BillsFan4

We need someone that can get us back to respectability and consistently making the playoffs before we even start to worry about whether or not a coach can win us a Cup. AV has a track record of making every team he takes over better. He made the playoffs 9 out of the past 10 seasons, 2 of those being cup final appearances with 2 separate teams. It it doesn’t matter now, but I feel we would have been lucky to have him. Even if his voice wore out in 4 years, who cares if he got us consistently in the playoff mix. Then you look to hire that coach to put you over the top. I just really wanted a veteran coach that’s had experience improving teams and has that instant credibility with the players in the locker room, since buy-in has been such an issue. This is clearly a tough job. I worry that another newcomer will be overwhelmed by the size of the task at hand. I guess I also just feel like the Sabres are one of the teams that can least afford to take a risk with their next coaching hire...

damn it. I really wanted AV. That about does it for the few big name veteran coaches that were on the market. I don’t think we were high on their lists though, seeing as we didn’t even get an interview with Q or AV. I know some will say that anyone is an upgrade in Housley (like they said about Bylsma...) but I was in the camp that if we fired Housley I wanted it to be for a clear upgrade. I am still hoping that ends up being the case.

Wondering the same thing myself. Goaltending killed the Amerks in the playoffs last year. Don’t want to see that happen again this year.

I was impressed with the intensity Rochester played with. They had nothing to play for. They have the #2 spot and home ice advantage locked up. Yet they looked like the more desperate team than the B Sens, who needed a win to secure a playoff spot. There were 6 new players in the Amerks lineup, 5 who were called up from the ECHL. I believe At least a few were getting their first ever AHL game. So I’m sure they added some jump. But still impressive none the less. Kind of ironic. The Amerks struggled against Belleville all year. guess all they needed to do was to sit the majority of their good players... lol

The last regular season Amerks game is on right now. UPL is in goal. you can find the game if you check “hockey streams reddit”. Really impressed with thr way Chris Taylor has this team playing. The Amerks are resting just about all their regular players today and are still dominating the B sens (full lineup). And The B sens are playing for their playoff lives! They are tied for a playoff spot right now. They NEED the win. Rochester held them to 4 shots on goal the entire 1st period.

Kadri was offered an in-person hearing. So I’m guessing the suspension will be at least 3 games, maybe more with him being s repeat offender (and doing something similar in last year’s playoff series against the bruins). Refs let the game get out of hand last night. They missed some big calls, too.

Our team kind of reminds me of the leafs in that regard. Skill type players that really do not like getting hit (obviously the leafs have more skill, not trying to compare that). Hopefully when guys like Asplund, Samuelsson, Borgen, Pekar etc. are ready (assuming they ever are) it’ll add more of that much needed grit. I am anxious to see Ristolainen in the playoff. He loves to play a physical game. IMO that’s when he’s at his best - battling it out with a guy like Ovechkin, when things start getting chippy. I’d like to see what Eichel looks like in the playoffs, too. There were a few games this year where he was throwing his body around and playing more physical. He has such a competitive spirit. I could definitely see him turn up the intensity in the playoffs. Skinner is another one I’d like to see in the playoffs. He’s a feisty little ****. Edit - I can’t believe I forgot to mention Dahlin!

He is the coach of the Toronto Marlies. They are getting ready to face the Amerks in round 1 of the playoffs. Anyone wanting to interview him would have to wait until the Marlies season is over. Even when his season is over, we’d still have to get permission from the Maple Leafs to interview him. Not sure if they’d grant buffalo permission or not. Honestly, we really have no idea who the Sabres head coaching candidates are. Outside of the leak about McLellan interviewing, we have not heard anything at all. Botterill seems to have things locked up pretty tight as far as media leaks go. I guess it’s good that there are very few leaks. But it also makes things a bit more boring... lol.

Wow was that Colorado penalty kill (in OT) disorganized... Calgary had them running around like chickens with their heads cut off for the first minute. I dont think Babcock gets fired this season, or even next. But I could see it happening eventually. The reason i could see it happen is that Babcock is a hard core old school guy and Dubas is about as new school as it gets. I’m not sure how well those 2 schools of thought will mix. I could see Sheldon Keefe taking over eventuslly. Dubas hired him to be head coach when he was GM in Sault St Marie, and then again to be head coach of the Marlies. Phew much more of a new school guy who’s views seem to align much closer to Dubas’.

Good point.

5-1 Blue Jackets?! They cant really knock out Tampa bay in round 1, can they? What an an absolute disaster that would be for Tampa Bay. Winning that president’s trophy is like a curse. They started handing it out in 1985, and in that time the presidents trophy winners have only won the Stanley Cup 8 times. 8 still expect them to bounce back though. But it would be great for the Sabres if Columbus can make the conference final (if the Blues lose by round 2). It would push that STL pick to #19, which would send it to Buffalo instead of Anaheim.

Its a a shame the Sudbury was eliminated so quickly. They just ran into a great team. Sudbury is not even close to the Ottawa 67’s level. UPL dragged that entire Sunbury team to the playoffs. But there’s only so much a goaltender can do when facing such a stacked team like Ottawa. I wonder if they will try and get him in one of the last couple Amerks regular seasons games (tomorrow and Sunday), or if they will just have him practice with the team. I doubt he will see any regular time in the playoffs, unless maybe the goaltending completely craps the bed like last year. Most people seem seem to think that he won’t see any playing time this year.

I would have been happy with TM but he wasn’t my first choice. Too many parallels between buffalo and Edmonton, where he just failed. That’s also why I was a bit surprised TM was interested in Buffalo. I am still hoping for AV, or Ralph Krueger or a trade for Bruce Boudreau (though I think the latter two are unlikely). Theres some other interesting candidates out there, too. Hopefully Botterill gets it right this time. He should have a much better idea of what this specific group of players need out of a coach, so that should help. He may may not get another chance at a coaching hire, so he better get it right! lol

I would be absolutely thrilled with Boudreau. His teams always get better under him, and seem to get worse when he leaves. I believes he’s made the playoffs 11 of his 13 NHL seasons. And there’s this - I see people saying “I don’t want BB. He can’t get far enough in the playoffs” and I just have to shake my head! lol Let’s make the playoffs for the first time in 8+ years first, and then let’s consistently make them every year before we worry about a coach that can get us over the playoff hump. And it’s not like the guy forgets how to coach once the playoffs roll around. There are a lot of things that go into winning a series. Sometimes it’s just bad luck hitting a super hot team. I mean, look at Trotz. Never made it past the 2nd round his first what, 20yrs in the league? As for Point for four #1’s... I’d love him but I couldn’t do that. The Sabres just don’t have anywhere close to the team depth needed to make that trade, and they haven’t been too great about finding good players outside of the 1st round. Plus, they have drafted top 8 for the last 7 years straight, 3 of those years being top 2. I would be fine with trying to trade for Point though. There was a rumor of Ristolainen + Mittelstadt as the base for a Point trade. I’d be more willing to do something like that rather than give up four 1sts.

Heard he’s interested more in a front office role than coaching, but this is a guy I’d love to have behind the bench. Botterill actually tried to interview him the first time around, but he wasn’t ready to leave Southampton yet. Seems to fit what we need. Super high energy. Super positive. Excellent motivator (he’s actually also a motivational speaker and even wrote a best selling self help book). He’s a believer in implementing analytics. Adapts his system to his team. Consistently gets the most out of lesser talented teams/players. Mike Babcock has even used him as a special advisor... We’d definitely be a very hard working team under Krueger, and I feel like he may be able to help fix the fragile mindset of this team. Here an an article on him. I can’t find the article i’m looking for. If I find it, I’ll post it here. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2016/09/28/ralph-krueger-world-cup-southampton-football-club/91240876/ love this quote on why after a lifetime in hockey he took a job turning around a soccer/football club -

I think this is at least the 3rd or 4th different day/time we’ve interviewed McLellan, if you go by twitter... lol

Anyone have any interest in a separate NHL playoff thread? Or should we just discuss it here? Im kind of thinking just discuss it here, as we seem to have a somewhat small group of hockey fans that post here. Anyone watching the Columbus vs Tampa game? I thought Columbus would get killed. Tampa came out real strong in the 1st and just swarmed Columbus. Bobrovsky looked like his usually shaky playoff self and Tampa was up 3-1. Columbus is now up 4-3 with 3minutes left! Bobrovsky has looked like a different goalie since that awful 1st and CBus has really turned it up. We need at at least one of Columbus, Colorado, Vegas or Dallas to make it to the conference finals (along with the Blues losing before that) so the STL pick gets pushed down to #19 and goes to Buffalo.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/31-thoughts-breaking-major-nhl-awards-candidates/ some good stuff on the sabres in here. Thoughts #7 through #12 are Sabres related (with small mentions in #29 and 31)

ok well maybe the “McLellan sweepstakes” is not over yet after all.... lol.