Why Arturs Irbe Deserves Another Season With Buffalo

by Marc Deschamps

via @BuffaloSabres

There weren't a lot of positives for Buffalo Sabres fans throughout the 2014-15 season. It's a year that will mostly be remembered for the tank, Ennis' stunning goal against The Habs and the team's consistent, surprisingly good goaltending.

While Ted Nolan and the majority of the Sabres coaching staff have been relieved of their duties, goaltending coach Arturs Irbe tentatively remains with the team. Irbe still has a one-year contract with the Sabres, but that could easily change if the new coach decides to bring in his own guy. That would be a shame, too.

This season was Irbe's first with the Sabres coaching staff, and he managed to pull off some really impressive things in a short time frame. Under his tutelage, we saw perennial backup goaltenders shine as starters. His coaching almost proved to be too good. Jhonas Enroth found himself dispatched weeks before the trade deadline as Sabres GM Tim Murray tried to prevent the team from potentially losing Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel in the draft. If Murray was concerned about jeopardizing the tank, he probably should have gotten rid of Irbe at that point instead.

Immediately after stepping out of Enroth's shadow, Michal Neuvirth surprised just about everyone. In his first four games after Enroth's departure, Neuvirth averaged 34.5 saves per game and allowed an average of just two goals per night for the Sabres. With the Arizona Coyotes closing in on that coveted draft pick, the Sabres made a desperate move, trading another hot goaltender. Murray moved Neuvirth to Dallas for the underperforming Anders Lindback, initially causing a sigh of relief for tank fans. That relief was short-lived, as Lindback made jaw dropping saves at any opportunity, playing every bit as well as his two predecessors. With just three games left in the Sabres schedule, Lindback faced a 52-shot barrage from the Carolina Hurricanes. The result was a 4-3 Sabres victory, and plenty of anxiety-ridden fans.

In situations like this, it's hard to know exactly who to credit. Is it possible that Enroth, Neuvirth and Lindback always had this level of talent and just never had the chance to showcase it? Maybe. But it's just as likely that the team's current goaltending coach helped mold these players into formidable opponents. It would be nice to see the next Sabres coach recognize that possibility and give Irbe a shot to prove this season wasn't just a fluke. 

A new day is dawning for the Buffalo Sabres franchise. No matter what side of the tank you found yourself on, those days are now in the past. It would be very easy to scrap everything from the last two seasons and rebuild from the ground up. After all, we've seen the Bills do it countless times. But it would be a shame to see the few things that worked this season fall by the wayside. If Irbe could work magic with the slim tools at his disposal this year, imagine what he could pull off when upper management actually wants the team to win. At the very least, he's earned that chance. Let's hope the next Sabres coach is open to the possibility.