Ruff's Firing Sad, but Necessary

Yesterday was a cold day in Buffalo. And I'm not talking about the 20 degree weather.

On Wednesday, it was announced that long-time head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, Lindy Ruff, has been fired.

To other cities around the league, this is just another coach getting the boot because he happens to be at the helm of a rather underwhelming team. But for the fan base of the Sabres, it a much bigger deal.

Ruff was the head coach for 16 years... 16 years! I was four-years-old when he was hired.

Let me put it in perspective.  He was there when the uniforms were black and red. His first season in Buffalo featured such names as Rob Ray and Dominik Hasek and Windows '98 was the next big thing. If Lindy Ruff had held the job for another week, he would have outlasted three popes.

Ruff meant a lot to the team.  He played for the blue and gold himself before he coached them. His first season showed that his career was full of promise, after he lead the Sabres to the Eastern Conference finals. In 2011, he became only the 16th coach in NHL history to win 500 games, and only the second to do it with one team.

The young fan base of the Buffalo Sabres cannot remember a time when the team succeeded and Lindy was not standing behind the bench.

But the past is the past. Flash forward to February 19th, 2013. The Sabres are booed off the ice by their home fans after an embarrassing loss to the Winnipeg Jets, dropping them down to Northeast worst 6-10-1. The next day, the team announces that Ruff is fired.

An initial reaction to the news was shock. And rightfully so. Lindy is one of the top coaches in the NHL. GM Darcy Regier said ''I'm disappointed for myself. I'm disappointed for Lindy. And when I see the players, I'm disappointed for them, too. We should all be disappointed.''

Ruff's firing is a tough pill to swallow for all Buffalo fan's but it is far from devastating.

The Sabres' play this season has been disappointing to say the least.Watching their lethargic play has been frustrating and it's clear that while the potential is there, the Sabres have very little drive to win.

I think this is one of the best moves the team has made this year.  The players need motivation and if sacking the coach with the most wins in team history isn't enough, then you might as well cut the entire team.

Interim head coach Ron Rolston of the Rochester Americans is a solid coach and has had the opportunity to work with some of these players already thanks to the lockout.  I have no doubt that he will fit right into the system that Ruff has set up already.

It was clear something had to happen. The Sabres had high expectations this year and a 6-10-1 start is not acceptable.  Look for the players to start skating harder, fighting for pucks, and providing support for Ryan Miller who has been on a lonely island this year.

Fans should thank Lindy Ruff for his service with Buffalo. I wouldn't be surprised if a struggling team picked him up, and soon.

But mourn not, Sabres fans.  The way this season is going, there is no where to go but up, and a new coach is step one.