“Elevate Work Ethic, Compete Level” | Buffalo Sabres Coach Don Granato After Loss To Blues

“Elevate Work Ethic, Compete Level” | Buffalo Sabres Coach Don Granato After Loss To Blues

Chances but still only were able to produce one goal what is maybe the reasons why you’ve only been able to get one goal last couple of games yeah I mean this game is different than than uh the other night certainly uh in many respects and uh all of them from the

Foundation of just working and working not working hard enough tonight and not working toward the front of the net enough tonight simple any other thing you want to discuss after that you know that’s the primary you we needed to elevate work ethic compete level uh specifically to the net period what’s

Causing this to be kind of regular issue for the team to not get to the front of the net not not to put in the especially against a team that’s made it very hard to even get into Zone well was an issue tonight um you know I would say Dallas

Is as tough as it comes protecting the front of the net and and and whatnot you know La um every team’s good at that but but tonight was was it that was the problem we were to the net the other night we didn’t score we didn’t put it

In we didn’t have a problem getting to the net uh the other night or in LA or San Jose you know the three prior games tonight we didn’t go to the net I think I don’t think we were willing to work we wanted an easier game um and uh we

Didn’t work hard enough to the front of the net weren’t direct enough how how did how how does a team wanton an easier game in February knowing it came off a tough game and almost won on Tuesday and yet this happened how can you explain that at

This point of the Season where this team is already almost on playoff fumes to begin with I don’t think he explain it who who wants to hear an explanation on that John I mean do you want to hear an explanation on that I mean it’s just you

Didn’t work period didn’t work so down the power play certainly got a lot of volume the other night and we were happy with the pace and that why do you think it kind reverted hesitancy again in shooting the puck again Mike it it does fit with what I said it does you know

You’re you’re unwilling to shoot and we’ve talked about it you know through the course of the year at various times uh when you’re unwilling to retrieve or unwilling to play be netfront or unwilling to go after the the loose Puck you want to set the perfect play up and

We were guilty of that tonight um you know too much too much perimeter too much movement away from the net not toward the net first three or four passes uh you know sequence were were were backed toward our end instead of toward the net in the offensive zone

Those are not good indicators um and uh so you know as I as I said right when I walked in here willing to work and compete and go to the front of the net all our issues tonight uh were that the other side until the third period obviously when you’re pressing from

Behind and D are pinching and you give up you give up odd man situations at that point because of this the situation prior to that you know def defending we were we were okay obviously after two Peri periods um but still unwilling in the third you know we needed to you know

Ramp it up to be more direct and hard to to the front of the net you have one goal and three straight games in this building you just sense the free skating we see a lot of times in the road just doesn’t exist here guys are tight playing tight at home obviously it’s

Been different for us at home than on the road um you know what I sense I don’t want to get into that at all but you know it’s it’s it’s the case unfortunately and we uh we gota we got to move on on it and get to the next one

And and obviously U you know have have full respect that we need to be better specifically here in that regard n that was rescinded have you seen that before Kyle said that the blues said that they had experienced that the other day too yeah I have not seen that and I’ve seen

It the other way as well called um we had one earlier in the year where uh you know it was um I think it was even Greenway possibly um but so no I haven’t I haven’t seen that not that one person could change entire team’s willingness

To get to the net but in a game like that where you do see maybe a stubbornness is that when you need your top guys to do it to send a message to the rest of the group yeah you always need your top guys to to elevate in

Situations like this so so that’s an that’s an obvious yes um and I think they know that and yeah now when it comes to opponents around your net whether they set up around your net or getting twoe net do you need to see more awareness from your players sometimes

They see in my eyes they seem like they’re not even aware the opponent is standing there in front of our net in front in front of your net yeah it seems like at times oh and the Buck’s already in the net yeah I I know there was one I

That uh cousins broke a stick went back to the bench and there’s a guy backside so obviously went to to Four Guys quick and guys have to sh had the shift positions at that point but I’d have to I’d have to look at it Paul to to to actually understand exactly what you’re

Asking um so I I don’t have an answer for you without a vision of of what you’re saying understanding the main issues of tonight that you said separately on the power play since you’ve taken more control over it there has been statistical Improvement so is it frustrating when you do see things

Improving even if inconsistently there but then you have a recurring issue like this almost one step forward two steps back from a coaching perspective how does that feel I mean anytime you win or don’t win you’re frustrated anytime you’re not as successful uccessful as you like to be you’re going to be you’re

Going to be frustrated with it uh the catch is not to play frustrated at times you know because you’re just going to compound the issue and um that’s why I say you know you don’t like it you have your meetings and you got to move on without frustration and sometimes you

Carry that through it’s not good it’s not positive and uh it hurts you but yeah I mean certainly not uh content with anything is Jordan okay he does he was back in the bench so yeah he’s he’s good I know you mentioned you’ve had a few games where getting to the that

Hasn’t been an issue but it seems like you know something that keeps popping up every few games like how worried are you that the message isn’t getting through to guys this is obviously something you’ve preached you come come in here and talk about all the time how worried are you that it’s just

Not sinking in with this particular group well it’s it’s it’s not sinking in consistent enough you know you you you feel good about generating chances generating chances it’s not a natural you know that that takes time for guys to natur go all the time all make it a

Habit we’re talking about something that needs to become a habit an ingrained habit um you know and I I mentioned a couple weeks ago you know the perimeter is is is you look at goals and you look at incidents before goals there’s a lot of action around the perimeter and and

The wiser players the more experienced players know when to get out from the perimeter to the net it’s not as easy as just go to the net you you have to go there it’s a lot of it is timed um and and and then again the willingness to

Put it to the net for others instead of look for a better play so you know the inconsistencies you see are part of unfortunately uh you know working to build it as as a more habit but when you when you generate chances um you know sometimes you get

The false sense of uh you know you don’t you don’t need to go there uh quite right now

Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato spoke to the media after the team’s 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on February 10, 2024. He talked about the result of the game being related to the need to elevate work ethic and compete level, and the need to go to the net and shoot the puck more.

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