Housley Should Have Until End of December

[Stoner]

14 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

TPegs probably greases both sides of the isle if he is smart.

Tavares wasn't swayed.

[Weave]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Yes. The Sabres tried to play a certain way early in the year that was dialled back somewhat when it became clear the back end in particular couldn’t handle that system. Beaulieu, Antipin, Gorges, Falk, Tennyson, Lehner and Johnson in particular seemed ill-suited.

Will Dahlin, Pilut, Nelson, Guhle, Hickey and a healthy (yeah, right) Bogosian and McCabe make a difference? Will Hutton and Ullmark?

The room was not good either and Botterill made changes there. And he has tried to add more depth and speed up front.

I think a lot of moves have been made aimed at helping Housley. He needs to show he can take advantage.

I couldn't disagree more regarding the bolded.  Housley complained frequently throughout the first 2/3 of the season that the team was not playing as coached.  Like Bylsma, he needed the team to play as he wanted them to so he could effectively evaluate things, and for most of the season he struggled to get them to play the way he wanted.

It will be refreshing indeed if the team comes out of the gate playing the game they are being coached to play.  Then maybe we can evaluate what Housley is trying to do.

[Thorner]

3 hours ago, Doohickie said:

...which may take more than a year to have an effect.  Pilot, Guhle, Hickey, and Thompson may not all be on the big club for another year.  And frankly if they're not ready I don't want them to be.  That said, if HCPH can get the team playing his dynamic style without all the youth, it should only improve as time goes on and new players crack into the lineup.

I think Thompson is up with the Sabres the full season. I don't have very much convincing statistical analysis to send your way, but for whatever reason my bet is that this guy is going to bloom, and thrive, in Buffalo. We finally get that traded-for prospect who blossoms to great effect with their new team. He has that skill set we desperately need, that shot...I'd love to see what a Thompson - Mittelstadt - Reinhart line could do with somewhat sheltered minutes. 

I think those guys will put up points, and I think their skill sets appear to mesh pretty well together. The play funnels through Mittelstadt, Reinhart finds the soft areas and is able to utilize his considerable hockey sense playing with talented players, and Thompson is the trigger man. 

[nfreeman]

I too am optimistic on Thompson, but I think he’s a RW and as such I have him on Eichel’s line with Sheary at LW, and Reino at RW on Casey’s line with ERod at LW.  

If those 2 lines, or a similar mix, are in place and working well, it will indicate positive results for Jbott’s plans so far.  

[dudacek]

4 hours ago, Weave said:

I couldn't disagree more regarding the bolded.  Housley complained frequently throughout the first 2/3 of the season that the team was not playing as coached.  Like Bylsma, he needed the team to play as he wanted them to so he could effectively evaluate things, and for most of the season he struggled to get them to play the way he wanted.

It will be refreshing indeed if the team comes out of the gate playing the game they are being coached to play.  Then maybe we can evaluate what Housley is trying to do.

I don't think there is much difference between this and what I was trying to play.

The players wouldnt/couldnt/didnt play the system the coach wanted to play. We changed a lot of the players.

[Doohicksie]

6 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Tavares wasn't swayed.

[Thorner]

12 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I too am optimistic on Thompson, but I think he’s a RW and as such I have him on Eichel’s line with Sheary at LW, and Reino at RW on Casey’s line with ERod at LW.  

If those 2 lines, or a similar mix, are in place and working well, it will indicate positive results for Jbott’s plans so far.  

The lines could definitely shake out that way, but I do know Thompson played LW in College, and he was quoted as saying he plays all 3 forward positions, shortly after we traded for him. 

[WildCard]

Here are the 5v5 minutes throughout the season for forwards and defenders (separated). Anyone else think Housley is learning?

[Randall Flagg]

I'd give my third kidney to see Risto never touch 25 outside of an occasional OT game.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Randall Flagg

[WildCard]

6 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

I'd give my third kidney to see Risto never touch 25 out of an occasional OT game.

Been looking at those charts for awhile and am slowly coming to a conclusion that Risto just is what he is: a good offensive defenseman and a liability in his own end. Which honestly, I'm okay with

Few things I found interesting about these charts though. 

- Scandella got consistently less time. Why?

- Nelson shot up a ton, so did Guhle

- McCabe is inconsistent

- People here don't like Pomminstein and Okposo. Good news is, doesn't look like Housley does either. Though as soon as Eichel is out, Okposo and Pommers fall off the map. When Eichel is back, the opposite happens. Housley stapled the two slowest wingers to Eichel all year, and really never learned. Not great

- Girgensons got a lot more trust as the season went on. A lot more. Conversely, Pouliot fell off the map

Edited July 9, 2018 by WildCard

[TrueBlueGED]

Bogosian being a literal flat line is the funniest thing I've seen in awhile.

[WildCard]

2 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

Bogosian being a literal flat line is the funniest thing I've seen in awhile.

Noticed that too ?

[French Collection]

ERod needs to get more ice time than Pomminstein.

[TrueBlueGED]

I am very happy the Pominville spelling filter survived the board update. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

10 hours ago, TrueBlueGED said:

I am very happy the Pominville spelling filter survived the board update. 

Me too ... ?

[LGR4GM]

12 hours ago, WildCard said:

Been looking at those charts for awhile and am slowly coming to a conclusion that Risto just is what he is: a good offensive defenseman and a liability in his own end. Which honestly, I'm okay with

Few things I found interesting about these charts though. 

- Scandella got consistently less time. Why?

- Nelson shot up a ton, so did Guhle

- McCabe is inconsistent

- People here don't like Pomminstein and Okposo. Good news is, doesn't look like Housley does either. Though as soon as Eichel is out, Okposo and Pommers fall off the map. When Eichel is back, the opposite happens. Housley stapled the two slowest wingers to Eichel all year, and really never learned. Not great

- Girgensons got a lot more trust as the season went on. A lot more. Conversely, Pouliot fell off the map

Makes me wonder if Samuelsson was brought in to be Risto's defensive pairing in the future or a candidate for it. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by LGR4GM

[That Aud Smell]

On 7/6/2018 at 8:47 PM, pi2000 said:

Housley is a dead man walking imo.  His wife making moves in the Republican party I don't think jives with El Pegula.

Can't recall where I saw it/read it, but wasn't there a news item recently saying that the Pegulas had hosted a big ticket fundraiser for Housley's wife?

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

Can't recall where I saw it/read it, but wasn't there a news item recently saying that the Pegulas had hosted a big ticket fundraiser for Housley's wife?

Yes. She is running for US Senate.

[That Aud Smell]

28 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Yes. She is running for US Senate.

Right. But where'd I see the report that the Pegulas hosted a $2500/plate dinner for her at their Marriott? Can't find it anywhere now - so I infer it was on the Twitter and it's disappeared.

[That Aud Smell]

Or I dreamt it?

[Weave]

I seem to recall reading it here somewhere.

[TrueBlueGED]

13 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Right. But where'd I see the report that the Pegulas hosted a $2500/plate dinner for her at their Marriott? Can't find it anywhere now - so I infer it was on the Twitter and it's disappeared.

I remember reading it took place there, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were the hosts in a way that bears any more meaning than any other hotel would have as host. 

[That Aud Smell]

Got it. It was Twitter.

 

What - what happened there? Weird. And sorta cool.

[That Aud Smell]

3 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

I remember reading it took place there, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were the hosts in a way that bears any more meaning than any other hotel would have as host. 

“Big fund raiser last night at HarborCenter for U.S. Senate candidate Karin Housely of Minnesota, wife of Sabres Coach Phil Housely. Tickets at $1,000 and $2,700 at event hosted by Terry and Kim Pegula and Nick Sinatra.”

I think I realize why any amount of Googling would not yield the Tweet. He misspelled the candidate's last name.

[TrueBlueGED]

4 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

“Big fund raiser last night at HarborCenter for U.S. Senate candidate Karin Housely of Minnesota, wife of Sabres Coach Phil Housely. Tickets at $1,000 and $2,700 at event hosted by Terry and Kim Pegula and Nick Sinatra.”

I think I realize why any amount of Googling would not yield the Tweet. He misspelled the candidate's last name.

Fair. Though it's also worth noting that one can fundraise for a candidate without affiliating with that candidate's political party, especially if there are other connections to that specific candidate. An employee's wife would certainly qualify there. 

That said, the Pegula's are totally Republicans. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by TrueBlueGED