- washedup20

Looks like Pegula needs the Frank Constanza "The Manzier" edition

https://twitter.com/Cross...amp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

https://twitter.com/CrossSwordsPod/status/1739782400274469029?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
- Buff36

Sucks working this week given the game times for this tournament

Bills v Dolphins might get flexed to Sunday night if Division is on the line

I walked out of the Garden following Saturday’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Sabres thinking the Rangers probably aren’t going to be able to keep Michael Peca on their staff as an assistant coach for all that long.

In fact, unless there is a dramatic reversal of fortune in Buffalo, where the Sabres are staring at a 13th straight season out of the playoffs, I’d expect the Pegula ownership to seek permission to bring Peca back to the organization where he was captain as a
Don Granato in his fourth full season behind the Sabres bench. Everyone seems to like him. Everyone seems to believe he is a good coach.

Yet the team hasn’t been able to quite turn the corner under Granato despite a flurry of moves over the past three seasons by general manager Kevyn Adams and a succession of high draft selections.

Peca was the personification of the hard-edged, goonish-leaning group fostered in the late 1990s by then-head coach Lindy Ruff. He captained the Sabres to the 1999 final that was lost on Brett Hull’s in-the-crease overtime goal in Game 6 that gave the Stanley Cup to Dallas.

The center played another season and then sat out the entire 2000-01 season in a contract dispute. (Every once in a while, that happened back then. Petr Nedved sat out. So did Sean Burke. So did Nikolai Khabibulin.)player and a coach in their minor league system.

Peca’s holdout got him traded to the Islanders, where he hooked up with first-year, first-time coach Peter Laviolette to take the team to the playoffs after a seven-year drought. That was the beginning of a relationship that is bearing fruit for the Rangers.

Following retirement, Peca coached the Buffalo Junior Sabres. Laviolette hired him as a player development coach in Washington to work with the taxi squad during the 2020-21 season. No. 27 moved back to the Sabres organization to become head coach of Buffalo’s AHL affiliate in Rochester for two seasons before joining the Blueshirts’ staff this year.

This is Laviolette’s show. He is in on everything. He is the decider. But at the same time, the head coach is also a delegator.

Peca has been delegated to supervise the power play and faceoffs. His impact has been enormous.

Peca’s points of emphasis

The Rangers had gone nearly a decade without winning more than 50 percent of their draws. They ranked 23rd in the league at an aggregate 48.6 in two seasons under head coach Gerard Gallant, who put little emphasis on faceoffs.

Prior to that, they ranked 31st (and last) at 46.2 percent 0ver David Quinn’s three seasons behind the bench.

Over the nine seasons from 2014-15 through 2022-23, the Blueshirts ranked 30th at 47.8 percent.

Now, under Peca’s tutelage, the Rangers lead the NHL in faceoff proficiency at 54.8 percent entering Wednesday’s resumption of play at the Garden against Washington, with Vincent Trocheck — who told The Post in training camp that while growing up he modeled his game on Peca — second in the league at 63.4 percent.

The Blueshirts have had an imposing power play ever since Quinn constructed his four-righty, one-defenseman first unit in late November 2019. Then it was Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. The Blueshirts ripped off at a 29.9 percent success rate the rest of the season.

Fox replaced DeAngelo at the top during the first week of the following season. Trocheck replaced Strome at the start of last season in the exchange of No. 16s during the summer of 2022. The power play remained proficient while growing somewhat entitled, but was not quite the overpowering weapon it should have been given the sum of its parts.

This season, with Peca’s guidance, the Rangers lead the NHL with a 31.3 percent power play that is more creative and dynamic than it had been the previous couple of seasons, even if there are times when it appears Zibanejad’s off-wing, one-timer represents Option 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

So, two areas of expertise for Peca and two areas in which the Rangers lead the league.

And that is why this Toronto native who will celebrate his 50th birthday in May will be toward the top of wish lists for any number of clubs seeking a new head coach next season.

There is a chance Peca might not believe he’s ready for a head coaching job as soon as next season and that he would choose to remain as Laviolette’s assistant for a second year. But maybe not.

Peca has a résumé in Buffalo. The Sabres haven’t been able to get it right for more than a decade. The Rangers should enjoy him while they can. That’s what I was thinking leaving the Garden on Saturday.

https://nypost.com/2023/1...mpaign=nypost_sitebuttons


- washedup20

Might not be remembering correctly, but I thought there was a comment or two asking how we knew Peca was a good coach and was worth being upset about being let go to the Rangers, when some were complaining about that happening.

Guess the proof is in the results outlined above.

Sucks working this week given the game times for this tournament
- IonSabres

Yeah, pretty early

Might not be remembering correctly, but I thought there was a comment or two asking how we knew Peca was a good coach and was worth being upset about being let go to the Rangers, when some were complaining about that happening.

Guess the proof is in the results outlined above.
- kingcong39

We have Matt Ellis, we will be fine!🤣🤣😂

Might not be remembering correctly, but I thought there was a comment or two asking how we knew Peca was a good coach and was worth being upset about being let go to the Rangers, when some were complaining about that happening.

Guess the proof is in the results outlined above.
- kingcong39

The kool-aid was strong this offseason.

This office has removed a critical piece every season since they have been working:

20/21:

- Let Ullmark walk
- gave away Borgen
- trade Montour for nothing
- trade Risto for futures, 3 seasons later, 0 impact back at the NHL level
- trade Skunk for futures, Levi/Kulich - might be good in a few years, minimal positive return on this (so far)

21/22:

- traded Eichel for Tuch, Krebs, Ostlund - justify however you want, Vegas won the Cup, the Sabres are not closer and are short an elite 2 way center. This was a very bad trade. The only response to any justification for this trade will be: Vegas won the Stanley Cup, the Sabres are still talking about potential.

22/23:

- Adams makes 8 nothing trades after the Eichel trade, none have had any impact on the NHL team

- Adams trades for Greenway, closing the Eichel trade - he is a 4th liner on a good team, and is overpaid.

23/24:

- trades away La-busch-can and signs Clifton for more for 3 seasons - that's bad

- Let Peca walk for no reason

- trades nothing for Robinson - who is in and out of the lineup and most likely will not be resigned after half a losing season with the NHL club.


Bott's players and Tuch having a career year saved Adams from an even worse losing season last year.

There is 0 evidence to suggest Adams can build a winning team.


His drafting, 35 picks:

7 - 1st round - 3 playing in the NHL
6 - 2nd round - 1 playing in the NHL
4 - 3rd round - 0 playing in the NHL
3 - 4th round- 0 playing in the NHL
4 - 5th round- 0 playing in the NHL
5 - 6th round- 0 playing in the NHL
6- 7th round- 0 playing in the NHL


His signings:

- All are overpaid, he has built a team that hasn't even made the playoffs into a cap strapped team before even learning the winning identity of the group.
.

The kool-aid was strong this offseason.

This office has removed a critical piece every season since they have been working:

20/21:

- Let Ullmark walk
- gave away Borgen
- trade Montour for nothing
- trade Risto for futures, 3 seasons later, 0 impact back at the NHL level
- trade Skunk for futures, Levi/Kulich - might be good in a few years, minimal positive return on this (so far)

21/22:

- traded Eichel for Tuch, Krebs, Ostlund - justify however you want, Vegas won the Cup, the Sabres are not closer and are short an elite 2 way center. This was a very bad trade. The only response to any justification for this trade will be: Vegas won the Stanley Cup, the Sabres are still talking about potential.

22/23:

- Adams makes 8 nothing trades after the Eichel trade, none have had any impact on the NHL team

- Adams trades for Greenway, closing the Eichel trade - he is a 4th liner on a good team, and is overpaid.

23/24:

- trades away La-busch-can and signs Clifton for more for 3 seasons - that's bad

- Let Peca walk for no reason

- trades nothing for Robinson - who is in and out of the lineup and most likely will not be resigned after half a losing season with the NHL club.


Bott's players and Tuch having a career year saved Adams from an even worse losing season last year.

There is 0 evidence to suggest Adams can build a winning team.


His drafting, 35 picks:

7 - 1st round - 3 playing in the NHL
6 - 2nd round - 1 playing in the NHL
4 - 3rd round - 0 playing in the NHL
3 - 4th round- 0 playing in the NHL
4 - 5th round- 0 playing in the NHL
5 - 6th round- 0 playing in the NHL
6- 7th round- 0 playing in the NHL


His signings:

- All are overpaid, he has built a team that hasn't even made the playoffs into a cap strapped team before even learning the winning identity of the group.
.
- washedup20

Good work Washed, been a intriguing 4yrs

The kool-aid was strong this offseason.

This office has removed a critical piece every season since they have been working:

20/21:

- Let Ullmark walk
- gave away Borgen
- trade Montour for nothing
- trade Risto for futures, 3 seasons later, 0 impact back at the NHL level
- trade Skunk for futures, Levi/Kulich - might be good in a few years, minimal positive return on this (so far)

21/22:

- traded Eichel for Tuch, Krebs, Ostlund - justify however you want, Vegas won the Cup, the Sabres are not closer and are short an elite 2 way center. This was a very bad trade. The only response to any justification for this trade will be: Vegas won the Stanley Cup, the Sabres are still talking about potential.

22/23:

- Adams makes 8 nothing trades after the Eichel trade, none have had any impact on the NHL team

- Adams trades for Greenway, closing the Eichel trade - he is a 4th liner on a good team, and is overpaid.

23/24:

- trades away La-busch-can and signs Clifton for more for 3 seasons - that's bad

- Let Peca walk for no reason

- trades nothing for Robinson - who is in and out of the lineup and most likely will not be resigned after half a losing season with the NHL club.


Bott's players and Tuch having a career year saved Adams from an even worse losing season last year.

There is 0 evidence to suggest Adams can build a winning team.


His drafting, 35 picks:

7 - 1st round - 3 playing in the NHL
6 - 2nd round - 1 playing in the NHL
4 - 3rd round - 0 playing in the NHL
3 - 4th round- 0 playing in the NHL
4 - 5th round- 0 playing in the NHL
5 - 6th round- 0 playing in the NHL
6- 7th round- 0 playing in the NHL


His signings:

- All are overpaid, he has built a team that hasn't even made the playoffs into a cap strapped team before even learning the winning identity of the group.
.
- washedup20

What exactly are you trying to say

What exactly are you trying to say
- SABRES 89

Adams 5 year plan explained in gif:

Adams 5 year plan explained in gif:


- washedup20

We have been on the 10 year plan, not 5

We have been on the 10 year plan, not 5
- SABRES 89

Always remember KA signed Okposo who is having a career year. The plan is obviously right on schedule

Always remember KA signed Okposo who is having a career year. The plan is obviously right on schedule
- Freddie krug

He is spending 4 NHL seasons to draft and develop players to replace the players who were already in the system and heading into their primes, while ignoring the holes in the roster....only to have his replacement players, 4 years later play on a team that has the same holes when his rebuild started.

We have been on the 10 year plan, not 5
- SABRES 89

Pegs and his Yes Men…

He is spending 4 NHL seasons to draft and develop players who were already in the system and heading into their primes, while ignoring the holes in the roster....only to have his replacement players, 4 years later play on a team that has the same holes when his rebuild started.

- washedup20

Their roster is mostly healthy now, so it'll be interesting to see what their win percentage looks like for the rest of the year.

If they play on, say, a 95-point pace for the rest of the season, that won't be good enough to make the playoffs considering where they are, but I'll be good enough for Adams to sell the media on a narrative that the team actually was good enough but injuries sunk them.

Adams and Granato keep their jobs, "We learned a lot about handling pressure, we'll get em next time," etc.

So are they actually going to waive Comrie

Their roster is mostly healthy now, so it'll be interesting to see what their win percentage looks like for the rest of the year.

If they play on, say, a 95-point pace for the rest of the season, that won't be good enough to make the playoffs considering where they are, but I'll be good enough for Adams to sell the media on a narrative that the team actually was good enough but injuries sunk them.

Adams and Granato keep their jobs, "We learned a lot about handling pressure, we'll get em next time," etc.
- Hank Balling

Yupp

I booked the presidential sweet at the holiday inn for Skinner and E Johnson's 1,000 games, the young guys are going to learn so much this season. Lot's of positives, Adams will have a tough decision at the end of the season on how much of a raise he should give to E Johnson for next year.

Yupp

I booked the presidential sweet at the holiday inn for Skinner and E Johnson's 1,000 games, the young guys are going to learn so much this season. Lot's of positives, Adams will have a tough decision at the end of the season on how much of a raise he should give to E Johnson for next year.
- washedup20

Pick 10th and talk about how they got so lucky with who fell to them. Honestly it's my worst case scenario. Everyone keeps their jobs and they bring back 90% of the team again

Pick 10th and talk about how they got so lucky with who fell to them. Honestly it's my worst case scenario. Everyone keeps their jobs and they bring back 90% of the team again
- Hank Balling

I guess it depends on what questions Terry is asking Adams:

We have been on the 10 year plan, not 5
- SABRES 89

12

I guess it depends on what questions Terry is asking Adams:


- washedup20

Kevyn, get me a 3-year extension for Zemgus. I don't care what it costs

Pick 10th and talk about how they got so lucky with who fell to them. Honestly it's my worst case scenario. Everyone keeps their jobs and they bring back 90% of the team again
- Hank Balling

I have seen nothing on a regular basis to prove

6k/levi is the answer in net

dahlin/power/samualsson/player x is the answer to the top 4 d

middle 6 with all those draft picks are average at best

bottom pair and 4th line are meh

coach is meh


more than a tweak is needed and a pysyk and lazar signing is not the solution

Kevyn, get me a 3-year extension for Zemgus. I don't care what it costs
- Hank Balling