Phil Housley discussion thread

[jc17]

With Montreal slumping, these last 2 losses were inexcusable. They sleep walked through both games.

I don't think so . Both games I would say they outplayed the opposition for a while, but spiraled for a few minutes which killed them.

The final score isn't always an indication of effort...

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Bolded: For me, it depends on what is the question of what we want to accomplish with our next hire. I wouldn't be interested in hiring Quenneville because of his x's and o's. I would be interested in hiring him to correct issues in the locker room and build up much needed standards through this organization that we seem to lack in the NHL and AHL. I think there is a lot wrong with this team, and it's rooted in a lack bringing a consistency to the ice, whether in practice or games. I think he would do a good job performing that task. In turn, we would be looking at a much more often competitive team. I'm not asking him to re-invent the wheel, I'm asking him to teach these players how to be successful professionals. The hiring of Bylsma and Housley have drastically put us behind in this aspect.

Agree. Discipline, consistency, and intensity are severely lacking on this team. Was watching Red Army last night and mused about what Viktor Tikhonov would do with this team. Siberia? Summary execution? Public humiliation?

I sense (based on ice time allocations, roster activations, etc.) that under Housley, a disciplined,, uniform and transparent system of accountability is not in place. I agree with you that establishing one is a top priority. Quennville is a established HC with a solid reputation for running a tight ship. He is as you pointed out, outdated when it comes to x's and o's. (Or maybe just stuck in his ways....) So, I would prefer to look for candidates who can address a greater set of needs. Someone on this board suggested Boudreau. That intrigues me. I also think that responsibility and accountability can be brought to the locker room and ice surface via someone like Steve Smith versus hiring Quennville and his full entourage (which is what it's going take).

 

[jc17]

Ever catch audio from one of Boudreau's practices? He's a superlative trash talker and employs some of the more unique forms of ef bombing found in the english language.

Also, have to wonder how he hasn't given himself an aneurysm behind the bench during games yet.

Talk about culture shock!!

As over the top as they are, it seems like he's done a good job. Maybe it's a sign of the direction the teams were headed but it appears like the teams that fired him got significantly worse after

 

[sabremike]

Agree. Discipline, consistency, and intensity are severely lacking on this team. Was watching Red Army last night and mused about what Viktor Tikhonov would do with this team. Siberia? Summary execution? Public humiliation?

I sense (based on ice time allocations, roster activations, etc.) that Housley does not have a disciplined,, uniform and transparent system of accountability is not in place. I agree with you that establishing one is a top priority. Quennville is a established HC with a solid reputation for running a tight ship. He is as you pointed out, outdated when it comes to x's and o's. (Or maybe just stuck in his ways....) So, I would prefer to look for candidates who can address a greater set of needs. Someone on this board suggested Boudreau. That intrigues me. I also think that can be brought to the table via someone like Steve Smith versus hiring Quennville and his full entourage (which is what it's going take).

Literally the last place I would look is inhouse because our entire coaching staff appears to be useless at best.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Literally the last place I would look is inhouse because our entire coaching staff appears to be useless at best.

I've read favorable things about Steve Smith but yeah, favorable things were written about Phil Housley too. And there's the HC experience factor as well.

Smith for me, would be interim (temp) HC just to finish out the season.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

As over the top as they are, it seems like he's done a good job. Maybe it's a sign of the direction the teams were headed but it appears like the teams that fired him got significantly worse after

I think the knock on Bruce is his coaching hasn't produced a team that has shattered the ceiling and gone on to win a Cup (with him at the helm).

Of course, the same knock was employed against Trotz in Nashville, right?

In todays "player-friendly" environment, messaging gets old and stale a lot quicker than it used to. Coaches are given pretty short timeframes (a few seasons) to win BIG or they get tossed overboard.

 

[jc17]

I think the knock on Bruce is his coaching hasn't produced a team that has shattered the ceiling and gone on to win a Cup (with him at the helm).

Of course, the same knock was employed against Trotz in Nashville, right?

In todays "player-friendly" environment, messaging gets old and stale a lot quicker than it used to. Coaches are given pretty short timeframes (a few seasons) to win BIG or they get tossed overboard.

I agree with the last paragraph.

That said I hate the idea that coaches who regularly make deep runs but don't win it all are considered flawed. If anything that sustained success in sports is rare

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Sigh does Phil really think we are at the top of the NHL in scoring chances lately?

 

[Gabrielor]

Seems like an abundance of evidence to give Housley a retirement party

 

[sabremike]

This organization is completely delusional and insane. Trying to point out reality to these people would be like trying to talk sense to some guy in a bus station claiming to be Napoleon.

 

[Icicle]

Sigh does Phil really think we are at the top of the NHL in scoring chances lately?

This is why Stimson is a 'journalist statistician', and not an employed one. Housley is right, and they were chancing even before the crappy goals were let in. They were outplaying to a naked eye too, not something you just see because of score effect. Jumping on him because of past failures, including last year, when he's focusing on the recent, is just a bias showing through. I dislike Housley right now, but he's right here. The team has been outplaying and outchancing lately, they just are struggling to finish and letting in silly goals on the few chances against.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Dear Botts,
We won't hold it against you for hiring Housley if you fire him now.

Please don't attach yourself to him

Signed,
Majority of sabres fans

 

[OkimLom]

Sigh does Phil really think we are at the top of the NHL in scoring chances lately?

Is anybody really that surprised since Housley's philosophy is getting shots from the point as the primary shot generation, at a time where teams tend to clog the middle of the ice. The coach has an out of date form of offense, for a roster with defenseman that don't take shots quickly from the point for the most part, and a forward group allergic to the areas around the crease, I mean they can't get to the front of the net because they can't out-position or out-muscle teams in front of the net. Teams that have success getting point shots are teams that move quickly from side to side and get quick shot selection from their defenseman.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Is anybody really that surprised since Housley's philosophy is getting shots from the point as the primary shot generation, at a time where teams tend to clog the middle of the ice. The coach has an out of date form of offense, for a roster with defenseman that don't take shots quickly from the point for the most part, and a forward group allergic to the areas around the crease, I mean they can't get to the front of the net because they can't out-position or out-muscle teams in front of the net. Teams that have success getting point shots are teams that move quickly from side to side and get quick shot selection from their defenseman.

Isn't it mind boggling? Watching the team shoot from the point and get it blocked, miss the net or not get the rebound and the team goes the other way for a scoring chance or scoring.

Would love to see statistics on this. Scoring chances going the other way after missing the net from the point.

 

[TehDoak]

My biggest fear this offseason, in the face of a huge volume of evidence that Housley isn't a good NHL coach, he is kept on because his religious and political views align with ownership.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

My biggest fear this offseason, in the face of a huge volume of evidence that Housley isn't a good NHL coach, he is kept on because his religious and political views align with ownership.

What to even think if that happens. Of course you can never really prove it but talk about bush league.

 

[sabremike]

My biggest fear this offseason, in the face of a huge volume of evidence that Housley isn't a good NHL coach, he is kept on because his religious and political views align with ownership.

WTF?????????????

 

[GellMann]

This is why Stimson is a 'journalist statistician', and not an employed one. Housley is right, and they were chancing even before the crappy goals were let in. They were outplaying to a naked eye too, not something you just see because of score effect. Jumping on him because of past failures, including last year, when he's focusing on the recent, is just a bias showing through. I dislike Housley right now, but he's right here. The team has been outplaying and outchancing lately, they just are struggling to finish and letting in silly goals on the few chances against.

Hang on. Stimson is talking about score-adjusted rankings here. So you're not only saying that Housley's right because you have seen the Sabres do okay before the score is out of reach, you're saying that you've watched every other NHL game in that stretch and have categorized in your brain how many chances they generate and that the Sabres slot in relatively high.

If score-adjusted rankings say that when games are close, the Sabres aren't generating chances at a high rate, and the Sabres don't do score-adjusting, well, defending them with your own eye test literally necessitates watching and cataloging mentally how every other team is doing. There's no other way you can "claim" Stimson is wrong about score-adjusted metrics.

And I don't even care for hockey metrics anywhere near as much as other people do. But your second sentence is baffling.

 

[Icicle]

Is anybody really that surprised since Housley's philosophy is getting shots from the point as the primary shot generation, at a time where teams tend to clog the middle of the ice. The coach has an out of date form of offense, for a roster with defenseman that don't take shots quickly from the point for the most part, and a forward group allergic to the areas around the crease, I mean they can't get to the front of the net because they can't out-position or out-muscle teams in front of the net. Teams that have success getting point shots are teams that move quickly from side to side and get quick shot selection from their defenseman.

Only the crummy lines do it. The top line keeps the puck low for shots.

 

[brian_griffin]

For those wanting Housley's head, we have to remember where the team was. Bottom of the league last year. I said to my friends that they'd be playing meaningful games in March, but fall short. Progress has been made. Let's remember that before we start whacking coaches.

Welcome new poster!!!!

That's arguable. Aside from natural growth of Eichel / Reinhart / emergence of Dahlin, I don't think any Sabre has been explicitly developed by Housley.

The win streak was a disproportionate string of luck & goaltending in a lot of 1-goal games,

 

[Hasekperreault23]

For those wanting Housley's head, we have to remember where the team was. Bottom of the league last year. I said to my friends that they'd be playing meaningful games in March, but fall short. Progress has been made. Let's remember that before we start whacking coaches.

This is a typical response from a long beat up sabre fan who thinks or feels guilty if we think about success.This team is good enough to make the playoffs with the right coach.His personell decisions see killing this team.Botterill is equally responsible for this based on the O'Reilly trade alone.Imagine ROR on this team? I am not opposed to trading anybody but to get nothing back but futures and not saving money is dumbfounding.However Botts can remedy this situation by firing Housley , signing Skinner and signing a few free agents.Again I am saying it again ad nausam with a good coach we are in playoffs

 

[Driftwood]

My biggest fear this offseason, in the face of a huge volume of evidence that Housley isn't a good NHL coach, he is kept on because his religious and political views align with ownership.

I agree, all of the recent hires (Phil, Botterill, Beane, McDermott) will probably get at least 1-2 extra years of rope regardless of their incompetence. Terry is going with God after getting burned by Murray and Rex.

https://www.rochesterfirst.com/sports/nfl/nfl-buffalo/bills-introduce-new-head-coach/640325841

"He went through his first interview and never missed a beat. I mean any question we asked him or any situation we put him in," Pegula said while introducing McDermott. "He is a smart, thorough, decisive, faith based winner."

 

[SabresSharks]

This is a typical response from a long beat up sabre fan who thinks or feels guilty if we think about success.This team is good enough to make the playoffs with the right coach.His personell decisions see killing this team.Botterill is equally responsible for this based on the O'Reilly trade alone.Imagine ROR on this team? I am not opposed to trading anybody but to get nothing back but futures and not saving money is dumbfounding.However Botts can remedy this situation by firing Housley , signing Skinner and signing a few free agents.Again I am saying it again ad nausam with a good coach we are in playoffs

I don't buy it.

The Sabres finished dead-last in 2017-18, with 62 points, 35 points out of a playoff spot. The average points earned by the 8th place EC team over the past 5 years is 96. Please name me the mythical "good coach" who would have produced a 34 point improvement with the current roster.

In all likelihood, the Sabres will finish at least 20+ points better than last season. That's excellent progress, and I suspect almost everyone on HF Sabres would have been quite satisfied with that result if asked in early October. (I couldn't find a relevant poll.)

Please note - this is not a defense of Phil. He was a poor choice, hired at least in part due to the foolish sentimentality of the owner. The team should be in more capable hands; I think most of us agree on that.

But the guy is being unfairly scapegoated. This team has 3 genuine top-6 forwards. Our defense is capable, but not exactly the late-70s Canadiens. The goaltending is maddeningly inconsistent. This is not a playoff team under Scotty Bowman, let alone Phil Housley.

 

[Kyndig]

I don't buy it.

The Sabres finished dead-last in 2017-18, with 62 points, 35 points out of a playoff spot. The average points earned by the 8th place EC team over the past 5 years is 96. Please name me the mythical "good coach" who would have produced a 34 point improvement with the current roster.

In all likelihood, the Sabres will finish at least 20+ points better than last season. That's excellent progress, and I suspect almost everyone on HF Sabres would have been quite satisfied with that result if asked in early October. (I couldn't find a relevant poll.)

Please note - this is not a defense of Phil. He was a poor choice, hired at least in part due to the foolish sentimentality of the owner. The team should be in more capable hands; I think most of us agree on that.

But the guy is being unfairly scapegoated. This team has 3 genuine top-6 forwards. Our defense is capable, but not exactly the late-70s Canadiens. The goaltending is maddeningly inconsistent. This is not a playoff team under Scotty Bowman, let alone Phil Housley.

Its not progress. We had 78 and 81 points with Bylsma as a coach with a weaker roster.

 

[SabresSharks]

Its not progress. We had 78 and 81 points with Bylsma as a coach with a weaker roster.

63 points with 24 games left versus 62 points at the end of last season. Sounds like progress to me.

What were your expectations at the beginning of the season?