After losing out on the Dave Babcock sweepstakes to the Toronto Maple Leafs the Buffalo Sabres have moved on to their second choice - former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma.  The 17th coach in Sabres history is the most experienced NHL coach since Scotty Bowman was hired in 1979.

Bylsma comes to the Sabres after a 252-117-32 record with Pittsburgh, making him the winningest coach in Penguins history and his (.668) winning percentage is the best in NHL history among coaches with at least three years experience.

Reports are he agreed to a 5-year, $15-million contract.

Is this the guy that can change the culture of a team where losing has become acceptable?  Different from Babcock, Bylsma has been working with young players throughout his NHL career and he's been successful.  A young team is what he inherits with the Sabres.

The Penguins went to the playoffs in every season under Bylsma, winning one Stanley Cup.  That's as many as Babcock has won.  But it's more than the Sabres have ever won.

General manager Tim Murray says Bylsma is the right man to teach everyone in the organization "to think like winners, eventually act like winners and become winners."

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