This is the first go-round as an NHL head coach for Phil Housley. A Hockey Hall of Famer as a player, Housley began his coaching career in Stillwater, Minnesota, which is a stone's throw away from where he was born in St. Paul. The other time he was the head man behind the bench was in 2013 coaching Team USA at the World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia. The Americans won the gold medal that year with Housley behind the bench and Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe as captain.
From there Housley began paying his coaching dues in Nashville as an assistant with the Predators. In four years he transformed a Nashville defense-corps into a force that drove the Preds to the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals.
Yet, despite his various levels of success prior to Buffalo hiring him, being a head coach in the NHL is completely different than anything Housley's done to this point in his coaching career. No longer are his players boys and/or young men, he's dealing with professionals, and he's now the one making all the decisions for the on-ice product of an NHL team. As a 4-8-2 record to start this season (and his head coaching career) would indicate, Housley has some adjusting to do.
In all fairness to him, Houlsey took over a team that doesn't have the overall talent of Nashville and he began his tenure in Buffalo with a defense-corps that was at least a couple of notches below what he had with the Predators. To make matters worse, he's been trying to instill a defensive philosophy in a defense-corps that has been over-run by injuries. Last night against the Dallas Stars, the Sabres had four defensemen that were projected to be in the opening night lineup with only one of them, Marco Scandella, as a legit top-four defenseman.
The talent/injury woes aren't limited to the defense-corps either. The Sabres have the makings of two good, solid lines up-top, but after that it falls to pieces, especially with the injuries to forwards Evan Rodrigues and Jacob Josefson which hurts the bottom-six. Housley has filled out his forward ranks but has players struggling to hold their own with minimal contributions on offense and some pretty poor defensive zone practices.
The Sabres have been overrun in four games this season--at NY Islanders (6-3,) vs. NJ Devils (6-2,) at Columbus (5-1,) and at Dallas (5-1.) In those four games there 16 of the 22 goals against came at even strength. The top-six, which average just over 14 minutes of even strength ice-time per player, were a combined minus-20 while the bottom-six, averaging about 10:30 EV ATOI, was a combined minus-17 goals on those goals. Justin Bailey who was a call-up, played a good portion in the top-six and is now injured was on the ice for two while injured fourth-line center Josefson was on for three.
Last night against Dallas, with the Sabres down 4-1, the discrepancy in talent, and speed, was on display as the Stars toyed with Buffalo's fourth line as if they were NHL'ers playing against Bantams. Dallas cycled in the Buffalo zone for 1:16 before lining up a tip from the slot. The goal made it 5-1 late in the third period, but the game was pretty much decided in the first period.
What the Sabres really needed was some stout goaltending last night, but they got the opposite. Robin Lehner, who boldly proclaimed that he had "nothing to prove" during the off season, has been inconsistent at best and abysmal at worst, which is what we witnessed last night. Lehner allowed three weak goals on seven shots before getting yanked and is now sporting a 3.25 GAA and .896 Sv%.
Backup goalie Chad Johnson is worse with a 3.84 GAA and .878 Sv%.
Welcome to the world of being a head coach, Mr. Housley.
Throughout his short tenure in Buffalo, Housley has nobly kept his players from taking the brunt of criticism being thrown at the league's 29th place team. Credit should also be given to the team for pulling together a 4-3-1 record prior to last night's game after starting the season 0-4-1. But the product is what the product is and right now what the Sabres are losing more often than they are winning and last night they lost in grand fashion. Again.
It was yet another collapse, from goalie on out, that Housley tried to defend post-game. "I thought our guys played well and did a lot of good things," he told the gathered media post-game.
"When I evaluate the game," said Housley in a response to how he avoids being negative, "I think we played well" then went on to say that "a lot of people probably will disagree with [him]" while acknowledging "the score tells something different." Yet he was adamant that the team got the start that they wanted and that they were victims of some early bounces not going their way.
Anyone who disagrees with Housley's assessment of last night's game are probably wondering what game he was watching. With all due respect, his team failed in goal, failed on defense, failed at team defense, failed to score on the minimal opportunities they had and got steamrolled. It was over at the end of the first period with Dallas up 4-0 and there should be no mincing of word nor should there be any coddling of the players after that stinker.
Once again, the product on the ice is what it is.
Housley's got his hands full right now and he really has no one to fall back on in his coaching staff. He's out there by himself with a lot of problems on his hands and that would include how he handles the players on his team. If they want to be treated like men and paid like men, they need to be addressed like men and that includes calling a spade a spade.
This team had the utmost respect for Housley when he came on board, but the horrific start meant the honeymoon was over pretty quick. Coddling these players does no one any good. If they played a poor game, and if that can be alluded to without calling a player out, then it should be done.
The next game is against a Washington Capitals team that's beginning to figure things out after a real rough patch. And if the Sabres want to survive that one, Housley and company will need to figure some things out as well.
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