DON’T GET ME STARTED has me remembering all those times that former Buffalo Sabers would leave the “City of Good Neighbors” and come back to perhaps send a message “You never should have let me leave”.
I’m not going to list all those players who’ve achieved a good measure of success with their new teams. It would take too long.
So, let’s just focus on this horrible Sabres season. The team has played 9 games and won 1 game…..and it took a shoot-out to get that victory.
Popular former Sabers captain, Jason Pominville came in with the Minnesota Wild and scored the winning goal. As has been published, the Sabres did nothing to recognize his many contributions to the team when he spent over a decade with them.
So who would be the next former Sabres to put another L on the team? It was John Tortorella who brought his Vancouver Canucks to the foot of Washington. “Torts” was with the Sabers during the Knox era and just before Larry Quinn and Tom Golisano bought the team. Torts was an assistant to John Muckler who coached the team.
Quinn’s quick moves ousted Muckler and Coach Teddy Nolan after he brought in Darcy Regier as GM. Quinn forever will be known as the one who imposed Regier on the team and everyone knows how that turned out. The only one (so far) not calling for Regier’s removal is owner Pegula. It’s very apparent that Regier’s choice as coach, Rolston, may be over his head at this stage of his career.
You want to see what Tortorella brought with him Thursday? You want to see how his player respond to good coaching? All you had to do is watch the first 3 minutes of the game when Vancouver overwhelmed the Sabres pouring shot after shot on the Sabers cage as Buffalo couldn’t get out of the zone. It was no contest. Everyone knows that Torts team shutout the Sabers 3-0. That must have been satisfying to the former Sabres assistant.
Coming in Saturday will not be a former Sabre but one that fans have been watching as Patrick Roy and his Colorado Avalanche invade the Arena. Before Regier selected Rolston to coach the Sabres, rumors were rampant that Roy might be the coach of the Sabres. That wish disappeared when Regier went to the minors to pick the coach. Colorado is one of the top teams in the NHL.
Roy may well be on his way to become coach of the year. But if he was in Buffalo and history is the best teacher, he probably would be dispatched after achieving that honor – as was the case with Teddy Nolan on Don’t Get Me Started.
Filed under: Buffalo Sabres
Tagged with: Art Wander, Buffalo Sabres, John Tortorella
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