Phil Housley should be fired.

[Eleven]

34 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Welcome!!

And, no.

Sent you a beer anyway.

You forgot to send the new guy a beer.

He also forgot that Ruff wasn't fired in Dallas.

He also forgot that the revolving door system hasn't exactly worked.

[Stoner]

42 minutes ago, Eleven said:

He also forgot that Ruff wasn't fired in Dallas.

He also forgot that the revolving door system hasn't exactly worked.

When you've been coaching somewhere for a relatively short time and your contract is expiring and they don't want you back, I'd say you've been shitcanned. Unless you're saying Lindy didn't want to return and decided that becoming an assistant was a good career move. Semantics.

I agree on the revolving door. But what you're proposing is the definition of revolving door.

1 hour ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

You forgot to send the new guy a beer.

The beer is a thank you icon. Never really got that.

[inkman]

4 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

When you've been coaching somewhere for a relatively short time and your contract is expiring and they don't want you back, I'd say you've been shitcanned. Unless you're saying Lindy didn't want to return and decided that becoming an assistant was a good career move. Semantics.

I agree on the revolving door. But what you're proposing is the definition of revolving door.

The beer is a thank you icon. Never really got that.

Because when you want to show gratitude you can buy them a beer? 

[Carmel Corn]

To me, it's a little bit of a chicken and the egg thing.  Do you hire a GM and HC (in that order) and construct the team around "their" philosophy, or does ownership have a specific vision and brings in management to reflect their views? 

Flame away, but IMHO the Sabres have been a "soft" and/or finesse team for the majority of the last 10 years or longer.  Other versions of this team have had some rugged players sprinkled in, but this year's version is devoid of hard-nosed hockey playing.  I myself would like to see the Sabres move towards being a fast/physical team that hits, finishes checks, get's dirty, stands up for each other and scores garbage goals by crashing the net, etc.  I would like to see our superstars push back and create their own space vs. mope and complain.  Such a vision requires a different head coach, possibly GM and an overarching vision by ownership saying this type of style will be our identity and what the rest of the league will come to know us by.

The revolving door is frustrating, but I think we need it again.

[North Buffalo]

Sad but true...

[CallawaySabres]

Well, there is a VERY good chance that Sabres will be losing 6 out of their next 7 and they should be enough to get a new Coach AND a new GM. It will also put them right around the 7th spot in the draft......good times

[Radar]

It's time to hear from ownership. I have supported our ownership and believe they have the resources and willingness to use them. What I'm unsure about is their ability to find the right people to run their franchises. Liking someone and respect for character are factors but not to the extent of overruling knowledge and experience having been successful in running franchises. Many fans clamored for something fresh not wanting a "retread". Well we've possibly learned it can go to the other extreme as well.

[Carmel Corn]

9 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I would not disagree with that. We are also not tough enough in front of the net. Reinhart gets in there but really good power plays force the box in tighter with net presence allowing the guys on the outside more freedom of movement and time. Most everything we do PP and even full strength comes from outside or from a distance and the goalies can easily see the shots and make the saves. I mean a guy like Tage is a big guy with a long reach and yet most all he does is snap a long wrist shot from outside or the top of the circle. A guy with that frame needs to be right in front causing havoc Dave Andreychuk style. 

Agree, a net front presence is PP 101 in my mind!  Tage needs to bulk up....feed that guy some bread and carbs for crying out loud!  That being said, I don't know if I've seen enough of TT's game to know if he has the knack for tips and deflections.  Sam is pretty good there and needs to continue.  Hell if the PP were so important, I'd get Thomas Vanek back just to camp out in front and do his magic as well.

[inkman]

34 minutes ago, Radar said:

It's time to hear from ownership. I have supported our ownership and believe they have the resources and willingness to use them. What I'm unsure about is their ability to find the right people to run their franchises. Liking someone and respect for character are factors but not to the extent of overruling knowledge and experience having been successful in running franchises. Many fans clamored for something fresh not wanting a "retread". Well we've possibly learned it can go to the other extreme as well.

The owners don't have any obligation to inform us of anything. We are at their mercy.  Nothing they have done has led me to believe they know how to hire competency. Right now we just have to hope they get lucky because I don't see a way to success otherwise. They had the right idea bringing in someone like LaFontaine but clearly his views weren't aligned with the Pegulas nor do I think he was very good.  Find a President or Czar or whatever they want to call themselves that has experience overseeing hockey operations. 

I don't expect any of that to happen so we are left to circumstance. It's a dark time to be a Sabres fan. 

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

When you've been coaching somewhere for a relatively short time and your contract is expiring and they don't want you back, I'd say you've been shitcanned. Unless you're saying Lindy didn't want to return and decided that becoming an assistant was a good career move. Semantics.

I agree on the revolving door. But what you're proposing is the definition of revolving door.

The beer is a thank you icon. Never really got that.

I'm not proposing anything other than the fact that anyone who has been telling me "it's the coach" since about 2010 can't be correct, because we're on coach no. 5 since 2010.

[LGR4GM]

43 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

Well, there is a VERY good chance that Sabres will be losing 6 out of their next 7 and they should be enough to get a new Coach AND a new GM. It will also put them right around the 7th spot in the draft......good times

So you think we should fire a gm after 1.5 off seasons and 2 drafts? Seems a little harsh. 

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

I'm not proposing anything other than the fact that anyone who has been telling me "it's the coach" since about 2010 can't be correct, because we're on coach no. 5 since 2010.

Maybe we've had 5 bad coaches. Rolston was bad. Bylsma was bad. Nolan was fine but lacked any talent or sound system. Lindy was fine but maybe his system and style just got old. Housley... not sure but he doesn't look like he can get them all pulling the same direction. 

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

32 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

So you think we should fire a gm after 1.5 off seasons and 2 drafts? Seems a little harsh. 

Maybe we've had 5 bad coaches. Rolston was bad. Bylsma was bad. Nolan was fine but lacked any talent or sound system. Lindy was fine but maybe his system and style just got old. Housley... not sure but he doesn't look like he can get them all pulling the same direction. 

Soooo, 5 bad coaches and 3 bad GM's.....8/8, 100%. At least were doing something right or are we?

I still say we need an exorcism to deal with the curse.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

When you've been coaching somewhere for a relatively short time and your contract is expiring and they don't want you back, I'd say you've been shitcanned. Unless you're saying Lindy didn't want to return and decided that becoming an assistant was a good career move. Semantics.

I agree on the revolving door. But what you're proposing is the definition of revolving door.

The beer is a thank you icon. Never really got that.

Me either, but buying / sending someone a beer is usually viewed as a nice / welcoming thing to do.

Initially when the conversion / upgrade to the software happened the 'thank you' thingie was a trophy, IIRC.

[Doohicksie]

If you want to feel better about the beer mug icon, Google "thank you icon" and you'll see there isn't anything better out there.

[nfreeman]

I like Howie, and I think the team's problems run much deeper than just the HC position, but I can't say I'd be unhappy if they dumped Howie and brought in Quenneville this summer.

I also wouldn't mind if they brought in a senior czar-type person like when Toronto brought in Lamoriello.

What a freaking debacle.

[Radar]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

The owners don't have any obligation to inform us of anything. We are at their mercy.  Nothing they have done has led me to believe they know how to hire competency. Right now we just have to hope they get lucky because I don't see a way to success otherwise. They had the right idea bringing in someone like LaFontaine but clearly his views weren't aligned with the Pegulas nor do I think he was very good.  Find a President or Czar or whatever they want to call themselves that has experience overseeing hockey operations. 

I don't expect any of that to happen so we are left to circumstance. It's a dark time to be a Sabres fan. 

By saying "hear from ownership" may be bad choice of words by me. What I mean time for them to take a different path. We need an experienced and successful head at the head of operations not just moving out people.

[Stoner]

22 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I like Howie, and I think the team's problems run much deeper than just the HC position, but I can't say I'd be unhappy if they dumped Howie and brought in Quenneville this summer.

I also wouldn't mind if they brought in a senior czar-type person like when Toronto brought in Lamoriello.

What a freaking debacle.

I don't know what Quenneville's (you'd better be spelling it right, because I'm going with you) desires are, but could he be the czar? Maybe not in name, but in the person of a very strong head coach who has lineup control? Would the parallel be McDermott? I just can't see Joel coming in and sitting there quietly and saying, "That's Jason's job."

Remember though: Terry said, about the time he hired Patty, that there would be no emperors in the Sabres franchise. "No monopoly on hockey IQ." Remember also that Terry thinks he knows the game. I'll repeat the take I heard from one of Terry's friends from his Olean days. "Terry's very competitive. He thinks he knows more than he does." This friend wasn't surprised about the state of Terry's sports teams.

Flat management structure. The accountant gets a vote. The club hockey pal from PSU gets a vote. Kim gets a vote. You get a vote and you get a vote and you get a vote.

Hard to imagine a strong hockey guy entering this scene as president. IMHO it's what scared off Babcock.

Debacle's a good word for it. Something's gotta give.

Edited February 18, 2019 by PASabreFan

[LTS]

13 hours ago, JJFIVEOH said:

It's a coach's responsibility to fix dumb and lazy. They hired a "teacher" for a reason. Teams reflect their coach, Housley says they are soft. He needs to look in the mirror. 

11-17-5 since their 10 game win streak. Schneider's 1st win as a starter in his last 21 starts. How embarrassing. 

You don't fix dumb and lazy.  Players either have the capacity to learn or they do not. If they are dumb, it's implying they do not.  Lazy is lazy. Perhaps Housley needs to be more of a motivator but at this point we're seeing a similar response from the same players with multiple coaches and GMs.  Perhaps the finger shouldn't be pointed at the coach?

Right now there are players on this team that are not interested in playing at their level.  What I saw from Eichel last night was inexcusable. As a coach, I do think Housley should be reprimanded for not putting Eichel on the bench. I would. He needs a wake-up call. 

For what it's worth, and it's a minor point at best, this was Schneider's 2nd win in as many games. He came in relief in the Devil's game before they played the Sabres and the team came back to win thus giving him his first W.

 

[gilbert11]

On February 17, 2019 at 6:31 PM, Marchand'sNose said:

 

I'm starting to come around to this conclusion. Maybe Phil inherited a bunch of guys who are just inherently dumb and lazy.

Wait a minute.  There was a fair amount of turnover to the roster from last year.  By my count there are about 7 forwards, 3 defensemen and a goalie that weren't on the team last year.  That's a big change.  Perhaps one could say Botterill has acquired a bunch of guys that are dumb and lazy but Phil hasn't done much with them.

[LTS]

44 minutes ago, gilbert11 said:

Wait a minute.  There was a fair amount of turnover to the roster from last year.  By my count there are about 7 forwards, 3 defensemen and a goalie that weren't on the team last year.  That's a big change.  Perhaps one could say Botterill has acquired a bunch of guys that are dumb and lazy but Phil hasn't done much with them.

That only works if the new guys are the ones that are lazy.

At the moment, I see Eichel as the poster boy for lazy. In reality, who else can you pin it to?  Ristolainen and Bogosian? They aren't new.  I'm not putting it in Dahlin (first year), Pilut (first year), Mittlestadt (1st year), Thompson (1.5 year), Sheary, SKinner? (not lazy).  Sobotka just isn't good.

I don't see lazy out of Reinhart, Rodrigues, Larsson, Girgensons. Pominville isn't lazy, he's just slow.

Really, as I keep thinking about it. I see one player truly being lazy but it's so prominent that it casts a shadow over the whole team.

[CallawaySabres]

32 minutes ago, LTS said:

That only works if the new guys are the ones that are lazy.

At the moment, I see Eichel as the poster boy for lazy. In reality, who else can you pin it to?  Ristolainen and Bogosian? They aren't new.  I'm not putting it in Dahlin (first year), Pilut (first year), Mittlestadt (1st year), Thompson (1.5 year), Sheary, SKinner? (not lazy).  Sobotka just isn't good.

I don't see lazy out of Reinhart, Rodrigues, Larsson, Girgensons. Pominville isn't lazy, he's just slow.

Really, as I keep thinking about it. I see one player truly being lazy but it's so prominent that it casts a shadow over the whole team.

I think this is a MAJOR problem moving forward which is why I think we need the right coach

[LGR4GM]

So the guy with the most points on the team, is lazy? There's a narrative I don't believe. 62 points in 55 games and 9 more points than the next player on the team is "lazy"? He might have had an off game but there are very rare times where I have watched Eichel and thought "lazy". Not sure I can think of 1 this year. 

[LGR4GM]

Speaking of Housley... he was on WGR this morning and said something I raised an eyebrow at but forgot about until Stimson's twitter caught my eye.

 

[inkman]

23 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

I don't know what Quenneville's (you'd better be spelling it right, because I'm going with you) desires are, but could he be the czar? Maybe not in name, but in the person of a very strong head coach who has lineup control? Would the parallel be McDermott? I just can't see Joel coming in and sitting there quietly and saying, "That's Jason's job."

Remember though: Terry said, about the time he hired Patty, that there would be no emperors in the Sabres franchise. "No monopoly on hockey IQ." Remember also that Terry thinks he knows the game. I'll repeat the take I heard from one of Terry's friends from his Olean days. "Terry's very competitive. He thinks he knows more than he does." This friend wasn't surprised about the state of Terry's sports teams.

Flat management structure. The accountant gets a vote. The club hockey pal from PSU gets a vote. Kim gets a vote. You get a vote and you get a vote and you get a vote.

Hard to imagine a strong hockey guy entering this scene as president. IMHO it's what scared off Babcock.

Debacle's a good word for it. Something's gotta give.

I've cringed every time someone has spouted on about "Terry is a billionaire, he must be smart". I know plenty of people who got rich and I would consider dolts. Terry doesn't come across very cerebral. He seems like he just knows enough to be dangerous, mostly to himself. Unfortunately, the fans of his sports teams are also subject to this circumstance. 

[...]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Speaking of Housley... he was on WGR this morning and said something I raised an eyebrow at but forgot about until Stimson's twitter caught my eye.

So, what if the Sabres' analytics dept. is inept and feeds the coaches flawed data and analyses? What then?