication.

The Grigorenko affair?

The power being ascribed to Nolan by some is ridiculous. Patty L and the direction he wanted to take the team when he took over is why the kids, including Grigs, are gone. Grigs' situation was more complicated due to import slots on his junior team. Thus the headaches and extra moves that were attempted. But they eventually got him there. Patty not Nolan is the one who talked to Grigs for over 30mins before sending him down to juniors. Why so many posters think Nolan is the final word on things is beyond me.

Murray may not keep Nolan but it won't have anything to do with the "Grigorenko affair" as you call it.


I'm too lazy to look it up but I only recall speculation that the interim tag might be removed not an actual quote from Murray. As far as I know that speciation hasn't been confirmed.

 

[joshjull]

I meant 'creative play' more than 'smart play'.

Can't say I agree but that makes more sense.

 

[joshjull]

Coming out of that lockout, the 05-06 team was picked dead last in the division/conference/league by many experts. What they accomplished was pretty amazing and they were underdogs up until they beat Ottawa in the playoffs soundly.

Bad predictions don't change the reality of how good and deep they were. Arguably better than the presidents trophy winning team. But this is getting OT