Phil Housley discussion thread

[pigpen65]

I hate to break it to you but Botterill is more of the reason for the turn around then Housley. Over the summer Botterill started showing the players what it means to be a Sabre, showing them the past glory, the historic players who wore the jersey. He instilled them with a sense of pride for the jersey, not only showing them video but he brought in alumni to talk with the players about being a Sabre. Last year guys were just playing for themselves, this year after they bought into being a team.

Housley is just along for the ride. Any coach will look good behind this team, we need the coach who can make in game adjustments. Housley deserves no credit for reverting the lines back mid game because you don't get credit for reverting your own stupidity.

Do i understand correctly that you don't think Housley should get credit for the team playing better because the reason the team is playing better is because Botterill added better players?

 

[Sabre the Win]

Housley is mentioned prominently in that article. He worked his butt off to bring about a culture change in the locker room.

I never said Housley didnt do anything, I said it was more on Botterill for the change in the locker room.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Do i understand correctly that you don't think Housley should get credit for the team playing better because the reason the team is playing better is because Botterill added better players?

Show me how Housley is making this team better without spewing record. What exactly is he doing different from last season to this season.

The only difference I see behind the bench from this season to last is Steve Smith.

That article I posted he worked on team bonding, that's a start but what any coach can do. I want to know does he change the X's and O's on how we execute? If he does, how? Tell me what hes done to warrant being a good coach other then doing stuff and coach can do by team bonding.

Is his system going continue to be rely on a hot goalie and pray we can hold them off.

 

[pigpen65]

Show me how Housley is making this team better without spewing record. What exactly is he doing different from last season to this season.

The only difference I see behind the bench from this season to last is Steve Smith.

So i didn't understand correctly? Is it then that you don't think Housley deserves credit for the team playing better because the reason the team is playing better is the assistant coach?

 

[Sabre the Win]

So i didn't understand correctly? Is it then that you don't think Housley deserves credit for the team playing better because the reason the team is playing better is the assistant coach?

Way to dance around the question, you should be a politician. The team is playing better because they are bonding and goalies are bailing them out constantly.

I guess being outworked for 2 periods is Houslys goto system and pray for hot goaltending and a comeback.

 

[Royal Thunder]

You can hate some of the lineup decisions while still giving Phil credit for doing a terrific job this season.

 

[pigpen65]

Way to dance around the question, you should be a politician. The team is playing better because they are bonding and goalies are bailing them out constantly.

I can't answer i question i don't understand. That's why i keep asking you whether i am understanding it correctly. Is it correct to say that the reason you don't think Housley deserves credit for the team playing better is because the players are bonding better and because the goaltending is better?

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

You can hate some of the lineup decisions while still giving Phil credit for doing a terrific job this season.

People just make their minds up about certain coaches, GMs, and players without waiting to see development or results. Same as it ever was.

 

[Sabre the Win]

I can't answer i question i don't understand. That's why i keep asking you whether i am understanding it correctly. Is it correct to say that the reason you don't think Housley deserves credit for the team playing better is because the players are bonding better and because the goaltending is better?

How do you not understand? Here it is in laymens terms.

"What is the strategy Phil is doing that makes him a good coach?"

 

[pigpen65]

How do you not understand? Here it is in payments terms.

"What is the strategy Phil is doing that makes him a good coach?"

So you think the reason Housley shouldn't get credit for the team playing better is "What is the strategy Phil is doing that makes him a good coach?" That's not a good argument. If you have a good argument you should be able to easily sum it up in one or two concise sentences. You can't do it. Three posts in a row you've given three different answers. It's gone from it being Botterill's additions, to it being Steve Smith, to it being the bonding of players and goaltending. You're throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.

 

[Sabre the Win]

So you think the reason Housley shouldn't get credit for the team playing better is "What is the strategy Phil is doing that makes him a good coach?" That's not a good argument. If you have a good argument you should be able to easily sum it up in one or two concise sentences. You can't do it. Three posts in a row you've given three different answers. It's gone from it being Botterill's additions, to it being Steve Smith, to it being the bonding of players and goaltending. You're throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.

You cant answer a damn question, you follow up a question with a damn question.

I get it. You have no f***ing clue why Housley is a good coach. Any coach can do team bonding, I want to know what makes him better than coach Q, I want to know what is Housley's in game strategy that he is using that makes you claim he is a good coach? Is his strategy "pray for good goaltending why getting dogged for two periods".

Im done with you, you clearly are trying to bow out because you have no answers. You just feel the need to defend Housley because you like him. I get it.

I like him as a person, so far as a coach hes been trash and until you can show me why he isnt trash and why hes an upgrade over someone like Q take your L, I wont be replying back.

 

[Buffaloed]

Is there a time and effort advanced stat?

It's called the karin factor. It's a multiplier that adjusts time and effort for motivation to avoid going home to the wife. Phil is off the charts.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

11-20: Phil Housley with Howard and Jeremy on WGR (13:09)

#Sabres head coach Phil Housley joins Howard and Jeremy next on WGR for his weekly Tuesday segment! Tune in:

Housley - I think we've just stayed calm and kept our composure in the last three games. We had that next shift mentality and stayed the course. We bend, but we don't break. The players dug down and found a way to win, we have the belief that we're never out of it. #Sabres

Housley - I believe that our conditioning is a lot better from last season. We came really well prepared to training camp, and you can see the reward for that. There's a reason why we're going hard, and the results are showing. #Sabres

Housley - Casey Nelson's goal at the end of the second period really provided us a boost last night. When you're only down by a goal heading into the third, you're never out of it. Our third periods have been good, we're just concerned about our starts. #Sabres

Housley on Rasmus Dahlin - I just see the true competitor he is when he makes a mistake on the ice. He's a mentally tough kid. He had that terrific rush in the third period, and just showed how tough he is. (1/2) #Sabres

Housley - He's finding out it's going to be tough and you can't be your best every night, but you can see how he responded in the third period. (2/2) #Sabres

Housley - Hutton and Ullmark are providing us some solid goaltending. I think we're relying on them a bit too much. We want to be better in front of them, but they have made some big saves for us. #Sabres

Housley - I really like the development of our young guys, but Mittelstadt has done a tremendous job. He's getting some more looks and is getting rewarded. Great to see him get that tying goal last night after the work he has put in. #Sabres

Housley - we have to understand that we are going to make mistakes with our young guys, and we have to be patient with them. We're going to hold them accountable, but we have to develop them moving forward. #Sabres

Housley - We have to get focused again and get the players prepared for Philadelphia. We owe it to our fans that we put our best foot forward, and we're looking forward to play in front of the home fans. #Sabres

 

[5 Minute Major]

That second to last paragraph has me thinking Tage Thompson and the decision on where he is at right now is both Housley’s and Botterill’s.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

It's called the karin factor. It's a multiplier that adjusts time and effort for motivation to avoid going home to the wife. Phil is off the charts.

Why wouldn't he want to go home to his wife?

 

[vcv]

Are players buying into Phil's system this year when they were not last year?

If so, why? Was O'Reilly not committed to the system and it rubbed off on guys?

How much of that is Steve Smith?

How much of the attitude is the absence of O'Reilly and how much is Eichel being the designated leader?

Do any of the new guys (Hutton, Sobotka, Berglund) factor into the new attitude?

 

[old kummelweck]

Genius

 

[Moskau]

Best 3rd period coach in the league. Can we have someone else coach them for the 1st period?

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Are players buying into Phil's system this year when they were not last year?

If so, why? Was O'Reilly not committed to the system and it rubbed off on guys?

How much of that is Steve Smith?

How much of the attitude is the absence of O'Reilly and how much is Eichel being the designated leader?

Do any of the new guys (Hutton, Sobotka, Berglund) factor into the new attitude?

No, they just have Rasmus Dahlin.

O’Reilly wasn’t a buy-in issue, it was a “playing more defensive zone starts than anyone ever to clear 1k minutes” issue. The team was still hot garbage when Phil was trying to shoehorn Sobotka in that role.

Probably a lot of it, given how many bad decisions the coaching staff has still made. But we don’t know the workflow and our reporters are bad, so it’s hard to say.

Again, you don’t need to get into the amorphous impact of leadership structures. The team’s offensive players are getting high leverage offensive minutes. The lowest upside players are generally playing defense. This is a fundamental change vs last year and the Bylsma tenure.

Replacing a bad goaltender with personal issues has been really good. Everything else is just finally playing guys in appropriate roles and depth upgrades.

 

[sabrebuild]

Are players buying into Phil's system this year when they were not last year?

If so, why? Was O'Reilly not committed to the system and it rubbed off on guys?

How much of that is Steve Smith?

How much of the attitude is the absence of O'Reilly and how much is Eichel being the designated leader?

Do any of the new guys (Hutton, Sobotka, Berglund) factor into the new attitude?

We have a lot more good players. Talent added at every position but center.

Dahlin fits our team much like Matthews fit the Leafs. A great player at an important position, in the biggest area of need.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

I think it's an hfboards tradition to show no love for the coach. Housley has made a lot of mistakes and taken a lot of missteps along the way, but i feel like he and his team are really starting to piece things together. I am content with Housley this season - it's amazing what quality depth can do for coaching and an organization.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

I think it's an hfboards tradition to show no love for the coach. Housley has made a lot of mistakes and taken a lot of missteps along the way, but i feel like he and his team are really starting to piece things together. I am content with Housley this season - it's amazing what quality depth can do for coaching and an organization.

They’re below average in every underlying metric pretty much entirely because of the organizational obsession with Thompson and Sobotka.

This isn’t a situation like last season’s Leafs, where they could dress Matt Martin and not care because the rest of the forwards were so good, this is literally getting in the way of the Sabres being sustainably good at hockey.

 

[Myllz]

I still don't like how passive they play. Forecheck is very light, they don't press the man with the puck on the PK, everything is just about staying in your lanes. It's like they play zone coverage.

Obviously winning will overshadow that, but they're relying pretty heavily on excellent goaltending at the moment. We'll see how that continues on throughout the season, if they keep winning...then who cares.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Housley last night showed more emotion on that garbage goal against on Bogos trip then any coach we've had since Ruff.


Housley is coming along. He isnt going anywhere. He has at least this year and next assuming we make the playoffs

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

They’re below average in every underlying metric pretty much entirely because of the organizational obsession with Thompson and Sobotka.

This isn’t a situation like last season’s Leafs, where they could dress Matt Martin and not care because the rest of the forwards were so good, this is literally getting in the way of the Sabres being sustainably good at hockey.

I can't argue with the point about Thompson situation. I am glad he had a good game, but one good game does not erase all of the preceding bad games. It's one of the only consistently baffling decisions that the coaching/front office staff have made - i am grouping the ERod benching into the Tage conundrum.

I just mean that even with the baffling decisions, we're winning games and coaching is tied into that. This team isn't winning in spite of Housley, but we still have a ways to go. My confidence in housley is waxing and i wonder if/when we really hit our stride if people will continue to bash the coach or give him credit where it's due.