Official Don Granato Named New Sabres Head Coach

[Randall Flagg]

10 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

One of the nice things about Granato now being names coach is he basically had a 20 game pre-season to get to know his roster and show them some of what he expects heading into a long offseason. 

And he actually used that time constructively, and we learned a lot of things because of it.

[Thorny]

3 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

And he actually used that time constructively, and we learned a lot of things because of it.

Biggest thing we learned is that Reinhart can play centre, and we’re about to trade him, so. Suppose it should up the return 

[Doohickie]

4 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

And he actually used that time constructively, and we learned a lot of things because of it.

He said in the presser he specially addressed the offense which had been sorely lacking, at the purposeful expense of defense.  He said getting an offensive system installed is much more difficult than defensive coverage which is dependent on structure, positioning and set plays.  So for people like pi who point out that his metrics looked worse than Krueger's, my response is to wait and see (a) who we end up with in goal, and (b) how our defense goes when Donny Meatballs devotes significant training camp and practice time to his defensive system.

[Doohickie]

22 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Biggest thing we learned is that Reinhart can play centre, and we’re about to trade him, so. Suppose it should up the return 

The biggest disappointment to me arising from JBot/Krueger era won't be losing Eichel, it will be losing Reino.  I like to think that somehow KA will figure out how to keep both but I'm prepared for them to be gone.  If I could keep only one at this point though, it would be Samson.

[Weave]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

The biggest disappointment to me arising from JBot/Krueger era won't be losing Eichel, it will be losing Reino.  I like to think that somehow KA will figure out how to keep both but I'm prepared for them to be gone.  If I could keep only one at this point though, it would be Samson.

If I could choose between the two and the one that remained was happy and committed, I’d choose Sam.  Just a gut feeling regarding Jack and the atmosphere.

[Doohickie]

I think if the Sabres played winning hockey, both players would be fine.  This past season was so hellish though (after all their other "rebuilding" seasons here) I can't blame either one for wanting out.  But if they both stayed and bought into the Meatballs Mantra, we might finally turn the corner, like right now.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Doohickie

[Marvin]

7 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I think if the Sabres played winning hockey, both players would be fine.  This past season was so hellish thought (after all their other "rebuilding" seasons here) I can't blame either one for wanting out.  But if they both stayed and bought into the Meatballs Mantra, we might finally turn the corner, like right now.

From your keyboard to God's Eyes.

[Weave]

51 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I think if the Sabres played winning hockey, both players would be fine.  This past season was so hellish thought (after all their other "rebuilding" seasons here) I can't blame either one for wanting out.  But if they both stayed and bought into the Meatballs Mantra, we might finally turn the corner, like right now.

"Just a gut feeling regarding Jack and the atmosphere."

Edited July 2, 2021 by Weave

[NAF]

I am a bit concerned that what we saw out of Granato at the end of last season isn't what we're going to get at the beginning of next season. I remember seeing that xGF numbers were lower under Granato than they were under Krueger (?!), or maybe it was that shooting percentages were far higher under Granato than Krueger.  Maybe I'm misremembering those stats but I do believe something indicated puckluck was better under Granato than under Krueger, and that we should expect some regression to the mean.

[kas23]

6 minutes ago, NAF said:

I am a bit concerned that what we saw out of Granato at the end of last season isn't what we're going to get at the beginning of next season. I remember seeing that xGF numbers were lower under Granato than they were under Krueger (?!), or maybe it was that shooting percentages were far higher under Granato than Krueger.  Maybe I'm misremembering those stats but I do believe something indicated puckluck was better under Granato than under Krueger, and that we should expect some regression to the mean.

I can see the shooting percentage of maybe 1-2 players being elevated, because sometimes players get hot purely based on luck. But, from what I read, Granato had the whole team having a sh% a full 1% higher than RK. To me, that’s not just puck luck. 

[Marvin]

39 minutes ago, NAF said:

I am a bit concerned that what we saw out of Granato at the end of last season isn't what we're going to get at the beginning of next season. I remember seeing that xGF numbers were lower under Granato than they were under Krueger (?!), or maybe it was that shooting percentages were far higher under Granato than Krueger.  Maybe I'm misremembering those stats but I do believe something indicated puckluck was better under Granato than under Krueger, and that we should expect some regression to the mean.

You are remembering correctly.  Some of that almost certainly was puck luck.  However, they were much less passive in the offencive zone and, if memory serves me right, got more shots, clearer shots, and shots from higher danger areas.  All of that helps improve puck luck because you have more and better chances to get lucky.

[SwampD]

17 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

You are remembering correctly.  Some of that almost certainly was puck luck.  However, they were much less passive in the offencive zone and, if memory serves me right, got more shots, clearer shots, and shots from higher danger areas.  All of that helps improve puck luck because you have more and better chances to get lucky.

Which was it, though? There is a huge difference between xGF and shooting % when talking about luck.

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

Which was it, though? There is a huge difference between xGF and shooting % when talking about luck.

If I knew that, I'd be working for some club making well into the 6 figures.

To actually answer your question, I think it's a bit of coaching change, a change in philosophy, better mental make-up of the players, less pressure, better offencive positioning, a superior offencive philosophy, and player growth.  So some of what we saw was legitimate improvement, but some was a mirage.  You don't do as well as this team did with 4th-6th string goalies with mirrors, but it is not an accident that they were at the bottom of the heap either.

[triumph_communes]

You make your own luck when you play certain ways. Their shackles were loosened and we saw the players raw. And ‘busts’ turned into possibles again and all the ‘luck’ stats improved across the board.

 

Sometimes players are better when they’re happier. 

[Second Line Center]

34 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

You make your own luck when you play certain ways. Their shackles were loosened and we saw the players raw. And ‘busts’ turned into possibles again and all the ‘luck’ stats improved across the board.

 

Sometimes players are better when they’re happier. 

 

We need goaltending to continue to play this way especially with a young team.

 

Goalies not named Linus won 5...5 freaking games total.  Linus went 9-6-3.  

 

Not addressing the goaltending before the season is what has had me questioning KA that got put aside when we got Hall.  Both total disasters.  

Not good Kevin.  Not good.  

Edited July 3, 2021 by Second Line Center

[kas23]

22 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

You make your own luck when you play certain ways. Their shackles were loosened and we saw the players raw. And ‘busts’ turned into possibles again and all the ‘luck’ stats improved across the board.

 

Sometimes players are better when they’re happier. 

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have”

- Thomas Jefferson

[pi2000]

5 hours ago, NAF said:

I am a bit concerned that what we saw out of Granato at the end of last season isn't what we're going to get at the beginning of next season. I remember seeing that xGF numbers were lower under Granato than they were under Krueger (?!), or maybe it was that shooting percentages were far higher under Granato than Krueger.  Maybe I'm misremembering those stats but I do believe something indicated puckluck was better under Granato than under Krueger, and that we should expect some regression to the mean.

I posted this on 4/17... one month after Granato took over, looking only at the previous 10 games because we gave him some break in time.

Even strength only.

CF = corsi for
SF = shots for
HD = high danger (prime scoring area close to the net)
HDCF/CA = HD chances for / chances against

       	Ralph		Donny last 10 games (league ranking in parens)
CF%	48.87(18)	43.90(28)
SF%	47.27(28)	44.83(26)
xGF/60	2.09(29)	2.41(13)
xGA/60	2.59(29)	2.72(25)
HDCF/60	10.04(17)	10.68(12)
HDCA/60	10.40(20)	11.29(21)
SH%	5.92(31)	11.72(2)
HDSH%	12.14(31)	21.13(7)
SV%	88.98(30)	92.56(8)
HDSV%	80.40(22)	89.47(6)

Corsi for % (and likewise shots for %) became noticeably worse under Granato.

Expected goals for improved slightly, expected goals against became worse.

shooting %, high danger shooting % and save %'s all drastically improved... why I'm not sure, it can't all be puck luck... maybe some of it.    UPL came back for a stretch there too which helped the sv%'s, but the improved in shooting %'s is puzzling.

Edited July 3, 2021 by pi2000

[Eleven]

9 hours ago, Thorny said:

Biggest thing we learned is that Reinhart can play centre, and we’re about to trade him, so. Suppose it should up the return 

He was drafted to be a center and he should have been a center all along.

And I want him here.  I know he has leverage, but I still want him here.

[Doohickie]

3 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

You make your own luck when you play certain ways.

Krueger had them playing such a conservative style that it stifled any creativity and luck.  Granato encouraged risk taking and forgave mistakes when they were made for the right reasons.

[Doohickie]

3 hours ago, Second Line Center said:

 has had me questioning KA that got put aside when we got Hall.  Both total disasters.  

Not good Kevin.  Not good.  

The Hall acquisition was fine.  It looked good at the time and a lot of us thought pairing him with Eichel might make an unstoppable line.  Eichel ended up playing hurt then not at all, and then Hall gave up on the season.

Edited July 3, 2021 by Doohickie

[Eleven]

12 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

The Hall acquisition was fine.  It looked good at the time and a lot of us thought pairing him with Eichel might make an unstoppable line.  Eichel ended up playing hurt then not at all, and then Hall gave up on the season.

There was no downside to the Hall acquisition.  The problem was the trade.  Adams was had.  

[Doohickie]

Eh.  He was over a barrel.  On the one hand, the mistake was the NMC.  On the other, at least they only signed him for a year.  Let's just say that was a learning experience for Kevyn.

[LGR4GM]

With some of these contracts getting handed out, Reinhart might be in the 6-6.5 range now. 

[Pimlach]

The expectations were that Eichel and Sam lead this team to respectability.  They were the fruit of the tank, and as such, cornerstones.  Clearly, this was a terrible plan, poorly executed, for multiple reasons that have been covered before. 
 

KA better heed these results when he hears Granato talking about Dahlin, Cozens, Mitts, Thompson leading the young core.  Granato was happy to see Cozens and Tage defend teammates, that’s good.  
 

Call to KA -   For 2021, if you want to get out of the basement the Sabres need to fix goaltending right now.  Then they need to add a few solid citizen honest players to bring in physical and mental toughness too.  We can’t expect Cozens and Tage to carry that load.  
 

Solid citizen honest players means no drugs, no police related issues, no undermining others, no taking games off, show up and play hard and  with pride for the team.  

Edited July 3, 2021 by Pimlach

[tom webster]

30 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

With some of these contracts getting handed out, Reinhart might be in the 6-6.5 range now. 

I’ve been saying that for a few months. The next couple of years is going to see a reset and then the players are going to bemoan these right year deals. The cap will explode within three years and proactive teams will be in great shape, as always