Housley Named Sabres Head Coach

[Thorny]

Bylsma absolutely talked about pressuring opponents, pushing the pace of play, and attacking. We literally drooled over it, coming out of the tank. 

All coaches sound good when they're hired, otherwise they wouldn't have been hired.

 

"That said, I absolutely love the style of play he's preaching: fast, aggressive, pressure. It's everything I've ever wanted from an aesthetic perspective."

 

This was TrueBlueGED a month into Bylsma's first season as Sabres coach. 

And that's not to pick on True. We all said stuff like that, but that's the quote I saw right away and that's exactly what's going on here. Either our optimism is right or we look back and say "OMG Phil was horrible. his strategy was never going to work, this new guy though, he's going to be so much better".

Dose of #reality brought to you today by own own Mr. Flagg.

 

If HCPH ends up doing the opposite of what he's saying, much the same way as Bylsma did, it would probably be time to look at reasons why the roster as currently constructed is unable to play the game being preached.

[LGR4GM]

Dose of #reality brought to you today by own own Mr. Flagg.

 

If HCPH ends up doing the opposite of what he's saying, much the same way as Bylsma did, it would probably be time to look at reasons why the roster as currently constructed is unable to play the game being preached.

I think JBots is already concerned about this very thing and tried to fix immediate issues over the summer. I would expect more changes next offseason. 

[Swedesessed]

 

Here's a negative view from a Preds fan, taken from hfboards:

 

I wish him the best, I think he's a great guy and he'll definitely help the D-men. I think he'll be a pretty poor head coach though. The two facets of the Preds that he was most involved in other than working with the defenseman (power play and OT) were the two worst aspects of the Preds and he never seemed to be able to adjust at all.

 

 

 

Bingo.

[WildCard]

Bingo.

The PP improved dramatically however.

 

Also, I will never base my head coach off of two ancillary aspects to a hockey game like that. That's what assistant coaches are for. If I wanted a garbage team with an elite PP, I'd have stuck with Byslma 

[Swedesessed]

The PP improved dramatically however.

 

Also, I will never base my head coach off of two ancillary aspects to a hockey game like that. That's what assistant coaches are for. If I wanted a garbage team with an elite PP, I'd have stuck with Byslma 

 

Fair points, but the regression in many other aspects give me pause about Housley: Can't really fire him now (although if there was a clear cut cant miss choice available I would) but Phil has a lot to learn and prove in 2018-2019

[WildCard]

Fair points, but the regression in many other aspects give me pause about Housley: Can't really fire him now (although if there was a clear cut cant miss choice available I would) but Phil has a lot to learn and prove in 2018-2019

I agree with that, he has a ton to prove for me next season. Mainly, can he instill some sort of spine in these guys

[Billznut]

I agree with that, he has a ton to prove for me next season. Mainly, can he instill some sort of spine in these guys

You can’t “instill” spine in players. You’re either born with it or you’re not. Botterill needs to go find players that actually have it. The current roster is sorely lacking in it.

[WildCard]

You can’t “instill” spine in players. You’re either born with it or you’re not. Botterill needs to go find players that actually have it. The current roster is sorely lacking in it.

I disagree with that. Players need to learn how to win; preparations, practice routines, etc. Building a winning culture is a difficult thing to do. Maybe spine isn't the right choice of words

[dudacek]

It’s hard to rate coaches because we have such a limited insight into what they are actually doing.

 

We judge them on what they say at the podium, how they act behind the bench, and what their players do on the ice in comparison to what we think they should or could do.

 

We don’t hear what they say in the room, see the disconnect between what they tell the players to do and what they actually do on the ice, or hear the rationale behind the decisions they make.

 

With such an incomplete picture into what a head coach is doing, how can a fan confidently pass any judgement on what an assistant coach is doing?

Here's a negative view from a Preds fan, taken from hfboards:

 

 

 

 

I wish him the best, I think he's a great guy and he'll definitely help the D-men. I think he'll be a pretty poor head coach though. The two facets of the Preds that he was most involved in other than working with the defenseman (power play and OT) were the two worst aspects of the Preds and he never seemed to be able to adjust at all.

 

 

 

[PASabreFan]

I may have been in a grog and I don't think I caught all of it on the radio, but was Phil quite pleased with the "effort" last night? He sounded like it. I think that has to change. This is the N.H.L. Is his style a reflection of the younger team the Sabres have right now (something something millennials)? As a guy who played at 18 under Scotty Bowman, is Phil's style an understandable 180 from what he knew, the way a dad who had a strict father might want to be buddies with his son?

 

I wonder how that kind of reaction to a loss sits with Jack.

 

Enjoy the loss, eh?

 

That's your losing culture in a nutshell. Deriving some benefit from losing.

[PASabreFan]

Just listened to the clip on WGR. He sounded almost giddy. He was rushing along from positive to positive, seemed to chuckle or laugh a few times. The money quote for me: "You can live with the effort. The bottom line is that guys played real hard. It's unfortunate because you would have liked to win that game."

 

Phil Housley soft? Nah.

Edited April 7, 2018 by PASabreFan

[bunomatic]

I may have been in a grog and I don't think I caught all of it on the radio, but was Phil quite pleased with the "effort" last night? He sounded like it. I think that has to change. This is the N.H.L. Is his style a reflection of the younger team the Sabres have right now (something something millennials)? As a guy who played at 18 under Scotty Bowman, is Phil's style an understandable 180 from what he knew, the way a dad who had a strict father might want to be buddies with his son?

 

I wonder how that kind of reaction to a loss sits with Jack.

 

Enjoy the loss, eh?

 

That's your losing culture in a nutshell. Deriving some benefit from losing.

Pretty much. It was great until they lost. Despite all the turnovers and terrible goaltending.

[Radar]

As much as I supported Phil being hired I am second guessing his being the right hire. Hope I'm wrong as I do want him to succeed but maybe this team at this stage was a poor fit. We'll see.

[PASabreFan]

I mean, you can say it's the last two games and there are kids in the lineup. But what burns me is that this is THEIR introduction to Sabres hockey, and they start to learn that coming close is good enough.

[inkman]

Just listened to the clip on WGR. He sounded almost giddy. He was rushing along from positive to positive, seemed to chuckle or laugh a few times. The money quote for me: "You can live with the effort. The bottom line is that guys played real hard. It's unfortunate because you would have liked to win that game."

 

Phil Housley soft? Nah.

I'm no fan of Phil, like many on this board who thought he would morph our D into Nashville's.

 

Buuuuut I don't think effort was the culprit last night nor much of the season. It's been execution. Average goaltending and Reinhart not playing the worst game of his career gets them a W, easily. Unfortunately, Johnson was handing out goals Reinhart was busy all night setting them up for Nashville.

 

There was reason to be excited. Nylander and Middlestadt showed they belonged and can contribute. Two more pieces of the puzzle. Now get a solid goalie to share time with Linus and at least 3 new D.

[SwampD]

I'm no fan of Phil, like many on this board who thought he would morph our D into Nashville's.

 

Buuuuut I don't think effort was the culprit last night nor much of the season. It's been execution. Average goaltending and Reinhart not playing the worst game of his career gets them a W, easily. Unfortunately, Johnson was handing out goals Reinhart was busy all night setting them up for Nashville.

 

There was reason to be excited. Nylander and Middlestadt showed they belonged and can contribute. Two more pieces of the puzzle. Now get a solid goalie to share time with Linus and at least 3 new D.

Reinhart was so bad last night in Tampa that even Nashville was getting goals on us.

[LGR4GM]

I mean, you can say it's the last two games and there are kids in the lineup. But what burns me is that this is THEIR introduction to Sabres hockey, and they start to learn that coming close is good enough.

This I agree with.

[PASabreFan]

This I agree with.

I also don't like this notion, fan-driven mostly I think, that they're up here to "get a taste" but also show off and put up some points to demonstrate what they can do. I say fan-driven "mostly" because I think some of it is the business side of a franchise working with a complicit GM to tease the fans for next season. The proper intro of a rook to a good team should be -- here's what you, a cog in the wheel, should do to contribute to a win, and it might not be all that sexy right now.

[dudacek]

From what Botterill has said, I think they are training them in Rochester to be what they want them to be in the NHL.

Baptiste didn’t come up until they were confident he would stop trying to be a goal scorer in his call-up and deliver what you need from a bottom six winger.

Nylander and Mittlestadt didn’t get stuck with Larsson and Nolan.

Ullmark was going to get a shot at carrying the load.

[pi2000]

Just listened to the clip on WGR. He sounded almost giddy. He was rushing along from positive to positive, seemed to chuckle or laugh a few times. The money quote for me: "You can live with the effort. The bottom line is that guys played real hard. It's unfortunate because you would have liked to win that game."

 

Phil Housley soft? Nah.

 

This is nothing new... it was evident in training camp and pre-season.    And here we are. 

 

https://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/25237-phil-housley-your-feelings-after-preseason/?do=findComment&comment=981222

 

"I've seen nothing from this preseason to suggest Housley has them on the right path.    Guys like ROR, Eichel, etc... sleep-walking through pre-season games,  ragged scrambley d-zone play, giving up odd man rush after odd man rush.    Lack of effort and focus... and all Housley has done is heap praise on this group for their work ethic.... well, I for one, don't see any amount of work ethic from anybody."

[Jacque Richard]

Thirty games then can him if no improvement

[PASabreFan]

Thirty games then can him if no improvement

But with the expected roster turnover, he'll need the season to install his system! Again.

 

Not kidding. You know you'll hear exactly that from plenty of folks.

[North Buffalo]

Just bring up Chris Taylor add an experienced bench coach say Ruff.

[Weave]

Now that Alain Vigneault has been let go I suspect a former team mate of Housely just might be available for the job.

 

Somewhere Luke Adam shudders.

[Jsixspd]

But with the expected roster turnover, he'll need the season to install his system! Again.

 

Not kidding. You know you'll hear exactly that from plenty of folks.

Yup - lol - that's the tired excuse "They needed to learn the coach's system" or "They're still learning his system".       

 

Vegas must have a bunch of Rhodes Scholars on the roster -  they seemed to learn their new coach's system pretty darn quick!   lol   

 

Housley essentially gets a pass on any evaluation or critique for this entire season, because he and Botterill are 'evaluating'.  Maybe the Sabres should have just sat out the season and scrimmaged at KeyBank Center, since this season was a total throwaway apparently. 

 

Total Ownership and Total and complete accountability should start for Housley with game 1 of the 2018-19 season.  No. More. Excuses.

 

If things go south, I sure don't want to read anything about 'evaluation' or 'learning the system' as excuses for Housley this fall - At that point, it's prime time, and  overdue time to p@#$ or get off the proverbial pot!     And if its looking poor after 20, 25 games, can his behind!  We shouldn't countenance a loser!