Fire Phil Fan Club

[LGR4GM]

Who's in? I'm not but this deserves discussion.

 

We have a Bogo bunker so this seems similar.

Edited January 20, 2018 by LGR4GM

[bob_sauve28]

I'd fire him. Obviously not getting job done

[darksabre]

I look forward to checking in to this thread after Botts turns over half the roster because they're all losers. Phil ain't going nowhere.

[dudacek]

Phil may not be the guy, but he’s not getting fired this year.

[pi2000]

What has he done to not be fired?

[GoPuckYourself]

First it's Bylsma who was ruining the kids, now it's Housley, it's looking like these guys are just not meshing well with each other. Time for a fresh perspective. 

[Randall Flagg]

I look forward to checking in to this thread after Botts turns over half the roster because they're all losers. Phil ain't going nowhere.

It's tough for me to point out anything positive that Phil has done for this team, but they are indeed a bunch of losers. 

 

You guys remember that awesome day last February when we beat the Blues 3-1, were 26-23-10, and officially back in the playoff race for a day? We were legitimately within shouting distance of a WC spot and beat a very good team. 

 

Instead of revving up and going on a tear, buckling down and taking that playoff spot for their own, they spent the last 30% of the season going 7-14-2, winning 1 of their next 9 games in the process. That pace is identical to the one we've sat on this entire season. Literally identical. So this is bigger than Phil.

 

That stretch was filled with the "tuning out Bylsma", the "harping on the players from Lehner", the "rifts in the locker room". There was simply no solution but to dump the coach and GM, even if there was perpetual debate here (guilty) over what fraction of that was due the players and versus the coach. Well, the new guy may or may not suck, but they're playing the same quitter hockey and we're hearing the same things about cheat in their game and questionable coaching. While I think it was obvious to everyone that DB was done and should be done after the mess that was the end of last season, even if your reasoning was just to save him from something that wasn't his fault, and while I hated his coaching, there was obviously a lot more going on than that from an organizational culture point of view, and everybody from Russ to GMTM to Dan to Jack to Tyler Ennis was guilty to some degree. We pumped new blood into the GM and coach positions, and while it sounds like there's "people skill" improvements in both, the on-ice product is literally identical to the quit-tastic last 30% of the previous season. 

 

The logical conclusion has to be that save Jack, this team needs to be obliterated, IMO. And as wishy washy and cliche as it is, you need to get the "Win at every single ###### ###### cost" back somehow. Nobody here knows what moves will do it but it needs to happen.

 

Also, I don't think it's going to happen super soon and there will probably be another coach in between, but I think Chris Taylor coaches this team at some point. I like the cut of his jib every time I hear him talk.

Edited January 21, 2018 by Randall Flagg

[darksabre]

What has he done to not be fired?

Ask Botterill.

It's tough for me to point out anything positive that Phil has done for this team, but they are indeed a bunch of losers.

 

You guys remember that awesome day last February when we beat the Blues 3-1, were 26-23-10, and officially back in the playoff race for a day? We were legitimately within shouting distance of a WC spot and beat a very good team.

 

Instead of revving up and going on a tear, buckling down and taking that playoff spot for their own, they spent the last 30% of the season going 7-14-2, winning 1 of their next 9 games in the process. That pace is identical to the one we've sat on this entire season. Literally identical. So this is bigger than Phil.

 

That stretch was filled with the "tuning out Bylsma", the "harping on the players from Lehner", the "rifts in the locker room". There was simply no solution but to dump the coach and GM, even if there was perpetual debate here (guilty) over what fraction of that was due the players and versus the coach. Well, the new guy may or may not suck, but they're playing the same quitter hockey and we're hearing the same things about cheat in their game and questionable coaching. While I think it was obvious to everyone that DB was done and should be done after the mess that was the end of last season, even if your reasoning was just to save him from something that wasn't his fault, and while I hated his coaching, there was obviously a lot more going on than that from an organizational culture point of view, and everybody from Russ to GMTM to Dan to Jack to Tyler Ennis was guilty to some degree. We pumped new blood into the GM and coach positions, and while it sounds like there's "people skill" improvements in both, the on-ice product is literally identical to the quit-tastic last 30% of the previous season.

 

The logical conclusion has to be that save Jack, this team needs to be obliterated, IMO. And as wishy washy and cliche as it is, you need to get the "Win at every single ###### ###### cost" back somehow. Nobody here knows what moves will do it but it needs to happen.

 

Also, I don't think it's going to happen super soon and there will probably be another coach in between, but I think Chris Taylor coaches this team at some point. I like the cut of his jib every time I hear him talk.

Well said.

[SwampD]

I look forward to checking in to this thread after Botts turns over half the roster because they're all losers. Phil ain't going nowhere.

Didn't Botts already turn over half the roster?

[dudacek]

First it's Bylsma who was ruining the kids, now it's Housley,

 

This is the key for Botterill in my opinion: how does Phil use and develop the players, particularly the kids that Botterill likes.

Coaches get fired when the GM believes he needs to do that to keep his own job, or he believes the team is massively underachieving.

The first ain’t happening and we’ve seen no sign JBot believes the second.

 

Botterill has brought in what, two players that you would think he has hopes for beyond this year? Scandella and Beaulieu? He’s pumped the tires of two existing players that I’m aware of: Eichel and O’Reilly.

 

For all we know, he might think the rest of the roster is worth a bag of rocks.

 

Didn't Botts already turn over half the roster?

He did, but with filler on short-term contracts. Edited January 21, 2018 by Mick O’Manly

[Brawndo]

No

 

It’s way too early to fire Housley, even they did no coach worth his salt would come near this team.

 

I’ll admit the shine has worn off him for me with some of his decisions, but he needs more time.

 

I am not entirely convinced that Housley was Botterill’s First Choice. There was enough smoke around Rick Tocchet to make me believe that he may have been GM Bots First Choice. The question is did Tocchet look at the State of the Sabres and say no, or did (With Apologies to PA) did Pegula say no and tell him to hire Housley because “I used to love watching him play.”

 

I do take solace in the fact that Botterill is following what they did in Pittsburgh and does have a seemingly strong coach percolating in the AHL in Chris Taylor

[darksabre]

Didn't Botts already turn over half the roster?

Apparently that wasn't enough. The cancer persists.

 

@BrianWGR Gorges: "If you're not ready to have that all-out effort and battle, you not gonna make it. At the end of the day it's up to yourself, at some point we have to look in the mirror.....how many years have we been talking about this." #Sabres

[dudacek]

It may have been his choice, but Tocchet never interviewed with the Sabres.

[Randall Flagg]

I was way too hard on Josh last year. Dude was right in his interviews, and just misused in gameplay, as he's been 1000% better on the ice this season. 

[dudacek]

So under Phil Housley:

Jack Eichel and Evander Kane are poised for career years

Ryan O’Reilly, Robin Lehner, Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella and Kyle Okposo (minus the first month of recovery) are having typical years.

Sam Reinhart is regressing.

 

Is there anyone else who matters on this year’s squad?

[Brawndo]

So under Phil Housley:

Jack Eichel and Evander Kane are poised for career years

Ryan O’Reilly, Robin Lehner, Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella and Kyle Okposo (minus the first month of recovery) are having typical years.

Sam Reinhart is regressing.

Is there anyone else who matters on this year’s squad?

And Reinhart started the year playing a position he had not played before in the NHL with two wingers that belong in the AHL. And I believe the point of this whole season ‪was to experiment with players in different roles to see what the team had for the future.

 

Something I agree wholeheartedly with.

[pastajoe]

Housley has been way too calm. He should have gone ballistic when Reinhart got an embellishment penalty when hit from behind. Throw a water bottle, throw some sticks, get kicked out, but show the team that you have some passion.

[darksabre]

Housley has been way too calm. He should have gone ballistic when Reinhart got an embellishment penalty when hit from behind. Throw a water bottle, throw some sticks, get kicked out, but show the team that you have some passion.

Yeah yeah yeah everyone wants to see a circus

Edited January 21, 2018 by mörksabre

[Gramps]

The right collection of players can make any coach look like a genius, i.e. Vegas. The only thing I want changed for now is Housley's hairstyle.

[pastajoe]

Yeah yeah yeah everyone wants to see a circus

At least a circus is entertaining.

[Jacque Richard]

It doesn’t matter who is the head coach, their so lost in losing as a franchise.

[darksabre]

At least a circus is entertaining.

[Jacque Richard]

Apparently that wasn't enough. The cancer persists.

@BrianWGR Gorges: "If you're not ready to have that all-out effort and battle, you not gonna make it. At the end of the day it's up to yourself, at some point we have to look in the mirror.....how many years have we been talking about this." #Sabres

excuses excuses excuses

[darksabre]

excuses excuses excuses

I don't see Gorges making any excuses.

[Jacque Richard]

He won’t be here anyways.

Pegula’s has how many contract out there, whaley, Ryan’s, Greg Roman, murray, disco. Phil would be next in my opinion. I think that is stopping him due to the ones I mentioned