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

[Sabres Fan in NS]

18 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

He's not a natural public speaker and he's very carefully choosing words in that presser.  He's probably been advised by the legal staff what he can and cannot say about Phil, and if he did time the firing to try to get in on Q, he needs to make sure to temper the description of the next coach to match not just Q, but anyone he may end up hiring (thus the statement that he wouldn't be discussing what he was looking for in his next coach), and if the timing of the firing was an effort to hire Q, that's overcome by events anyway, as NHL.com sez Florida landed Q.

I get all that and I agree with you, but that doesn't change the fact that he should be working at the Snooze Institute For The Sleep Deprived.  Yup.

And I have heard him talk before ... same deal.

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Idk what did he say? 

"Make friends with the idea of Housely staying."  He was really selling the narrative that the Sabres wouldn't fire Housley.

Edited April 8, 2019 by PromoTheRobot

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

"Make friends with the idea of Housely staying."  He was really selling the narrative that the Sabres wouldn't fire Housley.

He did walk that statement back as March progressed in radio hits as well as an article he wrote. Still for an embedded beat reporter who travels on the team charter, he never has any inside information. 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

"Make friends with the idea of Housely staying."  He was really selling the narrative that the Sabres wouldn't fire Housley.

Oh. Well he was wrong, like most days. 

We should embed a SabresSpace reporter with the Sabres. We could use analytics and ask questions like: Phil, there is evidence that Sobotka is a drag using every advanced analytics we have, why do you keep playing him? 

[PromoTheRobot]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Oh. Well he was wrong, like most days. 

We should embed a SabresSpace reporter with the Sabres. We could use analytics and ask questions like: Phil, there is evidence that Sobotka is a drag using every advanced analytics we have, why do you keep playing him? 

I nominate PA. 

Edited April 8, 2019 by PromoTheRobot

[Broken Ankles]

11 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Disagree entirely on Torts. He will hold the so called talent accountable and for me it's high time we did that. I also think he is less (or at least no more) antiquated than most of the veteran coaches names mentioned or Barry Trotz and many others. You can merge skill and toughness (Cassidy) and you can adapt to the new game (Julien) while still retaining sound defensive principles and nothing about how Columbus plays screams antiquated to me.

Couldn't take post games like this (where he berated his team for a loss against the Buffalo Sabres).   Yes he holds players accountable. Yes he has more winning seasons than not. Yes, can even be entertaining sometimes.   Just like his failure in Vancouver, I don't need a coach asking Jack/Sam/Rasmus to block shots.  Grit is fine on your fourth line.  Not in your top six.   Are the Sabres coddled?  Probably.   Was Housley soft?   Probably.   Do we need to go 180 degrees on this?  

Question -  If players like playing for him, how many of their UFA's return?  Dzingel, Panarin, Bob, Duchene, McQuaid.  

 

 

[Zamboni]

Todd McLellan .... hmmmm 

[Huckleberry]

22 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

Todd McLellan .... hmmmm 

Better than Boudreau I think.

[Broken Ankles]

26 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

Todd McLellan .... hmmmm 

Nice Scoop.  Heard the same on Boomers show/NHL on Sirius. 

Edit - and of course Brawndo has this posted....amazing

Edited April 8, 2019 by Broken Ankles

[inkman]

At least Paul Hamilton has resumed his role as the only PH in Buffalo.  

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, Broken Ankles said:

 Are the Sabres coddled?  Probably.   Was Housley soft?   Probably.   Do we need to go 180 degrees on this?  

 

Ummm.........yes. 

McLellan couldn't get it done with McDavid and Draisaitl on his roster, how's he going to fare with Jack and Sam? He is over rated. No thanks. Rumors have him going to L.A. anyway.

[Curt]

6 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Ummm.........yes. 

McLellan couldn't get it done with McDavid and Draisaitl on his roster, how's he going to fare with Jack and Sam? He is over rated. No thanks. Rumors have him going to L.A. anyway.

I think we all know that teams are more than just a couple players.

[PerreaultForever]

Just now, Curtisp5286 said:

I think we all know that teams are more than just a couple players.

You want to add bad defense and inconsistent goaltending plus a few under performing veterans? The rosters are VERY similar in many ways. 

[Curt]

Just now, PerreaultForever said:

You want to add bad defense and inconsistent goaltending plus a few under performing veterans? The rosters are VERY similar in many ways. 

Right!  No one is going to “get it done” (win a cup?) with a roster like that.  I don’t care how good of a coach they are.

[PerreaultForever]

2 minutes ago, Curtisp5286 said:

Right!  No one is going to “get it done” (win a cup?) with a roster like that.  I don’t care how good of a coach they are.

Underachieved in San Jose with a solid roster. 

[Curt]

2 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Underachieved in San Jose with a solid roster. 

If you want to call not winning a cup underachieving, then sure.  His playoff results there were not perfect, but they had a good deal of success and has the team done any better since he left?

I consider the fact that he got the Oilers to the 2nd round of the playoffs a major accomplishment.

To me, he would be acceptable.  I’m pretty sure he doesn’t suck.

[WildCard]

5 minutes ago, Curtisp5286 said:

If you want to call not winning a cup underachieving, then sure.  His playoff results there were not perfect, but they had a good deal of success and has the team done any better since he left?

I consider the fact that he got the Oilers to the 2nd round of the playoffs a major accomplishment.

To me, he would be acceptable.  I’m pretty sure he doesn’t suck.

Well, yeah. They finally went to a Cup

[dudacek]

18 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Underachieved in San Jose with a solid roster. 

Seven seasons and his worst was 89 points. 

Averaged well over 100 points a year with his other 6 years.

He underachieved like the very best Sabres teams underachieved.

 

I mean those were good teams, with a deep roster, but they had Evgeni Nabokov in goal with maybe one future hall-of-famer (Thornton) in his prime. They weren’t Stanley Cup shoo-ins.

Since he was Babcock’s assistant for the last Wings cup, he’s had just as much success as Babcock has.

Not advocating for him, just perspective.

Edited April 9, 2019 by dudacek

[Curt]

1 minute ago, WildCard said:

Well, yeah. They finally went to a Cup

Haha, ok, true enough.  Then a first round exit the next year.

He got them to back to back conference finals appearances.

Truth is, when Buffalo is a playoff team, then I’ll start fretting about whether the coach is “only” going to be able to get them to the conference finals!  Right now, that’s not even on my radar.  They need someone who is going to help mold this group into a playoff caliber team.

[SDS]

So, this topic is about Phil’s dismissal. There is a specific topic dedicated and pinned to talking about Todd M. 

[Doohicksie]

On 4/7/2019 at 12:01 PM, Brawndo said:

Per Sabres 

 

I always thought that was a weird way to put it.

 

JBot:  "So Phil, you're not gonna be the coach anymore."

XHCPH:  "Boy, am I relieved!"

Edited April 9, 2019 by Doohickie

[jsb]

I'm surprised that anybody was surprised PH was relieved of his duties. I did advocate for him before the hiring but it won't be the last time I'm wrong. 

[JJFIVEOH]

1 hour ago, jsb said:

I'm surprised that anybody was surprised PH was relieved of his duties. I did advocate for him before the hiring but it won't be the last time I'm wrong. 

I'm surprised that Botterill had the balls to do it. I never thought he would. Since he messed up on the O'Reilly trade and let Lehner go (I give Botts credit, perhaps Lehner wanted to leave, and for good reason). Since he is a "yes" man, perhaps it wasn't his decision. We'll see, the next few weeks should be fun. 

Then we'll all have to wait and talk about movies and Games of Thrones, lol. 

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

Seven seasons and his worst was 89 points. 

Averaged well over 100 points a year with his other 6 years.

He underachieved like the very best Sabres teams underachieved.

 

I mean those were good teams, with a deep roster, but they had Evgeni Nabokov in goal with maybe one future hall-of-famer (Thornton) in his prime.

Since he was Babcock’s assistant for the last Wings cup, he’s had just as much success as Babcock has.

Not advocating for him, just perspective.

Underachieving in the sense that, despite having a talent filled roster, they were early playoff exits and that's why SJ fired him.  

[Derrico]

7 hours ago, JJFIVEOH said:

I'm surprised that Botterill had the balls to do it. I never thought he would. Since he messed up on the O'Reilly trade and let Lehner go (I give Botts credit, perhaps Lehner wanted to leave, and for good reason). Since he is a "yes" man, perhaps it wasn't his decision. We'll see, the next few weeks should be fun. 

Then we'll all have to wait and talk about movies and Games of Thrones, lol. 

I think this time the decision really was all Botts.