Michael Pachla: On coaches, the Sabres and the Leafs

Michael Pachla: On coaches, the Sabres and the Leafs
- Michael Pachla

Good blog. You're a class act.

(frank) the Sabres

Edit: Jeremy White is a douchebag

Good blog. You're a class act.

(frank) the Sabres
- Matthews_Auston

I love you man

The Leafs are a dynasty in the making. 3 of the best young forwards in the league and 3 great young defensemen. Lots of cap space to add Tavares in the next year or so via trade or as a UFA.

The Sabres will be looking up at the Leafs for the next decade.

Good read.....much respect!
...coming from a Leafs fan who watched in anguish a decade ago as the Drury/Briere led Sabers had their cup runs a decade ago

The Leafs are a dynasty in the making. 3 of the best young forwards in the league and 3 great young defensemen. Lots of cap space to add Tavares in the next year or so via trade or as a UFA.

The Sabres will be looking up at the Leafs for the next decade.
- Losman

No thanks. Someone else can overpay for him.

However, as Sabres fans watch the Stanley Cup playoffs for the sixth year in a row, it's not hard imagining a Nolan-coached team easily eclipsing the 78-point total that Bylsma's system-oriented team gathered and possibly being in the playoff race into April.

It is for me.

it's not hard imagining a Nolan-coached team easily eclipsing the 78-point total that Bylsma's system-oriented team gathered and possibly being in the playoff race into April.

Don't give me the "what ifs"

What if Leafs actually won a few of the "luckouts"(shootouts) they'd have more points. What If the Leafs didn't blow leads at the start of the season or won more in OT they would of had more points.

It goes both ways. Nothing should be taken away or given to where a team was placed. Quit being so butthurt about the Leafs

I don't know why Buffalo fans and WGR "talent" is so concerned with the Leafs. Speculating about whether the Leafs would have made the playoffs if Marner, Nylander or Matthews were injured for the same number of games as Eichel and Kane were for the Sabres? Really?

The Sabres had a LOSING record with and without Eichel in the lineup. Their record with Kane wasn't much better. SO?

Imagine if the Leafs didn't blow all those leads this past regular season?. 15 OT or SO losses. I'd say at least a dozen or so points squandered.

Imagine if Matthews didn't go 12-14 games without scoring a goal? How many more wins?

Does any of this matter? Nope. Its irrelevant. Good teams win, bad teams lose and throw the coach under the bus and or blame injuries or referees. Sabre fans should focs on their own team. The rebuild to date is a flop. No depth. Little top end talent available in junior or minors. Focus on Murray and the lousy job he's been doing.

I don't know why Buffalo fans and WGR "talent" is so concerned with the Leafs. Speculating about whether the Leafs would have made the playoffs if Marner, Nylander or Matthews were injured for the same number of games as Eichel and Kane were for the Sabres? Really?

The Sabres had a LOSING record with and without Eichel in the lineup. Their record with Kane wasn't much better. SO?

Imagine if the Leafs didn't blow all those leads this past regular season?. 15 OT or SO losses. I'd say at least a dozen or so points squandered.

Imagine if Matthews didn't go 12-14 games without scoring a goal? How many more wins?

Does any of this matter? Nope. Its irrelevant. Good teams win, bad teams lose and throw the coach under the bus and or blame injuries or referees. Sabre fans should focs on their own team. The rebuild to date is a flop. No depth. Little top end talent available in junior or minors. Focus on Murray and the lousy job he's been doing.
- BernardShakey

Well said. GMTM has butchered the rebuild.

We need wholesale changes and more time at the bottom to try and catch up.

Bernard's Shakey Opinions Part DUH

Michael you're dead on when you say the Leafs were healthy all year. I can't remember them being that lucky with regards to injuries.

All season I kept waiting for the usual disaster. Just goes to show how much luck is involved. The team that wins it all is usually the healthiest.

Could be a different story next year but for now we're having a ball. Cheers

The Leafs are a dynasty in the making. 3 of the best young forwards in the league and 3 great young defensemen. Lots of cap space to add Tavares in the next year or so via trade or as a UFA.

The Sabres will be looking up at the Leafs for the next decade.
- Losman

I love you man

P.S. (frank) Tavares

Well said. GMTM has butchered the rebuild.

We need wholesale changes and more time at the bottom to try and catch up.
- Losman

It's a shame too, because it started out perfectly for the Sabres. It's really gone downhill the last year or so.

It's a shame too, because it started out perfectly for the Sabres. It's really gone downhill the last year or so.
- prock

Don't worry too much. We only had 9 players over 70 games this year. Was a tire fire of a year for us losing Jack, Kane, RoR, Okposo, Kulikov, McCabe and Larsson for considerable amounts of time. We'll grab another top10 pick (won't help now), couple defenders in the offseason, get healthy...then we'll see.

Let's put it this way...one of our healthiest players was Lehner.

Don't worry too much. We only had 9 players over 70 games this year. Was a tire fire of a year for us losing Jack, Kane, RoR, Okposo, Kulikov, McCabe and Larsson for considerable amounts of time. We'll grab another top10 pick (won't help now), couple defenders in the offseason, get healthy...then we'll see.
.
- RhinoFan

These players won't play for Bylsma. We could be at full strength for the whole season, but it won't make a difference without a coaching change.

These players won't play for Bylsma. We could be at full strength for the whole season, but it won't make a difference without a coaching change.
- Losman

Coaches can change. If your first sentence is correct, he won't be here long. Losing the majority of your top6 and top4 for a quarter of the season will collapse almost any franchise in this league. I'm not worried about it.

Don't worry too much. We only had 9 players over 70 games this year. Was a tire fire of a year for us losing Jack, Kane, RoR, Okposo, Kulikov, McCabe and Larsson for considerable amounts of time. We'll grab another top10 pick (won't help now), couple defenders in the offseason, get healthy...then we'll see.

Let's put it this way...one of our healthiest players was Lehner.
- RhinoFan

We can't use the " injury" excuse the team was just absolute trash

They need to do some major changes in the summer

Good read. Die hard leaf fan here who wanted a proper rebuild to happen back in 2004. I have an insight and it is my opinion and i do welcome your feedback whether i am right or wrong. I feel that GMTM may have rushed it a little bit last summer and before that with the Kane trade. Too many young assets were traded away to speed things up in becoming a cup contender sooner rather than later. I don't know how quickly the traded assets were coming along but i do feel they needed another yr or two before they would be NHL ready. I think that anoyher 2 yrs with those assets ripening would create at least 5 to 8 yrs of cup contention and the possibility of becoming a juggernaut in the east.
I always enjoyed the battle of the QEW back in the day and it would be amazing if that can happen again in the near future for years to come. Can't beat the headlines of Auston vs Jack and sibling rivalry.

Don't worry too much. We only had 9 players over 70 games this year. Was a tire fire of a year for us losing Jack, Kane, RoR, Okposo, Kulikov, McCabe and Larsson for considerable amounts of time. We'll grab another top10 pick (won't help now), couple defenders in the offseason, get healthy...then we'll see.

Let's put it this way...one of our healthiest players was Lehner.
- RhinoFan

I would expect it to be a little better next year, for sure, I'll agree. Obivously what's transpired is worst case scenario.

I do think there has been some poor management as well though. Even when they had close to a healthy roster, at times, the team simply wasn't that good.

Michael you're dead on when you say the Leafs were healthy all year. I can't remember them being that lucky with regards to injuries.

All season I kept waiting for the usual disaster. Just goes to show how much luck is involved. The team that wins it all is usually the healthiest.

Could be a different story next year but for now we're having a ball. Cheers
- Procrastinator

It doesn't hurt that they're getting career years from every player on their roster. Good luck counting on that from year to year.

We can't use the " injury" excuse the team was just absolute trash

They need to do some major changes in the summer
- GERBE!!!75PTS

We need to add to defense that is for sure. At the same point, how someone can argue that injuries weren't a HUGE factor in this year's production is beyond me.

Jack (best player), RoR (2nd best player), Carrier, Larsson, McCabe (2nd best defender), Kulikov (3rd best defender), Ennis, Kane (best winger), Okposo (2nd best winger) all missed significant time. Add in the defensive depth of losing Bogo and Gorges for long spells...what did you expect?

Here's a fun fact: Foligno, Moulson and Gionta were the only ones to break 80 games. The only people that remained healthy (Risto had 79gp) were mostly our bottom 6 forwards or bottom pairing defenders. Most of our "good players" were there for about 65 games total. If that doesn't play a factor then nothing does.