Recent Pegula press conf 3/26

[Stoner]

It seems like the case being presented for Phil is almost all about three ideas: 1. We can't fire ANOTHER coach so soon (bad optics) 2. Out of fairness he deserves more than two seasons. 3. Jason hasn't given him a good enough roster yet.

I'd like to hear the positive case for Phil.

[Stoner]

Matt Bové of Channel 7 tweets: “Something has to change. We don’t know what, but we have to talk about it.” - Terry Pegula on current state of the #Sabres @WKBW

[SwampD]

He’s not wrong.

[Rico7]

Wow. Clueless

[Scottysabres]

Something has to change alright, starting with the Channel, it's that bad.

[GASabresIUFAN]

As I’ve said before we have changed coaches, GMs team presidents, the scouting staff etc.   The only  thing we haven’t done is stick with a plan for more then a couple of years.  

Its time to do just that even if it ultimately doesn’t work. Constant change has already proven not to work.

[klos1963]

12 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Matt Bové of Channel 7 tweets: “Something has to change. We don’t know what, but we have to talk about it.” - Terry Pegula on current state of the #Sabres @WKBW

I feel like we are in good hands.  (Sarcasm)

[nfreeman]

That doesn't bode well for Howie.

[Stoner]

BTW hat tip to GoBillsinDallas for already posting coverage of the Pegulas' comments and a late signing today on The Sabres Report page. One of the unheralded heroes of SabreSpace.

Just now, nfreeman said:

That doesn't bode well for Howie.

Yep, on top of Kim's "but..."

[Stoner]

Terry on Housley:

"He's a young coach and he was a great player and I think he can grow as a coach."

On Botterill:

""He's the only three-time gold medal world junior guy in the world. He's a smart guy and he does a good job."

[Brawndo]

A tad bit of difference here 

[Sabel79]

35 minutes ago, Thorny said:

And I don't buy the argument that it's in any way acceptable we haven't improved in 2 full seasons. Housley needs to have achieved better than this and that is why I can get behind his firing, should it happen.

Phil has, sadly (given his Sabres pedigree, I really wanted this to work), proven to be in over his head and should be replaced with an experienced coach at this level who will do the little things right.  Who knows who that is?  We'll have to see what shakes loose after the season.  The idea of Quennville gives me the fear, I don't think he's that guy.  Anyway, it's no longer enough, after just about two full seasons, to say the players just aren't getting the system right.  If everybody's not getting it, then you, the guy in charge, are the one not getting it right.  Disco also died on this sword, with the added handicap of running a garbage, outdated system showing us absolutely none of the flashes of potential (and they were there) that occasionally popped up under Housley.

My other concern has to do with JBots.  I'm ambivalent to the RoR trade.  He may well have needed to go, and even if the trade is a total whitewash, the cap space alone should give him something to work with going forward.  The loss of his production and discipline really hurt, and JBots' refusal to do anything when Berglund flamed out (with the team in a good position and some unexpected cap space) might be, in hindsight, indefensible.  This team is crying out for a second capable center.  There has to have been one available for a decent price, even a short-term guy if you think the kids will be alright.  TM left him with a mess to clean up, and for a bit there it looked as if things were progressing, but man, it sure looks like he's some sort of Bizarro-TM, hoarding picks and young guys like Gollum in a cave somewhere waiting for a magical day when they all hatch together into NHL players.  

I'm just an internet JAG, and share the concern of some other posters in various threads lately about the sudden turn toward the unnecessarily ugly this board has taken lately, and as such don't really wish to fan the flames, but I'm more disheartened by the current state, and more importantly, the near future, of this team since Rigas got arrested. 

 

[PerreaultForever]

"we don't know what" would be the key words in that for me. If you don't know by now, I kind of think you never will. 

We were shut out by the worst team in hockey tonight, so I guess really that makes us the worst team in hockey, only this time not nearly as good a draft pick (likely) so in many ways this is worse than the tank cause some things were supposed to have been fixed, but clearly aren't.

The list of things wrong with this team is a long one and not worth bothering with right now cause at the moment none of it will matter.

[Eleven]

He let Regier change the one ***** thing he shouldn’t have changed.

I warned all, about this, about a decade ago.

Swim in your soup. 

[Kruppstahl]

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Terry on Housley:

"He's a young coach and he was a great player and I think he can grow as a coach."

On Botterill:

""He's the only three-time gold medal world junior guy in the world. He's a smart guy and he does a good job."

I've said it a thousand times in the context of both the Bills and Sabres, but Terry Pegula is the lowest information sports fan you will ever come across.  His level of insight and perception is horrifically basic.

That is a massive problem if you are a fan of either team and would like to see them be anything other than mediocre.

Overcoming bad ownership is almost impossible.

 

 

[SABRES 0311]

I think with a young group of players you need experience at the helm. Young players and a first time head coach is too much learning on both ends. Almost like the blind leading the blind. I think he could do good things as an assistant to an experienced coach while getting more on the job experience himself from that coach.

Same goes for GM. Right now we have two guys doing the lead job for the first time overseeing a team primarily of new or young players. I think if you put Phil and JBott in a position to coach/manage an accomplished franchise they would have more room to learn themselves. Essentially the experienced players keep the product entertaining and competitive while the new leadership does minor tinkering in the first few years.

Instead we have chickens running around with their heads cut off and two guys who don't have anything to draw on regarding the answer. WRT to TPeggs comment, the answer is you sir stay the hell out of it. Although not in an optimal position, JBott and Phil need to figure it out because its their jobs and its how they will learn. As soon as daddy oversteps (and he has not yet) they will become more frustrated and scared to make what is likely bold decisions for next year.

Apologies on the length.

Edited March 27, 2019 by SABRES 0311

[nucci]

9 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Matt Bové of Channel 7 tweets: “Something has to change. We don’t know what, but we have to talk about it.” - Terry Pegula on current state of the #Sabres @WKBW

that gives me confidence

[...]

JFC people.  Do any of you actually think they're going to just come out and say what needs to be changed to a bunch of press people, and right now while there's still a hockey season left to play?  Who really thinks that's what they should...or would...do?  

It's enough that they're throwing the fans a bone by publickly recognizing something needs to be done ("something needs to change"), they're sympathizing with you, but they're not going to let you in on what they're really thinking and what plans they've been considering.  And that's okay.

But these people are damned if they do damned if they don't right now, and because they're not...appropriately...telling you explicitly what they are thinking, doesn't mean they don't have some ideas.

I'm not defending the Pegulas, I am arguing against being a stupid fan base.  Let's not be stupid, let's be smart, shall we?

[Pimlach]

10 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Terry on Housley:

"He's a young coach and he was a great player and I think he can grow as a coach."

On Botterill:

""He's the only three-time gold medal world junior guy in the world. He's a smart guy and he does a good job."

If you "communicate" with Terry and Kim you are ok.  Call Terry 3 times a week and stroke him. Do that and your safe.   

GMTM was not willing to it but Bots is.  

Terry loves Bots, constantly talks about how smart he is, and he sees Phil as a good person - a star HOF player that he does not want to hurt. 

Neither is going anywhere right now. 

[Zamboni]

Right now? Of course not!

Before the playoffs begin ... I think Phil will be gone. He’s lost the team. 

[StuckinFL]

19 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

Right now? Of course not!

Before the playoffs begin ... I think Phil will be gone. He’s lost the team. 

I don't think he will. I think both will be given till Thanksgiving. The writing on the wall is that the talent is too low right now. I think ultimately getting rid of ROR was TP move, not a JBots one or that TP owns part of that decision. If that's the case, not having a 2C and teams just needing to shut down our first line absolutely killed this teams ability to consistently win hockey games and TP will give a little extra slack. I think one good off-season is all we need to set the ship right. Bringing in a decent 2C and graduating some of the kids from Rochester will make this a playoff caliber team. Especially if Mitts takes a progression next year in a 3C role. And as long as we don't have both goaltenders falling off a cliff at the same time like we did this year (please get a new GT coach) we should take a huge jump.

I get that we're all disappointed but the sky isn't falling. We've packed it in and aren't competitive right now because the team is in a 'here we go again' slide. We're fine. The Sabres will be fine. 

[etiennep99]

11 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

As I’ve said before we have changed coaches, GMs team presidents, the scouting staff etc.   The only  thing we haven’t done is stick with a plan for more then a couple of years.  

Its time to do just that even if it ultimately doesn’t work. Constant change has already proven not to work.

Scotty Bowman fired a bunch of good coaches in the '80's, including himself.   Hammer has been at least an excellent assistant coach. Maybe that's what Phil's destiny will be. On numerous occasions, during intermissions, Rob Ray has reported talking to Steve Smith and company and being explained what was going wrong and what they needed to fix, and time and again the advice was good but futile; so they know their X's and O's.  

The fact is that we are a very shallow team talent wise.  Just look at Montreal with Drouin on the 3rd line and Byron (15 goals) on the 4th line.   Last Summer I played pretend GM and had the Sabres trading for Max Domi; he's worked out well for Montreal. VGK's trade of Tatar for Pacioretty was a head-scratcher at the time.  It all comes back to the GM really.    Scotty had HOF guys like himself, Perreault, Andreychuck, and Housley, good coaches in Mr. Video Roger Nielson, et cetera, and the team still went nowhere, but it did almost always make the playoffs, and it was entertaining.

 

[Stoner]

10 hours ago, Brawndo said:

A tad bit of difference here 

Got burned by Hammy last night in the same way. Shoulda known better. If you ever want to have some fun, listen to the postgame comments from players then compare Harrington's, Hoppe's and Hammy's direct quotes. For tea-readers, it's fair warning.

[Stoner]

8 hours ago, Eleven said:

He let Regier change the one ***** thing he shouldn’t have changed.

I warned all, about this, about a decade ago.

Swim in your soup. 

 I wish you'd be more explicit when you say these things. I feel like you're being deliberately vague. What are you saying exactly? One should never fire a good coach because you will never be able to find another good coach? (Same with goalie.) Lindy was literally irreplaceable? I hope you saw my post last night. I'm fine with rehiring Lindy. Let's keep trying until something clicks.

[Stoner]

7 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

I've said it a thousand times in the context of both the Bills and Sabres, but Terry Pegula is the lowest information sports fan you will ever come across.  His level of insight and perception is horrifically basic.

That is a massive problem if you are a fan of either team and would like to see them be anything other than mediocre.

Overcoming bad ownership is almost impossible.

Absolutely. Look at what he thinks are major selling points for his GM and coach. One played on gold medal junior teams and one was a great player in the NHL.