BUFFALO SABRES

BY BILL HOPPE

BY BILL HOPPE PREDICTION | 5TH IN ATLANTIC FOLLOWING TWO YEARS OF growth, the Sabres’ regression last season cost coach Don Granato his job. Enter Lindy Ruff, who has returned to help the team he previously coached for 15 seasons end its league-worst 13-year playoff drought. Ruff nostalgia runs deep in Buffalo. Having led the Sabres to the 1999 Stanley Cup final, four Eastern Conference finals and their last playoff berth, he’s revered. The Sabres, who must sell tickets to a passionate fan base beaten down by losing, have featured Ruff on billboards. But the Sabres hired Ruff for more than marketing purposes. After falling short of expectations last season, GM Kevyn Adams cited a lack of accountability, something he believes the 64-year-old bench boss can fix. The Sabres are under enormous pressure to…

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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, Yearbook 2024-25

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