Feb 7 2014

February 7 2014---------


Honeymoon should be over for Nolan. Why is it that he escapes any blame for the Sabres play? Are we so smitten by having him return that we eliminate any criticism? Let's look at what has transpired in the past few weeks for which I have heard no criticism nor have I heard any of the professional beat writers/reporters challenge him:
1. Brayden McNabb: he is +1 in 12 games but is sent to Rochester while -32 Weber, McBain and Sulzer stink up the joint. Nolan's response is we want McNabb to log 20 minutes per game. That's what he'd get if he were here for Gods sake. Nolan says well we want him to play over the Olympic break: unlike Pysyk, McNabb like Ruhweidel are eligible to play here and still go to Roch during the Olympics. 
2. Ruhwedel who has not been on the ice for a goal against in the entire season gets benched v Edmonton. When asked why Nolan says "other factors other than his play are involved". When pressed he says that Chad will be playing a lot in Roch during Olympic break so we need to rest him a bit...ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You rest him here so he can play in Roch during the break? How about playing him here and letting him sit out a few games in Roch?  Makes no logical sense at all. Softball Paul Hamilton never seems to follow up on the tough questions does he?
3.  Last nights debacle: picture this. You are playing your last game before the break. You have lost a number of games in a row and got blown out in two of last three. You have a goalie that has not won since October. You were down 2-0 but get two goals in the third period to tie the game. Your goalie has made a number of great saves to keep you in it. There are 38 seconds left before OT. You have a defensive pair (Weber and  McBain) who are -7 in their previous three games when playing together) that you have split up and who have not been victimized this game. And so with all of this going on you as coach now decide to throw those two out there together with 38 seconds left??? WTF is he thinking? Of course the inevitable happens. Ottawa scores as both D are out of position and your team continues its slide. In the postgame interview Softball Paul asks : "you split up your defensive pairing this game and seemed
To get a better response". Didn't have the balls to ask the question everybody else wanted asked: Why would you choose that time of that game to put those two on the ice together???

Nolan may be a great motivator but the team is winning less with him
As coach than they did with Rolston and  Rolston was stuck playing guys who were 18 and 19 years old. Honeymoon is over Teddy.