Housley Should Have Until End of December

[CallawaySabres]

If Buffalo is not within shouting distance of 8th, they have to save the season.

 

After some more changes this Summer and the addition of Dahlin,my eyes will be focused squarely on Phil to finally see improvement.

[Stoner]

With an 18-year-old defenseman and Casey, among other kids, patience will be preached. And the folks will accept it, giving Phil until Thanksgving 2019.

[Jsixspd]

With an 18-year-old defenseman and Casey, among other kids, patience will be preached. And the folks will accept it, giving Phil until Thanksgving 2019.

LOL - Yup!  I'm cynical enough to agree.

 

I remember all the patience with GMTM around here.... now he basically persona non-gratis, shunned and castigated by the majority.    

 

And we had patience for Drew Stafford, and Derek Roy, and Lehner, and Moulson,  and Bogosian and Gorges and Ehrhoff, and Myers....

 

Let's just jump to Terry's other desk - lots of patience among the fans for Dick Jauron, and Buddy Nix, and Chan Gailey, and Ryan Fitzpatrick, and JP Losman, and Trent Edwards......

 

Most Buffalo sports fans are eternal optimists.  :)

[CallawaySabres]

The reason I brought it up is because I talked to Rob Ray for a while yesterday and asked him....how the hell do they fix this team?

 

He said besides adding speed, the locker room is shot. He said the losing has taken its toll and they can't shake it. To me, that tells me Housley can't break through with this group.

[SwampD]

The reason I brought it up is because I talked to Rob Ray for a while yesterday and asked him....how the hell do they fix this team?

 

He said besides adding speed, the locker room is shot. He said the losing has taken its toll and they can't shake it. To me, that tells me Housley can't break through with this group.

Aren't locker rooms just a reflection of the record?

[Robviously]

The reason I brought it up is because I talked to Rob Ray for a while yesterday and asked him....how the hell do they fix this team?

 

He said besides adding speed, the locker room is shot. He said the losing has taken its toll and they can't shake it. To me, that tells me Housley can't break through with this group.

That sounds more like that they need to make some trades to shake things up.  And string together a few wins to start the season for once.

[Carmel Corn]

I might be able to support Housley to December, but on the condition he changes his assistants to ones that have more credible experience coaching in the NHL.  No matter what, I still blame Housley for the demise of our once respectable powerplay.  He did to the Sabres last year what Rex Ryan did to the once mighty Buffalo Bills defense.

 

I blame nobody but Housley for the PP.

[Randall Flagg]

I might be able to support Housley to December, but on the condition he changes his assistants to ones that have more credible experience coaching in the NHL.  No matter what, I still blame Housley for the demise of our once respectable powerplay.  He did to the Sabres last year what Rex Ryan did to the once mighty Buffalo Bills defense.

 

I blame nobody but Housley for the PP.

A reasonable blame to place, as it's his fault we had Beaulieu on the top pairing handing out shorties left and right. 

 

But it's worth noting that our power play was something like 24%, top 5 in the league, from January 1 to the end of the year, which is after they got the regular gang back together and let them stick. 

 

I don't expect it to be as bad next year, presuming we let that unit play, especially if we add some weapons to the second pairing.

[Jsixspd]

The reason I brought it up is because I talked to Rob Ray for a while yesterday and asked him....how the hell do they fix this team?

 

He said besides adding speed, the locker room is shot. He said the losing has taken its toll and they can't shake it. To me, that tells me Housley can't break through with this group.

Well, that sounds like what's needed is a fresh sheet of paper.   Clean out the locker room -  Replace as much of that roster as fiscally possible;  do a Vegas-Lite  

[Taro T]

Housley should have until Thanksgiving. American or Canadian, either works. ;)

[Randall Flagg]

There's a reasonable chance that the locker room irrevocably tunes him out after a start in which his brand of hockey indisputably leads to a horrible start. If this happens, he will have to go. 

If the hockey is good and/or the room is good, he'll get time. 

We'll need to see what happens. 

I'm looking forward to see what happens far more than I was 24 hours ago. I was legitimately going to be the least excited for this upcoming season as I ever have been. Now I'm pumped.

[darksabre]

There's a reasonable chance that the locker room irrevocably tunes him out after a start in which his brand of hockey indisputably leads to a horrible start. If this happens, he will have to go.

 

If the hockey is good and/or the room is good, he'll get time.

 

We'll need to see what happens.

 

I'm looking forward to see what happens far more than I was 24 hours ago. I was legitimately going to be the least excited for this upcoming season as I ever have been. Now I'm pumped.

My opinion on Housley is going to depend on what changes Botterill makes this summer and the perceived effect those changes should have. There are a lot of questions around the locker room. Who are the problem guys? We don't really know.

 

I assume that Botterill intends to fix the locker room this off-season. If he makes his moves and is confident, and things are still a mess, then I assume he'll fire Housley.

[CallawaySabres]

I have no doubt that enough changes will be made where if this team is still 10 points out of 8th by December, Housley is gone

[Iron Crotch]

There's not a coach in the world who could have won with the craptastic roster we fielded last year. Unless this year is a disaster, I don't think Phil is going anywhere.

[Weave]

The team got what it wanted.  The time for patience has ended.  There needs to be a real change in on ice performance and results immediately.

 

We have our franchise center.  We have our top line RW.  We have our defensive stud.  We have our shut down center.  No more excuses.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The team got what it wanted.  The time for patience has ended.  There needs to be a real change in on ice performance and results immediately.

 

We have our franchise center.  We have our top line RW.  We have our defensive stud.  We have our shut down center.  No more excuses.

 

This is exactly what I think.  We have made it through the wilderness.  We finally made it through.

 

Is Scandella capable of being the shut down D, or are we still looking for that?

[Brawndo]

This is exactly what I think. We have made it through the wilderness. We finally made it through.

 

Is Scandella capable of being the shut down D, or are we still looking for that?

Borgen

[calti]

Housley should have until Thanksgiving. American or Canadian, either works. ;)

 

Housley should have until Thanksgiving. American or Canadian, either works. ;)

give him til boxing day

[Taro T]

give him til boxing day

Nope. Thanksgiving Day.

[Radar]

My opinion on Housley is going to depend on what changes Botterill makes this summer and the perceived effect those changes should have. There are a lot of questions around the locker room. Who are the problem guys? We don't really know.

I assume that Botterill intends to fix the locker room this off-season.

There's a lot of rumors about the locker room. Who credible or inside has confirmed that. Players frustration doesn't mean locker room problems.

[darksabre]

There's a lot of rumors about the locker room. Who credible or inside has confirmed that. Players frustration doesn't mean locker room problems.

I think we'll see what happens and have to try to draw some conclusions from that. Is Risto a party animal who doesn't like being coached? Was Kane a bad influence? Was Lehner a downer? O'Reilly? Are there toxic cliques?

 

Some things have been suggested by local media. What Botterill does may offer some confirmation.

[Stoner]

I think we'll see what happens and have to try to draw some conclusions from that. Is Risto a party animal who doesn't like being coached? Was Kane a bad influence? Was Lehner a downer? O'Reilly? Are there toxic cliques?

 

Some things have been suggested by local media. What Botterill does may offer some confirmation.

Would you have hired PIs to see what was going on at night?

[darksabre]

Would you have hired PIs to see what was going on at night?

I might have. But the question becomes what do you really want to know, and what are you going to do with it?

 

I think GM's know that their players are probably up to shenanigans and mostly let it go. Kane trying to sneak the underage guys into Coles, showing up to practice hungover, stuff like that.

 

But at some point that stuff is problematic. A good team can probably let it go. A team like the Sabres can't afford it.

[dudacek]

You don’t need PIs.

Shenanigans are only issue if they affect what’s happening on the ice.

Who is hungover? Loafing through drills? Ignoring the whiteboard?

The coaches and trainers are close enough to tell who is influencing who and juggle the room accordingly.

 

I strongly suspect that a reason Kane is no longer here is his influence on Sam and Jack.

If Sam is a bad influence on Jack, or separate cliques are forming around Ryan and Jack or Risto is refusing to adjust his game or Larry is always moping and complaining, or...

 

These things will be targeted this season and the central focus will be creating an atmosphere that allows Jack to lead.

Edited April 29, 2018 by dudacek

[Sabres Fan in NS]

What with all this pi talk?  I don't think we need pi to calculated his TR+/- at this point.