Sabres announce Don Granato, Jason Christie and Matt Smith have been relieved of their duties

[Doohicksie]

5 hours ago, Thorny said:

I feel like someone around here, maybe it was Randall Flagg (system never allows for him to be tagged) came up with a deep dive on the perils of dumping the puck in for retrieval like half a decade ago haha 

I think it's comparable to run versus pass in football.  If you always try to carry it in, the other team defends that.  To break that you dump it in and get their Dmen chasing the puck so they don't prevent zone entry.  When the drop off because they're expecting the dump in, you carry it in.  The two types of zone entries complement each other.  If you only do one, the opposing defense will stop you.

I think that's part of the reason the offense declined this year:  They scored a lot on the rush last year.  Opposing teams jammed up the middle to make that more difficult and the team never countered it until... late in the season where dump ins and forechecking worked.

Go figure.

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, DarthEbriate said:

This past season, the glaring error is on GM Sheevyn for the roster construction. A d-zone bottom 6 faceoff center (hell, even a Glendening); one heavier checker than KO/Zemgus; a top 4 D, a vet goalie to backup whomever... move VO and get a temporary Quinn replacement (Nyquist, for example). Those were all known possibilities last offseason for a team on the cusp. The GM was too patient.

The finishing of the checks is important. If there's no fear, then dump-and-chase is ineffective because the D knows he can turn and still look for the breakout pass anyway because all he has to contend with is a VO flyby stick (which occasionally works, but not consistently).

I agree. That shopping list/failure list is exactly what I said we needed going in to free agency. I was content with Clifton for the D add but the rest was definitely lacking and that's what I said when the season started too. It was the same thing the year before as well. No progress and I agree it's still the same holes except now we really need a center or two with the Mitts trade. 

As for the forecheck, absolutely. The way we play they even just shield the puck with their bodies and have time to look around and then make the play. It's a physically demanding way of playing but it is incredibly effective in today's NHL and we need a coach who will make them play that way and if they don't they need to be replaced. 

[Sabre The Cup]

2 hours ago, Sabres73 said:

I agree Skinner must go, but we may have to hold on to him one more year before buying him out. I simply disagree with your over-the-top comments about Adams, I firmly believe we're on the path, and he will get us in the playoffs next year, and for several years thereafter. "4 levels above his competency" is just silly and disrespectful.

We can agree to disagree then. 

If there is anybody hopelessly unqualified for the position in the NHL, it is him. 

[The Jokeman]

14 hours ago, seer775 said:

Every now and then Adams does something extraordinary.

Erm an example please?

[PromoTheRobot]

"Mike Augello of The Hockey News gives his take on the firing of Don Granato, the team's inability to add during this past off-season and who might be the next captain of the Sabres." (This discussion begins at 47:33)

https://www.sportsnet.ca/590/jeff-marek-show/l-a-eyes-potential-opponents-buffalo-makes-a-coaching-change/

[eman]

On 4/16/2024 at 2:29 PM, Malazan said:

ok? Not sure of the point here. Should we just not discuss candidates or traits we think are relevant/irrelevant because the Sabres suck at finding the right coaches?

I'm talking about having any faith in the organization getting the correct coach here to get them in the playoffs, based on their previous hiring records and what the end result turned out to be = 13 seasons of failure. I hope that cleared it up for you.

[Pimlach]

On 4/17/2024 at 10:35 PM, Sabre The Cup said:

We can agree to disagree then. 

If there is anybody hopelessly unqualified for the position in the NHL, it is him. 

It would be interesting to see what the average age, prior Front Office experience (what jobs and how many in years), and any coaching experience in years,  for the 32 GMs in the modern NHL.  

But I am too lazy to do that work. 

Another easier way is to look it up for just for first time GMs like Adams. 

[French Collection]

I was away with limited internet for two weeks but I did see some information on the firings.

I don’t understand how Ellis stays on. Maybe a part of the Amerks next year?

Send him to Arizona to be their coach in waiting.

[dudacek]

Donnie remains classy to the end.

https://theathletic.com/5430238/2024/04/19/don-granato-sabres-coach-fired/

“Nothing surprises you,” Granato told The Athletic by phone Friday. “The situation and the expectations rose to a level that something had to give. The media, the fan base, the pressure that is on that locker room, the team, the organization, something’s got to give. This is what happens. Obviously, there’s frustration, but I don’t have anything to complain about. I really don’t. I could have done things slightly different. You can change some things and can’t change others.”

He added, “I have to ground my memory in that I was given this opportunity by Kevyn and the Pegulas. It’s an opportunity I had been waiting for for a long time. And honestly, I have no regrets and no blame for anyone else. There are always dynamics at work in situations and you cannot fight them all at once, let alone think you can win them all.”

He talked about the difficulty in transitioning from the guy who built this group up and then turning the switch to a different message. It was not anything we haven't been speculating about on here since he took over.

"“I can punish you all day long, which everybody says hold accountable. But the real question is, ‘Are you accountable?’ Do you need to be punished or are you an accountable person? … So if I made the next coach’s job easier, I’m happy for that. Because I love these guys as people and players and I want to see them be successful.”

“Unfortunately I created a bit of my own mess because you had to get these guys to believe in their ability,” Granato said.

Granato grappled with all of the questions you would expect. How hard do you push a guy before you’re demoralizing him? How do you keep players from tuning you out? How many guys can you make an example of before you run out of players to bump up the lineup?

“When you have more experience and more skill, you’re going to have more accountability in your organization,” Granato said. “When people know someone else can replace them, you have automatic accountability. That’s why skill development is so important.”

And finally:

“This is a tough, tough business and this is an extremely tough time in Sabres history because you’re at a threshold of doing something and getting past a barrier that’s been there for years,” Granato said.

“I’m grateful,” Granato said. “I leave this and know I’m better. To be in this pressure, to elevate in this pressure and develop all of these relationships. There’s no question I’m better by working through all of this and that excites me.”

The next Sabres coach will inherit a 13-season playoff drought, the longest in league history. But these Sabres are also coming off 91 and 84-point seasons. Those are the two best seasons this franchise has had since Lindy Ruff got fired. That those seasons disappointed Sabres fans shows Granato how far they moved the expectations from when he took over.

“It cost me my job, but I’m proud of that,” Granato said.

Edited April 20 by dudacek

[Believer]

Always said Granato is a first quintile analyst… Clearly self-aware… Gave it his best.