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Not necessarily. I do believe Quenneville would have tightened up our defense perhaps to the point where we may have gotten more points this season. Perhaps even a change in attitude. Again, staying with Phil IS NOT the answer. I even like Guy Boucher. He got short shrift from an owner perhaps more brutal than TPegs. (yet Ottawa shut us out under "old school" Marc Crawford) So you're saying: No playoffs for the 9th straight year?

Only if 1) the experience head coach cannot get improved play out of the existing group & 2) Chris Taylor is "the real deal" as a head coach in Rochester and gets that club to the Calder Cup if not winning it (or at least has Rochester playing at a high points pace every season) The jury is still out on Taylor. The jury has already convicted Phil Housley and he is guilty as charged.

The Eichel factor worries me also. We are wasting his talents and his efforts of late concern me. I am worried he will bolt the first chance he gets and light it up with some other club. He has terrific skills but I feel a seasoned coach who may be a little tough on him, may be just what the Doctor ordered to make him true Captain Material. Sure we need a talent upgrade but we need to play a more physical brand of hockey as well. We have seen glimpses of the Sabres doing this from time to time and it seems to work whenever they want to do so. This "stick checking" type of defense drives me nuts as opponents drive to our net. That needs to most definitely stop.

I think right now, I want an experienced ex-head coach also and give Taylor 1 or 2 more seasons in the A to see if he is for real. If they cannot get an ex head coach to sign here but are done with Phil, then perhaps turn to Chris and see what he can do. I truly believe this club with all its shortcomings, still had a shot at the playoffs if they would have made the coaching move at New Years. It is when the Sabres show a complete lack of compete in games and repeat 4 to 5 times a game the same mental errors that concerned me with Phil.

It would be nice to see Rochester make a deep run and give those young guys down there a taste of playoff hockey and its own type of grind. I am also cautiously optimistic that maybe, just maybe, Chris Taylor (and I know next to nothing about him really) might be our future coach who the guys will want to play for and bust some ### for. Here's hoping! It is obvious we are a tired fan base that deserves so much more.

I would love to see the Sabres in the playoffs next season. Again, all we can do now is basically sit and wait again. Lets see what Jbots and ownership can come up with for 2019-20. I honestly wish them much success. I wanted that for Phil as well. I was happy when they hired him. I'm sorry it didn't work out well. I could see this type of free fall if the team had a rash of injuries but the fact that the Sabres look like they've folded the tent against clubs who aren't fighting for a playoff spot, proves to me at least, that Phil isn't the guy.

A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

I would bet the farm that in 3 years there will still be no Cup in Buffalo. Maybe a playoff appearance if we're lucky but that is all.

I'm starting to believe that may not be a far fetched idea. One of the "common denominators' of continued futility. Even if his numbers improve, what we see on some nights is not "Captain material".

Thanks Zamboni and God Bless! I've been preaching this for too long. I was happy when they signed Phil as head coach but by the end of his first season, I hated what I saw. I just see an exact continuation of that first season now, even with a slightly improved roster. I don't care about the optics of hiring yet another head coach, I cannot see this team making the playoffs under this coaching staff in the near future. Jbots needs to get busy and hopefully gets a coach with some back bone that won't tolerate mediocre effort and mental mistakes. If he finds one, and we see the same results with no improvement, than this board can call me out on it and I will accept I was wrong on this, but until then I completely agree with you!

I wouldn't say Nolan was given the chance on his second tour here. He was place holding during tank time. (and I think he knew it and needed the cash) They got rid of both goalies under Teddy (Enroth and Neuvirth- especially after they started to play well and got the Sabres some points that management didn't want, as Buffalo started to move up in the standings- they had to stop that ASAP!) We'll see where DB lands eventually- if anywhere in the NHL- perhaps as an assistant, I am doubtful as a head coach. Cup win or not.

Like it did for Edmonton? I agree, that tactic still guarantees us nothing.

I totally believe there is more talent on this roster than gets the credit. I like our goaltenders but as you saw against the Leafs, our defensive system (Steve Smith/Phil???) is crappola. If you aren't willing to take the body and just stick check, you'll lose the majority of your games. I do think a great deal of this falls on the current coaching staff. Leafs ran out of gas in the 3rd as to be expected crossing a time zone and playing the night before and the Sabres actually picked up some physicality (the Leafs weakness) so yes, the Sabres looked a little better then. Didn't matter by then. Another 'L".

Looks like the Sabres were just the tonic needed to right the ship!

On the TSN broadcast they mentioned that Babcock made that a point to address with the Leafs: to "start the game on time" after their past few outings. It seemed to work for them.

Especially against a club that played the night before in a different time zone. That was embarrassing. Seriously, this could have been a brutal drubbing if not for Hutton.

He even knew this was an issue after last season. I know I saw him interviewed at the start of this season where he addressed this and said this would be a point of focus. I guess Phil has just "lost his focus".

and this is exactly what Boston (and Washington) does to the Leafs with great success. Get physical with them and they can be beaten.

What bothered me more was again, how the Sabres came out to start the game. They've been off since Sunday and got completely owned through 2 periods. You knew their 1 goal lead was just not going to hold up despite brilliance by Hutton. Sure the Leaf goals were cheap, but you get those when you continually work your ass off and it happened. This is an area of the Sabres game that existed last season and if my memory serves me correct, Phil mentioned this at the beginning of this season that starting the game properly is a focus for this year. Some games they do start well, so I guess he tries to address it but it creeps in again and again.

Wow, the Sabres haven't beaten the Leafs in 5 straight. The first time since 70-71. My heart hurts.

Carter Hutton seriously deserved better tonight. I like him.

You know how this is going to end by now. They will pull the goalie and......well you know the rest of it.

Frankly, I think it's just that the Leafs are bagged now. Last nights game in another time zone combined with their first 2 dominant periods has caught up with them now.

The leafs are dead tired now (as they should be after 2 periods of total domination) The chance is there for the Sabres.

Here's hoping! And it will bring me joy this hockey season.