Sauter fed up with players, says its ‘not the coaching'

Last week, Doug Sauter hinted that he may want to retire from coaching. This week, after watching his team lose a few more games in his unlucky 13th season in Oklahoma City, the Blazers coach has another idea: Spring cleaning.

"Sometimes it makes me just want to clean house and start all over,” Sauter said of his team's play. "It makes me want to get some players here who will do what they're told.

"I'm tired of making excuses. We need players who will play our system and play it to a T. It's an unselfish system. It's ‘no I in team.' It's basic hockey, and the bottom line is it's hard work.”

The Blazers have lost their last three games and fallen to 23-26-6 with nine games left in the season.

"It isn't the coaching, believe me,” Sauter said. "It is not the coaching. It's not our philosophy.”

After the All-Star break, the Blazers won their first two games and got to 18-16-4 overall.

They're 5-10-2 since; 12 losses in 17 games.

"We find a way to lose,” Sauter said. "We try to do too much and we find a way to lose. The good teams find a way to win.”

"Blazers” and "good teams” don't belong in the same sentence.

Check out these player slumps:

•Mike Burgoyne: One goal in the last 20 games.

•Michael Kaye: No goals in the last dozen games.

•Alex Lalonde: No goals and one assist in the last 17 games.

•Marty Standish: One goal in the last 11 games.

•Garrett Prosofsky: Since scoring twice Feb. 16, has one goal in the last six games.

•Ryan Watson: Since his two-goal game Feb. 17, has scored only once and taken just five shots on goal in five games.

Sauter said if he returns next season, he won't bring many current Blazers with him. How many?

"I don't know,” he said, "but it doesn't look like it would be very many.”

Sauter summarized: "If I'm going to quit coaching, I want a team that plays my way, and if we don't win, we don't win. This is not the way to go out. But we're going to evaluate everything at the end of the year.”