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Let the Fire Bylsma Watch begin

matter2003

By matter2003
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MattPie All Star

MattPie

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I know you're of the general mind that a GM can (or should) get more than one coach hire, but are you concerned at all about Murray getting another hire, when Murray is on the hot seat too? If next season is in the shitter, is it harder to pull the plug on Murray if his new hire is 25 games into his coaching career?

 

There could be a lot of intrigue here in the background. Terry says hang on, we'll talk next week. Murray says both he and Byslma are in their positions "today." Tim even said "if I'm back." Maybe there's a president or new GM in the offing, maybe even Lindy. I wouldn't blame the Pegs at all for wanting to rip the Band-Aid off quickly on Murray instead of lingering into next season or the one after that and being in an even bigger jackpot.

 

It would be ZFG, but maybe Murray gets us this far, and the guy who's going to put us over the top arrives now.

 

That might be just the way he talks, too. I commonly say things like, "hey, my key worked this morning, I must still have a job" and "I hope I can get this task done before they fire me".

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TrueBlueGED Hall of Famer

TrueBlueGED

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I know you're of the general mind that a GM can (or should) get more than one coach hire, but are you concerned at all about Murray getting another hire, when Murray is on the hot seat too? If next season is in the shitter, is it harder to pull the plug on Murray if his new hire is 25 games into his coaching career?

 

There could be a lot of intrigue here in the background. Terry says hang on, we'll talk next week. Murray says both he and Byslma are in their positions "today." Tim even said "if I'm back." Maybe there's a president or new GM in the offing, maybe even Lindy. I wouldn't blame the Pegs at all for wanting to rip the Band-Aid off quickly on Murray instead of lingering into next season or the one after that and being in an even bigger jackpot.

 

It would be ZFG, but maybe Murray gets us this far, and the guy who's going to put us over the top arrives now.

Yes and yes. In fact, I think it basically eliminates the possibility Murray is fired in the middle of next season, unless we're something absurd like 3-15-2.

 

That said, I don't think Murray's seat is all that hot. Might be warming up, but I don't think he's in the "judge after a quarter of a season" boiling kettle. If we're sitting around 82 points again next season after whiffing on upgrading the blue line, then all bets are off. The only way I see his job being on the line early next year is if Pegula wants a new coach but Murray goes to bat for Bylsma. I don't see that as likely though.

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Beer Second Liner

Beer

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I may be wrong but I too don't see Murry in the hot seat. Being a GM is more strategic and long term. As long as GMTM and Terry agree on vision for the organization then he'll stay. The coach on the other hand does not have that luxury. It's either produce or get out. DD didn't produce, the team actually regressed. If you watch the teams in the playoffs, it's night and day from how the Sabres play. Pittsburgh fired him for a reason. I would bet a cheeseburger Sid the Kid got into Lemieux's ear just like Jack is doing now with GMTM. Coaching makes a huge difference in this league. It's pretty clear to me and many others on this board that the players don't like playing for DD.

 

I also remember the Sochi Olympics where DD was such an uninspiring coach that a loaded Team USA forgot to show up to the bronze medal game and was completely embarrassed by Finland 5-0. He's a crap coach that lucked into the Pittsburgh gig. It's not hard to pile up wins in the regular season when you have the likes of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang on your team.

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nfreeman Hall of Famer

nfreeman

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Give it time.

 

I believe if Murray's and Pegula's Plan was to keep him, that would have been mentioned at the press conference.

 

Murray has a target in mind who probably is still coaching in the playoffs and doesn't want to make a move until then.

 

Interesting.

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PASabreFan Hall of Famer

PASabreFan

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I may be wrong but I too don't see Murry in the hot seat. Being a GM is more strategic and long term. As long as GMTM and Terry agree on vision for the organization then he'll stay. The coach on the other hand does not have that luxury. It's either produce or get out. DD didn't produce, the team actually regressed. If you watch the teams in the playoffs, it's night and day from how the Sabres play. Pittsburgh fired him for a reason. I would bet a cheeseburger Sid the Kid got into Lemieux's ear just like Jack is doing now with GMTM. Coaching makes a huge difference in this league. It's pretty clear to me and many others on this board that the players don't like playing for DD.

 

I also remember the Sochi Olympics where DD was such an uninspiring coach that a loaded Team USA forgot to show up to the bronze medal game and was completely embarrassed by Finland 5-0. He's a crap coach that lucked into the Pittsburgh gig. It's not hard to pile up wins in the regular season when you have the likes of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang on your team.

You'll have to explain the wins piling up when he didn't have the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Letang.

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pi2000 First Liner

pi2000

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You'll have to explain the wins piling up when he didn't have the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Letang.

 

This argument a losing battle.... I've tried.

 

They'll say they won because of Crosby, Malkin and Letang.

 

And they'll say they lost because of Bylsma.

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Doohickie Hall of Famer

Doohickie

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That might be just the way he talks, too. I commonly say things like, "hey, my key worked this morning, I must still have a job" and "I hope I can get this task done before they fire me".

 

Well, now that you bring it up, I *have* heard some scuttlebutt that might concern you.  Have you been building your savings?

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Beer Second Liner

Beer

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You'll have to explain the wins piling up when he didn't have the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Letang.

Are you defending him?

 

So what if there were stretches within a season when one or more of those players I mentioned were hurt? Pittsburgh is more than those three but I was simply trying to make a point. There is no arguing that they decided to move away from Bylsma because he was unable to get it done in the post season, or maybe you prefer to blame that on Fleury.

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SwampD Hall of Famer

SwampD

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Are you defending him?

 

So what if there were stretches within a season when one or more of those players I mentioned were hurt? Pittsburgh is more than those three but I was simply trying to make a point. There is no arguing that they decided to move away from Bylsma because he was unable to get it done in the post season, or maybe you prefer to blame that on Fleury.

I blame Crosby being an immature douche and opposing teams knowing that if they just got under his skin, he could completely derail the whole team.
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kas23 Second Liner

kas23

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There is zero chance (I repeat, zero) that GMTM is fired. Come on, we all know that draft picks take about 5 years to pan out (or not) and GMTM clearly said he was going to build this team mostly through the draft. He never said he'd have a winner in 3 years, but it would take time to assemble a product that was built to win long term. And I don't count the tank year to get Eichel. The timer started after the Eichel pick.

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PASabreFan Hall of Famer

PASabreFan

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Are you defending him?

 

So what if there were stretches within a season when one or more of those players I mentioned were hurt? Pittsburgh is more than those three but I was simply trying to make a point. There is no arguing that they decided to move away from Bylsma because he was unable to get it done in the post season, or maybe you prefer to blame that on Fleury.

I guess I am defending him against the idea that the stars in Pittsburgh carried him. His record without Crosby and Malkin is impressive. He's a good coach. So was Lindy. Like Lindy, maybe this isn't the time or place for him. I'm on the fence with Bylsma. I think I'd like to see Murray and his coach hitched to the same wagon. But if it ends the bitching on here, I'm also all for firing him. Is this how obnoxious I was with Ruff?

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SwampD Hall of Famer

SwampD

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I guess I am defending him against the idea that the stars in Pittsburgh carried him. His record without Crosby and Malkin is impressive. He's a good coach. So was Lindy. Like Lindy, maybe this isn't the time or place for him. I'm on the fence with Bylsma. I think I'd like to see Murray and his coach hitched to the same wagon. But if it ends the bitching on here, I'm also all for firing him. Is this how obnoxious I was with Ruff?

Yes.

 

Me, too.

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MattPie All Star

MattPie

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Well, now that you bring it up, I *have* heard some scuttlebutt that might concern you.  Have you been building your savings?

 

I think I have a little equity in my house, and I better call that guy in San Diego that keeps trying to recruit me!

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Beer Second Liner

Beer

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Another name available (and I am by no means advocating for him) is Therrien.

 

It was Ruff's time for a change of scenery. Part of me likes the nostalgia of bringing him back, but the pragmatic side of me says the Sabres need to find a different option if DD is let go. My guess is that the fire no longer burns as intensely inside Lindy these days.

 

The prospect of Housley has me intrigued. Although I will admit I don't have much to base it on.

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PASabreFan Hall of Famer

PASabreFan

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If Dan's not a people person or a player's coach, how much of a surprise should that come to anyone — especially Murray, who doesn't seem like the warm and fuzzy Starbucks-chatter himself.

 

I remember watching Bylsma in that pregame video before a Pens game and going, Uh-oh. "D2 and F3, you're a quarter turn on the half wall against their 2 PP and you sunk my battleship!" I believe that was the grind em down speech — as every Pen tried to stare an escape hole into the floor.

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WildCard Hall of Famer

WildCard

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Ralph Krueger, anyone?

 

 


“No. 1, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Vancouver Canucks have considerable interest in Ralph Krueger,” began Dreger. “I think that a number of teams would and should, given his resume both internationally and to some degree here in North America.”

 

“But what you said is why I’m hesitant to put too much stock in it,” chuckled the Insider. “The fact that he’s making a ton of money. He absolutely is. And unless the Vancouver Canucks are willing to kick the vault open – or he’s just wanting to jump back into the National Hockey League – then perhaps it’s not the right time or right fit."

 

...

 

“But again, from a hockey perspective, from what I’m told, he is rock solid. I had a chat with Paul Maurice, after the World Cup of Hockey – Paul of course worked closely with him on the Team Europe bench – and he said he learned a lot about Ralph Krueger. He said, as I said earlier, he’s an excellent communicator, but from a hockey standpoint he’s very, very knowledgeable.

During the World Cup of Hockey, Krueger was asked about a potential return to the NHL.

 

“You can never say never, but at the moment I’m very proud to be back in hockey at this level and to be competing,” he said in late September, via Kevin Allen of USA Today. “We are just having so much fun in our room, the coaches, the players, the whole group is enjoying it, and I am, too. But my real life is my commitment is to Southampton Football Club at the moment.”

 

A number of Krueger-related stories were produced during that time period, but there was a particularly interesting non-hockey quote that stood out about him.

 

As part of Amalie Benjamin’s ‘most interesting man in the world’ piece on Krueger, which ran on NHL.com in mid-September, she had a quote from Martin Semmens, the chief strategy officer for Southampton F.C..

 

“Our new commercial director started and it was his first board meeting and, within an hour, Ralph was doing press-ups on the floor kind of out of excitement and motivation as to the stuff we were talking about,” Semmens said. “Although it was a slightly comical moment, it summed up to me what it’s all about, which is having that level of motivation and coaching skills and someone who understands what teamwork’s about and how you build a team to achieve stuff. Whether it’s a sports team or a business, it’s very effective"

 

https://www.fanragsports.com/nhl/dreger-examines-possibility-krueger-joining-canucks/


@FriedgeHNIC
Good morning. Reached out to Ralph Krueger for a comment on VAN interest. By email, he replied, "I have had some interesting chats these past weeks, but my focus remains fully on the Saints for now." So there you go. 
 
So, this may go with Brawndo's theory of Murray aiming for a specific coach
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darksabre Hall of Famer

darksabre

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Ralph Kruger, anyone?

 

 

 

https://www.fanragsports.com/nhl/dreger-examines-possibility-krueger-joining-canucks/

@FriedgeHNIC
Good morning. Reached out to Ralph Krueger for a comment on VAN interest. By email, he replied, "I have had some interesting chats these past weeks, but my focus remains fully on the Saints for now." So there you go. 
 
So, this may go with Brawndo's theory of Murray aiming for a specific coach

 

Wouldn't that be something. Would be a nice upgrade from "guy who didn't know how to coach Team USA". 

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