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

[Brawndo]

Buffalo ISN’T out on Q!

 

[Doohicksie]

Well that explains the timing, innit?

[GASabresIUFAN]

See yeah Phil.  Sorry it didn’t work out.  You’ll get a real roster on your next team.  Just ask Gerard Gallant.

[PerreaultForever]

There was supposed to be a presser at 2:30 on Monday with Housley followed by one at 3:00 with JBot. So if you announce that, does that sound like you plan to fire your coach? Just saying that's kind of weird so I have to wonder if JBot wasn't told to fire Housley or hand in his own resignation and maybe JBot is on notice. Dunno, it just seems weird to announce that and then flip the next day.

 

Not sorry to see Housley go but the downside can be that it shifts the blame (again) to the coach and not the players so the players get to pretend they were ok again and all we need is a better coach. Lots of openings in the league, lots of firings and potential firings, lots of options, no idea. Personally, assuming Columbus goes out first round and they clean house I'd hire Torts. If nothing else he would entertain us.  

[Kruppstahl]

Been busy doing some housework and it just hit me: better check to see if Housley got fired! 

I really thought it would come in a couple of days, but the sooner the better.

My #1 concern is that they go with an NHL veteran who has been around the block a few times and knows what's what.

This is not the player group for trying out the next up and coming new thing at HC.

 

 

 

 

[Eleven]

3 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Buffalo ISN’T out on Q!

 

Please, no.His body of work is telling.  Not until he had an all-star team was he successful.

[pastajoe]

WGR live right now with Howard, Schopp, and Hammy until the press conference.

[Kruppstahl]

2 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

There was supposed to be a presser at 2:30 on Monday with Housley followed by one at 3:00 with JBot. So if you announce that, does that sound like you plan to fire your coach? Just saying that's kind of weird so I have to wonder if JBot wasn't told to fire Housley or hand in his own resignation and maybe JBot is on notice. Dunno, it just seems weird to announce that and then flip the next day.

 

Not sorry to see Housley go but the downside can be that it shifts the blame (again) to the coach and not the players so the players get to pretend they were ok again and all we need is a better coach. Lots of openings in the league, lots of firings and potential firings, lots of options, no idea. Personally, assuming Columbus goes out first round and they clean house I'd hire Torts. If nothing else he would entertain us.  

Regarding your 2nd paragraph: this where the spotlight moves from Housley to Botterill.  If he does not make broad, sweeping, and comprehensive player changes this offseason, he goes next.

Phase 1 was to remove the coach as he was clearly lost.  Phase 2 should not be to completely revamp this roster.  

 

[Kruppstahl]

3 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Please, no.His body of work is telling.  Not until he had an all-star team was he successful.

Many fans feel the same as you.  One thing he would have, though, is the weight of credibility when he tells our kids that they are doing it wrong, or how to do it right.  He can drop references to how it was done in Chicago all day long and who can really argue with that?

I think he is too big a name to end up in WNY anyway, so it is probably moot.

 

 

 

[TrueBlueGED]

4 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Please, no.His body of work is telling.  Not until he had an all-star team was he successful.

To paraphrase Mike Babcock when he almost cried after Toronto won the lottery...you need players, man. Find me a coach who has had a long run of success and deep playoff runs without an all-star laden roster.

[PerreaultForever]

2 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Phase 1 was to remove the coach as he was clearly lost.  Phase 2 should not be to completely revamp this roster.  

 

Not completely revamp, but it needs additions. Free agency is the key imo. If we crap out there I have my doubts. 

[TrueBlueGED]

10 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Buffalo ISN’T out on Q!

 

 

8 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Well that explains the timing, innit?

Indeed. I hope 1) Richards actually knows this and isn't simply making an educated guess, and 2) it's not too little too late.

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, Kruppstahl said:

Many fans feel the same as you.  One thing he would have, though, is the weight of credibility when he tells our kids that they are doing it wrong, or how to do it right.  He can drop references to how it was done in Chicago all day long and who can really argue with that?

I think he is too big a name to end up in WNY anyway, so it is probably moot.

 

 

 

How it was done all day long in Chicago?  Pat Kane and Jon Toews.  That's it.  He lucked into a job.

[Kruppstahl]

1 minute ago, PerreaultForever said:

Not completely revamp, but it needs additions. Free agency is the key imo. If we crap out there I have my doubts. 

Save 3 or 4 names, I'd replace the group.

 

Just now, Eleven said:

How it was done all day long in Chicago?  Pat Kane and Jon Toews.  That's it.  He lucked into a job.

Right. I'm sure it was just that simple!
 

[Zamboni]

3 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Regarding your 2nd paragraph: this where the spotlight moves from Housley to Botterill.  If he does not make broad, sweeping, and comprehensive player changes this offseason, he goes next.

Phase 1 was to remove the coach as he was clearly lost.  Phase 2 should not be to completely revamp this roster.  

 

I don’t think, and I believe JB doesn’t think a “total revamping” is necessary. 

Move out, and move in 3-5 players ... yes! But “total revamping” isn’t necessary IMO.

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, TrueBlueGED said:

To paraphrase Mike Babcock when he almost cried after Toronto won the lottery...you need players, man. Find me a coach who has had a long run of success and deep playoff runs without an all-star laden roster.

Oh, believe me, I'll find you that coach.  He was here, in Buffalo, for years.

You all were wrong.  Won't admit it.  But wrong.  We're working on number 6 now, right?

[pastajoe]

Today’s presser by Botts will be in place of having one Monday.

[Doohicksie]

9 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

There was supposed to be a presser at 2:30 on Monday with Housley followed by one at 3:00 with JBot. So if you announce that, does that sound like you plan to fire your coach? Just saying that's kind of weird so I have to wonder if JBot wasn't told to fire Housley or hand in his own resignation and maybe JBot is on notice. Dunno, it just seems weird to announce that and then flip the next day.

In all likelihood, the pressers were arranged by staff who were not aware that the firing would take place.  These kinds of things are typically confined to a very tight inner circle.

[Eleven]

Just now, Doohickie said:

In all likelihood, the pressers were arranged by staff who were not aware that the firing would take place.  These kinds of things are typically confined to a very tight inner circle.

Correct.

[TrueBlueGED]

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

Oh, believe me, I'll find you that coach.  He was here, in Buffalo, for years.

You all were wrong.  Won't admit it.  But wrong.  We're working on number 6 now, right?

First, I was a Ruff fan, just didn't think he was the right guy to run a rebuild. Anyway, he did not consistently make deep playoff runs without all-star talent. Can you name a head coach in the last 5 years who has consistently gone deep without talent that you think would justify it?

Edited April 7, 2019 by TrueBlueGED

[PerreaultForever]

Just now, Doohickie said:

In all likelihood, the pressers were arranged by staff who were not aware that the firing would take place.  These kinds of things are typically confined to a very tight inner circle.

Could be, but if JBot was planning to fire him at the end of the year surely he didn't suddenly change his mind on his own in a few days or a week or whatever time that staff needs?

[Doohicksie]

3 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I don’t think, and I believe JB doesn’t think a “total revamping” is necessary. 

Move out, and move in 3-5 players ... yes! But “total revamping” isn’t necessary IMO.

On most teams, that would represent a total revamping.  For the Sabres lately, that's a minor roster tweak.

[PotentPowerPlay21]

On the bright side, a really good coach can turn around a team in a short time. Look at Trotz and the Islanders as an example. Botterill can still redeem himself with a good hire. He should be feeling the heat for some really bad deals though. His record is poor to this point, but he has one last chance to save himself with a good head coach, smart free agent moves, and a very good draft. There are a lot of ex-Sabres doing well around the league with smart coaching.

[Eleven]

3 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

First, I was a Ruff fan, just didn't think he was the right guy to run a rebuild. Anyway, he did not consistently make deep playoff runs without all-star talent.

Are you kidding? 

What was Briere before Ruff?

What was Vanek or Pominville?  How did they do later?  Campbell?  McKee?

He had all-stars, because he MADE THEM all-stars.

How many Sabres in the 2005-06 All-Star game?  And then the following year?

He made that team what it was.

FOUR times in the "final four."  FOUR.  He took a team that couldn't score twice, and no, it's not all Hasek.

Edited April 7, 2019 by Eleven

[Doohicksie]

2 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

First, I was a Ruff fan, just didn't think he was the right guy to run a rebuild. Anyway, he did not consistently make deep playoff runs without all-star talent. Can you name a head coach in the last 5 years who has consistently gone deep without talent that you think would justify it?

Chicken-egg.  If a team consistently makes deep playoff runs, their most prominent players will be considered all stars.