Sabres Hire Steve Smith as Assistant Coach

[Sabre the Win]

He ran the PK in Carolina.

Does he have a history of running a PP?

On paper, this looks like a good hire.

No idea, I am just looking for anything to make this bench better.

 

[Tsyolin]

Seems like an upgrade but so did Housley. Still, I like it considering his track record.

 

[old kummelweck]

3 cup rings.

 

[Chainshot]

It's hard to say. Bill Peters ran a system that had the defensemen aggressively pinching and playing very tight gaps in the neutral zone. It led to very strong possession, but also had little room for error when it broke down. That, IMO, was the biggest reason for the shot suppression numbers for Carolina. That said, Smith had to be able to coach his guys in a way to execute the plan and he seemed to do that. Canes also had an excellent PK for a couple years under him.

Last year was a disappointment on the defensive front. The PK wasn't very good and many of the defensemen seemed to really underperform. They weren't as good on ice as you would expect them to be on paper. Having Darling in net was a factor. And it was reported that the team tuned out Peters by the end of the season so it's hard to say what contribution Smith had to that, but it was disappointing none-the-less.

Was honestly surprised that he didn't quit/get fired right away after Peters was gone and Brindy was named head coach. He was brought in under Francis/Peters and to once his "peer" get the head coaching job, I thought he'd be gone. Maybe he was looking and waiting it out until he had something lined up? (speculating).

I think he's a good fit for the Sabres though and you will probably be pretty happy with him.

Thanks for the input, much appreciated!

 

[Jim Bob]

Speaking of coaches, the picture to go with this article made me chuckle.

 

[joshjull]

 

[Buffaloed]

His own goal with the Oilers still is one of the most painful things I ever witnessed as a kid watching hockey.

I can picture Smith and Ristolainen performing "Anything you can do I can do better".

 

[Sabreality]

I LOVED watching the Canes PK compared to Buffalos, very aggressive. Hopefully he brings that here.

 

[jc17]

Speaking of coaches, the picture to go with this article made me chuckle.

I know the picture was the reason for posting, but did you read the article? Pretty awful

 

[Jim Bob]

I know the picture was the reason for posting, but did you read the article? Pretty awful

I think a lot of those points make sense.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Hopefully he can show Housley where up is because I've got the sense Housley losses his self direction whenever behind a hockey bench or in a locker room.

"He was head coach for a high school hockey team"

^
The voice of so many pro Housley come to the Sabres and save us HF posters last off season.

I still laugh at the "defense whisperer" nickname.

I didn’t get that impression, personally.

And John Vogl just said this in his recent Q & A on the Athletic - (when asked about Housley’s job security)

John Vogl
Jul 9, 5:11pm
@brian S. Hello, Brian. I'm looking forward to seeing how Housley can coach. In practice, he is great. I hear the same about behind closed doors. But too many guys didn't care last year, so we'll see what he can do with a more attentive audience.



I have read/heard similar things from other reporters who follow the team closely.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Winning would cure all ailments in that locker room. O'Reilly told us all the problem when he said something along the lines of losing has crept into the locker room, it's crept into a lot of the players and into him to the point that it's ok to lose.

That's on Housley, hopefully Smith can steer the ship to greener pastures.[/B]

He came in after how many years of tanking and losing?

That was something that was already well established before he got here.


This isn’t the first time Sabres players have said things like that. I believe ROR himself said something along those same lines after games last year. And we’ve heard similar stuff from other Sabres players for years now.

We’ve heard Eichel go off on the loser mentality in Buffalo, and he said that before Housley got here.

It was something that built up over time and isn’t going to just be fixed overnight, no matter who the coach, IMO.

It’s something that, as you said, is going to improve the more they start winning.

Whether Housley will be the coach that gets this team winning is yet to be seen.

 

[Buffaloed]

He came in after how many years of tanking and losing?

That was something that was already well established before he got here.


This isn’t the first time Sabres players have said things like that. I believe ROR himself said something along those same lines after games last year. And we’ve heard similar stuff from other Sabres players for years now.

We’ve heard Eichel go off on the loser mentality in Buffalo, and he said that before Housley got here.

It was something that built up over time and isn’t going to just be fixed overnight, no matter who the coach, IMO.

It’s something that, as you said, is going to improve the more they start winning.

Whether Housley will be the coach that gets this team winning is yet to be seen.

The Sabres are like a building infested with black mold.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Glad that we can tighten up some things on defense and improve the back end that much more. Carolina was very svelte on the PK last year.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

Character!

 

[AustonsNostrils]

I like the 'stern' part the most, hopefully he'll be the bad cop to Housley's nice cop.

 

[enthusiast]

the less entertaining steve smith associated with carolina sports smh

 

[WeDislikeEich]

I really like this hire a lot.

Experienced coach. 3 cups as a player.
Ran a very good PK in Carolina.
Developed some nice defenseman in his time there (I believe both Pesce and Slavin were mid round picks, too?).

IIRC I think he and housley played together in Calgary, didn’t they?


Adds some needed experience to the defensive coaching staff.

 

[toomuchsauce]

How much of the credit for low shots against can actually be given to the defense coach?

None. Therefore...he is bad. aLSO, Did you know he did the own-goal? SMDH he will teach Dahlin to do the own-goal now, that is his move, smdh ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR BUFFALO!!!

 

[Buffaloed]

I like the 'stern' part the most, hopefully he'll be the bad cop to Housley's nice cop.

Housley's not nice. He's a screaming cursing machine in the locker room. I hope he makes like Scotty Bowman and let's Smith be his Jim Roberts.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Housley's not nice. He's a screaming cursing machine in the locker room. I hope he makes like Scotty Bowman and let's Smith be his Jim Roberts.

how do you know that?

 

[Buffaloed]

how do you know that?

Around the 5 min mark Hamilton alludes to it.
12-01 Paul Hamilton with Howard Simon

I recall someone posting much better info here about the media hearing Housley berate players through the locker room door. It may have been @joshjull

Housley behind the Sabres' bench: The first year
Players appreciated that Housley limited his negative comments to the media, but many acknowledged the coach had far more of a needed acid tongue in private behind the locker room doors.

http://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/phil-housley-complimentary-critical-sabres-opening-month/
Of course, away from the media, Housley deals with the Sabres much differently. The Hall of Fame defenseman can be loud during practices, expecting his team to execute drills with pace and purpose. In the dressing room and one-on-one, players have said Housley is honest and direct.

 

[HolyGhost]

His own goal with the Oilers still is one of the most painful things I ever witnessed as a kid watching hockey.

it happened on his birthday. As I recall

 

[truthbluth]

I just remembered that this happened, and I think this may end up being one of the top two most important acquisitions of this offseason.

 

[Dingo44]

I just remembered that this happened, and I think this may end up being one of the top two most important acquisitions of this offseason.

Yerdon in The Athletic wrote about this just a few days ago.

Sabres badly need defensemen development, and that's been a...

Sabres badly need defensemen development, and that’s been a specialty of new assistant Steve Smith

The Sabres’ acquisition of Jeff Skinner from the Carolina Hurricanes will reunite him with former Hurricanes assistant coach Steve Smith, who joined the Sabres staff July 11.
Although Skinner is decidedly not a defenseman and is coming to Buffalo to spark the offense, he was asked about being back on the same team as Smith during his introductory conference call Friday and offered insight as to what his job was there.

“I enjoyed having him in Carolina, and he obviously had a good track record of developing young defensemen, which seems like a good fit,” Skinner said. “And he did a good job with the penalty kill for a number of years in Carolina, so that’s definitely an asset in today’s game. I’m looking forward to working with him again.”

Last season, Sabres assistant coach Chris Hajt did much of the work Smith did with the Hurricanes working with defensemen. As of now, the Sabres haven’t made any other changes to the coaching staff aside from adding Smith, but if that’s the role Smith is coming to Buffalo to do, he’s arriving at the exact right time.