Confirmed with Link: Sabres have promoted Seth Appert to assistant coach/Amir Gulati to video coordinator/Girardi let go

[Mattilaus]

The PK was also bad with him the year prior. What changed? The couple of things I noticed were removing Okposo from the PK, going with pressure killers at forward instead. And they took Jokiharju completely off the unit until around the trade deadline. Dahlin’s PK minutes also took a dip until late in the year, they kept him away from the grind of it. I didn’t see the defensemen who were here the year prior doing much differently. EJ and Clifton though did.

i feel like having an NHL goaltender helped too

 

[Chainshot]

i feel like having an NHL goaltender helped too

Forwards, defense he hadn’t coached before and better goaltending… so not really anything Wilford did.

 

[SabresFan26]

So Seth is …. Ted Lasso?

 

[slip]

Rochester was in the bottom 20% in GF on the PP. Somebody please explain to me how this qualifies Appert to coach the Sabres power play.

Not sure how Ellis survived the purge. Actually, I'm pretty sure this organization values loyalty and fealty to ownership above all else, especially competence at one's job. Precisely why Adams is still around, even though he should have been show the door alongside Granato.

But let's see how the GM tackles shoring up the bottom six. Needless to say my expectations at this stage are extremely low so it's unlikely he disappoints me again this off season.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Rochester was in the bottom 20% in GF on the PP. Somebody please explain to me how this qualifies Appert to coach the Sabres power play.

Not sure how Ellis survived the purge. Actually, I'm pretty sure this organization values loyalty and fealty to ownership above all else, especially competence at one's job. Precisely why Adams is still around, even though he should have been show the door alongside Granato.

But let's see how the GM tackles shoring up the bottom six. Needless to say my expectations at this stage are extremely low so it's unlikely he disappoints me again this off season.

GF on the PP isn't the be all end all in statistics. The underlying numbers on zone entries, possession, high quality chances etc are more important in determining how good it is. You can have 90% possession in zone time, the goalie makes a save, a defenseman blocks a shot or you ding one off the pipe and your % goes down

 

[slip]

GF on the PP isn't the be all end all in statistics. The underlying numbers on zone entries, possession, high quality chances etc are more important in determining how good it is. You can have 90% possession in zone time, the goalie makes a save, a defenseman blocks a shot or you ding one off the pipe and your % goes down

Still bottom 1/3 in PP conversion. You're absolutely right about the other variables and I confess to not having watched too much of the Amerks this season but I still fail to see a compelling reason for promotion to PP coach.

 

[Chainshot]

Encouraging to hear that they’ve actually realized the flanker shots are being well covered and it requires motion. The downside is them saying that the bumper is the most important position on the power-play. A position held most often by Jeff Skinner.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Still bottom 1/3 in PP conversion. You're absolutely right about the other variables and I confess to not having watched too much of the Amerks this season but I still fail to see a compelling reason for promotion to PP coach.

I don't disagree but the question is how much input did he even have with the PP as generally that's not the head coach's job

https://twitter. com/sabreunfiltered/status/1790075847946256711?s=46&t=JtJGZB72FEeLQorTqWN-rA

Ing to hear that they’ve actually realized the flanker shots are being well covered and it requires motion. The downside is them saying that the bumper is the most important position on the power-play. A position held most often by Jeff Skinner.

If they're smart they'd use Benson and Quinn in the bumper, especially Quinn

 

[Chainshot]

I don't disagree but the question is how much input did he even have with the PP as generally that's not the head coach's job


If they're smart they'd use Benson and Quinn in the bumper, especially Quinn

Exactly.

 

[Dex]

This thread really has had me shaking my head for all the wrong reasons. To start, I can't believe for one second that the Sabres organization would hire one of the most experienced and respected coaches in hockey to return as their head coach and then stick him with a coaching staff of which he has not approved.

It was said upthread, but I'll paraphrase it here. Ruff has had plenty of time since his official hire date on 4/22 to speak with his the coaches whose contracts were not terminated and get a feel for who they are, how they coach, and how they would like to see the team play. He may even have had more time than that to start thinking about the staff as some have thought that the hiring of the new coach did not start precisely in 4/16 when Granato was fired. I have zero doubt that if any of these assistants did not fit with what he wants the Sabres to play like in the upcoming season, they too would have would have been shown the door.

My thought is that if Ruff was not happy with the assistant coaches that were retained and/or hired - we would have been seeing notice of his resignation today and not the announcement of the finalization of the staff and an all smiles appearance with Duffer and Marty on Sabres Live

 

[HOOats]

Proposing a new rule where you can’t tell someone to touch grass if you write an essay about posts you don’t like

I said "go to the cottage," it's the hockey version. And so sorry for the "essay," next time I'll spread it across a dozen separate maladjusted posts to blend in with the rest of the gang.

 

[enthusiast]

I said "go to the cottage," it's the hockey version. And so sorry for the "essay," next time I'll spread it across a dozen separate maladjusted posts to blend in with the rest of the gang.

My advice to every member of this forum is simply to make good posts regardless of length, so as with anyone I’d be happy to see those in any measure!

 

[Mattilaus]

This thread really has had me shaking my head for all the wrong reasons. To start, I can't believe for one second that the Sabres organization would hire one of the most experienced and respected coaches in hockey to return as their head coach and then stick him with a coaching staff of which he has not approved.

It was said upthread, but I'll paraphrase it here. Ruff has had plenty of time since his official hire date on 4/22 to speak with his the coaches whose contracts were not terminated and get a feel for who they are, how they coach, and how they would like to see the team play. He may even have had more time than that to start thinking about the staff as some have thought that the hiring of the new coach did not start precisely in 4/16 when Granato was fired. I have zero doubt that if any of these assistants did not fit with what he wants the Sabres to play like in the upcoming season, they too would have would have been shown the door.

My thought is that if Ruff was not happy with the assistant coaches that were retained and/or hired - we would have been seeing notice of his resignation today and not the announcement of the finalization of the staff and an all smiles appearance with Duffer and Marty on Sabres Live

This is mostly my feeling. I personally do not think it is a great idea to basically run it back with the same assistants + Appert, but I highly doubt a coach as veteran as Lindy, when he is being paid by NJ apparently whether he does the job or not, and this close to retirement age, would just agree to work with assistants he does not want.

 

[toomuchsauce]

I said "go to the cottage," it's the hockey version. And so sorry for the "essay," next time I'll spread it across a dozen separate maladjusted posts to blend in with the rest of the gang.

hey man, let me do my weird, bad posts in peace

 

[Gras]

Rochester was in the bottom 20% in GF on the PP. Somebody please explain to me how this qualifies Appert to coach the Sabres power play.

Not sure how Ellis survived the purge. Actually, I'm pretty sure this organization values loyalty and fealty to ownership above all else, especially competence at one's job. Precisely why Adams is still around, even though he should have been show the door alongside Granato.

But let's see how the GM tackles shoring up the bottom six. Needless to say my expectations at this stage are extremely low so it's unlikely he disappoints me again this off season.

Appert and Ruff are working together on the Power Play, its not all on Appert.

 

[HOOats]

My advice to every member of this forum is simply to make good posts regardless of length, so as with anyone I’d be happy to see those in any measure!

By the count, plenty of people found it to be plenty "good" and in need of being said out loud (if they were even ABLE to get to the end of it!!) . But thank you for the constructive crit as always.

 

[Ehran]

This is mostly my feeling. I personally do not think it is a great idea to basically run it back with the same assistants + Appert, but I highly doubt a coach as veteran as Lindy, when he is being paid by NJ apparently whether he does the job or not, and this close to retirement age, would just agree to work with assistants he does not want.

To me, its more about the roster construction work this summer.

Good coaches make good players. But also, good players make good coaches. I look forward to seeing what Ruff, Appert, and others can do with a roster improved from last season.

 

[Butt Ox]

Appert and Ruff are working together on the Power Play, its not all on Appert.

A change of personnel would be a good starting point. Fingers crossed.

 

[enthusiast]

By the count, plenty of people found it to be plenty "good" and in need of being said out loud (if they were even ABLE to get to the end of it!!) . But thank you for the constructive crit as always.

good posting isn’t about likes, of course. If it was, the negative posts you were objecting to would be just as good!

It’s easy to attract flies to shit of every color and shape.

 

[HOOats]

good posting isn’t about likes, of course. If it was, the negative posts you were objecting to would be just as good!

It’s easy to attract flies to shit of every color and shape.

Of course, good posting isn't all about likes. But in this case, the most agreed with post in the thread is the one lamenting that the quality of discourse here might be getting dragged down by Twitter-style junk takes. Maybe those opinions are worth something? In my opinion it needs to be said out loud from time to time.

Alas, we may just disagree about what exactly shit is.

 

[enthusiast]

Of course, good posting isn't all about likes. But in this case, the most liked post in the thread is the one about the quality of discourse here being dragged down by Twitter-style junk takes. So, we may just disagree about what exactly shit is.

that’s exactly the point, though. It’s easy to get likes by being negative about the team, because it’s something we all share emotions about. It’s even easier to get likes by complaining about the forum, because that’s a more fundamental connection we share in the same way. It’s *always* been that way here, as well as every other forum on the internet. X was always better Y years ago, because of Z trend. There’s always been low-effort whining on this board with counterwhining in return. If we want people to be able to communicate as freely as possible (generally, most agree), we’ve got to accept this, but we don’t have to participate

 

[HOOats]

that’s exactly the point, though. It’s easy to get likes by being negative about the team, because it’s something we all share emotions about. It’s even easier to get likes by complaining about the forum, because that’s a more fundamental connection we share in the same way. It’s *always* been that way here, as well as every other forum on the internet. X was always better Y years ago, because of Z trend. There’s always been low-effort whining on this board with counterwhining in return. If we want people to be able to communicate as freely as possible (generally, most agree), we’ve got to accept this, but we don’t have to participate

Yeah, we just fundamentally disagree. And you're welcome to have the last word eventually if you so desire.

I reject the premise that "counterwhining" (read: a single, fairly well thought out critique, agreed with by a large number of thoughtful, regular posters) is the same as the gratuitous, habitual whining that it stands in opposition to. And it's certainly not fishing for likes.

Imo if we want sharp people to continue to show up and communicate freely, we need to encourage meaningful contributions and discourage what is essentially emotional spam. Hitting "ignore" and "not participating" isn't good enough, because the bullshit still poisons the conversational well. Maybe HF Corp appreciates the clicks, but I sure as hell don't.

I'm just one guy (who has been reading this forum since 2002) with an opinion, but I value this place as a refuge from Twitter-style hot takes. You can certainly disagree with my analysis, but to sweep it under the rug as the same ancient forum griping is missing the point.

 

[Krieger Bot]

Hard not to be disappointed in this staff. On the positive side, I get keeping Bales. With UPL's progress, they don't want to rock the boat there. That makes sense to me. And while it's weird they're keeping Ellis on the staff, at least it seems like he's being demoted to some minor, video coaching role. Moving him into this role instead of firing him will probably have no real difference on the team.

I don't hate promoting Appert either. I'll be the first to confess that others follow the Amerks more closely than I. But I think he's had a little more success there than some are giving him credit for. By my count, there's just 4 teams that have made it to the round of 16 for 3 years running, including Rochester (Syracuse, Rockford, and Milwaukee being the others). And that stretch includes a run to the conference finals, another run to the conference semifinals, and a top 10 finish in the regular season this year. I'm not exactly super jazzed about the hire, but I don't think it's totally crazy either.

But Wilford? That...I cannot abide. We've all witnessed the Sabres' struggles in the defensive zone since he's been here. And his time with the Ducks was a mess too. I mean, they had the second worst 5 on 5 xGA/60 in the entire NHL while he coached their blueline. Honestly, it's hard to imagine any other NHL team employing him to coach their defense with his resume. He would be back to the minor leagues if the Sabres let him go. There was an obvious opportunity for an improvement here, and we passed it up. Really frustrating.

Moreover, it's hard to believe that this is the best coaching staff we could build. I mean, really? Everyone we need to coach the Sabres to a Stanley Cup victory was already in the building? Hogwash.

There have been concerns about Granato's staff right from the get go. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence to hire an ECHL coach, a guy who was just coaching one of the worst defenses in the league, another guy with no coaching experience at all, and the goalie coach who was already here. I had hoped against hope that maybe Donnie was on to something with some of these guys. Or that maybe he would recognize their flaws quickly and seek out improvements.

But...I always feared that maybe these hirings were, at least somewhat, out of his control. That these were the best assistants he could afford with the budget he was given. Not the best assistants for the job. I don't have any sources to substantiate this theory. But Lindy just hiring some guys he didn't even know, instead of doing a real search to build the best staff he can, raises an awfully lot of questions. It's hard to understand why he would do something like that. Unless, of course, the Pegulas are refusing to spend money on quality assistants.

 

[enthusiast]

Yeah, we just fundamentally disagree. And you're welcome to have the last word eventually if you so desire.

I reject the premise that "counterwhining" (read: a single, fairly well thought out critique, agreed with by a large number of thoughtful, regular posters) is the same as the gratuitous, habitual whining that it stands in opposition to. And it's certainly not fishing for likes.

Imo if we want sharp people to continue to show up and communicate freely, we need to encourage meaningful contributions and discourage what is essentially emotional spam. Hitting "ignore" and "not participating" isn't good enough, because the bullshit still poisons the conversational well. Maybe HF Corp appreciates the clicks, but I sure as hell don't.

I'm just one guy (who has been reading this forum since 2002) with an opinion, but I value this place as a refuge from Twitter-style hot takes. You can certainly disagree with my analysis, but to sweep it under the rug as the same ancient forum griping is missing the point.

Sure, I’ll happily take the last word if you’re offering it, and the start will be directed to everyone on the board, rather than just you:

Stop stroking yourself over being mad about something. It’s never, ever that serious, much less impressive, and it sucks to read no matter who jerks along with you.

Returning to a personal point, I’m glad that we both don’t consider likes truly relevant to quality because the canes board demonstrated how pointless they were right after launch. It’s a buzz feature to draw engagement and if anything I think it spurs the sort of posting you don’t care for. I’d can it if I was king, but I’m not.

General again: This board isn’t a zoo but it’s not an academic conference either, and the beauty of the Internet forum lies in its limitless capacity. I don’t advocate using ignore functions in all but personal harassment cases, because it really is that easy to just not pay any mind to the things we don’t like. We know the posters we don’t agree with, and we know how they post, so why does the next post have any power over us? Don’t give anyone else here control over how you think and feel and you’ve won hfboards. It’s there for the taking, and we’re posting about posting instead of grabbing for it.

 

[debaser66]

I'll believe Ellis is eye in the sky when I see it.

His gorgon stare will turn the oppositions PP into stone or the opposite