Similarities & Differences Between Granato & Krueger

[Taro T]

Had posted most of the following in the Granato thread a few days ago but wanted to give it its own thread because thought of 1 additional difference between the 2 that hadn't been included and realized there was 1 other 1 as well last night.  And then have a couple of lesser observations to add, too.

Not sure if this is the right spot for this, but wanted to compare Krueger's style vs Granato's now that we've actually got 3 games of Don getting to set & implement his whole scheme.

Krueger and Granato both wanted the team to skate fast & put pressure on the other team.  But thats where the similarity ends.  Krueger always wanted his guys back on their side of the puck when the other team had control.  He wanted to make sure a F dropped back pretty much fully should a D join/lead the rush & he would definitely reduce the forecheck with a lead.  He didn't stress as much as Granato does having bodies in front of the other team's net even before the puck was there.  He actually kind of frowned on it before there's a serious chance to get the puck there because it's tough to get back to your point in your own end from the front of the other guy's net..  He employed a very passive PK which in today's NHL will be bottom 5.  The shooters eat that up.  It's a kind of joyless game when things aren't clicking & had to be tough to sustain over a full schedule.

Granato wants that pressure & and speed, but he also lets the players do the fun stuff:  drive to the net, be there creating havoc even if the puck still has a ways to go to get there.  Rush up the ice 4 men strong - create the offense & trust that if they chunk it away, the 5th & and the guy that's always back can get there.  Let a player hang back provided the other teams D is staying honest hanging back so that stragglers can't create a breakaway.  Pressure everywhere on the ice, including on the PK - but don't be out of control; there's a fine line to walk there but this team is doing it so far.  And, if you're going to mess up, make sure it's via an act of commission & not omission.  And if that's what the screw up was - go right back out there and make up for it.  No dog house for that.  There's a joy to the game he has them play.   It's also extremely high energy.  Hopefully they can maintain that energy over the full 82 (dare we say 82+) but that will be tough to carry on the whole way; at least they're young so maybe they can.

Fortunately Cozens got a bit of swagger back after getting that 2nd 2ndary assist.  Thompson seems to have it too.  And Eakin & Ruotsalainen are fitting in well w/ their linemates.  The 3 D pairings are all working for the 1st time in what, 14 years?  

Am ready to buy in on Don, Friday's test will be huge because the Bruins are both relentless and skilled. The Bergeron line might be the league's best as they can do it at both ends of the ice.

If a shorthanded squad is ever going to be ready for the B's & the goalie that spurned them, it has to be now.  Bring on the Bruins.

Thought they did a very good job of hanging with the B's, but they just couldn't solve Ullmark for various reasons.  

They clearly were out of gas vs the Devils as they started great, just couldn't get that 2nd goal, then started onto their heels in the 2nd, & had nothing in the tank by the 3rd.  But they didn't go into the same shell they'd've gone into last season just hoping to not give up a good scoring chance while never planning to leave their own zone.

The observation that got overlooked was that this team, unlike teams in the past doesn't go into a defensive shell with the lead.  They never fell back into a shell against Moe-ray-all nor the 'Nucks.  That is another difference in philosophy. 

The item noticed last night is that this team rarely dumps the puck in.  They either try to skate it in or turn back to regroup if there isn't a lane.  Krueger's teams (much like Bylsma's teams) were perfectly willing to dump & then try to get it back.  That puck control might help them stay fresher over the course of the season & reduce how many games they will run out of gas like in Joisey.

The lesser observation is that Granato doesn't seem to have favorites as Eakin got back into the lineup though he'd definitely been disfavored and neither Dell nor UPL is in Buffalo but the career AHLer is and is playing great (so far).  That will be put to the test when Jokiharju is healthy as fully expect him back w/ Dahlin though Ras has blossomed since getting away from him.

Any other clear differences in playing style?  Any stuff that isn't accurate due to the lens of proximity & recency?

They both seem able to motivate their squads over the short term.  Granato's style being more fun to play will likely be able to sustain that.  Hope he can.  And for an appreciably longer period.

The 2 biggest questions about Granato's style are: is it sustainable over most of 82?  It clearly isn't fully sustainable as the Joisey game highlighted, but in general can it work over 3 in 4 & 4 in 6 scenarios or does it just take too much effort to stay at a playoff pace all the way through?

And, what happens if the goaltending goes back to what we've normally seen since Miller's departure.  Granato has said the goaltending they've gotten let's them play more aggressively.  How much tighter do they have to play if Dell or UPL get called upon or Anderson hits a wall?  (Hoping we don't have to answer that one, but odds are we will.  It's relatively rare for a team to get through the whole year without ever playing their 3rd best option.)

[bob_sauve28]

6 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Had posted most of the following in the Granato thread a few days ago but wanted to give it its own thread because thought of 1 additional difference between the 2 that hadn't been included and realized there was 1 other 1 as well last night.  And then have a couple of lesser observations to add, too.

Not sure if this is the right spot for this, but wanted to compare Krueger's style vs Granato's now that we've actually got 3 games of Don getting to set & implement his whole scheme.

Krueger and Granato both wanted the team to skate fast & put pressure on the other team.  But thats where the similarity ends.  Krueger always wanted his guys back on their side of the puck when the other team had control.  He wanted to make sure a F dropped back pretty much fully should a D join/lead the rush & he would definitely reduce the forecheck with a lead.  He didn't stress as much as Granato does having bodies in front of the other team's net even before the puck was there.  He actually kind of frowned on it before there's a serious chance to get the puck there because it's tough to get back to your point in your own end from the front of the other guy's net..  He employed a very passive PK which in today's NHL will be bottom 5.  The shooters eat that up.  It's a kind of joyless game when things aren't clicking & had to be tough to sustain over a full schedule.

Granato wants that pressure & and speed, but he also lets the players do the fun stuff:  drive to the net, be there creating havoc even if the puck still has a ways to go to get there.  Rush up the ice 4 men strong - create the offense & trust that if they chunk it away, the 5th & and the guy that's always back can get there.  Let a player hang back provided the other teams D is staying honest hanging back so that stragglers can't create a breakaway.  Pressure everywhere on the ice, including on the PK - but don't be out of control; there's a fine line to walk there but this team is doing it so far.  And, if you're going to mess up, make sure it's via an act of commission & not omission.  And if that's what the screw up was - go right back out there and make up for it.  No dog house for that.  There's a joy to the game he has them play.   It's also extremely high energy.  Hopefully they can maintain that energy over the full 82 (dare we say 82+) but that will be tough to carry on the whole way; at least they're young so maybe they can.

Fortunately Cozens got a bit of swagger back after getting that 2nd 2ndary assist.  Thompson seems to have it too.  And Eakin & Ruotsalainen are fitting in well w/ their linemates.  The 3 D pairings are all working for the 1st time in what, 14 years?  

Am ready to buy in on Don, Friday's test will be huge because the Bruins are both relentless and skilled. The Bergeron line might be the league's best as they can do it at both ends of the ice.

If a shorthanded squad is ever going to be ready for the B's & the goalie that spurned them, it has to be now.  Bring on the Bruins.

Thought they did a very good job of hanging with the B's, but they just couldn't solve Ullmark for various reasons.  

They clearly were out of gas vs the Devils as they started great, just couldn't get that 2nd goal, then started onto their heels in the 2nd, & had nothing in the tank by the 3rd.  But they didn't go into the same shell they'd've gone into last season just hoping to not give up a good scoring chance while never planning to leave their own zone.

The observation that got overlooked was that this team, unlike teams in the past doesn't go into a defensive shell with the lead.  They never fell back into a shell against Moe-ray-all nor the 'Nucks.  That is another difference in philosophy. 

The item noticed last night is that this team rarely dumps the puck in.  They either try to skate it in or turn back to regroup if there isn't a lane.  Krueger's teams (much like Bylsma's teams) were perfectly willing to dump & then try to get it back.  That puck control might help them stay fresher over the course of the season & reduce how many games they will run out of gas like in Joisey.

The lesser observation is that Granato doesn't seem to have favorites as Eakin got back into the lineup though he'd definitely been disfavored and neither Dell nor UPL is in Buffalo but the career AHLer is and is playing great (so far).  That will be put to the test when Jokiharju is healthy as fully expect him back w/ Dahlin though Ras has blossomed since getting away from him.

Any other clear differences in playing style?  Any stuff that isn't accurate due to the lens of proximity & recency?

They both seem able to motivate their squads over the short term.  Granato's style being more fun to play will likely be able to sustain that.  Hope he can.  And for an appreciably longer period.

The 2 biggest questions about Granato's style are: is it sustainable over most of 82?  It clearly isn't fully sustainable as the Joisey game highlighted, but in general can it work over 3 in 4 & 4 in 6 scenarios or does it just take too much effort to stay at a playoff pace all the way through?

And, what happens if the goaltending goes back to what we've normally seen since Miller's departure.  Granato has said the goaltending they've gotten let's them play more aggressively.  How much tighter do they have to play if Dell or UPL get called upon or Anderson hits a wall?  (Hoping we don't have to answer that one, but odds are we will.  It's relatively rare for a team to get through the whole year without ever playing their 3rd best option.)

When I was at the Boston game I got to see more than on tv. What really jumped out was he break out plays. Granato has a forward go all the way into the opposing players zone even when the puck is in our zone. That player is moving and they get open by generating speed in the offensive zone and coming out as the play moves forward. I thought that was interesting 

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, bob_sauve28 said:

When I was at the Boston game I got to see more than on tv. What really jumped out was he break out plays. Granato has a forward go all the way into the opposing players zone even when the puck is in our zone. That player is moving and they get open by generating speed in the offensive zone and coming out as the play moves forward. I thought that was interesting 

They definitely do that & the former HC would've been having kittens.  (In the Vancouver game the Sabres even iced it once because the high forward couldn't get back out of the 'Nucks zone.)

But the key is, that's causing the opposing D to hang back.  Which opens up space to get out of the zone.

[Thorner]

18 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Had posted most of the following in the Granato thread a few days ago but wanted to give it its own thread because thought of 1 additional difference between the 2 that hadn't been included and realized there was 1 other 1 as well last night.  And then have a couple of lesser observations to add, too.

Not sure if this is the right spot for this, but wanted to compare Krueger's style vs Granato's now that we've actually got 3 games of Don getting to set & implement his whole scheme.

Krueger and Granato both wanted the team to skate fast & put pressure on the other team.  But thats where the similarity ends.  Krueger always wanted his guys back on their side of the puck when the other team had control.  He wanted to make sure a F dropped back pretty much fully should a D join/lead the rush & he would definitely reduce the forecheck with a lead.  He didn't stress as much as Granato does having bodies in front of the other team's net even before the puck was there.  He actually kind of frowned on it before there's a serious chance to get the puck there because it's tough to get back to your point in your own end from the front of the other guy's net..  He employed a very passive PK which in today's NHL will be bottom 5.  The shooters eat that up.  It's a kind of joyless game when things aren't clicking & had to be tough to sustain over a full schedule.

Granato wants that pressure & and speed, but he also lets the players do the fun stuff:  drive to the net, be there creating havoc even if the puck still has a ways to go to get there.  Rush up the ice 4 men strong - create the offense & trust that if they chunk it away, the 5th & and the guy that's always back can get there.  Let a player hang back provided the other teams D is staying honest hanging back so that stragglers can't create a breakaway.  Pressure everywhere on the ice, including on the PK - but don't be out of control; there's a fine line to walk there but this team is doing it so far.  And, if you're going to mess up, make sure it's via an act of commission & not omission.  And if that's what the screw up was - go right back out there and make up for it.  No dog house for that.  There's a joy to the game he has them play.   It's also extremely high energy.  Hopefully they can maintain that energy over the full 82 (dare we say 82+) but that will be tough to carry on the whole way; at least they're young so maybe they can.

Fortunately Cozens got a bit of swagger back after getting that 2nd 2ndary assist.  Thompson seems to have it too.  And Eakin & Ruotsalainen are fitting in well w/ their linemates.  The 3 D pairings are all working for the 1st time in what, 14 years?  

Am ready to buy in on Don, Friday's test will be huge because the Bruins are both relentless and skilled. The Bergeron line might be the league's best as they can do it at both ends of the ice.

If a shorthanded squad is ever going to be ready for the B's & the goalie that spurned them, it has to be now.  Bring on the Bruins.

Thought they did a very good job of hanging with the B's, but they just couldn't solve Ullmark for various reasons.  

They clearly were out of gas vs the Devils as they started great, just couldn't get that 2nd goal, then started onto their heels in the 2nd, & had nothing in the tank by the 3rd.  But they didn't go into the same shell they'd've gone into last season just hoping to not give up a good scoring chance while never planning to leave their own zone.

The observation that got overlooked was that this team, unlike teams in the past doesn't go into a defensive shell with the lead.  They never fell back into a shell against Moe-ray-all nor the 'Nucks.  That is another difference in philosophy. 

The item noticed last night is that this team rarely dumps the puck in.  They either try to skate it in or turn back to regroup if there isn't a lane.  Krueger's teams (much like Bylsma's teams) were perfectly willing to dump & then try to get it back.  That puck control might help them stay fresher over the course of the season & reduce how many games they will run out of gas like in Joisey.

The lesser observation is that Granato doesn't seem to have favorites as Eakin got back into the lineup though he'd definitely been disfavored and neither Dell nor UPL is in Buffalo but the career AHLer is and is playing great (so far).  That will be put to the test when Jokiharju is healthy as fully expect him back w/ Dahlin though Ras has blossomed since getting away from him.

Any other clear differences in playing style?  Any stuff that isn't accurate due to the lens of proximity & recency?

They both seem able to motivate their squads over the short term.  Granato's style being more fun to play will likely be able to sustain that.  Hope he can.  And for an appreciably longer period.

The 2 biggest questions about Granato's style are: is it sustainable over most of 82?  It clearly isn't fully sustainable as the Joisey game highlighted, but in general can it work over 3 in 4 & 4 in 6 scenarios or does it just take too much effort to stay at a playoff pace all the way through?

And, what happens if the goaltending goes back to what we've normally seen since Miller's departure.  Granato has said the goaltending they've gotten let's them play more aggressively.  How much tighter do they have to play if Dell or UPL get called upon or Anderson hits a wall?  (Hoping we don't have to answer that one, but odds are we will.  It's relatively rare for a team to get through the whole year without ever playing their 3rd best option.)

Great post, good insight. 

Bolded is hugely welcome if it continues. 

Your 2 big questions seem salient to me, I agree

[GASabresIUFAN]

Substance vs bluster.

[Pimlach]

They are very different from what I can tell.  
 

Granato works each players skills into a system.  Ralph forced a system onto each player. 
 

Ralph talks a lot.  Granato talks much less and says much more. 

[msw2112]

While I have not personally observed any Sabres' practices in recent years, my understanding is that Krueger's practices were slow, boring, and sloppy, while Granato's practices are high-tempo, fast, intense, and precise.  That seems to translate to the games.

[SwampD]

Kruger thought that offsides in hockey was the same as offsides in soccer. 

[Taro T]

29 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

While I have not personally observed any Sabres' practices in recent years, my understanding is that Krueger's practices were slow, boring, and sloppy, while Granato's practices are high-tempo, fast, intense, and precise.  That seems to translate to the games.

A very interesting point.  Prior to Krueger taking over ALWAYS went to at least 1 training camp practice every year.  When Ralph took over, the Sabres said those were not open to the public.  Wasn't about to drive 80 minutes to find out they were serious.  Obviously practices weren't open last season.

Recall hearing that they were open again this year, but was too busy to attend.  Between work, home projects from h-e double hockey sticks, & family commitments attending this year was not in the cards.

Even Rolston had his practices open to the public.  That Ralph's weren't might be telling in it's own right.

[Doohicksie]

47 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Substance vs bluster.

The thing that came to my mind was The Emperor's New Clothes with respect to Krueger.  He used a lot of words to say absolutely nothing.  After a press conference you got the idea he had no idea how to correct the team's shortcomings.  They just were and you had to learn to live with them.  The team simply wasn't ready.

There is 123% more substance to the fabric that Granato is weaving out of the players.  They lost a 2D and 1C and he just darned a patch over it and played on.  Injuries may be a reason why the Sabres lose games as the season goes on, but they won't be an excuse.  Granato feels you have to try to win every game regardless of the circumstances, and plans accordingly.

[triumph_communes]

I don’t think there’s many similarities. Granato is all about closing gaps, constant pressure, and forcing action. Similarly the breakout stresses short passes with the only rule seemingly being one forward going forward a Hail Mary in the center of the ice immediately upon every breakout to make space.  Every system likes to spread the ice some but it’s a little more exaggerated with Granato. They have connected on those passes too in plenty of games forcing teams to be honest. In the past coaches would have the high rider along the boards and they were easy to defend against. 
 

This style is going to wear on them as the season goes on. As other teams get in better shape it’s success is going to wear off. Last night against a talented Lightning team it wasn’t nearly as effective.

But it’s hard to play against and that’s the main goal.  There’s no part of this system relying on the other team to make unforced mistakes.  Those were the snoozers. 
 

And maybe we build up enough of a lead early in the season to wedge into last seed. Or the chemistry builds and Eichel trade return talent joins the fold.  There’s hopium to spread around and that’s a success for a team that couldn’t be in much of a worse spot. 

[msw2112]

After losses, Krueger would always talk about the team needing to process its emotional "pain."  Time and again.  It seemed awkward, strange and inappropriate for the circumstance.  Granato doesn't get into any of that psycho-babble.  He just tells it like it is, explains what happened, and what they need to do to improve.  And I have a degree in psychology....Processing emotional pain is fine for psychotherapy, but this is professional hockey, not counseling a patient who has broken up with a spouse, had a death in the family, lost their job, etc.    

[Doohicksie]

I never noticed that phrase.  Then again I pretty quickly tuned him out, at least mentally if not physically.

[Doohicksie]

I looked at my comment about Krueger's hiring.  My view of him didn't change much.

  

On 5/14/2019 at 11:35 PM, The Ghost of Yuri said:

I was against the hire before it was announced; this guys sounds like someone on a late-night cable channel self-help motivational infomercial. 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

17 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

I looked at my comment about Krueger's hiring.  My view of him didn't change much.

  

 

You weren’t the only one.

Quote

 

I hate to say this but he sounds like Ted Nolan.  Motivator but not an X and O guy.  This teams real structure and real coach'em up coaching.  Motivation is not enough.  Who is going to provide the structure?  Who is going to make sure that Risto isn't overplayed and who is going to teach him how to pass to facilitate the breakout?  Not Krueger.

On second thought, my initial reaction of Meh! was wrong. This is a bad hire.

 

 

[Marvin]

The difference between Kreuger and Granato to me comes down to one word: mindset.  XHCRK was passive and risk-averse and his team let things happen to them (XHCDB writ large).  HCDG has an active team that takes high-percentage risks to create things.  He also finds ways to put guys into novel situations to see how they do (Tage Thompson is a centre?).  He also has an actual NHL roster, even if it is in the bottom quarter in terms of proven talent.

[DarthEbriate]

Similarities: They're both Terran humanoids. So... that's nice.

Differences: How honorable is Granato that he didn't just rip Krueger's arms out of his sockets?

[GASabresIUFAN]

What I still don’t understand is how the Great Motivator and Communicator had DG on his staff and failed to utilize him to help cover up his X & O deficiency.

[triumph_communes]

23 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

What I still don’t understand is how the Great Motivator and Communicator had DG on his staff and failed to utilize him to help cover up his X & O deficiency.

Leadership matters. And they could have disagreed with X and Os. 

[Doohicksie]

32 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

What I still don’t understand is how the Great Motivator and Communicator had DG on his staff and failed to utilize him to help cover up his X & O deficiency.

In my tinfoil hat scenario, KA unobtrusively planted DG into the coaching staff as part of the planning for what would later become a coup to seize control of the Sabres.  Sure he was there to help, but he was also there to spy on Ralph to get dirt that would later sink him.  When KA had JB deposed and assumed control of the organ EYE zation he knew he couldn't instantly fire Krueger so he gave him the necessary rope to hang himself, then inserted his mole as the new coach.

(Yes, I know DG was hired by JBot, but my narrative is way cooler in my own head.)

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

What I still don’t understand is how the Great Motivator and Communicator had DG on his staff and failed to utilize him to help cover up his X & O deficiency.

He likely did use him that way.  But Granato was not responsible for the D - that fell to Smith who is a bad coach.  And, Granato worked X&O's within Krueger's philosophy.  Again, both guys wanted fast skating & pressure on the puck carrier at 5v5.  But they had significant philosophical differences as to whether to full on attack or to use more of a jiu jitsu counter attack.

And, when Hutton was playing well, Krueger's forces countered more effectively and actually DID score, so just how fully they disagreed about philosophy may not be as big as we've assumed it is.  That team that went 9-2-2 through October had 43 goals though 13 games not counting the SO victory credited goal.  That's 3.31 GPG which is equivalent to 271 through 82 games.  Right around the time the Tre White Goalie Academy skit came out, the wheels fell off.  It remains to be seen what would happen to Granato's squads should Anderson hit a wall.  (And hopefully, it DOESN'T get seen.  😉 )

Take away the 2 freebies Cooper willed the Sabres & this squad is under 3 GPG through 6.  It looks good & is fun.  But the Q remains whether it's sustainable.  Hoping it is.

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 minutes ago, Taro T said:

He likely did use him that way.  But Granato was not responsible for the D - that fell to Smith who is a bad coach.  And, Granato worked X&O's within Krueger's philosophy.  Again, both guys wanted fast skating & pressure on the puck carrier at 5v5.  But they had significant philosophical differences as to whether to full on attack or to use more of a jiu jitsu counter attack.

And, when Hutton was playing well, Krueger's forces countered more effectively and actually DID score, so just how fully they disagreed about philosophy may not be as big as we've assumed it is.  That team that went 9-2-2 through October had 43 goals though 13 games not counting the SO victory credited goal.  That's 3.31 GPG which is equivalent to 271 through 82 games.  Right around the time the Tre White Goalie Academy skit came out, the wheels fell off.  It remains to be seen what would happen to Granato's squads should Anderson hit a wall.  (And hopefully, it DOESN'T get seen.  😉 )

Take away the 2 freebies Cooper willed the Sabres & this squad is under 3 GPG through 6.  It looks good & is fun.  But the Q remains whether it's sustainable.  Hoping it is.

 

All offensive players suffered under RK.  I think It’s more likely that RK didn’t listen or didn’t solicit DG point of view to help get the offense moving.   I think that’s why KA was comfortable enough to putting DG in charge.

Edited October 26, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[RangerDave]

I know nothing about the X's and O's of hockey.  As just a fan, I have noticed that I am not seeing the interminable cycling of the puck back and forth behind the opponent's net like I used to see a lot last year.  It drove me nuts.  This year, not so much.  That, in itself, makes watching the game more enjoyable.  I don't know if it also translates into more aggressive play and therefore more wins or not.

[Taro T]

46 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

All offensive players suffered under RK.  I think It’s more likely that RK didn’t listen or didn’t solicit DG point of view to help get the offense moving.   I think that’s why KA was comfortable enough to putting DG in charge.

Eichel suffered under Krueger?  Was on pace for over 100 points in a full season prior to injuries & shutdown in Ralph's 1st year.

Reinhart suffered under him?  Barely off his career pace in Ralph's 1st year.

Olofsson suffered under him? 

Hall suffered under him?  Ralph & Jack were the reasons he came to Buffalo.

That's 2/3's of the top 2 lines.

 

Before Hutton fell off the map in year 1, the team didn't have offensive issues.  Small sample size.

After stuff went sideways last year, due in large part to Covid issues, Ullmark breaking, & Eichel finally breaking to the point he couldn't play through then EVERYBODY suffered.  Krueger didn't have an answer for how to get out of the tailspin.  Until Ullmark came back, neither did Granato.  And, until the Covid shutdown things weren't too far off pace from being where they needed to be.  And that's w/ Hutton in the fold.

 

IMHO, the reason Adams was comfortable with Granato as the interim coach was he'd spoken with him.  Granato understands the game very well.  And, after Smith thankfully also went out the door, there were 2 options available to him without going outside: promote Bales to interim or promote Granato.  Suppose they could've promoted Appert, but that messes the Amerks up as well.  So, going w/ Granato was a no brainer.

Adams conducted an actual coaching search in the off-season & Granato won out.  So far good on him.

[GASabresIUFAN]

6 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Eichel suffered under Krueger?  Was on pace for over 100 points in a full season prior to injuries & shutdown in Ralph's 1st year.

Reinhart suffered under him?  Barely off his career pace in Ralph's 1st year.

Olofsson suffered under him? 

Hall suffered under him?  Ralph & Jack were the reasons he came to Buffalo.

That's 2/3's of the top 2 lines.

 

Before Hutton fell off the map in year 1, the team didn't have offensive issues.  Small sample size.

After stuff went sideways last year, due in large part to Covid issues, Ullmark breaking, & Eichel finally breaking to the point he couldn't play through then EVERYBODY suffered.  Krueger didn't have an answer for how to get out of the tailspin.  Until Ullmark came back, neither did Granato.  And, until the Covid shutdown things weren't too far off pace from being where they needed to be.  And that's w/ Hutton in the fold.

 

IMHO, the reason Adams was comfortable with Granato as the interim coach was he'd spoken with him.  Granato understands the game very well.  And, after Smith thankfully also went out the door, there were 2 options available to him without going outside: promote Bales to interim or promote Granato.  Suppose they could've promoted Appert, but that messes the Amerks up as well.  So, going w/ Granato was a no brainer.

Adams conducted an actual coaching search in the off-season & Granato won out.  So far good on him.

How many goals did Hall have here? 1 How about Jack in season 2?  VO’s production went down in year two as well.  He also wasn’t here to know what he would have done prior, but he has 4 goals in 6 games so far this season.  How did Mitts, Thompson, Asplund do under RK? What happened to Sheary, Vesey, Skinner, KO and ERod under RK.  Even Samson wasn’t immune.  His assists and p/gp all fell in year 1 of RK and further eroded in year 2 until DG became the coach.  So yes everyone suffered.