Last week, the Rochester Americans fell behind 2-0 in the first period against Hartford in a game they would eventually win. Still, the first thing Amerks coach Seth Appert did after the game was put it on himself.
“We were terrible in the first,” Appert said. “That’s not acceptable. I have to do a better job. We’ve been a really good starting team. It’s something we’ve taken pride in. It shows guys are practicing the right way and preparing the right way. I think that’s big on coaching. Obviously, I missed something in terms of our preparation or seeing where they were at mentally to get the right mindset heading into the start of the game.”
If slow starts are a byproduct of poor preparation, Granato has some explaining to do in his end-of-season review with management and ownership. The players share some accountability, but what is a coach’s job if not to prepare a team with a game plan and motivate them to execute it? One or both of those elements is missing.
Just before the trade deadline, general manager Kevyn Adams told The Athletic he envisioned Granato coaching the Sabres next season. He said part of his reasoning was, “What I see right now out of the room as I sit in the meetings and there is absolutely great pregame plan, pre-scout plan that is going into every game.” He added later, “If I sensed we were losing that where we weren’t prepared or communicating well enough, that would be trouble.”
This seems like trouble. Just look at the way the team started the season. The Sabres played to a 73-point pace in October, November and December. They’ve shown life since Jan. 1, but even since then, they’re only playing at a 91-point pace. That’s not nearly enough to make up for how the season started.
theathletic.com
