Per Botterill: Sabres have relieved Phil Housley of his Coaching Duties

[North Buffalo]

30 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

Why would that matter?

Just thinking about moving parts and who is drafted depending lottery spot, would want as much time pre-draft input with new coach. 

[Gatorman0519]

I’m glad they didn’t wait.  Half of me thought he might roll him out next year and give him 3 months. 

[Brawndo]

5 minutes ago, SDS said:

Phil could have had the rug pulled out from under him though.  He may have felt he had the greenlight to implement his system of the future and the team would be patient with him. 

Entirely possible, but Botterill was pretty consistent with his statements that the final gameday lineup decisions were all Housley and His Staff. Jason Nightengale and Botterill did give their input and if it was consistently ignored maybe they felt there was no other recourse 

[TrueBlueGED]

5 minutes ago, jad1 said:

The defense is probably the area of the team where Botterill expected more.

Risto is a 40 point defenseman who is way too mistake-prone in his own zone.  Dahlin looks to be following the same path with defensive zone mistakes.  Scandella is a Botterill acquisition. Further damming is that overall defensive play didn't improve with the acquisition of Montour.

Botterill might feel that a better coach will get better results from this group.  

The fowards just need help.

Or, he was just an 18 year old in a league that typically chews up and spits out defensemen that young. If Dahlin is still making the same mistakes with over 400 games played, then we can talk.

[klos1963]

5 minutes ago, jad1 said:

The defense is probably the area of the team where Botterill expected more.

Risto is a 40 point defenseman who is way too mistake-prone in his own zone.  Dahlin looks to be following the same path with defensive zone mistakes.  Scandella is a Botterill acquisition. Further damming is that overall defensive play didn't improve with the acquisition of Montour.

Botterill might feel that a better coach will get better results from this group.  

The fowards just need help.

Goaltending was a awful letdown as well.  Regarding the defense, I was really excited about the hiring of steve smith, I thought he could really help the defense. It just didn't work with this group of players.

2 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

I’m glad they didn’t wait.  Half of me thought he might roll him out next year and give him 3 months. 

It had to be done, that collapse since december was epic.

[Curt]

2 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

Just thinking about moving parts and who is drafted depending lottery spot, would want as much time pre-draft input with new coach. 

I don’t think a coach generally gets much input on such things, especially not a new one.  The GM is going to pick a player who fits his vision for the team he is building.  The GM is going to pick a coach who also fits his vision for the team he is building.

[Drunkard]

I like Housley more than Botterill but that's not exactly saying much. I just hope the next coach can run a solid power play and doesn't rely on dump and chase as plan A for zone entry.

On the bright side a GM usually gets 2 coaching hires so if Botterill picked Housley and his next coach flames out, at least there's a good chance he should follow coach #2 out the door.

[Zamboni]

Some fans were so pissed that JB wasn’t vocally, publicly, chastising Housley. Like he should air that out to the fans and telegraph his thoughts. JB handled it perfectly. 

Well done JB. 

 

[Doohicksie]

44 minutes ago, LaLaLaFontaine said:

Thank god it is over.

Oh, it's just beginning.

 

Again.

[Brawndo]

28 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

Certainly could have. I'm not on the "Q or bust" bandwagon, I just think it would be silly to exclude him because of the last year or so in Chicago.

My only concern with Q is his reported track record of relying on veterans and giving younger players the press box treatment for mistakes. 

Also the Panthers per Greg Wyshynski have offered Quenneville a multi year deal worth more than 6 Million after bonuses. 

Pegula can match or beat easily, but the process seems far down the road between the two sides 

[darksabre]

I feel like the last 4 seasons have been an exercise in extremes. We went from Bylsma who was absolutely choking this team to death with a play to not lose system, to Housley who somehow opened up every single hole in this team so much that all they could do was lose. 

Maybe we can get something in the middle this time. 

[Derrico]

41 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

I dunno. It's not like Chicago was an established team when they brought him in. 

Who would be your pick true?

[TrueBlueGED]

Just now, Brawndo said:

My only concern with Q is his reported track record of relying on veterans and giving younger players the press box treatment for mistakes. 

Also the Panthers per Greg Wyshynski have offered Quenneville a multi year deal worth more than 6 Million after bonuses. 

Pegula can match or beat easily, but the process seems far down the road between the two sides 

That was only an issue within the last year or two, though. For example, he had no issue giving a prime role to Saad when he was young, or to DeBrincat. 

[Doohicksie]

29 minutes ago, dejeanerret said:

Our next coach will be Chris Taylor

 

Book it

Unfortunately you may be right.

[Gatorman0519]

Word is here in Florida that they going to go hard for the Q.  So if JBot has considerations, hopefully he called him today. 

[Brawndo]

Lindy Ruff was relieved from his Asst Coach Duties and has been re assigned in the organization. 

@Eleven

[TrueBlueGED]

Just now, Derrico said:

Who would be your pick true?

Q is my top choice, even if that looks quite unlikely at this point. Also sign me up for Boudreau if he gets canned. Other than that, I'm not sure there are any retread names out there I'm really interested in. Other than those two, I'm on board with taking a swing at the "next one" like Keefe or Knoblauch (sp?); would also be okay, but not enthusiastic with, Taylor.

[Doohicksie]

27 minutes ago, SDS said:

Phil could have had the rug pulled out from under him though.  He may have felt he had the greenlight to implement his system of the future and the team would be patient with him. 

The thing is he had a 10 game winning streak, was at the top of the league, and finished near DFL.  If he'd have slipped back to merely .500 hockey, he might have stayed.  But the team fell all the way to the bottom of a bottomless pit.  That ain't easy; it takes a special kind of incompetence.

[Brawndo]

1 minute ago, Gatorman0519 said:

Word is here in Florida that they going to go hard for the Q.  So if JBot has considerations, hopefully he called him today. 

Friedman is reporting that the negotiations are much further along than anyone expected, it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s announced in the next 24-48 hours 

[WildCard]

5 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

My only concern with Q is his reported track record of relying on veterans and giving younger players the press box treatment for mistakes. 

Also the Panthers per Greg Wyshynski have offered Quenneville a multi year deal worth more than 6 Million after bonuses. 

Pegula can match or beat easily, but the process seems far down the road between the two sides 

Good points

4 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I feel like the last 4 seasons have been an exercise in extremes. We went from Bylsma who was absolutely choking this team to death with a play to not lose system, to Housley who somehow opened up every single hole in this team so much that all they could do was lose. 

Maybe we can get something in the middle this time. 

I want a guy that can create offensive opportunities from somewhere other than the freaking point. Bylsma relied on dump and chase so we never had the puck. Housley relies on a high amount of low percentage chances so we became predictable and the bounces stopped going our way. Can we get some coach in here that

A) Carry the puck in

B) Cycle it around and take it to the slot

Why is that so hard? I see all of these other teams with great passes and opportunities in the slot, and I haven't seen us do that since 2011

[Doohicksie]

24 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

Same here. He’s doing a great job in Roch. Let him continue to develop and win with that team.

Good point about Taylor.  JBot sez he builds from the farm up; no reason to disrupt the area of the organ-EYE-zation that's working.

[TrueBlueGED]

Just now, Brawndo said:

Friedman is reporting that the negotiations are much further along than anyone expected, it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s announced in the next 24-48 hours 

It ain't over till it's over! Get on the phone Botts!

[WildCard]

2 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

Q is my top choice, even if that looks quite unlikely at this point. Also sign me up for Boudreau if he gets canned. Other than that, I'm not sure there are any retread names out there I'm really interested in. Other than those two, I'm on board with taking a swing at the "next one" like Keefe or Knoblauch (sp?); would also be okay, but not enthusiastic with, Taylor.

Is Boudreau actually a good coach?

[Pimlach]

34 minutes ago, dejeanerret said:

Our next coach will be Chris Taylor

 

Book it

 

Hope not but it would not surprise me. 

[eman]

27 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

 And ye have little faith. 

 I knew it was going to happen before the playoffs… It was just too obvious 

Same here. The last 2 months sealed the coffin. Effort was gone until the final 2 games of this season.