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Buffalo Sabres: Don Granato has the right mentality

By Sion Fawkes

Nov 16, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato (left) talks to the Sabres during a time-out against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Buffalo won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato (left) talks to the Sabres during a time-out against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Buffalo won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Buffalo Sabres performed better toward the end of the season than anyone would have thought, but Don Granato is moving on. 

Don Granato led the Buffalo Sabres to an unforgettable 2021-22 campaign. One that saw the franchise down and out on the ropes numerous times, only to bounce back in March and April, accumulating 35 points in that span.

Okay, fantastic. Granato and the Sabres celebrated their feat, and now he’s looking ahead to next season. This is another sign that Granato is a great coach. He recognized the achievements of each player this past season, and that was it. Time to move on to 2022-23.

Buffalo Sabres: Don Granato shows another trait of an elite head coach

Granato realized this past season was all about building the foundation. He did this by letting his players know something former coach Ralph Krueger did not: That making mistakes is part of the process. Translation, no one will see their ice time decrease because of a bad play or a turnover.

The Sabres, being a young NHL team, further leaned on Granato‘s experience coaching inexperienced players throughout his career. This further prepared him for the challenging task in Buffalo. One that involved an injury bug, a COVID-19 outbreak, several heartbreaking losses, and the Jack Eichel fallout.

Fast-forward to March and April 2022, and it was like the series of unfortunate events never happened. The Sabres weren’t this wrecked hockey team once again vying for the first overall selection. Instead, they achieved more than that because of Granato’s ability to focus on the task at hand, and not to dwell or live too much into the past.

It’s easy for teams and their coaches to get hung up on past performances, good or bad. Or to dwell on less-than-ideal situations. But Granato proved he isn’t one of those coaches.

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And with higher expectations for 2022-23, he is already looking toward October. Focused on what’s next for a team without a playoff appearance since 2010-11 or a playoff series win since 2006-07.

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