Speculation: Coaching Search - Part III: Dan Bylsma deal "imminent"

[Sabre Dance]

As a Pens fan who has always liked Buffalo, I really hope you guys do not hire Bylsma.

For the first 3 or so years of Bylsma's tenure, the players pretty much unanimously bought into his system and played their ass off every game for him. Unfortunately, his system wasn't very good. There are Pens fans who will say he was bad because he didn't use their preferred line combos like playing Iginla's corpse with Crosby, but if that was an issue is is way down on the list (many of the same Pens fans have extensively complained about line combos under Johnston as well). Simply, Bylsma either does not understand the game well enough tactically or is too stubborn to adjust, and either should be a death sentence in the modern NHL. If you watched the Pens under Bylsma play against a well-structured team defensively like BOS, NJ, or LA, they couldn't score to save their lives as the Pens forwards were often suffocated with no support entering the zone when the other team sat back and allowed no chances for an odd man rush.

And none of this mentions how his team (both the Pens and the US) had a tendency to collapse and get blown out in the playoffs. Bylsma may help a team reach the playoffs, but if you ever imagine your team being a serious contender, stay far away.

I like playoffs.

Almost sounds like lets not blame the players lets blame the coach approach. Ive seen it before with Lindy. I get it though, Crosby and Malkin are untouchable.

 

[Bps21*]

I like playoffs.

Almost sounds like lets not blame the players lets blame the coach approach. Ive seen it before with Lindy. I get it though, Crosby and Malkin are untouchable.

Crosby and Malkin better win another one this season or the half of their career they've spent with a coach not named Bylsma will trail the half they did 1 cup to 0. And that's with over 25% of their combined games lost to injury in that time.

Of course that was all because of MT whose system magically started working after he was fired...as evidenced by all of his playoff success since in Montreal. ...or something.

I don't want Bylsma even a little...but some of the reasoning people are going to is laughable.

I truly hope someone is brazen enough to say "well montreal doesn't have crosby and Malkin" because it would complete the ciycle of high absurd comedy. You're right...they don't...If only we could know how a team with Therrien would do with those players and could compare.

 

[Jame]

Of course that was all because of MT whose system magically started working after he was fired...as evidenced by all of his playoff success since in Montreal. ...or something.
.

Evidence or something?

 

[Zman5778]

Devils are also looking at Bylsma.

When Shero was hired by NJ, I immediately thought that Bylsma was the logical hire there.

 

[sabres4ever]

Thanks Taro and Beerz for the tweet fix. I swear I've got them to show by placing the entire thing in there before.

Thanks though!

 

[VaporTrail]

Really hoping it's not Bylsma.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Really hoping it's not Bylsma.

why?

 

[Yatzhee]

Really hoping it's not Bylsma.

Not sure we'll have a choice if he's the last option available.

 

[VaporTrail]

why?

Cant remember exactly when but I remember watching the Pens sometime in the playoffs a few years back, and thinking how badly he wad getting out coached. ....the announcers were saying it too....I dont ever remember such conviction for a coach getting outcoached, and I've been watching hockey for about 30 years...

 

[BananaSquad]

Cant remember exactly when but I remember watching the Pens sometime in the playoffs a few years back, and thinking how badly he wad getting out coached. ....the announcers were saying it too....I dont ever remember such conviction for a coach getting outcoached, and I've been watching hockey for about 30 years...

Getting out coached or Fleury couldnt stop a beach ball?

 

[Bps21*]

Should have coached him to have a save percentage over .900 one of the four straight playoffs he didn't. Just like he shouldn't have gotten on the ice and physically gotten in the way of the 134 of 136 shots his team didn't put in the net against the Bruins in the conference finals.

 

[VaporTrail]

Getting out coached or Fleury couldnt stop a beach ball?

Getting outcoached

 

[Jagemon]

Should have coached him to have a save percentage over .900 one of the four straight playoffs he didn't. Just like he shouldn't have gotten on the ice and physically gotten in the way of the 134 of 136 shots his team didn't put in the net against the Bruins in the conference finals.

Babcock would have done both

 

[sabres4ever]

So, no matter who we look at, we'll get fans from their former team telling us we shouldn't go for them.

Whomever we choose, we'll get some who like it, some who hate it, and some who just won't care.

We are still a few years off from being a contender, so we won't be able to tell right away whether the coach has made an impact, unless we on a deep run next year lol.

 

[truthbluth]

Great article on Boucher here.

 

[Yatzhee]

Babcock would have done both

Here's some food for thought. Since the Sabres rebuild is on the rebound, and Toronto hasn't really gone in to full rebuild mode yet, what if the Sabres stop the Leads dead their tracks for Babcocks entire tenure......now tell me that wouldn't be poetic justice, and it's very plausible.

 

[Jame]

Should have coached him to have a save percentage over .900 one of the four straight playoffs he didn't. Just like he shouldn't have gotten on the ice and physically gotten in the way of the 134 of 136 shots his team didn't put in the net against the Bruins in the conference finals.

And yet Fleury's playoff numbers under Therien and Johnston are significantly better than his under Blysma... But systems and coaching don't matter
1.97/.933/.700 - cup run with Therien
Then and bunch of garbage under Blysma... And then right back to:
2.12/.927/.800 - this year under Johnson

But hey... Let's not place consistently giving up high percentage scoring chances, while consistently NOT creating said chances on the coach, especially when his predecessor and successor had no where near as much trouble

 

[TalkingProuder]

Here's some food for thought. Since the Sabres rebuild is on the rebound, and Toronto hasn't really gone in to full rebuild mode yet, what if the Sabres stop the Leads dead their tracks for Babcocks entire tenure......now tell me that wouldn't be poetic justice, and it's very plausible.

Not possible in Leaf land. They think Brendan Shanahan, with no NHL scouting or front office experience, is better than Tim Murray.

I do worry about the Dubas guy. If the Leafs are going all in on advanced analytics, I hope the Sabres don't fall behind.

 

[Beerz]

Not possible in Leaf land. They think Brendan Shanahan, with no NHL scouting or front office experience, is better than Tim Murray.

I do worry about the Dubas guy. If the Leafs are going all in on advanced analytics, I hope the Sabres don't fall behind.

Sabres have analytic guys... they just don't put them on a pedestal and give them an Assistant General Manager Title.

 

[TalkingProuder]

Sabres have analytic guys... they just don't put them on a pedestal and give them an Assistant General Manager Title.

Oh for sure we do. I also think Tim Murray is using the numbers, even though he tries to come off as an old school scout. Look at the players he picked up to get to the cap floor. All poor Corsi possession guys. The team that we saw this year was no accident, there was evil genius at work.

The problem with assessing analytics is that most NHL teams are secretive about it. What the Dubas hiring says is the Leafs are now valuing this approach and Dubas has a track record of using numbers to build a winning roster, albeit at a much lower level.

I just hope Terry Pegula and Tim Murray are building a secret department that blows everyone away. Analytics can be helpful in assessing players, draft prospects, free agents, and NHL coaching strategy. Imagine even a Bylsma paired with math wizards giving him data on his players and optimal usage.

One thing that jumped out to me in reading about the NHL data movement is the idea that killing penalties is 4 times more important than the powerplay. If this has been shown by the data we better make sure Sabres have an elite penalty kill unit.

 

[Cirris]

I want Torts just to piss of TBN haha

I want a coach who's primary goal is to win a cup.

I get what your saying. But hiring torts just to give TBN drama is just what TBN wants to sell their rag.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[CaptPantalones]

We're the go to job right now for sure. Was from the start imo

 

[Beerz]

Oh for sure we do. I also think Tim Murray is using the numbers, even though he tries to come off as an old school scout. Look at the players he picked up to get to the cap floor. All poor Corsi possession guys. The team that we saw this year was no accident, there was evil genius at work.

The problem with assessing analytics is that most NHL teams are secretive about it. What the Dubas hiring says is the Leafs are now valuing this approach and Dubas has a track record of using numbers to build a winning roster, albeit at a much lower level.

I just hope Terry Pegula and Tim Murray are building a secret department that blows everyone away. Analytics can be helpful in assessing players, draft prospects, free agents, and NHL coaching strategy. Imagine even a Bylsma paired with math wizards giving him data on his players and optimal usage.

One thing that jumped out to me in reading about the NHL data movement is the idea that killing penalties is 4 times more important than the powerplay. If this has been shown by the data we better make sure Sabres have an elite penalty kill unit.

Bylsma sat out off hockey this season, but according to him he stayed busy. Bylsma visited the NHL Network and discussed how he'd been studying analitics in his free time.

"There are some analytic aspects of the game that I'm looking at and delving into what the numbers mean, what the analytics mean," Bylsma said. "There are certain aspects of how some teams play that I want to dissect and breakdown."

....

http://www.diebytheblade.com/2015/5/23/8644673/sabres-coaching-search-profile-dan-bylsma

 

[TalkingProuder]

....

http://www.diebytheblade.com/2015/5/23/8644673/sabres-coaching-search-profile-dan-bylsma

Yeah, that is great news. I want a coach that is open-minded and flexible and willing to learn. Analytics without application is useless. Another dream, what if Bylsma has been studying analytics to roll out a new system altogether? Look at the numbers and determine how best to dominate possession. It seems like all NHL teams are being pulled towards systems where forwards can defend and defense can attack. Buffalo has a stable of young talent that can do that.

Bylsma + a new data driven analytics approach with his time off sounds like it could be better than people are saying.