The Sabres did something rare in the hockey world when they hired Ralph Krueger. They went outside the box. They skipped over the group of coaches who get hired in a never-ending circle, opting for fresh thinking from a worldly man.
It started well in 2019. Players adored Krueger, calling him the best coach they ever had and an alpha male with the leadership skills to turn around the organization.
They won his first game in Pittsburgh. They blew out New Jersey in his home opener, a game that had harkened back to the good old days. Buffalo started 9-2-1, and it seemed a new era had begun.
That era is over.
With the Sabres sinking to Tank-like levels, Buffalo fired Krueger on Wednesday. It was inevitable. There was listless play on the ice and increasing distractions off it. The Sabres and their coach had descended to laughingstock status.
Despite writing a book on motivation, Krueger couldn’t coax Buffalo out of the basement.
