Phil Housley discussion thread 2

[Kyndig]

How bad does the team have to finish for Housley to be canned? From 1st to 20th and I could see us falling around 25th easily.

The last 38 games (60% of our season so far) played puts us at a 64 point pace...how is that improvement? Because we had a lucky streak of games we won by 1 goal? I HOPE Botterill is smarter than that.

 

[sabremike]

 

[ozpensfan]

So I started seeing this girl, who knew absolutely nothing (didnt even knew hockey was played in my country) about the game of hockey apart from seeing me play and so we started to watch Buffalo together.

The very first thing she said is "What's wrong with the coach?, he doesnt have any emotion and looks really confused"

Now we are at season end and know whenever the camera cuts to him for either a goal for or a goal against or even in general play - she goes hey look hes still got "Phil Face"

Zero passion, zero emotion and pretty sure if you opened up his cranium all you'd find is the Pokemon Magikarp flopping around in there.

 

[jBuds]

So I started seeing this girl, who knew absolutely nothing (didnt even knew hockey was played in my country) about the game of hockey apart from seeing me play and so we started to watch Buffalo together.

The very first thing she said is "What's wrong with the coach?, he doesnt have any emotion and looks really confused"

Now we are at season end and know whenever the camera cuts to him for either a goal for or a goal against or even in general play - she goes hey look hes still got "Phil Face"

Zero passion, zero emotion and pretty sure if you opened up his cranium all you'd find is the Pokemon Magikarp flopping around in there.

He should uncross his arms once in a while

 

[OkimLom]

He should uncross his arms once in a while

Oh come on, haven’t you seen his arms behind his back while looking confused at the play on the ice, look!?

 

[ZZamboni]

View attachment 193235

Did you start the go fund me yet? Or was that just venting?

 

[Beerz]

View attachment 193235

Omg. This is gold.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I was thinking about posting a new thread, asking about how people would want to handle the rest of the season now that the trade deadline has passed. I.e., now that the option of sending guys out and bringing guys in is off the table, what would you do if you were Housley & Botterill?

Do you try to put the best talent on the ice at the NHL level, with the goal of finishing on a high note (or maybe miraculously squeaking into the playoffs)?

Do you call up prospects (Olofsson, Nylander, O'Regan, etc.) and bench UFA vets in order to establish chemistry for next season?

Do you send as much talent as you can down to Rochester, to get guys some sort of playoff experience, and to maybe get better draft position?

But as I was typing it up, I stopped. None of our opinions mean jack or ****, and Housley's going to half-ass all of the above and leave us with a full slate of un-answered questions going into the offseason.

Awesome.

Ignoring the Housley effect, the Rochester guys should get as much experience playing meaningful games together as possible. If someone is needed in Buffalo they can be an emergency call up. Playing them in Buffalo down the stretch of a non-playoff season, with about 8 vets that aren't going to be around for long, doesn't really prepare them for their future roles as a Sabre very well. Development is better served playing them in a similar role, similar ice time, in pressure games (as AHL playoffs mean more than down the stretch garbage time in the NHL), with the players they will actually be playing with in Buffalo (once the time comes). I always look back at 2004-05 as the best way to bring talent up. It can't always happen en masse, but in close time proximity anyway. The time that Smith, Olofsson, Pilut, Borgen, and maybe O'Regan or Nylander have together now will pay off if they make it as NHLers. By then, new picks will have made their way to Rochester and be ready to backfill, the way a proper minor league affiliate should be run. In the past 10 or more years, an over-reliance on prospects has kept them coming to Buffalo sooner than necessary, and not quite ready (or talented enough due to poor drafts).

 

[Moncton man]

Zero passion, zero emotion and pretty sure if you opened up his cranium all you'd find is the Pokemon Magikarp flopping around in there.

Phil uses (splash) his coaching abilities, it has no effect.

 

[Chainshot]

So I started seeing this girl, who knew absolutely nothing (didnt even knew hockey was played in my country) about the game of hockey apart from seeing me play and so we started to watch Buffalo together.

The very first thing she said is "What's wrong with the coach?, he doesnt have any emotion and looks really confused"

Now we are at season end and know whenever the camera cuts to him for either a goal for or a goal against or even in general play - she goes hey look hes still got "Phil Face"

Zero passion, zero emotion and pretty sure if you opened up his cranium all you'd find is the Pokemon Magikarp flopping around in there.

That's a riot. Bonus for the Magikarp reference.

 

[debaser66]

He should uncross his arms once in a while

That's the only defensive play he is able to teach

 

[Sinter Klaas]

You do realize that the Sabres have more points than the Coyotes, right?

Not anymore.

 

[Hasekperreault23]

Ignoring the Housley effect, the Rochester guys should get as much experience playing meaningful games together as possible. If someone is needed in Buffalo they can be an emergency call up. Playing them in Buffalo down the stretch of a non-playoff season, with about 8 vets that aren't going to be around for long, doesn't really prepare them for their future roles as a Sabre very well. Development is better served playing them in a similar role, similar ice time, in pressure games (as AHL playoffs mean more than down the stretch garbage time in the NHL), with the players they will actually be playing with in Buffalo (once the time comes). I always look back at 2004-05 as the best way to bring talent up. It can't always happen en masse, but in close time proximity anyway. The time that Smith, Olofsson, Pilut, Borgen, and maybe O'Regan or Nylander have together now will pay off if they make it as NHLers. By then, new picks will have made their way to Rochester and be ready to backfill, the way a proper minor league affiliate should be run. In the past 10 or more years, an over-reliance on prospects has kept them coming to Buffalo sooner than necessary, and not quite ready (or talented enough due to poor drafts).

I agree but will throw in say 5 games for each prospect in roles they might play in Buffalo.Example give Oloffson 5 games with Jack and Jeff.Maybe Nylander with Sam and Mitts or a few games with each line for both Nylander and Oloffson.Smith and O'Reagon with larry and Girgs.Hell give Asplund a few.Borgen with Dahlin.It gives them a chance to see speed of games, strength of players and a feeling of hey if I play well here and in Rochester for stretch and playoffs I have a shot.But yes I agree 100% what you saying

 

[Chainshot]

Calling up Smith and giving him trash ice time after his torrid play in Rochester was certain great coaching.

Sobotka's comments about how he's in a role he's never done before... also seems like great coaching.

Rampant unpreparedness, sloppy d-zone play, lack of effort... all great coaching.

Can we trade him for Hawerchuk again?

 

[OkimLom]

Calling up Smith and giving him trash ice time after his torrid play in Rochester was certain great coaching.

Sobotka's comments about how he's in a role he's never done before... also seems like great coaching.

Rampant unpreparedness, sloppy d-zone play, lack of effort... all great coaching.

Can we trade him for Hawerchuk again?

Don't worry about the quality of coaching. These two past years meant nothing. I'm sure once Botterill is ready to be competitive, they will just flip a switch to all of a sudden being able to bring quality players that fit with the rest of the players and Housley will become the front runner for coach of the year with such a system that we become instant President Trophy contenders.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

So I started seeing this girl, who knew absolutely nothing (didnt even knew hockey was played in my country) about the game of hockey apart from seeing me play and so we started to watch Buffalo together.

The very first thing she said is "What's wrong with the coach?, he doesnt have any emotion and looks really confused"

Now we are at season end and know whenever the camera cuts to him for either a goal for or a goal against or even in general play - she goes hey look hes still got "Phil Face"

Zero passion, zero emotion and pretty sure if you opened up his cranium all you'd find is the Pokemon Magikarp flopping around in there.

'Scared Phil'

 

[Sabre the Win]

I was reading an article about Boucher's firing in Ottawa, interesting quote from Borowiecki that speaks volumes to the product we are seeing and why Phil should go

"It’s one of those things if you keep doing the same thing and the results aren’t there then it’s tough to keep players engaged,"

source: Senators fire Guy Boucher, name Marc Crawford interim head coach - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

And by "kill" I mean "fire".

 

[Samsonite23]

What does this guy do as a head coach that has a positive impact on players? Be calm? Be nice? Anything?... Bueller?

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

If I were Jack I'd be f***ing livid.. having a career year and putting the team on my back at times and Housley f***s up the lineup in every way imaginable and is just dead back there on the bench. I'd come back to the bench screaming at him to do his f***ing job and show something, anything. I've never seen a more vacuous empty void behind the bench, he literally does nothing besides set shit lineups.

 

[GameMisconduct]

What does this guy do as a head coach that has a positive impact on players? Be calm? Be nice? Anything?... Bueller?

I asked similar questions in posts here at the end of last season and the beginning of this one: in what area of coaching has he demonstrated even average nhl level competence? Is there any area where he has demonstrated any kind of strength?

I couldn't really find anything that satisfied the first criteria let alone the latter, though I also posted he was a first time coach with room to develop these things.

It's clear at this point he brings very little if anything positive and has consistently demonstrated a variety of negatives.

There is no justifiable basis for him to continue to remain the coach (particularly once we reach the end of the season).

 

[debaser66]

Please stop teaching Phil just go away

 

[is the answer jesus]

So what are we thinking? Does Phil get smoked before the end of the year? Or at seasons end? Or by some miracle is he back next season with a short leash? I'll guess he gets it right after the end of the season.

 

[debaser66]

So what are we thinking? Does Phil get smoked before the end of the year? Or at seasons end? Or by some miracle is he back next season with a short leash? I'll guess he gets it right after the end of the season.

He probably will be here to start next season.

 

[Gabrielor]

His message failed. He needs to go, along with another wave of players.

And at this point, Botts has had two shots at filling depth for this roster, and missed. I'm questioning if he should get a third crack at it.