from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,

It’s time to have a chat about Dan Bylsma.

The Sabres don’t have enough talent and Tim Murray knows that. They have too many injuries, and everybody knows that too. But it’s still hard to fathom they entered Thursday 26th in the NHL and look flat-out terrible at times, especially at home.

At some point, you have to start discussing how much of this responsibility lies with the coach. No matter who he has at his disposal to dress.

Bylsma hit town with the biggest cachet of any bench boss the Sabres have hired since Scott Bowman arrived 36 years ago. He’s won a Stanley Cup. He’s been mostly terrific with the media. He’s fully bought in to the challenge of this rebuild. Young players are developing.

Still, you feel underwhelmed even after Thursday’s 6-3 triumph over a mostly awful Calgary team with a veteran sieve in goal in Jonas Hiller.

No one is asking Bylsma to drive around town in a souped-up pickup in team colors or wear his jersey to the games of the other team owned by Pegula Sports Enterprises like someone else does.

A lot of this gnawing feeling grows from Bylsma’s stubbornness, a trait you heard plenty about from folks in Pittsburgh. A bad home record is often a product of not getting the right matchups on the ice when you should be able to.

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