Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-14-2017
Tim Murray's end of season presser was hardly vote of confidence for his head coach after a "very disappointing" Buffalo Sabres season, but then again, he said nothing of moving on from Dan Bylsma either. Murray even said that he "hadn't had any thoughts of firing him" as well. Yet the door was left open as Murray still has a meeting with ownership next week.
"He's the coach today," said Murray of Bylsma, "like I'm the GM today. There's going to be a review top to bottom.
"The reason I always say today is that something could happen tomorrow."
Murray has been general manager since January, 2014 which is a little over three seasons. He began his tenure with the continued tear-down of the previous roster, and drafted forward Sam Reinhart second-overall in his first-ever draft as GM. He's on his second head coach and has reworked his lineup somewhat to his liking. There have been failures along the way and places where he could have done better with the bottom line being, his team regressed this season.
When he goes in with his "book full of notes" to discuss this past season, Murray will make his case to ownership. No doubt he'll point to injuries that felled Jack Eichel for the first 21 games as well as a host of others, but owner Terry Pegula will probably focus upon the stumbling that took place after Eichel, and Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly were back in the lineup for the last five or so months of the season.
That's where Bylsma comes into play.
The Sabres fell apart post bye week but there were cracks and fissures noticeable before that. Those cracks stemmed from a disconnect between some players and the coaching staff--between the players abilities on the ice and the rigid system Bylsma employed. Murray framed the disconnect this way, "I think that maybe [the coaches] are stuck in that (video) room and maybe they could put a coffee in their hand once in a while and do two hours of video instead of three and get out and get to know our players and talk to our players.
"It's about coaching individuals a little more and coaching systems a little less."
At his own end of season presser, Bylsma sais there wasn't a disconnect, but Murray had just finished player exit interviews and it would seem as if the players thought there was a chasm between themselves and the coaching staff lead by Bylsma. Amongst the most visibly irritated at the way things were going during the season was Eichel. As the future of this franchise his words hold a lot of clout with upper management and ownership and one might assume that the disconnect between him and Bylsma that we saw on the ice and that was mentioned in the media during the latter stages of the season likely came out during his exit interview. Eichel, by the way, was the last of Murray's player interviews and was said to be held just before the GM's presser on Wednesday.
There was talk in Pittsburgh that Bylsma lost the room before he was fired and it looked as if he'd lost the room in Buffalo less than two years into his tenure. Perhaps the rigid way he coaches is just the way he is which means if he's still around next season, any ill will between players and coach may will eventually manifest itself in losing ways. Bylsma has three years left on his contract and when Murray said "he's our coach today," perhaps the prevailing thought is that he'll need to get the OK from ownership that they're willing to eat the last three years before he gives Bylsma the pink slip.
If the team has serious reservations about whether Bylsma is the right man for the job, it's better if they fire him now. Waiting until the season begins severely limits the coaching pool from which to draw from. Just this week, a prime candidate in Gerard Gallant was just snatched up by the expansion Las Vegas Knights.
Gallant was a veteran coach, some would say retread, on the market and there remains another one who might be of interest to the Sabres--former Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl Sutter.
Sutter finished his six-year run in LA with two Stanley Cups wins with the Kings including their first-ever in 2012. He has a long history of coaching that dates back to the 1992-93 season and his teams missed the playoffs only three times in his 18 years behind the bench.
When Murray took over the Sabres it seemed as if he was modeling his build after the Sutter-coached Kings as he used the term "heavy" on more than one occasion. However the game has changed and it's probably what caused Sutter and his GM Dean Lombardi, to get canned. After struggling for two seasons, Murray himself is devoting more of his focus to "speed and transition" which may leave Sutter out of the equation.
Regardless of NHL styles, hiring a veteran coach would be safe for Murray. Perhaps the ideal one would have been Gallant who guided a young, up-and-coming Florida Panthers team to a 103 points and a division crown two years ago. With him gone, as well as another well known coaching retread in Ken Hitchcock, the last of the big-name vets that might be appealing to Buffalo would be Sutter.
Then again, there are two young coaches that will in the very least get long looks from teams with coaching vacancies.
Former Sabre and NHL Hall of Fame defenseman Phil Housley has been working his way up the coaching ladder having been hired as a Nashville Predators assistant after he coached Team USA to the gold medal at the 2013 World Juniors in Ufa, Russia. The captain of that USA team was Buffalo Sabers defenseman, Jake McCabe. From Preds GM David Poile, "Phil brings a unique skill set to our coaching staff. He was one of the most talented offensive defensemen to play in the NHL, and he has worked extensively with young players during his coaching career. He will continue to focus his efforts on our young defensemen and assisting on the power play."
At the NCAA level is up and coming Denver University head coach Jim Montgomery who just lead the Pioneers to the 2017 NCAA championship. Montgomery team was the epitome of speed and transition and will be a hot commodity in an NHL that is all about speed and transition these days. Montgomery also has a bit of a Buffalo connection as he coached Zemgus Girgensons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints 2010-12.
Montgomery has also been working his way up the ladder. He started as an assistant at Notre Dame in 2005-06 and went to RPI for four seasons as an assistant. After three years in the USHL he was hired by Denver and since taking over the head coaching position in 2013, his Pioneers are sporting back-to-back Frozen Four appearances with a Championship this year.
Should Bylsma get fired, Murray will have a tough decision to make. Were he in this position last year he'd have a bit more wiggle room as his team was still feeling the effects of the "tank years." However, should Murray make a change, the focus would be squarely on him and there'd be a tremendous amount of pressure placed on a rookie head coach as Murray is headed into his fourth season as GM with the club.
Housley or Montgomery, or even Boston University's David Quinn, might be well worth it but it might take a couple of years for them to establish themselves. Sutter, on the other hand, would have the best chance for short-term success. Hiring Sutter and having him succeed at getting the team to the playoffs may end up saving Murray's job.
On the other hand, if Murray hired a rookie head coach, he may end up falling on the sword in the event of another team failure.
This is all speculation at this point as Bylsma's still the head coach but in the event of change, one would hope that Murray keeps the best interests of the organization in mind.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Friday, April 14, 2017
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Team Stats--Final
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-13-2017
When Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray meets with ownership next week he'll be packing a dossier loaded with information about the performance of head coach Dan Bylsma in the form of exit interviews with Sabres players. Mixed in with that will be Murray's personal views on Bylsma as a case will be made as to whether or not he feels the second year coach should be back for a third season.
Some of that was already revealed yesterday as Murray held a 30 minute end of season press conference and fielded questions on what he described as a "very disappointing season" for his team. He spread the blame around beginning with part of his opening statement which read, "I'm [at] the top of the food chain when it comes to hockey and I take full responsibility." He also stretched it to the players later during the question and answer session of the program when he asked rhetorically, "Where's the accountability on the players when we can't beat Colorado and Arizona (the two worst teams in the league) when we have a sniff of a playoff spot?"
A good chunk of the presser yesterday had to do with head coach Bylsma of whom Murray said, "he's my coach today," leaving him an out if his meeting with the Pegula's ends with a different view of Bylsma's future as coach.
Murray referred to injuries earlier in the season to key players like Jack Eichel, who missed 21 games as well as Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly, both of whom missed time during the first two months of the season. Eichel and O'Reilly finished 1-2, respectively, in points on the team this season while Kane lead the team in goals. Having them out of the lineup meant a significant shift in how Bylsma wanted to operate. Out went the hope of scoring and in came an extreme focus upon defense and goaltending--1.95 goals for/game (30th in the league) and 2.45 goals against/game (10th.)
With Eichel back in the lineup and Kane coming to life after returning a bit too soon from his four broken ribs, the Sabres ramped up their offense to finish with 2.43 g/gm, which was right where they were last season. However, it came at the expense of defense. When the team opened things up it turned on them as their shots against and goals against increased.
Therein lies the rub. There had been reports of a disconnect in the way the players felt they could play and how Bylsma wanted them to play once they got healthier. The tug of war lasted from December through February pre-bye week and the team managed to eek it's way ever so slightly up the standings but the bottom was about to drop out.
With the playoffs still in sight, the Sabres went 2-7-2 after their bye week and lost their interest as shown in the statistical drops across the board.
The only bright spot on the season was the powerplay which finished No. 1 in the league. It's the first time the Sabres had a powerplay in the top-five since they finished third in 2005-06 and it was only the second time they'd finished atop that category, the other being 1991-92, according to Sabres PR, who also pointed out the 25.4% conversion rate is third-best in franchise history and 13th best all time since 1987-88.
That said, when Murray heads into the office with the Pegula's he'll have some explaining to do as the team took a step backwards in nearly every aspect as shown below.
The numbers below added to the reported disconnect between Bylsma and his players plus some of the things Murray said yesterday like "it's about coaching individuals a little more and coaching systems a little less," makes it hard to believe Bylsma will make it through.
Until then, here are the final team stats for this season.
Buffalo Sabres Team Stats (League Rankings)...(Leader):
Wins
--October: 3 (T-23rd)...(MTL, 8)
--November: 8 (T-28th)...(MTL, NYR, 16)
--December: 13 (28th)...(CBJ, 26)
--January: 20 (T-27th)...(WSH, 33)
--February: 26 (T-23rd)...(WSH, 42)
--March: 32 (24th)...(WSH, 51)
--2016-17: 33 (25th)...(WSH, 55)
--2015-16: 35 (23rd)...(WSH, 56)
--2014-15: 23 (30th)...(ANA, 49)
Atlantic Division Standing
--October: 7th...(MTL)
--November: 8th...(MTL)
--December: 8th...(MTL)
--January: 7th...(MTL)
--February: 7th...(MTL)
--March: 7th...(MTL)
--2016-17: 8th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 7th...(FLA)
--2014-15: 8th...(MTL)
Eastern Conference Standing
--October: 12th...(MTL)
--November: 15th...(MTL)
--December: 16th...(CBJ)
--January: 15th...(WSH)
--February: 13th..(WSH)
--March: 14th...(WSH)
--2016-17: 15th...(WSH)
--2015-16: 14th...(WSH)
--2014-15: 16th...(NYR)
League standing/Points
--October: 20th/8...(MTL/17)
--November: 28th/21...(MTL/34)
--December: 28th/34...(CBJ/56)
--January: 27th/49...(WSH/72)
--February: 22nd/63...(WSH/91)
--March: 24th/76...(WSH/110)
--2016-17: 26th/78...(WSH/118)
--2015-16: 23rd/81...(WSH/120)
--2014-15: 30th/54...(NYR/113)
Points Percentage
--October: .500 (T-15th)...(MTL, .944)
--November: .477 (26th)...(MTL, .739)
--December: .472 (28th)...(CBJ, .800)
--January: .500 (24th)...(MIN, .724)
--February: .500 (T-22nd)...(WSH, .734)
--March: .494 (24th)...(WSH, .714)
--2016-17: .476 (26th)...(WSH, .720)
--2015-16: .494 (23rd)...(WSH, .732)
--2014-15: .329 (30th)...(NYR, .689)
Goal Differential
--October: -1 (16th)...(MTL, +17)
--November: -13 (25th)...(NYR, +29)
--December: -23 (27th)...(CBJ, +50)
--January: -21 (26th)...(MIN), +54)
--February: -24 (23rd)...(WSH, +73)
--March: -28 (24th)...(WSH, +75)
--2016-17: -36 (24th)...(WSH, +81)
--2015-16: -21 (20th)...(WSH, +59)
--2014-15 -113 (30th)...(NYR, +60)
Goals/Game
--October: 2.50 (21st)...(NYR, 3.89)
--November: 1.95 (30th)...(NYR, 3.67)
--December: 2.14 (28th)...(CBJ, 3.46)
--January: 2.43 (24th)...(PIT, 3.55)
--February: 2.46 (24th)...(PIT, 3.46)
--March: 2.48 (24th)...(PIT, 3.36)
--2016-17: 2.43 (24th)...(PIT, 3.39)
--2015-16: 2.43 (25th)...(DAL, 3.23)
--2014-15: 1.87 (30th)...(TBL, 3.16)
Shots/Game
--October: 27.4 (28th)...(TOR, 34.7)
--November: 29.4 (20th)...(PIT, 33.9)
--December: 29.5 (17th)...(PIT, 34.8)
--January: 29.8 (17th)...(PIT, 34.4)
--February: 29.7 (20th)...(BOS, 33.9)
--March: 30.4 (13th)...(PIT, 34.1)
--2016-17: 30.4 (15th)...(PIT, 33.5)
--2015-16: 29.5 (17th)...(PIT, 33.2)
--2014-15: 24.2 (30th)...(CHI, 33.9)
Goals-against/Game
--October: 2.50 (12th)...(MTL, 1.44)
--November: 2.45 (10th)...(SJS. 2.09)
--December: 2.67 (14th)...(MIN, 2.06)
--January: 2.78 (17th)...(WSH, 2.10)
--February: 2.79 (18th)...(WSH, 2.08)
--March: 2.79 (19th)...(WSH, 2.22)
--2016-17: 2.82 (19th)...(WSH, 2.16)
--2015-16: 2.62 (15th)...(ANA, 2.29)
--2014-15: 3.28 (29th)...(MTL, 2.24)
Shots against/Game
--October: 30.6 (20th)...(WSH, 25)
--November: 32.5 (26th)...(LAK, 25.4)
--December: 32.6 (27th)...(LAK, 25.9)
--January: 33.3 (29th)...(LAK, 25.9)
--February: 34.1 (30th)...(LAK, 26.0)
--March: 34.2 (30th)...(LAK, 26.0)
--2016-17: 34.3 (30th)...(LAK, 25.9)
--2015-16: 30.6 (22nd)...(NSH, 27.3)
--2014-15: 35.6 (30th)...(LAK, 27.0)
Powerplay
--October: 25.0 (7th)...(NSH, 35.7)
--November: 22.7 (5th)...(CBJ, 27.8)
--December: 21.6 (9th)...(CBJ, 27.4)
--January: 22.7 (5th)...(CBJ, 24.6)
--February: 22.2 (4th)...(TOR, 23.0)
--March: 25.3 (1st)
--2016-17: 24.5 (1st)
--2015-16: 18.9 (12th)...(ANA, 23.1)
--2014-15: 13.4 (30th)...(WSH, 25.3)
Penalty Kill
--October: 86.7 (7th)...(MIN, 96.2)
--November: 78.7 (25th)...(CAR, 89.7)
--December: 73.9 (30th)...(CAR, 88.8)
--January: 74.3 (29th)...(CAR, 87.8)
--February: 75.8 (29th)...(CAR, 86.0)
--March: 77.3 (26th)...(FLA, 85.7)
--2016-17: 77.6 (25th)...(BOS, 85.7)
--2015-16: 82.6 (9th)...(ANA, 87.2)
--2014-15: 75.1 (30th)...(MIN, 86.3)
Faceoff Percentage
--October: 54.7 (3rd)...(ANA, 59.3)
--November: 51.5 (5th)...(ANA, 56.8)
--December: 51.1 (9th)...(ANA, 56.0)
--January: 50.6 (11th)...(ANA, 55.1)
--February: 49.9 (14th)...(ANA, 54.7)
--March: 49.7 (16th)...(ANA, 54.6)
--2016-17: 49.6 (17th)...(ANA, 54.7)
--2015-16: 49.4 (21st)...(ARI, 54.7)
--2014-15: 44.9 (30th)...(BOS, 53.6)
When Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray meets with ownership next week he'll be packing a dossier loaded with information about the performance of head coach Dan Bylsma in the form of exit interviews with Sabres players. Mixed in with that will be Murray's personal views on Bylsma as a case will be made as to whether or not he feels the second year coach should be back for a third season.
Some of that was already revealed yesterday as Murray held a 30 minute end of season press conference and fielded questions on what he described as a "very disappointing season" for his team. He spread the blame around beginning with part of his opening statement which read, "I'm [at] the top of the food chain when it comes to hockey and I take full responsibility." He also stretched it to the players later during the question and answer session of the program when he asked rhetorically, "Where's the accountability on the players when we can't beat Colorado and Arizona (the two worst teams in the league) when we have a sniff of a playoff spot?"
A good chunk of the presser yesterday had to do with head coach Bylsma of whom Murray said, "he's my coach today," leaving him an out if his meeting with the Pegula's ends with a different view of Bylsma's future as coach.
Murray referred to injuries earlier in the season to key players like Jack Eichel, who missed 21 games as well as Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly, both of whom missed time during the first two months of the season. Eichel and O'Reilly finished 1-2, respectively, in points on the team this season while Kane lead the team in goals. Having them out of the lineup meant a significant shift in how Bylsma wanted to operate. Out went the hope of scoring and in came an extreme focus upon defense and goaltending--1.95 goals for/game (30th in the league) and 2.45 goals against/game (10th.)
With Eichel back in the lineup and Kane coming to life after returning a bit too soon from his four broken ribs, the Sabres ramped up their offense to finish with 2.43 g/gm, which was right where they were last season. However, it came at the expense of defense. When the team opened things up it turned on them as their shots against and goals against increased.
Therein lies the rub. There had been reports of a disconnect in the way the players felt they could play and how Bylsma wanted them to play once they got healthier. The tug of war lasted from December through February pre-bye week and the team managed to eek it's way ever so slightly up the standings but the bottom was about to drop out.
With the playoffs still in sight, the Sabres went 2-7-2 after their bye week and lost their interest as shown in the statistical drops across the board.
The only bright spot on the season was the powerplay which finished No. 1 in the league. It's the first time the Sabres had a powerplay in the top-five since they finished third in 2005-06 and it was only the second time they'd finished atop that category, the other being 1991-92, according to Sabres PR, who also pointed out the 25.4% conversion rate is third-best in franchise history and 13th best all time since 1987-88.
That said, when Murray heads into the office with the Pegula's he'll have some explaining to do as the team took a step backwards in nearly every aspect as shown below.
The numbers below added to the reported disconnect between Bylsma and his players plus some of the things Murray said yesterday like "it's about coaching individuals a little more and coaching systems a little less," makes it hard to believe Bylsma will make it through.
Until then, here are the final team stats for this season.
Buffalo Sabres Team Stats (League Rankings)...(Leader):
Wins
--October: 3 (T-23rd)...(MTL, 8)
--November: 8 (T-28th)...(MTL, NYR, 16)
--December: 13 (28th)...(CBJ, 26)
--January: 20 (T-27th)...(WSH, 33)
--February: 26 (T-23rd)...(WSH, 42)
--March: 32 (24th)...(WSH, 51)
--2016-17: 33 (25th)...(WSH, 55)
--2015-16: 35 (23rd)...(WSH, 56)
--2014-15: 23 (30th)...(ANA, 49)
Atlantic Division Standing
--October: 7th...(MTL)
--November: 8th...(MTL)
--December: 8th...(MTL)
--January: 7th...(MTL)
--February: 7th...(MTL)
--March: 7th...(MTL)
--2016-17: 8th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 7th...(FLA)
--2014-15: 8th...(MTL)
Eastern Conference Standing
--October: 12th...(MTL)
--November: 15th...(MTL)
--December: 16th...(CBJ)
--January: 15th...(WSH)
--February: 13th..(WSH)
--March: 14th...(WSH)
--2016-17: 15th...(WSH)
--2015-16: 14th...(WSH)
--2014-15: 16th...(NYR)
League standing/Points
--October: 20th/8...(MTL/17)
--November: 28th/21...(MTL/34)
--December: 28th/34...(CBJ/56)
--January: 27th/49...(WSH/72)
--February: 22nd/63...(WSH/91)
--March: 24th/76...(WSH/110)
--2016-17: 26th/78...(WSH/118)
--2015-16: 23rd/81...(WSH/120)
--2014-15: 30th/54...(NYR/113)
Points Percentage
--October: .500 (T-15th)...(MTL, .944)
--November: .477 (26th)...(MTL, .739)
--December: .472 (28th)...(CBJ, .800)
--January: .500 (24th)...(MIN, .724)
--February: .500 (T-22nd)...(WSH, .734)
--March: .494 (24th)...(WSH, .714)
--2016-17: .476 (26th)...(WSH, .720)
--2015-16: .494 (23rd)...(WSH, .732)
--2014-15: .329 (30th)...(NYR, .689)
Goal Differential
--October: -1 (16th)...(MTL, +17)
--November: -13 (25th)...(NYR, +29)
--December: -23 (27th)...(CBJ, +50)
--January: -21 (26th)...(MIN), +54)
--February: -24 (23rd)...(WSH, +73)
--March: -28 (24th)...(WSH, +75)
--2016-17: -36 (24th)...(WSH, +81)
--2015-16: -21 (20th)...(WSH, +59)
--2014-15 -113 (30th)...(NYR, +60)
Goals/Game
--October: 2.50 (21st)...(NYR, 3.89)
--November: 1.95 (30th)...(NYR, 3.67)
--December: 2.14 (28th)...(CBJ, 3.46)
--January: 2.43 (24th)...(PIT, 3.55)
--February: 2.46 (24th)...(PIT, 3.46)
--March: 2.48 (24th)...(PIT, 3.36)
--2016-17: 2.43 (24th)...(PIT, 3.39)
--2015-16: 2.43 (25th)...(DAL, 3.23)
--2014-15: 1.87 (30th)...(TBL, 3.16)
Shots/Game
--October: 27.4 (28th)...(TOR, 34.7)
--November: 29.4 (20th)...(PIT, 33.9)
--December: 29.5 (17th)...(PIT, 34.8)
--January: 29.8 (17th)...(PIT, 34.4)
--February: 29.7 (20th)...(BOS, 33.9)
--March: 30.4 (13th)...(PIT, 34.1)
--2016-17: 30.4 (15th)...(PIT, 33.5)
--2015-16: 29.5 (17th)...(PIT, 33.2)
--2014-15: 24.2 (30th)...(CHI, 33.9)
Goals-against/Game
--October: 2.50 (12th)...(MTL, 1.44)
--November: 2.45 (10th)...(SJS. 2.09)
--December: 2.67 (14th)...(MIN, 2.06)
--January: 2.78 (17th)...(WSH, 2.10)
--February: 2.79 (18th)...(WSH, 2.08)
--March: 2.79 (19th)...(WSH, 2.22)
--2016-17: 2.82 (19th)...(WSH, 2.16)
--2015-16: 2.62 (15th)...(ANA, 2.29)
--2014-15: 3.28 (29th)...(MTL, 2.24)
Shots against/Game
--October: 30.6 (20th)...(WSH, 25)
--November: 32.5 (26th)...(LAK, 25.4)
--December: 32.6 (27th)...(LAK, 25.9)
--January: 33.3 (29th)...(LAK, 25.9)
--February: 34.1 (30th)...(LAK, 26.0)
--March: 34.2 (30th)...(LAK, 26.0)
--2016-17: 34.3 (30th)...(LAK, 25.9)
--2015-16: 30.6 (22nd)...(NSH, 27.3)
--2014-15: 35.6 (30th)...(LAK, 27.0)
Powerplay
--October: 25.0 (7th)...(NSH, 35.7)
--November: 22.7 (5th)...(CBJ, 27.8)
--December: 21.6 (9th)...(CBJ, 27.4)
--January: 22.7 (5th)...(CBJ, 24.6)
--February: 22.2 (4th)...(TOR, 23.0)
--March: 25.3 (1st)
--2016-17: 24.5 (1st)
--2015-16: 18.9 (12th)...(ANA, 23.1)
--2014-15: 13.4 (30th)...(WSH, 25.3)
Penalty Kill
--October: 86.7 (7th)...(MIN, 96.2)
--November: 78.7 (25th)...(CAR, 89.7)
--December: 73.9 (30th)...(CAR, 88.8)
--January: 74.3 (29th)...(CAR, 87.8)
--February: 75.8 (29th)...(CAR, 86.0)
--March: 77.3 (26th)...(FLA, 85.7)
--2016-17: 77.6 (25th)...(BOS, 85.7)
--2015-16: 82.6 (9th)...(ANA, 87.2)
--2014-15: 75.1 (30th)...(MIN, 86.3)
Faceoff Percentage
--October: 54.7 (3rd)...(ANA, 59.3)
--November: 51.5 (5th)...(ANA, 56.8)
--December: 51.1 (9th)...(ANA, 56.0)
--January: 50.6 (11th)...(ANA, 55.1)
--February: 49.9 (14th)...(ANA, 54.7)
--March: 49.7 (16th)...(ANA, 54.6)
--2016-17: 49.6 (17th)...(ANA, 54.7)
--2015-16: 49.4 (21st)...(ARI, 54.7)
--2014-15: 44.9 (30th)...(BOS, 53.6)
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Sabres GM Tim Murray to face a lot of questions after a lost season
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-12-2017
On day when the 2017 NHL playoffs begin,it would have been much easier for Buffalo GM Tim Murray to answer what it felt like to break a five-year playoff drought and face the Washington Capitals in the first round. Or to describe the progress his team had made while being in the hunt late in the season. But neither scenario came true this season as the Sabres finished with 78 points, three fewer than the previous season, and were out of the playoff picture in early March.
Murray will be facing a multitude of tough questions from the media today beginning with his decision on head coach Dan Bylsma.
Perhaps there's no decision to be made in Murray's eyes as Bylsma guided this team through a multitude of key injuries with a defense-corps that was generally panned league-wide . Injuries were an excuse up to a certain point but after most of the team returned to health, they could not get the job done. From that point forward, was it the coach or the construct that lead to the Sabres' demise?
Bylsma has three more years left on his five-year contact and his team followed a season of strong progress with a giant egg this year. From a construct perspective, his defense was a huge weakness as they could not consistently do what either the team needed or what his system was predicated upon. Then again, a seeming lack of adaptability on Bylsma's part when the team was near full health lead to a reported disconnect between some players and the coach.
Despite what Bylsma said at his end-of-season presser, something was amiss and it centered around 20 yr. old Jack Eichel and his reported disconnect with Bylsma's system. Eichel is the franchise player this team spent two years in the gutter for and has shown that he should be in the same conversation as young studs Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.
It will be interesting to hear how Murray approaches this aspect of the conversation and whether or not he still believes Bylsma and his system are right for his team and whether or not it will have an adverse effect on his franchise player.
Murray himself is squarely in focus as a supposedly "tough to play against" team he constructed (or wanted to construct) turned out to be paper tigers. When the heat was turned up this edition of the Sabres turned to mush. All may have been forgiven had they made progress this season, but they regressed and one would think that owner Terry Pegula is uneasy with what transpired with the team Murray built.
If Murray decides to retain Bylsma, he'll be passing up the opportunity to land a veteran coach like Daryl Sutter who won two Stanley Cups with the LA Kings or Gerard Gallant who guided a young Florida Panthers team to a 103 point season and an Atlantic Division crown last season. They may also miss out on a young, up-and-coming coach in former Sabres defenseman Phil Houlsley who's been working his way up the coaching ladder for years.
Keeping Bylsma represents a huge leap of faith by Murray and failure may cost him is job.
Also on tap is the status of left-winger Evander Kane.
We all know the story of Kane's off-ice antics and his on-ice attributes. Kane has one more season on his contract and lead the team with 28 goals, most of them 5v5 which was a huge weakness on the team. Murray has already said that Eichel and Sam Reinhart, who have one more left on their entry-level deals, are on tap first and that Kane would be addressed later.
Another contract to discuss is that of goalie Robin Lehner whom Murray traded a first round pick for. Lehner had a solid season and looks to be a good No. 1 goalie in this league. Lehner had the numbers, and presumably still has the confidence of his GM, but he had his moments, especially in the shootout where he failed to stop a single shot in eight attempts.
The contract with Lehner may have huge implications when addressing the Cal Petersen situation. Petersen was a standout goalie through three seasons at Notre Dame and may turn pro. Should he decide to, the Sabres have until June 1 to sign him, according to Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com, or he'll become a free agent. How he fits into Buffalo's plans will be the key talking point in any Petersen/Sabres talks.
There's Kyle Okposo's health, the expansion draft and the NHL Entry Draft to address as well as the team's approach to free agency, but most of the questions should center around what happened and who's to blame. If Bylsma's still the coach after Murray's opening statement, then we'll have a pretty good indication that the players will bear most of the responsibility in Murray's eyes. If not, then old adages like "it's easier to fire the coach instead of trading players" and "coaches are hired to be fired" will come into play.
Murray's presser is scheduled for 2 pm today. Should be interesting.
On day when the 2017 NHL playoffs begin,it would have been much easier for Buffalo GM Tim Murray to answer what it felt like to break a five-year playoff drought and face the Washington Capitals in the first round. Or to describe the progress his team had made while being in the hunt late in the season. But neither scenario came true this season as the Sabres finished with 78 points, three fewer than the previous season, and were out of the playoff picture in early March.
Murray will be facing a multitude of tough questions from the media today beginning with his decision on head coach Dan Bylsma.
Perhaps there's no decision to be made in Murray's eyes as Bylsma guided this team through a multitude of key injuries with a defense-corps that was generally panned league-wide . Injuries were an excuse up to a certain point but after most of the team returned to health, they could not get the job done. From that point forward, was it the coach or the construct that lead to the Sabres' demise?
Bylsma has three more years left on his five-year contact and his team followed a season of strong progress with a giant egg this year. From a construct perspective, his defense was a huge weakness as they could not consistently do what either the team needed or what his system was predicated upon. Then again, a seeming lack of adaptability on Bylsma's part when the team was near full health lead to a reported disconnect between some players and the coach.
Despite what Bylsma said at his end-of-season presser, something was amiss and it centered around 20 yr. old Jack Eichel and his reported disconnect with Bylsma's system. Eichel is the franchise player this team spent two years in the gutter for and has shown that he should be in the same conversation as young studs Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews.
It will be interesting to hear how Murray approaches this aspect of the conversation and whether or not he still believes Bylsma and his system are right for his team and whether or not it will have an adverse effect on his franchise player.
Murray himself is squarely in focus as a supposedly "tough to play against" team he constructed (or wanted to construct) turned out to be paper tigers. When the heat was turned up this edition of the Sabres turned to mush. All may have been forgiven had they made progress this season, but they regressed and one would think that owner Terry Pegula is uneasy with what transpired with the team Murray built.
If Murray decides to retain Bylsma, he'll be passing up the opportunity to land a veteran coach like Daryl Sutter who won two Stanley Cups with the LA Kings or Gerard Gallant who guided a young Florida Panthers team to a 103 point season and an Atlantic Division crown last season. They may also miss out on a young, up-and-coming coach in former Sabres defenseman Phil Houlsley who's been working his way up the coaching ladder for years.
Keeping Bylsma represents a huge leap of faith by Murray and failure may cost him is job.
Also on tap is the status of left-winger Evander Kane.
We all know the story of Kane's off-ice antics and his on-ice attributes. Kane has one more season on his contract and lead the team with 28 goals, most of them 5v5 which was a huge weakness on the team. Murray has already said that Eichel and Sam Reinhart, who have one more left on their entry-level deals, are on tap first and that Kane would be addressed later.
Another contract to discuss is that of goalie Robin Lehner whom Murray traded a first round pick for. Lehner had a solid season and looks to be a good No. 1 goalie in this league. Lehner had the numbers, and presumably still has the confidence of his GM, but he had his moments, especially in the shootout where he failed to stop a single shot in eight attempts.
The contract with Lehner may have huge implications when addressing the Cal Petersen situation. Petersen was a standout goalie through three seasons at Notre Dame and may turn pro. Should he decide to, the Sabres have until June 1 to sign him, according to Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com, or he'll become a free agent. How he fits into Buffalo's plans will be the key talking point in any Petersen/Sabres talks.
There's Kyle Okposo's health, the expansion draft and the NHL Entry Draft to address as well as the team's approach to free agency, but most of the questions should center around what happened and who's to blame. If Bylsma's still the coach after Murray's opening statement, then we'll have a pretty good indication that the players will bear most of the responsibility in Murray's eyes. If not, then old adages like "it's easier to fire the coach instead of trading players" and "coaches are hired to be fired" will come into play.
Murray's presser is scheduled for 2 pm today. Should be interesting.
Requiem for a season of disconnects
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-11-2017
To put it the only way we can and should, the 2016-17 Buffalo Sabres season was a bust as injuries and inconsistencies sent the team and it's fan base on a roller coaster of manic ups and downs with the Sabres finishing last in the division. Buffalo missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season and the 78 points they managed fell short of their 81 points total from previous season. No one in this organization from owner Terry Pegula on down should be anywhere close to happy with what transpired and none should skirt responsibility either.
In retrospect, this may have been a lost season from the get-go as the newly christened World Cup of Hockey got things going in the wrong direction in Buffalo. The whole idea of a Olympic-style tournament sounded like a good idea with players playing for their countries, but having it during NHL training camps may not have been the best thing for a player like newly acquired defenseman Dmitry Kulikov.
Kulikov spent his time playing for Team Russia instead of being in Buffalo acclimating to his new surroundings. After Russia was eliminated from the tournament Kulikov finally hit the ice for his first practice as a Sabre later in September. He made his Sabres debut on September 29 and during the game he was checked into an open bench door. He injured his tailbone and back and although he tried to play through the injury, it basically derailed his season as Kulikov was either trying to nurse it back to health on the fly or missed games.
The injury to Kulikov had an impact on the defense corps but what happened to Jack Eichel the day before the season opener dealt a blow to Buffalo's offense. Eichel's high-ankle sprain kept him out of the lineup for the first 21 games of the season and to keep with the theme of key players going down, left-winger Evander Kane broke four ribs in the season opener and was lost for 11 games. Added into that injury was an ailing Ryan O'Reilly, who was suffering from abdominal issues as a result of playing in from the WCoH. Those injuries crippled the offense as vets and youngsters alike failed to adequately fill the void.
On defense, injuries to Kulikov, Zach Bogosian and Josh Gorges created openings that were partially filled by depth defensemen called up to Rochester as well as an emergency call-up for Canadian junior defenseman Brendan Guhle for three games in November.
In all the injuries were many and the lack of depth forced head coach Dan Bylsma to change his approach early in the season as he employed a tight defensive system at the expense of offense. At one point in November, the Sabres were averaging under 1.70 goals/game yet somehow managed to stay around the .500 point mark through those games.
With the return of Eichel for the last game of November, the Sabres seemed to find their offensive legs in a 5-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The run-and-gun game that night was fun to watch for fans but gave the coaches ulcers as both teams produced scoring opportunities seemingly at will.
That game seemed to be a harbinger of things to come as players would struggle with their natural instinct to play shinny hockey in seeming opposition to Bylsma's systematic approach to the game. To the uninitiated Bylsma's system seemed too rigid a system for the speed and talent he had to work with, especially with a player like Eichel who has no trouble getting up ice and scoring when the opportunity is there, most times at the expense of defense. Throughout the second half of the season there were plenty of reports from the media that there was a disconnect between Eichel and Bylsma because of their differing apporaches.
This seeming clash of styles was not only on display from game to game but also within games as well. On more than a few occasions with Eichel back in the lineup, the Sabres would fall behind early in the game playing a tighter game only to come back when they opened things up with nothing to lose. It began against the Los Angeles Kings in December and really came to the fore as they won three consecutive come-from-behind games in overtime playing games just like that. Buffalo almost made it a fourth in a row but a couple of questionable calls didn't go their way and they lost in regulation to the Dallas Stars.
That reported disconnect between Eichel and Bylsma also reportedly seeped into the locker room. According to some reports a vet/youngin disconnect began bubbling with the young guns wanting to play one way and the vets following Bylsma's system.
Goalie Robin Lehner called out players for not following the game-plan and O'Reilly placed the blame on poor play during a string of losses on himself and his fellow teammates. Brian Gionta, Buffalo's 38 yr. old captain, also put the blame on the players, but there was a sense that the young brigade lead by Eichel and his 21 yr. old roommate and linemate, Sam Reinhart, had trouble getting on board with what Bylsma wanted. This supposed tug of war between vets and youngins, as alluded to by some members of the press, certainly didn't help unify the locker room.
There's a lot of blame to go around for the disappointment that was this season and no doubt injuries made for an uphill climb all season. But fact of the matter is, Buffalo was in a playoff race in February, but wilted. They also had many opportunities to jump teams ahead of them in the standings from December onward but came up woefully short nearly every time.
Buffalo GM Tim Murray's got himself some work to do for next season which includes shoring up the defense, finding another top-six talent to round out that group and moving some expensive dead weight. But maybe his most important work will involve becoming a conduit between players and coaches as well as vets and youngins. Despite what Bylsma said at his year-end presser, there are and have been disconnects all over this season and it started early and it looks as if that was a big contributor to the Sabres regression.
It wasn't supposed to go that way.
While talking to John Wawrow of the associated press less than a week before the start of the season, Murray told him that his team "should be getting better" then followed it up by saying, "When we stop getting better, than we've done something wrong."
Something, or a number of things, went wrong for Murray's team this season and a good starting point moving forward might be to make sure everybody's on the same page.
To put it the only way we can and should, the 2016-17 Buffalo Sabres season was a bust as injuries and inconsistencies sent the team and it's fan base on a roller coaster of manic ups and downs with the Sabres finishing last in the division. Buffalo missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season and the 78 points they managed fell short of their 81 points total from previous season. No one in this organization from owner Terry Pegula on down should be anywhere close to happy with what transpired and none should skirt responsibility either.
In retrospect, this may have been a lost season from the get-go as the newly christened World Cup of Hockey got things going in the wrong direction in Buffalo. The whole idea of a Olympic-style tournament sounded like a good idea with players playing for their countries, but having it during NHL training camps may not have been the best thing for a player like newly acquired defenseman Dmitry Kulikov.
Kulikov spent his time playing for Team Russia instead of being in Buffalo acclimating to his new surroundings. After Russia was eliminated from the tournament Kulikov finally hit the ice for his first practice as a Sabre later in September. He made his Sabres debut on September 29 and during the game he was checked into an open bench door. He injured his tailbone and back and although he tried to play through the injury, it basically derailed his season as Kulikov was either trying to nurse it back to health on the fly or missed games.
The injury to Kulikov had an impact on the defense corps but what happened to Jack Eichel the day before the season opener dealt a blow to Buffalo's offense. Eichel's high-ankle sprain kept him out of the lineup for the first 21 games of the season and to keep with the theme of key players going down, left-winger Evander Kane broke four ribs in the season opener and was lost for 11 games. Added into that injury was an ailing Ryan O'Reilly, who was suffering from abdominal issues as a result of playing in from the WCoH. Those injuries crippled the offense as vets and youngsters alike failed to adequately fill the void.
On defense, injuries to Kulikov, Zach Bogosian and Josh Gorges created openings that were partially filled by depth defensemen called up to Rochester as well as an emergency call-up for Canadian junior defenseman Brendan Guhle for three games in November.
In all the injuries were many and the lack of depth forced head coach Dan Bylsma to change his approach early in the season as he employed a tight defensive system at the expense of offense. At one point in November, the Sabres were averaging under 1.70 goals/game yet somehow managed to stay around the .500 point mark through those games.
With the return of Eichel for the last game of November, the Sabres seemed to find their offensive legs in a 5-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The run-and-gun game that night was fun to watch for fans but gave the coaches ulcers as both teams produced scoring opportunities seemingly at will.
That game seemed to be a harbinger of things to come as players would struggle with their natural instinct to play shinny hockey in seeming opposition to Bylsma's systematic approach to the game. To the uninitiated Bylsma's system seemed too rigid a system for the speed and talent he had to work with, especially with a player like Eichel who has no trouble getting up ice and scoring when the opportunity is there, most times at the expense of defense. Throughout the second half of the season there were plenty of reports from the media that there was a disconnect between Eichel and Bylsma because of their differing apporaches.
This seeming clash of styles was not only on display from game to game but also within games as well. On more than a few occasions with Eichel back in the lineup, the Sabres would fall behind early in the game playing a tighter game only to come back when they opened things up with nothing to lose. It began against the Los Angeles Kings in December and really came to the fore as they won three consecutive come-from-behind games in overtime playing games just like that. Buffalo almost made it a fourth in a row but a couple of questionable calls didn't go their way and they lost in regulation to the Dallas Stars.
That reported disconnect between Eichel and Bylsma also reportedly seeped into the locker room. According to some reports a vet/youngin disconnect began bubbling with the young guns wanting to play one way and the vets following Bylsma's system.
Goalie Robin Lehner called out players for not following the game-plan and O'Reilly placed the blame on poor play during a string of losses on himself and his fellow teammates. Brian Gionta, Buffalo's 38 yr. old captain, also put the blame on the players, but there was a sense that the young brigade lead by Eichel and his 21 yr. old roommate and linemate, Sam Reinhart, had trouble getting on board with what Bylsma wanted. This supposed tug of war between vets and youngins, as alluded to by some members of the press, certainly didn't help unify the locker room.
There's a lot of blame to go around for the disappointment that was this season and no doubt injuries made for an uphill climb all season. But fact of the matter is, Buffalo was in a playoff race in February, but wilted. They also had many opportunities to jump teams ahead of them in the standings from December onward but came up woefully short nearly every time.
Buffalo GM Tim Murray's got himself some work to do for next season which includes shoring up the defense, finding another top-six talent to round out that group and moving some expensive dead weight. But maybe his most important work will involve becoming a conduit between players and coaches as well as vets and youngins. Despite what Bylsma said at his year-end presser, there are and have been disconnects all over this season and it started early and it looks as if that was a big contributor to the Sabres regression.
It wasn't supposed to go that way.
While talking to John Wawrow of the associated press less than a week before the start of the season, Murray told him that his team "should be getting better" then followed it up by saying, "When we stop getting better, than we've done something wrong."
Something, or a number of things, went wrong for Murray's team this season and a good starting point moving forward might be to make sure everybody's on the same page.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Linus Ullmark says, "Hey. Don't forget about me," in season finale
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-10-2017
When it comes to goaltenders in the Sabres organization, GM Tim Murray traded a 2015 first round pick for Robin Lehner to be his No. 1 goalie in Buffalo. Lehner, who's up for a new contract, appeared in 59 games for the Sabres and put forth a solid campaign in net despite floundering in the shootout. In the system, Notre Dame Cal Petersen (2013, 129th-overall) just finished his junior season with an NCAA Frozen Four semi-final loss which his 90th consecutive game played for the Irish. If he decides to forgo his senior season, the Sabres have until June 1 to sign Petersen or he'll be free to shop his services elsewhere.
Swedish netminder Jonas Johansson made his North American pro debut on March 25 for the Rochester Americans. The 2014 third round pick (61st) came over from the homeland and now has six starts under his belt. At 6'4" 204 lbs. Johansson certainly has the size that NHL teams seem to covet these days, but like the fellow Swede he's set to replace in Rochester next season, Johansson needs to further acclimate to the AHL/NHL style of play.
Lehner and Petersen have been grabbing all the attention in Sabreland lately and with Johansson crossing the pond, 2012 sixth round pick (163rd) Linus Ullmark, seems to be the forgotten man in all of this.
Ullmark has been in the system longer than any of them and his journey has been a long, step-by-step process was fraught with successes and failures from Sweden to Buffalo. It's a journey that incorporates five years of pro development that began with MODO Ornskoldsvik of the Swedish Elite League and continued in North America with a quick stint in Rochester before an extended stay in Buffalo before he headed back to Rochester for a full year of AHL seasoning. Along the way he won the Honken Trophy in 2013-14 for the SHL Goalie of the Year and helped keep a bad MODO team from being relegated in 2014-15. He elected for double hip surgery that off-season and healed remarkably fast to the point where a December, 2015 return date ended up being a call to Buffalo in October and a 20-game stint as a rookie in the NHL that fall/early winter.
The events of the prior 10 months finally caught up to him while playing for Rochester and he would finish his 2015-16 Amerks campaign with a 10-16-0 record, 3.41 goals-against average and .902 save percentage.
The 6'4" 212 lb. Ullmark came into this season as Rochester's undisputed starter and after a rough start settled in behind an Amerks team that struggled everywhere on the ice, especially on defense. This year in 53 appearances he's 25-26-2 with a 2.86 gaa and .909 Sv%. The 1611 shots he's faced are by far the most in the AHL.
This past weekend with the Sabres finishing their season in Florida, Ullmark got the call up to Buffalo. He backed up Lehner on Saturday vs. the Florida Panthers but got the nod for the finale in Tampa yesterday evening. The Sabres, however, ended up losing 4-2 to the Lightning through no fault of Ullmarks. He gave up three goals on 37 Lightning shots (.919 Sv%) with the game-winner being a deflection off of his defenseman. He was smooth in net, calm, cool and collected and flashed some leather to rob Tampa's Jonathan Drouin blind.
The Sabres are heading into this off season with only one signed goalie in the organization--Jason Kasdorf, who spent most of his time in the ECHL. Lehner and Ullmark are both restricted free agents while backup Anders Nilsson is unrestricted and unlikely to return. Johansson was signed by Rochester and we're still waiting on word as to what the future holds for Petersen.
That said, Ullmark showed yesterday that he's progressing nicely. Sure, it was a meaningless game for most players, but for others like Ullmark, he's still trying to make an impression. His strong game yesterday in the season finale was a way of reminding Murray that he's still around.
Monday, April 10, 2017
What the players might be thinking while sitting thru their exit interviews
Whelp, one more game and then we can say goodbye to a very disappointing 2016-17 Buffalo Sabres season.
After the Sabres finish up this evening at Tampa Bay, it’s back home for locker cleanout and exit interviews with the players and eventually the coaching staff. Word on the street is that head coach Dan Bylsma, as well as GM Tim Murray, will have some explaining to do when they meet with owners Terry and Kim Pegula to review the season and the Pegula’s will be looking for reasons as to why the team finished with a worse record than the prior season.
But most important for the future is what Murray can glean from his players concerning Bylsma and the coaching staff.
There seemed to be some serious disconnects as to how the players and the coaching staff wanted to approach the game and although njuries certainly were a factor early on, as the season progressed and the team got healthier they failed to make progress as a team.
While we’re not sure exactly what the individual players might be saying about their experience with Bylsma this season, perhaps this is what they may be thinking as they sit down for their exit interviews:
Jack Eichel: Hang on a second, am I in the right spot to do this?
Ryan O’Reilly: It’s my fault. I have to be better. Does that sound right?
Robin Lehner: Everyone’s responsible and if anyone disagrees, look into my eyes.
Rasmus Ristolainen: He should’ve played me until I collapsed.
Sam Reinhart: Sorry I'm late. Jiminy Christmas, I wish Jack would do the dishes. At least once.
Brian Gionta: I’m a professional professing about professionalism. And after this season, I'm done professionally playing for the Sabres.
Zemgus Girgensons: God, I really hope we don’t end up in Vegas together.
Evander Kane: Shoulda played me with Jack more.
Dmitry Kulikov: Sorry, can’t talk. Gotta catch next flight outta here.
Kyle Okposo: It doesn’t matter. I’ve got my health to think about right now, and even if I didn’t, it still doesn’t matter.
Jake McCabe: I want to stand somebody up.
Zach Bogosian: Screw the stretch pass.
Marcus Foligno: I love that guy. Second-line minutes with Jack? Who wouldn’t?
Josh Gorges: I’m confused. What did he want us to do?
Evan Rodrigues: I’m cool. Hope the next guy realizes I played on Jack’s wing in college.
Cody Franson: I never thought a coach could make me play slower than I actually am.
Justin Falk: I’m better than Franson and a faster skater too.
Sean Malone: I’m Ivy League and I can’t figure out his system .
Matt Moulson: Man, I love the powerplay. Hope he stays.
Alexander Nylander: It’s gonna suck at the family gathering this summer.
Will Carrier: I just wanna skate. Can I just do that?
Nicolas Deslauriers: Why didn’t you let me loose?
CJ Smith: Friggen’ A. I made it.
Tyler Ennis: I hope I impressed him with my fancy stickwork. Hope he stays if I did.
Taylor Fedun: I’m better than Franson and a much better skater, scorer and passer too.
Anders Nilsson: I told him to put me in for the shootout. He wouldn’t listen and now we both may be out of a job. (God I wish Lehner would stop with the death-stare)
After the Sabres finish up this evening at Tampa Bay, it’s back home for locker cleanout and exit interviews with the players and eventually the coaching staff. Word on the street is that head coach Dan Bylsma, as well as GM Tim Murray, will have some explaining to do when they meet with owners Terry and Kim Pegula to review the season and the Pegula’s will be looking for reasons as to why the team finished with a worse record than the prior season.
But most important for the future is what Murray can glean from his players concerning Bylsma and the coaching staff.
There seemed to be some serious disconnects as to how the players and the coaching staff wanted to approach the game and although njuries certainly were a factor early on, as the season progressed and the team got healthier they failed to make progress as a team.
While we’re not sure exactly what the individual players might be saying about their experience with Bylsma this season, perhaps this is what they may be thinking as they sit down for their exit interviews:
Jack Eichel: Hang on a second, am I in the right spot to do this?
Ryan O’Reilly: It’s my fault. I have to be better. Does that sound right?
Robin Lehner: Everyone’s responsible and if anyone disagrees, look into my eyes.
Rasmus Ristolainen: He should’ve played me until I collapsed.
Sam Reinhart: Sorry I'm late. Jiminy Christmas, I wish Jack would do the dishes. At least once.
Brian Gionta: I’m a professional professing about professionalism. And after this season, I'm done professionally playing for the Sabres.
Zemgus Girgensons: God, I really hope we don’t end up in Vegas together.
Evander Kane: Shoulda played me with Jack more.
Dmitry Kulikov: Sorry, can’t talk. Gotta catch next flight outta here.
Kyle Okposo: It doesn’t matter. I’ve got my health to think about right now, and even if I didn’t, it still doesn’t matter.
Jake McCabe: I want to stand somebody up.
Zach Bogosian: Screw the stretch pass.
Marcus Foligno: I love that guy. Second-line minutes with Jack? Who wouldn’t?
Josh Gorges: I’m confused. What did he want us to do?
Evan Rodrigues: I’m cool. Hope the next guy realizes I played on Jack’s wing in college.
Cody Franson: I never thought a coach could make me play slower than I actually am.
Justin Falk: I’m better than Franson and a faster skater too.
Sean Malone: I’m Ivy League and I can’t figure out his system .
Matt Moulson: Man, I love the powerplay. Hope he stays.
Alexander Nylander: It’s gonna suck at the family gathering this summer.
Will Carrier: I just wanna skate. Can I just do that?
Nicolas Deslauriers: Why didn’t you let me loose?
CJ Smith: Friggen’ A. I made it.
Tyler Ennis: I hope I impressed him with my fancy stickwork. Hope he stays if I did.
Taylor Fedun: I’m better than Franson and a much better skater, scorer and passer too.
Anders Nilsson: I told him to put me in for the shootout. He wouldn’t listen and now we both may be out of a job. (God I wish Lehner would stop with the death-stare)
Brendan Guhle shows his stuff.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-8-2017
When Sabres d-prospect Brendan Guhle finished his 2015-16 WHL season he went to the Rochester Americans and proceeded to score a goal and add three assists in six games for the Amerks. Expectations remained high for the 6'3" 194 lb. Sherwood Park, Alberta native coming into Buffalo's 2016 training camp, but Guhle ended up back in junior.
An emergency call-up in November when the Sabres d-corps was devastated by injuries gave Guhle his first taste of NHL action, and just like in Rochester, the 2015 second-round pick never looked out of place. Unfortunately he had to go back to junior for the remainder of the season but he's back in the pros once again skating with the Amerks.
Last night was his first game back and he proceeded to score a goal as he joined the rush and sent a quick snap-shot home. Thanks to the Rochester Americans, here's what it looked like:
Guhle possesses NHL athleticism and skating ability and although he's known more for his savvy in the defensive zone, that shot and his ability to join the rush gives him the look of a mobile, two-way puck-mover. That he can step right in to the pros after his stint in junior bodes well for both him and the Sabres. That Guhle has continued to progress at a quick pace means he could very well be on track for the NHL next season.
*****
The Sabres announced the signing of West Seneca native Sean Malone to an entry-level contract and he'll be in the lineup tonight at Florida vs. the Panthers. Malone's Harvard Crimson was eliminated in the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday and the 6'0" 190 lb. will don No. 42 in his pro debut. According to Jourdon LaBarber of sabres. com, Malone will be on the fourth line with Zemgus Girgensons and Nicolas Deslauriers.
Malone finished his college career with 42 goals and 57 assists in 115 games for the Crimson.
*****
Only two games left for the Sabres this season--tonight at Florida, tomorrow at Tampa Bay--and only the game against the Lightning may carry any meaning.
Last night Tampa defeated the Montreal Canadians to draw within one point of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Toronto plays tonight at home vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins and tomorrow vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets. Should the Leafs win this evening, they're in. Should they lose it will come down to tomorrow. The Lightning take on the Sabres beginning at 5 p.m. and the Leafs and Jackets face off at 6 p.m.
And let's not forget about the NY Islanders who are also only one point behind the Leafs.
They're on a four-game winning streak riding the hot hand of Jaroslav Halak and are on the road at the New Jersey Devils tonight and then finish off the season with a home date vs. the Ottawa Senators tomorrow.
When Sabres d-prospect Brendan Guhle finished his 2015-16 WHL season he went to the Rochester Americans and proceeded to score a goal and add three assists in six games for the Amerks. Expectations remained high for the 6'3" 194 lb. Sherwood Park, Alberta native coming into Buffalo's 2016 training camp, but Guhle ended up back in junior.
An emergency call-up in November when the Sabres d-corps was devastated by injuries gave Guhle his first taste of NHL action, and just like in Rochester, the 2015 second-round pick never looked out of place. Unfortunately he had to go back to junior for the remainder of the season but he's back in the pros once again skating with the Amerks.
Last night was his first game back and he proceeded to score a goal as he joined the rush and sent a quick snap-shot home. Thanks to the Rochester Americans, here's what it looked like:
Guhle possesses NHL athleticism and skating ability and although he's known more for his savvy in the defensive zone, that shot and his ability to join the rush gives him the look of a mobile, two-way puck-mover. That he can step right in to the pros after his stint in junior bodes well for both him and the Sabres. That Guhle has continued to progress at a quick pace means he could very well be on track for the NHL next season.
*****
The Sabres announced the signing of West Seneca native Sean Malone to an entry-level contract and he'll be in the lineup tonight at Florida vs. the Panthers. Malone's Harvard Crimson was eliminated in the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday and the 6'0" 190 lb. will don No. 42 in his pro debut. According to Jourdon LaBarber of sabres. com, Malone will be on the fourth line with Zemgus Girgensons and Nicolas Deslauriers.
Malone finished his college career with 42 goals and 57 assists in 115 games for the Crimson.
*****
Only two games left for the Sabres this season--tonight at Florida, tomorrow at Tampa Bay--and only the game against the Lightning may carry any meaning.
Last night Tampa defeated the Montreal Canadians to draw within one point of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Toronto plays tonight at home vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins and tomorrow vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets. Should the Leafs win this evening, they're in. Should they lose it will come down to tomorrow. The Lightning take on the Sabres beginning at 5 p.m. and the Leafs and Jackets face off at 6 p.m.
And let's not forget about the NY Islanders who are also only one point behind the Leafs.
They're on a four-game winning streak riding the hot hand of Jaroslav Halak and are on the road at the New Jersey Devils tonight and then finish off the season with a home date vs. the Ottawa Senators tomorrow.
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