Hey Buffalo Sabres Fans, Phil Housley Needs To Go

Hey there Buffalo Sabres fans. It’s time to change our mindset, and more importantly, it’s time to change our coach.

Hi kids, do you like violence?  Want to see me stick 9-inch nails through each one of my eye lids?

That Eminem line basically sums up where I’m at with our Buffalo Sabres right now.  I write this as we lay another egg against the Pittsburgh Penguins, on route to getting shut out for the 3rd straight game.  Wow, that felt out of body to type.  Hey, it hasn’t happened yet!

Before we dive into the mud together, I’d like to first introduce myself.  My name is John Martinelli.  I grew up in Rangers and Islanders territory but was only given one choice when it came to choosing my fanhood.  My “loving” family had me in Sabres overalls, burping into Bills bibs and drinking out of old playoff souvenir cups from the minute I came into this world.  In my 25 years, as everyone knows if you do the math, I have never seen a championship.  Oh wait, no need to do the math, we’ve never won a championship.

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I’ve often been pegged as a pessimist when it comes to sports.  Demonstrating very little hope with a one goal lead in the third period, or a touchdown advantage in the fourth quarter.  Being a 25-year-old lifelong Buffalo sports fan will do that to you.  That mindset comes from my brain being molded into a realist through personal experience and anguish.  Why would I be confident with a one goal lead against the Bruins?  Why would I feel safe up 13 in the fourth quarter against the Steelers?  A life time of disappointment comes only from being constantly disappointed.  This is a natural cycle that has turned into a habit in Buffalo.  That said, I have good news.  Bad habits can be broken and turned into good habits.  So, for those who feel similarly to me, please don’t feel at fault.  Let’s go on a journey together.  A journey to the top, where we will one day meet Lord Stanley.

I now have a platform to speak my mind on all things Buffalo Sabres, and for that reason I’m grateful, but with great power comes great responsibility.  The Sabres were my first love and I want nothing more than to sail into the sunset with my long-time crush.  In order to do that, you, the reader, and I will have to change our mindset.  We will have to work together to break out of our habitual ways of expecting to lose.  I think McDermott and Beane are in the beginning stages of breaking that mindset for our Bills, but I’ve said that before, and this is a Sabres site, so let’s stay focused.

I plan to be honest, brutal and strongly opinionated.  Facts will be my priority, and the fact of the matter is, as I begin to conclude this inaugural piece, we tie a bow on our third shutout loss in a row.  Has that ever even happened in Sabres history?  I’ll look it up and let you know in a second.

The facts are, we are not skilled, we are not physical, we are not deep, and we are not built for an 82-game hockey season…yet.

I want you, the reader, to close your eyes…go ahead close ‘em.  I want you to visualize a game 6 Stanley Cup Final at First Niagara Center.  Visualize four skilled lines with the likes of Eichel, Reinhart, Skinner, Mittelstadt, Olofsson, and Nylander, supplemented by others who are hopefully not on this team yet.  Picture a fast group of defensemen that move the puck up the ice quickly, led by the greatest defenseman in the game at that time, Rasmus Dahlin.  Now imagine Jack Eichel lifting the greatest trophy in sports on home ice, and then proceeding to hand Lord Stanley’s cup to long time Sabre Jason Pominville.  These are the new realities that we need to start speaking into truth.

Oh, you were wondering if we’ve ever been shut out in three straight games?  According to Howard Simon of WGR 550,

Our mindset needs to change.  Our attitude needs to change.  The way we play hockey needs to change. Hopefully we can change those things together, as a team and as a fanbase.  Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, none of those things can change with Phil Housley at the helm.