Lindy Ruff is one of the winningest head coaches in the history of the NHL. He’s 50 wins away from being just the third (or fourth, depending on if Paul Maurice beats him to it) head coach in history to make it to 1,000 career wins. The only other coaches to hit the mark are Scotty Bowman and current Anaheim Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville.
Ruff’s Buffalo Sabres are the best story in hockey today. After he was fired by the New Jersey Devils in March 2024, Ruff went back “home” to the Sabres. He was there from 1997 to 2013, being one of the longest-tenured coaches in recent history. After that, he coached the Dallas Stars and the Devils before returning to Western New York.
It looked like it was going to go terribly. Ruff had the Sabres missing the playoffs, and when the Sabres made a GM change, many thought Ruff would soon hit the unemployment line. Instead, Buffalo made the most insane turnaround of the season, and they actually won the Atlantic Division. A division with supposed juggernauts in the back-to-back champion Florida Panthers, the star-studded Toronto Maple Leafs, the history-laden Boston Bruins, and the dominant Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres won in the end.
After beating the Bruins in the first round, a high-powered matchup with the Montreal Canadiens sat in front of Ruff’s new team. After going down 3-1 in the series, Buffalo clawed back and forced Game 7. Then, after going into the third period down a goal, they tied it up and forced overtime.
Unfortunately for Ruff, Alex Newhook scored a little over 11 minutes into the extra period, and despite clawing back multiple times, Buffalo’s season is over.
And Ruff’s best chance at a Stanley Cup is also over. The Sabres’ vibes were at an all-time high. Their best players were playing well. Things were going their way, but it wasn’t enough.
That crazy ending also might be the ending for Lindy Ruff’s Stanley Cup hopes. Next season, we expect relative bounce-backs from the Panthers and Maple Leafs. The Lightning aren’t going anywhere. The Canadiens will be good again, and the Yzerplan has to work one day in Detroit, right?
We also expect better from the Metropolitan Division. Ruff’s former team, the Devils, let go of the guy who fired him and hired Sunny Mehta. They are expected to be in a better spot (but we’ve heard this before). The Flyers and Capitals could continue to grow. Carolina is going to remain as one of the top teams in the league.
The Sabres have an uphill battle, and this isn’t the best offseason to grow. Competition is going to grow, and they have to open up their piggy bank to give Alex Tuch a massive contract. Ruff’s chance might be out the window, and he’s 66 years old. How much longer can he theoretically do this?
We saw the best shot Ruff had in the chamber, and it only got him to the second round. We might have seen his best shot to get his first Cup, something everyone ahead of him on the wins list has.
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