As the Buffalo Sabres continue to wallow in mediocrity on the ice and growingly frustrated fan base is nearly ready to call for head coach Lindy Ruff’s job, general manager Darcy Regier made it clear Wednesday that a Ruff firing is not in his plans.
In an interview with Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, Regier was asked if a major change could happen soon if Buffalo continued to struggle through the weekend.
His direct response was merely five words—yet impossible to mistake.
“It won’t be the coach.” Regier told Harrington in a piece published on the Sabres Edge Blog.
Regier also revealed to Harrington that he still has confidence in his ailing team, but realizes where the biggest problem currently resides.
“The confidence I do have is in this team to turn this around, in Lindy’s ability and in our ability to rectify that and that’s because I think one of the areas Lindy as a coach is extremely strong in is defensive play,” he continued to Harrington. “Offensively, we’re fine. But defensively we have work to do.”
Buffalo is at the First Niagara Center Thursday night against the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal humiliated Buffalo in Canada last Saturday, 6-1.
