Thanks, Sabres.com
April 11, 2018.
A stoic Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill met with the assembled media to review the worst season in franchise history and to preview the short, long term plans of correction. Botterill did not shoot from the hip. It’s not his style. He is a thinking man. Botterill does not speak to hear his own voice nor does he think out loud. Botterill is measured and button-up. He’s thoughtful and smart.
The GM of the 31st place team in the NHL stepped to the mic and said without hesitation that his team was not good enough. He didn’t single out specific players or coaches. He indicted the entire team.
Botterill didn’t mince his words. He never does.
“Right now, we have a losing culture. We haven’t won here and it’s up to Phil (Housley) and I to work through that to change our culture….
Botterill said it didn’t take him long to see, hear and feel that the Sabres were infected by a losing attitude, that the players accepted the taste of losing. Botterill said that he noticed the cues of losing culture on multiple occasions on his team’s trip to California early in the 2017-18 season. He said that it was clear to him when his team had fallen down by a goal or two to the Sharks, Kings or Ducks, that they would pack it in and accept the loss rather than fight back. Botterill said its hard finding a way to win those games. He vowed then and there that he and Phil Houlsey had to find a way to right the wrongs that of previous front office and coaching administrations that undermined success in the 2017-18 season.
Botterill said that the dread of losing was visible to his eyes inside games because he noticed poor habits in his players during practices. Botterill, a former NCAA, AHL and NHL player himself, admitted that good habits did not come easily to his players. He said the intensity was not there on practice days. The attention to details was lacking. Communication between players was a problem. Some players weren’t talking with their position coaches and head coach. Execution inside shifts in games and in practices was sadly lacking. Some of his players didn’t care enough to compete for the man sitting next to him in the locker room.
Botterill pledged that Housley would remain as his head coach and that changes to the roster were imminent.
The door opened and closed as several players left the building for the last time ever as a Buffalo Sabre.
It wasn’t personal. It was business. It was Botterill’s Business.
Botterill wasn’t lying.
The only way for Housley to kill the culture of losing was to make wholesale, radical changes to the composition of the roster.
Josh Gorges, Robin Lehner, Chad Johnson, Benoit Pouliot, Jacob Josefson, Jordan Nolan, Viktor Antipin, and Justin Falk found greener pastures. In February 2018, Botterill traded pending free agent Evander Kane to San Jose for a a first round pick and prospect Danny O’Regan. In December 2017, Botterill made a critical decision on a very popular Sabres veteran player. Botterill loaned Matt Moulson to the AHL Ontario Reign, which allowed the proud vet to seek employment elsewhere because Buffalo playing days were done and playing for the Rochester Amerks wasn’t in the cards for Moulson.
When the Sabres opened training camp in September, ten new players were on the roster. The change it had to come. We knew it all along.
On April 28, Botterill won the NHL Draft Lottery.
The "always the bridemaid and never the bride narrative" that had been associated with the Sabres was now dead and buried.
Buffalo deserves nice things.
In late June in Dallas, Botterill selected all-world defenseman Rasmus Dahlin first overall at the draft. Dahlin, 18, has been remarkable in his first 11 games in the NHL. Dahlin’s confidence continues to soar as he is on-the-job training in the best hockey league in the world.
On July 1, Ryan O’Reilly was traded for five valuable assets including Patrik Berglund, Vlad Sobotka, Tage Thompson, a 2019 first round pick, a 2021 second round pick. Berglund, Sobotka and Thompson have added value to the Sabres in their brief time in Buffalo.
Sniping wingers Jeff Skinner and Conor Sheary were acquired by trade. Skinner leads the Sabres in goal scoring (6) and points (12) after 11 games played. Sheary’s 3 goals thus far have been scored on Buffa’s improved power play.
Carter Hutton was signed to a three-year contract on July 1 and has been rock solid in in the crease. Huttin has four of Buffalo’s six wins this season and .905 SV%, 3.08 GAA.
Linus Ullmark (2-0-0-1) is playing well with his .935 SV% and 2.00 GAA.
Forward prospect Nick Baptiste was waived to the Rochester Amerks. Days later he was traded claimed to the Nashville Predators and is in AHL Milwaukee today.
Botterill claimed power forward Remi Elie off waivers from the Dallas Stars to fortify his bottom six soldier group.
Last April, Houlsey promosed his players that Training Camp 2018 was not going to be a series of days at the beach and golf course. He looked them in the eyes as individuals and told them that training camp was going to be a bear. It was going to be fast, physical and very competitive. He called his shot and told each and every player that they would all be held accountable to their performance, or lack thereof. Housley said nothing would be given. All ice time and special teams opportunities would be earned, not given for free.
True to Houlsey's word, training camp practices were fast, firece, fiery. The seven exhibition games were just as competitive. The poor habits of which Botterill spoke at his April presser were being replaced by a precision, passion and crispness not seen in Buffalo since Lindy Ruff was the coach. Players were seen and heard speaking with one on another on the bench and in the room. Players and coaches had better communication. This observer noted on many occasions that the collective give-a-sh*t-meter of the Sabres roster had improved dramatically.
Housley's Habits have been accepted by all players on the roster and in the minors. The message is clear: if you intend to play for the Buffalo Sabres, you better execrcise Housley's Habits in practice drills, warm ups, game day skates, in the weight room, at appearances in the community, at fan events, during shifts inside games, on the bench, on the bus, at the hotel, away from the rink.
Players who choose to be subversive or march to the beat of their own drummer outside the boundaroes of Housley's Habits wil be dealt with accordingly.
What has changed with the Buffalo Sabres from April until today?
Phil Houlsey is finally in charge.
When training camp ended and the final roster had been decided upon, there were six youngters whom were disappointed AF to get the news that they had been sent down to AHL Rochester.
Among them were forwards Alex Nylander, Victor Olofsson, Rasmus Aspund and Justin Bailey. Defensemen Lawrence Pilut and Brendan Guhle. All five prospects were justified in their disappointment.
All six played well enough in main camp to earn opening night roster spots with the Sabres.
They earned opportunities to show what they could do at the NHL level. They performed at the highest levels possible.
In year's past, a losing culture Sabres GM and head coach likely would have kept some or all five of the red hot prospects and played them in Buffalo. Not Botterill. One of the pillars of Botterill's plan is to create internal competition at every single position inside the organzation. No man should feel entitled to his ice time nor his opportunities.
In successful fashion, Botterill and Housley have shifted the paradigm from entitlement to "Earn Your Ice Or Another Player Will Take It From You".
Botterill learned this from his mentors Ray Shero and Jim Rutherford. In his ten seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins, Botterill won three Stanley Cup rings.
Winning is all about perfecting the fundamentals with excellent work habits.
Be great at what you are good at.
Malcolm Gladwell would call it "investing your 10,000 hours". Be an outlier. Become and expert by perfecting the excellence for your execution of the fundamentals of your craft.
Botterill knows full well that the American League is a man's league where nothing is given to young players. There are 32 year old men on the other team who have mortgages and three kids to feed. Hot shot teeangers and twenty-somethings have to earn their way. They have to repsect the climb. They must pack the bus after games and live at the Motel 6 before they can fly on the NHL owner's chartered Gulfstream and stay at the Ritz Carlton on "the road".
Always leave them wanting more. Make them hunger for the NHL. Create internal competition for who will be the first call up to Buffalo in the event of a player injury.
Be ready. Be your better self.
Botterill has planned his work and now he is working his plan.
The Sabres are now 6-4-1 and in 6th place in the Eastern Conference. In 2017-18, the Sabres didn't win their sixth game of the season until Thanksgiving Eve. They are a month ahead of last season's pace and trending up after earning 3 of 4 points this week after winning 3 of 5 games against stout Western Conference opponents.
Sunday October 28. #Sabres in the hunt, stacking points. Four winnable games on the schedule this week.
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) October 28, 2018
I’m confident #Sabres will be at 20 point plateau by next Sunday night pic.twitter.com/NlXeya1hom
Saturday night in Columbus, the Sabres showed newfound grit and determination by clawing back from a 4-2 third period deficit to tie the game on goals by Casey Mittelstadt and Kyle Okposo. The Sabres lost in OT, however, they stole a critical road point in a scenario that the 2017-18 Sabres would have found failure in.
Housley's Habits.
On Thursday night in Buffalo, the Sabres erased three, one goal deficits to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3.
Housley's Habits.
On their recent grind through the Western Conference, the Sabres beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-0.
Then, advesrity reared its ugly head in lopside losses to the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks. Rather the fold like a cardbord box under the strain of adversity, the Sabres spanked the LA Kings 5-1. Then, they slapped the Ahaeim Ducks 4-2.
What a difference a year makes. Winning three of five games and collecting six of a possible ten points from legit Stanley Cup contending teams was a true sign of growth and maturity.
Housley's Habits.
The Sabres are off until Tuesday when the Calgary Flames arrive in Buffalo. On Saturday, the Flames lost in a shootout to the Washington Capitals. The Flames play in Toronto on Monday night. If they adhere to Housley's Habits, the Sabres will be ready to compete for an inspired 60 minutes and take two points from the road weary Flames.
Then, it's a home and home against the Ottawa Senators and a game against the NY Rangers.
Who says Buffalo can't grab 7 of 8 points this week? I like their chances.
#Sabres week that was:
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) October 28, 2018
Scored 8G, allowed 8G
Earned 3 of 4 points vs. improved clubs CBJ, MTL
On to the next:
8 points on the table vs. CGY, OTT (home and home), NYR
I like #Sabres to earn 7 of 8 points this week#StackingPoints
I know its only 11 games into the new season, however, I'm sensing a new, enthusiastic, positive energy and a shared belief of success in the individual players that I haven't experienced since the days Ryan Miller, Danny Briere, Chris Drury, Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville and Jay McKee, Brian Campbell,and Teppo Numminen were the leaders in the Buffalo room.
Since 2004-05, I have covered the Sabres for Hockeybuzz.com. It has been a long time since the last time I was as impressed by a group of Sabres players, coaches and manager as I am by this group.
There is an "it" factor about the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres. I think they are for real.
My take: The whole of the 2018-19 Sabres is better than the sum of it's parts. I also see a group of young men who are committed to pulling the proverbial rope in the right direction. This group of players likes one another. There are no cliques not rival factions. The kids are supported by the vets and vice versa. The leadership group, led by Jack Eichel, is getting support from each and every player on the roster. The results are irrefutable.
Let's just see what tomorrow brings.
Not surprisingly, the Rochester Amerks are now a first place club due in large part to the sizzling performances of Victor Olofsson, Lawrence Pilut, and Alex Nylander.
With last night's win over Laval, @AmerksHockey have earned 15 of a possible 16 points in their last 8 games. Are 7-2-1 last 10. Amerks are #1 team in North standings. Botterill, Sexton, Greeley, Taylor and Housley planned their work. Now, they are working their plan #Sabres
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) October 28, 2018
With 15 points in 10 games played, sniping Swede Olofsson, the AHL points leader, is the top scorer for the Amerks.
Fellow Swede Pilut (2G,11A in 8 games) is fourth in AHL scoring.
Nylander now has 4 goals and 5 assists in 10 games played.
Olofsson, Pilut, Nylander..., svenskarna gör succé i @BuffaloSabres farmarlag.https://t.co/UuO5Kkhamo#twittpuck #AHL #Amerks
— HockeyNews.se (@HockeynewsSe) October 28, 2018
Honorable mention goes to AHL veteran puck mover Zach Redmond who has 6 goals and 8 assists for the Amerks this season.
@AmerksHockey playing .750 hockey #Sabres pic.twitter.com/oAomdXaSGT
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) October 28, 2018
For the first time in a very long time, Amerks players are banging loudly on the door to the Sabres locker room screaming "Let me in!!"
Botterill and Housley are listening to Randy Sexton and Chris Taylor's recommendations.
Botterill's Business. Housley's Habits.