After the latest loss, what does accountability look like?

[Porous Five Hole]

The easiest move is to fire the coach. I get it. But is Meatballs truly accountable for being the second-worst points percentage in the conference today? You could say he isn’t a fire-ry Torts type.  You could say his system change to a larger focus in their own end is failing. Both are probably true.

But I keep going back to the roster construction. There’s no NHL goalie on this roster and this team is the youngest team in the NHL. Again. 
 

I don’t believe the team is rotten to the core. While I recognize a lot of the roster had career years last year and it would be hard to replicate…the truth is this roster was not assembled properly to compete day in and day out. They’re just not good enough and it isn’t growing pains.  It is roster construction. 
 

So what does accountability look like?
 

The GM has had two “go for it” years (this year and the Taylor Hall/Jordan Staal year) and both have failed spectacularly.  It’s time to move on from GMKA. Thank you for your talent accumulation, but pack your *****. I recognize that puts the head coach on borrowed time, but it’s important to refocus on what can improve the group. And that’s a new guy in charge of hockey ops and GMing. It is time. 

[Mango]

After Adams comment that the coaching is on point, the players are all talented, and it’s all purely an execution issue.

To then get this performance?

Walk the guy out the door tomorrow morning. 

Edit: there are no “go for it” years. He all but said him and Donnie are aces. He wants to roll it back. Get him out of here before we ruin another good group of prospects. 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Mango

[GoPuckYourself]

There is no accountability anywhere from coaches, to players... The only shake up so far has been juggling lines and for some odd reason benching our best defensemen on most nights Ryan Johnson. Other than that not a single assistant coach has been let go, the power play is inept and yet whoever runs it continues to run it and same with the defense. At the very least bring in some better assistants who can help these guys because they're falling flat on their faces. 

I liked Don Granato developing the young talent on our team, I thought he did a masterful job getting the kids prepared but now when it comes to maturing their game I think this is beyond his expertise imo, we now need a hard nosed coach with solid assitants to help mold their game and fine tune them into better overall players. We have some pretty big players on the team and almost all of them are afraid to hit and get hit or stand in front of the net. We lose so many faceoffs, our goaltending is sporatic, way too inconsistent.

Kevyn Adams has been abysmal at identifying the right veterans to pair with tthe youth, every single veteran is struggling probably because Granato's system or lack of is terrible but most likely because our vets are slow and on their last legs or just not very good. Okposo and Girgensons never should have been re-signed, we had opportunities to upgrade both and it back fired, we brought in 2 defensemen in Cifton and Johnson who were both benched in the Stanley cup playoff runs that they had. Also why in the world have we not gotten a veteran goalie worth a damn other than old man Anderson since losing Ullmark? You're telling me not 1 goalie wanted to start in Buffalo? I know Murray opted to stay in Ottawa or wherever he was at but I find it hard to believe we couldn't overpay a single goalie in 3 seasons and we put all our eggs in a rookie goalies basket which is never smart to do.

I'd start with letting go of all the assistants responsible for the power play, PK and defense, in no way shape or form do i want Matt Ellis as this teams head coach when Granato is let go. 

[OverPowerYou]

When the Sabres 

A. Re-signed Okposo 

B. Named him captain 

i knew the season was done. He hasn’t had a productive season in 10 years and ate up our salary cap for most of it. He is our modern day Jochen Hecht. Not sure how guys like that have a knack for making a living doing the bare minimum and then get praised like folk hero by the organization 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by OverPowerYou

[HumanSlinky39]

When I watch this team play, and it's becoming a slog, I see a poorly coached team. They look like absolute world-beaters at times (dominating wins over NYR, VGK), then look like the worst team in hockey the next game. There's no consistency. The head coach won't bench guys to hold them accountable for poor play and/or effort because it seems like he's more interested in being their friend or afraid of hurting feelings. Get an experienced HC who can whip this soft-serve group into something resembling the bill of goods we were sold. This team is not responding to Granato's methods anymore. There's regression nearly across the board. 

Now, whether KA will do it...doesn't seem likely. Accountability is lacking throughout the organization. We'll see how Pegula reacts when they're skating in front of 3000 fans in February. I know if I lived in/near Buffalo I wouldn't piss away my hard-earned dollars to go watch these guys trying to play something resembling real hockey. This was supposed to be the year they ended the drought and instead, they're peeing down their leg. We deserve better.

[SabresBillsFan]

55 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

There is no accountability anywhere from coaches, to players... The only shake up so far has been juggling lines and for some odd reason benching our best defensemen on most nights Ryan Johnson. Other than that not a single assistant coach has been let go, the power play is inept and yet whoever runs it continues to run it and same with the defense. At the very least bring in some better assistants who can help these guys because they're falling flat on their faces. 

I liked Don Granato developing the young talent on our team, I thought he did a masterful job getting the kids prepared but now when it comes to maturing their game I think this is beyond his expertise imo, we now need a hard nosed coach with solid assitants to help mold their game and fine tune them into better overall players. We have some pretty big players on the team and almost all of them are afraid to hit and get hit or stand in front of the net. We lose so many faceoffs, our goaltending is sporatic, way too inconsistent.

Kevyn Adams has been abysmal at identifying the right veterans to pair with tthe youth, every single veteran is struggling probably because Granato's system or lack of is terrible but most likely because our vets are slow and on their last legs or just not very good. Okposo and Girgensons never should have been re-signed, we had opportunities to upgrade both and it back fired, we brought in 2 defensemen in Cifton and Johnson who were both benched in the Stanley cup playoff runs that they had. Also why in the world have we not gotten a veteran goalie worth a damn other than old man Anderson since losing Ullmark? You're telling me not 1 goalie wanted to start in Buffalo? I know Murray opted to stay in Ottawa or wherever he was at but I find it hard to believe we couldn't overpay a single goalie in 3 seasons and we put all our eggs in a rookie goalies basket which is never smart to do.

I'd start with letting go of all the assistants responsible for the power play, PK and defense, in no way shape or form do i want Matt Ellis as this teams head coach when Granato is let go. 

^ This I agree with

47 minutes ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

When I watch this team play, and it's becoming a slog, I see a poorly coached team. They look like absolute world-beaters at times (dominating wins over NYR, VGK), then look like the worst team in hockey the next game. There's no consistency. The head coach won't bench guys to hold them accountable for poor play and/or effort because it seems like he's more interested in being their friend or afraid of hurting feelings. Get an experienced HC who can whip this soft-serve group into something resembling the bill of goods we were sold. This team is not responding to Granato's methods anymore. There's regression nearly across the board. 

Now, whether KA will do it...doesn't seem likely. Accountability is lacking throughout the organization. We'll see how Pegula reacts when they're skating in front of 3000 fans in February. I know if I lived in/near Buffalo I wouldn't piss away my hard-earned dollars to go watch these guys trying to play something resembling real hockey. This was supposed to be the year they ended the drought and instead, they're peeing down their leg. We deserve better.

Agree 100%

[PerreaultForever]

It's an interesting question and I have said there's no accountability here at all and there hasn't been since Pegula got here if not before. Maybe Bylsma held some players accountable I don't really remember, and Kreuger tried but lost the team quickly for a variety of reasons but certainly not now. Besides Olofsson, the constant whipping boy, who ever sits after a performance that sucks? Anybody? Not really. 

I watched 3 games tonight (ya, I'm hockey crazy). Bruins game was outstanding. Both teams gave it, both teams rallied at different times, there was no quit anywhere. Lots of intensity on both sides. Then there was the Sabres game where their D just spotted us an early one with a walk through and then they took over and coasted to a route. No effort from the Sabres and hard to judge on their side as it came pretty easy. Then I watched Philly New Jersey. Philly wins again in a tight even game of contrasting styles. Farabee had an outstanding night after apparently being benched the night before by Torts for lack of effort. That is accountability. Risto works his ass off and actually stays in his lane like wtf? Philly the hottest team in the league in December and their goalie Hart is out sick for most of it. 

Sabres just seem to have absolutely everything wrong and they are ruining young talent one after another in their fancy country club locker room. Players like Dahlin say they love it in Buffalo and why wouldn't they? They get to relax in a 5 star resort and nobody makes them work for their pay. Life of Reilly (not Ryan O).

The franchise is a joke. 

Maybe the truth is some hockey player bullied Pegula when he was young and so his secret mission is to destroy the team forever. Job well done so far. 

[Big Guava]

This team has no accountability. Everyone wants to be friends, nobody wants to be the A-hole in the room that gets in someone's face and tells them they are sucking and not pulling their weight.

Ideally that's what Kyle or Z or E. Johnson or Clifton would do but I don't see it happening. I know E. Johnson said some stuff to the media but is he going to get into people's grills? That's what this team needs. Someone like Drury who they are afraid to play like that because you know he will attack you in a heartbeat over it.

 

We can yell about changing the coach all we want, and sure, there is merit in that, but this falls squarely on the players.

Until we have players and a captain that demands accountability from everyone in that locker room nothing will change. You can change coaches every month.

Do you think for one second these players would be going out and playing in this manner every other game if Chris Drury was the captain? These players would be so afraid to come in to the building the next day after a game like last night they probably wouldn't be able to sleep because they would be terrified of having to face Drury after he couldn't sleep following a game like that.

The accountability starts from the players and it starts with the captain and then the captain needs other players to help keep the group in line within their "groups". They say they respect Okposo to a man and love him...respectfully no the f**k they don't. There is no way in the world they would be playing like this if they did.

Maybe Okposo isn't the type of captain they need...maybe they need a bulldog like Drury was who would put the fear of God into you if you ever played that way...heartless, gutless, no effort, not caring. 

It doesn't take any level of skill to actually try and put forth a good effort. To skate hard and backcheck. To forecheck. To be accountable for being in the right position at the right time on plays. To not keep making the same stupid mistakes over and over again. To be mentally prepared to play a hockey game and to be a professional.

This comes down to the players in that room and the person leading them. Okposo needs to be stripped of the captaincy and these players need to be shook out of their complacency. I am sure plenty of guys will be coming into to practice with smiles on their faces laughing and joking today...they need a captain who will get in their faces and ask them what the F they have to be smiling and joking about after a game like last night.

That's not Okposo.

Too many of these players are sitting around singing "Hey look Ma, I made it!" after getting big paydays and resting on their laurels instead of making sure they go out and earn it every night.

This team CLEARLY has the talent and the capabilities to be far better than they are. There is no way in the world this team should consistently play well and beat the best teams in the NHL and then get dragged thru the mud against mediocre and bad teams the way they do so often. This is preparation and mindset failure. They think they are big shots after a win against a good team and then they sit around high fiving each other for a few games instead of getting their noses back to the grindstone.

[#freejame]

Last October I posted about how it was clear Donny is not an NHL coach and wouldn’t be the one to finish us off. I said how he would be good to get some confidence and momentum, but he’s nothing behind the bench. I was greeted with laughing emojis. 

Donny is a problem. Donny’s staff is a problem. KA is a problem. Our veteran support is a problem. Our ownership is a problem. Our personnel is a problem. Our culture is a problem. 

How to fix it? Fire Don and his staff. Promote an interim. Hire a hockey professional. Have them fire KA and evaluate the entire front office. Sit Okposo. Make a franchise decision on GM and executives without Terry’s opinion. Hire Gallant and hope you can convince him to add an up and coming hire to his staff. Trade this years first round pick for literally ***** anything because we are bad everywhere and it does us nothing. Finish 7-8 next season with accountability and make playoffs. Lose first round. Continue to add bet pieces. Make another run. Lose again. Fire Gallant. Promote assistant. Make another run. 

In other words, BE A REAL ***** FRANCHISE. 

[steveoath]

Granato is done. I want to see him in Roch where he can be assigned to develop players, but his flaws are glaring, and seems not to be able to address them. When the stated goal this year was playoffs, this team is nowhere near that level. They need to be held accountable for poor performances, and not sigh that its a "sophmore slump" ©KO.

Gallant is the hire for me. Boudreau next - but he's just been named Canada's World Juniors HC. 

[#freejame]

6 minutes ago, steveoath said:

Granato is done. I want to see him in Roch where he can be assigned to develop players, but his flaws are glaring, and seems not to be able to address them. When the stated goal this year was playoffs, this team is nowhere near that level. They need to be held accountable for poor performances, and not sigh that its a "sophmore slump" ©KO.

Gallant is the hire for me. Boudreau next - but he's just been named Canada's World Juniors HC. 

I was told Boudreau doesn’t coach kids young and that’s why we couldn’t have hired him before? 

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

The easiest move is to fire the coach. I get it. But is Meatballs truly accountable for being the second-worst points percentage in the conference today? You could say he isn’t a fire-ry Torts type.  You could say his system change to a larger focus in their own end is failing. Both are probably true.

But I keep going back to the roster construction. There’s no NHL goalie on this roster and this team is the youngest team in the NHL. Again. 
 

I don’t believe the team is rotten to the core. While I recognize a lot of the roster had career years last year and it would be hard to replicate…the truth is this roster was not assembled properly to compete day in and day out. They’re just not good enough and it isn’t growing pains.  It is roster construction. 
 

So what does accountability look like?
 

The GM has had two “go for it” years (this year and the Taylor Hall/Jordan Staal year) and both have failed spectacularly.  It’s time to move on from GMKA. Thank you for your talent accumulation, but pack your *****. I recognize that puts the head coach on borrowed time, but it’s important to refocus on what can improve the group. And that’s a new guy in charge of hockey ops and GMing. It is time. 

Quick note. The Taylor Hall year was not an Adams go for it year. That was a Terry and Ralph go for it year. 

I'd pick a bottom 6 that's liked in that room and trade him. I'd decide which assistant I'm getting the least from and fire them. 

[Flashsabre]

The saddest thing to me is looking at Philly and Vancouver. Two teams that are soaring right now because they haves coaches that demand that the players play the right way and earn their ice time. Neither made any drastic roster changes. 

[Carmel Corn]

Granato and staff belong in Rochester, not Buffalo.  As far as accountability, part of me truly believes the organization blames the FANS.  They don't look at the mirror, but rather feel that we all should be grateful and more supportive of the team for still being in Buffalo.  Despite how BAD this team is (and has been), we have failed in our responsibility to fill the arena and be supportive no matter what.  Accountability....it's our fault (in their eyes).

[Archie Lee]

7 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

The easiest move is to fire the coach. I get it. But is Meatballs truly accountable for being the second-worst points percentage in the conference today? You could say he isn’t a fire-ry Torts type.  You could say his system change to a larger focus in their own end is failing. Both are probably true.

But I keep going back to the roster construction. There’s no NHL goalie on this roster and this team is the youngest team in the NHL. Again. 
 

I don’t believe the team is rotten to the core. While I recognize a lot of the roster had career years last year and it would be hard to replicate…the truth is this roster was not assembled properly to compete day in and day out. They’re just not good enough and it isn’t growing pains.  It is roster construction. 
 

So what does accountability look like?
 

The GM has had two “go for it” years (this year and the Taylor Hall/Jordan Staal year) and both have failed spectacularly.  It’s time to move on from GMKA. Thank you for your talent accumulation, but pack your *****. I recognize that puts the head coach on borrowed time, but it’s important to refocus on what can improve the group. And that’s a new guy in charge of hockey ops and GMing. It is time. 

I agree with your first paragraphs and strongly disagree with the conclusion of firing Adams. Of the 3 GMs Pegula has hired, Adams has by far been the best at executing an actual plan. There is near universal belief that any success Pegula has had in hiring quality people for the Bills or Sabres has been a happy accident. Pegula firing Adams would just result in him then taking another low % shot at hiring a new GM. I’ll pass on that for now. 
 

Adams was clearly reluctant to declare that this was a year with expectations. What I am somewhat shocked by is that he seems to have misunderstood that was not a narrative that he alone gets to set. The fans have no interest in another year of rebuilding. People would accept, begrudgingly, another year of growth where we take a run at the playoffs and fall short, but a year like this is only going to result in fans getting more brazen in voicing their displeasure. Good vibes have gone bad and may soon go toxic. 
 

The best we can hope for at this point is that Adams learns from his mistakes and course corrects. The challenging part for fans will be that if he indeed does this, it may take a little time and not be obvious at first. For example, while there are good coaches available now, it might be best to wait until the off-season when even better options are available. 
 

Regardless, at some point between now and the end of the next offseason, Adams needs to do something that makes clear that the organization now expects to win. He doesn’t have to say it, but he needs to do something that clearly positions the organization as one that expects to be a playoff team. If he doesn’t, and the plan is to do what they did this year and just make the team younger, then we are on the path to seeing the next group of star players ask for mercy and a move to another team. 

[Flashsabre]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/focus-falls-on-sabres-coach-don-granato-after-buffalo-is-embarrassed-in-9-4-loss-to-columbus-1.2051302
 

The Canadian media has taken notice.

[Crusader1969]

Are we expecting a press conference today ?   I say there is a 10% chance of it 

[LGR4GM]

11 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/focus-falls-on-sabres-coach-don-granato-after-buffalo-is-embarrassed-in-9-4-loss-to-columbus-1.2051302
 

The Canadian media has taken notice.

Dear Don Granato... no, just ***** no dude. "Being off" isn't going to make you better as some magical learning adventure through happy sunshine land. It just means your team wasn't ready to play and you guys all suck from the coaches to the player. Don't wish for it, work for it... but who am I kidding? This team is trash just like every team for the last 13 years. I hope Pegula sells and at this point I don't care if the team leaves, they aren't an enjoyable part of anything anymore. 

Quote

“Let’s just stick to tonight,” Granato said, a familiar refrain from a coach who is more focused on dealing with immediate issues rather than the big picture.

“It wasn’t good enough. We know that. And we’ll go right to work tomorrow,” he added. “We were off and and we have to own that. And we do. And it has to make us better.”

 

[Cascade Youth]

DG is Dead Man Walking at this point.  His post-game PC was a sad event last night, he knows he's lost the team and he's out of answers.  It's really not all his fault, not even close.  

[WhenWillItEnd66]

There is no accountability. Zero.

[Ross Rhea]

Need an alpha coach to stick his foot up some of these guys ***** for consistantly playing like dog *****!

[GASabresIUFAN]

What does real accountability look like?

A new team President over the GM who will have the power to replace anyone from the GM to the locker room attendants.  

What does Sabres accountability look like? 

Apparently waiving Bryson.

What should be done?  Adams should be fired and the new GM decide DG’s fate.

Since Adams isn’t getting canned, Adams needs to shake up his roster.  I’ve suggested two moves in other threads and I’d start there.  First I’d fire Matt Ellis.  He is in charge of the PP and it’s awful.  Next, I’d trade Okposo.  The ship is sinking and he is the Captain.  Time to toss him over board. 

Next I’d trade Joki while he still has value and let Ryan J take the spot. I’d also acquire a 3rd line center with term regardless of cost.  Two names that spring to mind are Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan.  

Too bad nothing can be done until 2024 as the Xmas trade moratorium has begun.  

The truth is no moves are fixing this terrible team.  The goaltending is just too raw and inconsistent.  It may be advisable to send Levi back down to back stop a winning team and get him out of the Sabres toxic locker room. 

Edited December 20, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[USMCSnyper]

I got a notification for the Sabres app. for 2 seconds...I thought....OMG..they actually made a change.

 

Nope - Murray back to Roch. THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY

[Mr. Allen]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Quick note. The Taylor Hall year was not an Adams go for it year. That was a Terry and Ralph go for it year. 

I'd pick a bottom 6 that's liked in that room and trade him. I'd decide which assistant I'm getting the least from and fire them. 

That’s how I feel.  Something “big” needs to happen to wake these kids up.  It’s almost like they aren’t taking their job seriously enough.  

[Goldseatsaud]

Why was Pat L let go that’s where it started.Pegula might be a nice guy but he shouldn’t own a hockey franchise