[BN] Le leadership de Tage Thompson à l’honneur alors que les Sabres traitent les retombées de la saison

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1. Spiritual_Bourbon 2 semaines ago

   https://archive.ph/bXOAF

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   All the calls for accountability during the Buffalo Sabres’ locker cleanout days revealed the frustrations that were bubbling under the surface before Don Granato was fired as coach this week.

   Players cited a lack of focus and intent in practice. They wanted their teammates to have their ice time cut, or benched altogether, if their performance called for it.

   Granato had developed many of them into impactful NHL players, but there seemed to be a unanimous opinion that a different voice and approach were needed to lead the Sabres into the Stanley Cup Playoffs next season.

   They also acknowledged, however, that a coaching change won’t be a cure-all. Players must hold themselves accountable, and the leadership inside the team’s dressing room also must address what went wrong this season.

   The Sabres haven’t had a captain since Kyle Okposo was traded to the Florida Panthers in March, but it’s safe to assume that Rasmus Dahlin will be the next to hold that title. Tage Thompson’s honest, pointed comments to reporters this week are a reminder, though, that Dahlin won’t be alone in trying to eliminate the bad habits and comfort that were Granato’s undoing.

   “I think in our room, we have a really tight locker room,” Thompson, now 26 years old and 372 games into his NHL career, explained. “Guys that are very close with each other. Bonds that are very, very tight. And I think that’s pretty special. That’s not something that a lot of teams can say. But at the same time, when you have those bonds, you don’t want to upset or ruffle any feathers.

   « And I think we need to be OK with calling guys out if they’re not – obviously it’s coming from a place of love and that underlying belief that you know they have better, and you just want to see the team succeed and you want better from them and better for them. I think everyone in here understands that and that’s something that we got to be OK with doing.”

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   Really curious as to what players and times specifically they are talking about when asking for players to have been benched.