They say family members care about one another, and the Buffalo Sabres got a little love from their NFL cousin’s head coach, Sean McDermott.
The Buffalo Sabres used to watch their NFL counterpart, the Buffalo Bills, start, stop, sputter, and stall. The Bills were so bad, they went 25 seasons without a playoff win, and during that same time period, they did not win an AFC East Championship.
Meanwhile, the Sabres earned four trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, one trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and a President’s Trophy. These days, the Sabres are facing long droughts without success while the Bills have developed into one of the NFL’s most dangerous teams.
That said, it’s only natural for head coach Sean McDermott to give his two cents to the Sabres, which he did before Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Sean McDermott’s advice for the Buffalo Sabres…
"“It reminds me of 2017 when I got to Buffalo and worked with the Bills,” McDermott said regarding the current situation with the Sabres. “We totally changed the culture, and that’s what’s going on here. I saw some of you guys playing soccer in the hallway. That’s how a team comes together, that’s how a team loves one another.“And I would just challenge you guys tonight. Like love one another by the way you play.” – via SI.com."
And if anyone in Buffalo knows what the Sabres are going through, it’s McDermott. In 2017, the distinguished coach inherited a team that had gone 18 seasons without a playoff berth. With a 9-7 record that season, it’s easy to believe McDermott changed the culture in his first year on the job.
The Sabres have not seen the same success. But they eeked out some memorable victories against the NHL’s finest teams over the past month and a half, including three blowout wins over the mighty Toronto Maple Leafs.
While the Sabres are a long way from winning an Atlantic Division title, it’s wise for head coach Don Granato and general manager Kevyn Adams to take a peek at how long it took McDermott to turn the Bills into annual contenders – two seasons of building, a playoff appearance in Year Three, and contention for the Super Bowl over the last two seasons.
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Success in professional sports does not happen overnight. But as McDermott implied, it all starts with a culture change. And that’s something the Sabres accomplished this season.