Sabres fire Housley

[Howie Hodge]

Phil Collins is touring this year baby.

True.

However, he can't drum, and has to sit in a chair on stage.

Depending on one's perspective, that's not doing so well.

But at least Phil Collins makes people happy as he can still sing...

And Phil Collins has a better hair style.

 

[Willgamesh]

Damn, This news still feels so good so many hours later. There is hope for my hockey team again.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Damn, This news still feels so good so many hours later. There is hope for my hockey team again.

..until the introduction of our new coach, Violet Beauregarde!

She's young, she's unproven, but my god can she gob some gum.

 

[yzerman]

Now maybe this team could have the same lines for more than 1 game

 

[yzerman]

Housley just seemed more like the kind of guy you'd have as an assistant coach. Weird hire to start with.

He was hired to tank for Dahlin then develop him for a year really a masterplan

 

[elitepete]

Sabres need AV or Q badly

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

J*** E*****, coach killer?.....

 

[SupremeNachos]

Preds fans was he a decent assistant coach with you guys?

 

[Beerz]

This trend has to stop, stability in coaching is what will bring out the best in the Sabres.

For what it's worth Housley did a decent job with what he had to work with.

Yeah. You know nothing

 

[obey86]

Eichel just strikes me as a college frat boy. I don't think they can win with him at the helm. Trading the new Selke winner didn't help.

Watching Eichel play, he plays so slow for someone who is such a good skater with good physical attributes. It's like he doesn't take advantage of his skill set.

 

[Leafs87]

“Relieved of his duties” I always found that a funny saying

 

[Montag DP]

Watching Eichel play, he plays so slow for someone who is such a good skater with good physical attributes. It's like he doesn't take advantage of his skill set.

Agreed. He needs to use that speed more. Having a good coach in his ear would help with that.

“Relieved of his duties” I always found that a funny saying

Lol. I hadn't even considered the potty humor angle.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Wasn't a knock on AV (at least in NY) that he wasn't good at developing and giving chances to young players? Maybe that was because of the Rangers were still competing when he was coach, but if that's the case, it seems like that would be an odd choice for Buffalo.

 

[tsujimoto74]

This trend has to stop, stability in coaching is what will bring out the best in the Sabres.

For what it's worth Housley did a decent job with what he had to work with.

Housley took every available opportunity to leverage the assets he had to his disadvantage. He was terrible. There are a number of teams with less talent on their roster than the Sabres who did better this year, and that's 100% on coaching.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Wasn't a knock on AV (at least in NY) that he wasn't good at developing and giving chances to young players? Maybe that was because of the Rangers were still competing when he was coach, but if that's the case, it seems like that would be an odd choice for Buffalo.

Yeah, but it's a weird knock because when you look at the young players fans were getting upset about AV's usage of, turns out AV was usually right.

 

[Voight]

Wasn't a knock on AV (at least in NY) that he wasn't good at developing and giving chances to young players? Maybe that was because of the Rangers were still competing when he was coach, but if that's the case, it seems like that would be an odd choice for Buffalo.

I think AV is more interested in a playoff/cup contender.

 

[Artemis Clyde Frog]

He way too man indefensible decisions this year to save his job. In the technology age you can quantify decisions and correct the bad ones and continue with the good ones.

Phil just made so many decisions that defied evidence and logic. The list is long, but:

Not sending Thompson to the AHL sooner or just not playing him at all until Botts did.
Scratching Pilut too often. Also not playing him with Risto at ES when it was the only partner Risto had that wasnt a net negative possession wise.
Playing Reinhart with Eichel after he proved he could contribute and drive a line away from him.
Taking Skinner away from Eichel instead of Reinhart.
Continually playing Risto top minutes even when Dahlin showed he could be the #1 on the team.
Not playing someone like Pomminville with Eichel. ANYONE SCORES WITH EICHEL PUT BETTER PLAYERS DOWN THE LINEUP

I would bash my head against the wall over some of these obviously wrong coaching decisions he made week after week.

I dont know the relationship he had with JB, but if a player should have gone down or come up, he should have atleast had some say in that.

It doesnt help he is the most boring person I have ever hear speak either. My god.

Agree with most you are saying but for me the dump and chase was way too overused in Housley's way of playing. And instead of using the D-men on offensive blue they rather dump the puck behind goal and loose it. Was clear Nylander and Olofsson hadn't become brainwashed enough always to do that and used the D-men well in the offense at the end.

Also the defenders backing home to their own blue as soon as they might loose the puck instead of standing their ground on offensive blue, allowing opponents to just take the puck in and establish. Many forwards too lazy in defensive zone as well according to me, and goalies simply not good enough. Been many odd things in Buffalo's way of playing all season, according to me.

 

[Artemis Clyde Frog]

I know many in NA were sceptical towards foreign players many years ago, and as a European I get the sense it's a bit the same about coaches now as well.

As a Swede I would love seeing Rikard Grönborg get the chance as HC of Buffalo! He started his coaching career in NA as well and has said coaching NHL is the dream. His mega success as HC of Team Sweden is coming to an end after this WC. So it all kinda fits.

So how you take this? Will I be mocked like Börje Salming was in the beginning as a foreigner, or does Grönborg have a chance to start a new era with successful foreign managers, like the success of foreign players?

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Damn, This news still feels so good so many hours later. There is hope for my hockey team again.

I wish I felt the same...

I won’t have hope until I see who we hire to replace housley.

I really think we need a well respected veteran coach. But...

There are a lot of teams looking for head coaches right now. I’m not sure how high on the list Buffalo is right now for coaches with options.
We’ve fired a coach every 2 years and haven’t finished above 8th last in years.

Just hoping we get this hire right. We absolutely have to if we want any chance at competing in the Atlantic anytime soon,

 

[frivolousz21]

I know many in NA were sceptical towards foreign players many years ago, and as a European I get the sense it's a bit the same about coaches now as well.

As a Swede I would love seeing Rikard Grönborg get the chance as HC of Buffalo! He started his coaching career in NA as well and has said coaching NHL is the dream. His mega success as HC of Team Sweden is coming to an end after this WC. So it all kinda fits.

So how you take this? Will I be mocked like Börje Salming was in the beginning as a foreigner, or does Grönborg have a chance to start a new era with successful foreign managers, like the success of foreign players?

As long as he speaks fluent English there is no problem.

 

[Artemis Clyde Frog]

As long as he speaks fluent English there is no problem.

He sure does:


I read after my post that some predicted Ottawa would sign him, but personally I hope no deal is done there and that Buffalo gets him instead! Future will tell..

 

[jumb0]

Preds fans was he a decent assistant coach with you guys?

Was coming here to post that I would gladly take him back on Lavy's staff.

 

[57special]

IF Boudreau gets canned he is gonna be unemployed for about 30 seconds.

Unlikely that he is fired. He is well liked, and respected. MN fans are less enamoured of the GM.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

I'm a bit surprised - I thought Housley would work out well for them.

 

[VaporTrail]

..until the introduction of our new coach, Violet Beauregarde!

She's young, she's unproven, but my god can she gob some gum.
View attachment 210695

Now I know why Frank's Gourmet Hot Dogs is called the Violet Beauregarde LOL