Fire Phil Fan Club

[Wyldnwoody44]

We win a few games (albeit against Boston and Toronto) and we flip flop worse than a 16 year old girl

 

Samson sucks, no he's fine

 

Haha look at McDavids clavicle.... Oops

 

Phil is too soft.... His gentle teaching rocks.

 

Larsson and Z have no place on this team.... They may be serviceable

 

Nolan is a scrub, Nic D was better.... But wait did you see his soft hands.

 

 

The way it is, the Sabres are bottom what 2, 3 in the league.... They got there because, simply, we suck.... I will give Phil time, because he deserves it, but I'm not sold on any of out team at the moment, and that includes senior ankle.

 

Show me something when it matters and we'll talk

 

 

I also haven't gone to bed all night, and have some terrible patients to deal with, so this is much more gruff than my usual

[Drunkard]

We win a few games (albeit against Boston and Toronto) and we flip flop worse than a 16 year old girl

 

Samson sucks, no he's fine

 

Haha look at McDavids clavicle.... Oops

 

Phil is too soft.... His gentle teaching rocks.

 

Larsson and Z have no place on this team.... They may be serviceable

 

Nolan is a scrub, Nic D was better.... But wait did you see his soft hands.

 

 

The way it is, the Sabres are bottom what 2, 3 in the league.... They got there because, simply, we suck.... I will give Phil time, because he deserves it, but I'm not sold on any of out team at the moment, and that includes senior ankle.

 

Show me something when it matters and we'll talk

 

 

I also haven't gone to bed all night, and have some terrible patients to deal with, so this is much more gruff than my usual

 

You forgot that Chad Johnson won a few games in net and now deserves an extension despite the fact that his save percentage for the entire season is still under .900

[Doohicksie]

Haha look at McDavids clavicle.... Oops

And with a healthy McJesus, the Eulers still suck.

 

Nolan is a scrub, Nic D was better.... But wait did you see his soft hands.

I'm not sure anyone preferred DLo to Nolan.

[Wyldnwoody44]

And with a healthy McJesus, the Eulers still suck.

 

 

I'm not sure anyone preferred DLo to Nolan.

Sure they still suck, and I'm happy to see it, but regarding our team, it is just the complete 180 I'm seeing after the win or loss.... I get it, as fans that's normal, but let's just all reel it in just a touch :)

[LTS]

It's a bit myopic to judge the current Sabres performance against the full season.

 

It throws out the window that an entire team had to learn a new system.

It throws out the window that there were 10 new faces on the team at the start.

It throws out the window that there were injuries that may have had an impact early on in the performance as well.

 

It's a season that needs to be judged in segments.  The Sabres are playing much better in the second half of the season and all indicators point to improvements. 

 

The Panthers were crap early this season as well.  They've been super hot lately.  Bob Boughner is a new coach as well.  They have more talent than Buffalo without a doubt and so overall they are higher in the standings but it's the same kind of progression.

 

I'm sold on what I've seen from Housley to date.  I see no reason to be pessimistic.  I'm also realistic in that I am not going to sit here and tell you the problems are solved.  However I don't think the problem is with the coach.

[Wyldnwoody44]

So how about next year when we have 10 more new faces? Because that needs to happen talent wise, will they get a pass because of being new? I keep looking at Vegas and am just dumbfounded, they are new and all the energy and etc etc, but still it really puts a damper on the "newness" argument

[North Buffalo]

So how about next year when we have 10 more new faces? Because that needs to happen talent wise, will they get a pass because of being new? I keep looking at Vegas and am just dumbfounded, they are new and all the energy and etc etc, but still it really puts a damper on the "newness" argument

Yeh but.... seriously though, think it was more about reversing the old ways and getting in better talent. Even with only two partial lines and a maturing D Sabres are playing better. As long as new guys coming in have talent, Sabres should be better. CM CJS BG and first rounder will help a lot. If any decent UFAs signed could be much better.

[MattPie]

In fairness, Griffith was in because Rodrigues was injured & Tennyson was in because Bogosian was injured Bogosian. But, yeah, the rest were simply penciled in just because.

 

FTFY.

[LTS]

So how about next year when we have 10 more new faces? Because that needs to happen talent wise, will they get a pass because of being new? I keep looking at Vegas and am just dumbfounded, they are new and all the energy and etc etc, but still it really puts a damper on the "newness" argument

 

It won't be 10 new faces with zero experience in the style of play that is required.  Vegas players all arrived in Vegas as cast-offs from their prior team.  This gives them motivation.  None of them are lamenting the firing of their old coach (not sure if anyone in Buffalo was either, but it's distinctly NOT a possibility in Vegas).  They are all part of something new with a chance to start their own history.  Many of them are playing for the next contract.  It will remain to be seen if Vegas can continue their momentum into next season.

 

The situation isn't quite the same.  I understand why it's easy to compare them.  But this Sabres team is carrying years of losing on its shoulders as well.  It has a fan base that barely cares about it.  Vegas fans had something new to look forward to.  Keep in mind that the Florida Panthers and Lightning were both really good when they first formed... and then not so good.  Florida used to pack the building.  Now they're the hottest team in the league and no fans are there.  Let's let the shiny wear off in Vegas.

[pi2000]

Phil Housley has still faced significantly more criticism in his first season here than Dan did in 2015-16, which reflects where the teams are in the standings. Your comparison to the board's reaction to Bylsma's team finishing last season on a 55 point pace during the last 25 games after coming within 4-6 points of a playoff spot at the most critical time of the season after his coaching had been shown to be ineffective both on the ice and as a motivator is silly in that regard.

 

"Upgraded roster" whose depth is on pace for more than 30 less goals despite playing in a system that has every top six skater pacing for Sabres-career highs in points, which had Seth Griffith, Matt Moulson, Jason Pominville, Jordan Nolan, Matt Tennyson, and Jacob Josefson all slotted into the lineup on opening night with no injuries. 

 

I wish I lived in pi's world. 

 

Have you even considered the idea that depth scoring is down because of Phil's style he's teaching?   He's asking grinders to play a speed/finesse game... they can't.   Let them get pucks deep, chase, bang and create turnovers.   The coaches job is to put his players in the best position to succeed.   He's failed at that and it's reflected in the standings.

 

Consider there are infinite parallel universes (there are).  In at least one of those universes NHL standings are not based on results, rather they're based purely on coaching philosophy.   Flagg lives in that universe.

[GASabresIUFAN]

It’s great to say the coach needs to adjust his system to his players, but you can’t change the system for each line. You can’t say Jack your line plays fast break, ROR you need to do puck control, but Larsson you dump and chase. However does your D group support lines all doing different things? You need one system, one style. If Jbot and Wowie are on the same page, it’s up to Jbot to get him the players he needs to run the system they want to run. If Larsson, Z, Etc, can’t succeed in the system, then they need to be gone, and they will be.

 

Besides some promotions from Roch, I expect more acquisitions of players like Wilson, who have experience in similar systems. Guys from Pit, Nash, etc... Now more then ever we need stability and a unified front office voice.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

So how about next year when we have 10 more new faces? Because that needs to happen talent wise, will they get a pass because of being new? I keep looking at Vegas and am just dumbfounded, they are new and all the energy and etc etc, but still it really puts a damper on the "newness" argument

 

The way the expansion draft worked Vegas got pretty good players and they hired a great motivator in coach Gallant.

 

Shout out to JJ.

[pi2000]

It’s great to say the coach needs to adjust his system to his players, but you can’t change the system for each line. You can’t say Jack your line plays fast break, ROR you need to do puck control, but Larsson you dump and chase. However does your D group support lines all doing different things? You need one system, one style. If Jbot and Wowie are on the same page, it’s up to Jbot to get him the players he needs to run the system they want to run. If Larsson, Z, Etc, can’t succeed in the system, then they need to be gone, and they will be.

 

Besides some promotions from Roch, I expect more acquisitions of players like Wilson, who have experience in similar systems. Guys from Pit, Nash, etc... Now more then ever we need stability and a unified front office voice.

 

That's not true.  Not true at all.    I played competitively through college and there were always very clear, very different instructions for the top line vs the 4th line.     You can't ask your 4th line muckers to play the same possession finesse game as your top line... and vice-a-versa.    

 

This is especially true in today's NHL.   Expansion has resulted in 3rd and 4th line jobs for players that would otherwise find themselves in the AHL.   Coaches need to coach to their players abilities.   If Housley needs 4 lines of speed and finesse to be successful, then I have a problem with that... because you'll never have that type of depth in today's NHL.

[dudacek]

Pi lives in a universe where the only number that is relevant is the cumulative points from game one to game 82, in-season trends be damned.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Pi lives in a universe where the only number that is relevant is the cumulative points from game one to game 82, in-season trends be damned.

 

And his TR+/-.  Don't forget about that.

[pi2000]

Pi lives in a universe where the only number that is relevant is the cumulative points from game one to game 82, in-season trends be damned.

 

Did I somehow jump to a different universe?  That's the universe we live in, where your cumulative point total determines wether or not you make the playoffs.

 

 

And his TR+/-™.  Don't forget about that.

 

fixed

Edited March 7, 2018 by pi2000

[Derrico]

Team Related Plus / Minus is an absolute Pi jem.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Team Related Plus / Minus is an absolute Pi jem.

 

Isn't it Team Relative?

 

I'm sure pi will let us know.  After all he holds the trademark.

[LTS]

Have you even considered the idea that depth scoring is down because of Phil's style he's teaching?   He's asking grinders to play a speed/finesse game... they can't.   Let them get pucks deep, chase, bang and create turnovers.   The coaches job is to put his players in the best position to succeed.   He's failed at that and it's reflected in the standings.

 

Consider there are infinite parallel universes (there are).  In at least one of those universes NHL standings are not based on results, rather they're based purely on coaching philosophy.   Flagg lives in that universe.

 

In which alternate universe does this roster perform better than it currently is and who is the coach of that team?

 

By a strict sense of the word, Housley is a failure.  His team is not winning.  And if that were the only criteria that matters then every team that doesn't win the last game of the season... fails.  Some just fail less than others right?

 

Just curious, when you played competitively, if your team was bad did you consider yourself a failure?  I have to assume you did not play on a team that won it's last game of the year every time and that during your career some of those teams failed more than others, even potentially as bad as the Sabres are failing (in relative comparison to the league your team was in).

[North Buffalo]

Jump on Pie day?

[pi2000]

Isn't it Team Relative?

 

I'm sure pi will let us know.  After all he holds the trademark.

 

Team Relative +/- ™

TRpm ™

TR+/- ™

In which alternate universe does this roster perform better than it currently is and who is the coach of that team?

 

By a strict sense of the word, Housley is a failure.  His team is not winning.  And if that were the only criteria that matters then every team that doesn't win the last game of the season... fails.  Some just fail less than others right?

 

Just curious, when you played competitively, if your team was bad did you consider yourself a failure?  I have to assume you did not play on a team that won it's last game of the year every time and that during your career some of those teams failed more than others, even potentially as bad as the Sabres are failing (in relative comparison to the league your team was in).

 

There is no doubt Bylsma would've had this team on an 80 point pace... at minimum.

 

I was very hard on myself as a player.   Not necessarily identifying as a failure, but always feeling like I could've done more. 

 

Is Housley a failure?   Grading him on results, the answer to this point is yes.   Can that change?  Sure.   Will it?  Who knows.  Does he deserve the chance to coach next season?   If the season ended today, no.   If the team continues to improve down the stretch, maybe, but I'm not convinced he's the answer consider Bylsma did much more with less. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Jump on Pie day?

 

Hhhmmmm ... Pie.  Yummy.

 

I would jump on pie all day, every day.

 

;)

 

I am also fascinated with pi and his theories.

[SwampD]

Pi lives in a universe where the only number that is relevant is the cumulative points from game one to game 82, in-season trends be damned.

Someday, I hope to live in a universe where our team is actually good enough to where that is the only stat that matters.

 

Did I somehow jump to a different universe?  That's the universe we live in, where your cumulative point total determines wether or not you make the playoffs.

 

Beat me to it.

[That Aud Smell]

Pining for the dedicated mediocrity of Dreary "Small Ice" Dan.

 

Lulz.

[SwampD]

Pining for the dedicated mediocrity of Dreary "Small Ice" Dan.

 

Lulz.

Sabres fandom, where how you lose is more important than winning.