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00:00Game 65. You feeling it? Sabres and Sharks. I was just thinking it's very much in the same vein as
00:09how I was talking and feeling yesterday, and really for a couple of weeks, if not longer.
00:14What this game would have done, meant to me last year, or any of the last, most of the last
00:2210 years.
00:23Like, oh, the Sharks? So they're still a thing? The Sabres? Okay. What does Tankathon say about our odds?
00:31I don't remember the time of the year they were in last year, but I do remember you asking me,
00:40you watch a game every night. Have you seen Celebrini? How's that going so far?
00:46He was the first overall pick, you know, last year was his rookie year. And I remember being sort of
00:52careful about, you know, I hadn't really watched them a lot.
00:57I wasn't really dug in on, here's how I feel about Celebrini. And I said, I think it's going okay.
01:04I don't think it's going great, but I think it's going well enough.
01:08You know, he's not taking the league or the team by storm or anything, but I think he looks like
01:15the potential to be like a, you know, a franchise player is there kind of thing.
01:19And then they played that night and he was great.
01:23They played last year at this time?
01:24I don't remember the time of the year. I just remember it was, you know, during last season at some
01:29point, it kind of blends in.
01:30The home game?
01:30Yeah, the home game, the game here.
01:32Okay.
01:32And he was the best player on the ice. He just looked so great. And I remember thinking, I really
01:39undersold this. I should have, I should have leaned harder into, but I honestly didn't really know.
01:45And I didn't want to say, I don't know. You know, I'm always over here bragging about all the hockey
01:49I'm watching.
01:49So I wanted to give you a take on the, one of the hot new guys in the league, but
01:53you also don't stay up late.
01:55That's right. So I hadn't really seen him a lot. He was, he was so great in that. I don't
02:00think, I think they lost. I think the Sabres won the game.
02:02Wow.
02:03But Celebrini was just tremendous in the game. And I mean, this year, I mean, there's people, we're talking to
02:09Greg Wyshynski in an hour. He's in the, he's on the list of MVPs. He's not going to win the
02:14MVP, but he's, why not?
02:15He's going to get votes because there's other guys that have like 110 points already. Or just going by the
02:21stats. Or close to it. McKinnon.
02:23McDavid has 108. Yeah. Celebrini has 89. Yeah. He's great at the Olympics.
02:29That is, I mentioned this last week briefly. Um, the Sabres played last Tuesday, right? They won, they won a
02:36game last Tuesday. I don't remember who it was against.
02:38Yes. Thank you. First game back. And, uh, no, that was the week before on Wednesday.
02:43Last Vegas. Yeah. Vegas was Tuesday. First home game back. And afterward, you know, still buzzing a little bit. I'm
02:49going to watch Montreal, San Jose. And just a work of art.
02:53Seven to five. Great game. They are. I've never seen a better game than that. Right. They are a super
03:00fun team. It's not. Celebrini's only one of a handful of second or fourth overall picks that Michael Misa from
03:09last year.
03:10Uh, Will Smith is another guy that was a second overall. Like they've got a lot of too soon, a
03:15lot of juicy young guys there. I don't know what they're doing on D yet. They don't seem to have
03:19a, a Darlene or a power. Like they don't know. I don't think they have to my knowledge, have a
03:24high pick blue liner yet, but they're building a nice little offensive team.
03:29Spotlight on the opponent brought to you by Tullamore Dew. Get it out of the way now. Sabres are minus
03:35200 tonight. You know, things are different when I'm running deep on the sharks. I'd even ask about it. I
03:42know. And I'm just going, I'm sorry. It's not even really called for. I mean, it's probably not that interesting.
03:47Uh, but anyway, five, five minutes on the sharks for you, everyone. That's all I got. I'm tapped out. Sabres
03:54minus 200 in this game. Are we still betting? I mean, occasionally.
03:59Is it, I'm not betting anything. I'm not betting anything minus 200. I feel like I can't ask Sam or
04:04Joe. No, right. You know, that's, you got to keep your dignity. I will. I will. You're betting dignity. I
04:10will go to my betting grave with, I would rather lose $10 than win 12. That's my, that's how I
04:15gamble. You'd rather lose $10 with a chance to win 15. Right. Then win 12 when, you know, you're betting
04:2420 or whatever it is. I don't know. I can't really ask Sam or Joe.
04:29These hockey, or of course, Trista back in the day, like TK pucks, TK pucks is still in hibernation. I'm
04:35pretty sure. Like what minus 200 is from a saber standpoint right now, like how dramatically has the market reacted
04:48to their winning? I don't know. Maybe that's a pretty significant.
04:52I always think the, the books, no, you know, but with the sabers, like our Jack Adams trophy, Jack Adams
04:59award bet with Lindy rough, we got Lindy at seven to one at the time. Right. And now he's the
05:06favorite. Um, sometimes you get there first in these things. Sometimes you get there before the books do. And I
05:14wasn't, I'm not, you know, telling you that I'm sort of like, I was wise to the sabers, but I
05:20like them.
05:21So that was really more what that was, was just sort of, this will be fun. Maybe he'll win. It
05:25made sense, but it's also like, we're rooting for this.
05:27Yeah. And they had already, I think this, we, we did this after the 10 game win streak. I don't
05:31think it, I don't think it predated that.
05:33No, right. They were, I have the date, right. They were, they were going, it was like, do you really,
05:38the bet was, do you think they'll keep going? You know, like, yeah, they could keep going. Yeah. They're, they
05:43look good. So let's take a flyer on it.
05:45The bet was, as I remember it, and I would say is like, so it's a team that's been out
05:52of the playoffs forever. Those coaches have an advantage. They're not expected to be good. Right. And this was January
05:5821st ish. So six weeks ago, or maybe a little longer. And they had a chance. And when we talked
06:05about it with Sam, because Sam helped us with this bet, we live in a state where you're not allowed
06:11to bet on awards. Right.
06:12But I remember talking about it and he and I talked about this again on Friday, that they're going to
06:18play Tampa Bay four times and they might have to win that series or win the division for rough to
06:25win. But I think all else equal, he would win. He would win on ties because the Sabres have been
06:30down for so long. And then I started to hear whatever ESPN game it was, the Penguins game, the Sabres
06:37were in Pittsburgh and they were talking the whole game about like, wow, this is incredible.
06:42But also like, there's a feeling that John Cooper, who has never won that award is kind of due to
06:49win. Like, oh, I don't need to hear that. Yeah. There's like a career achievement award vibe to Cooper this
06:54year. And that is still, I didn't go over the column finally enough to know what Greg Wyshynski, again, we're
07:04going to talk to it in the four o'clock hour.
07:06Uh, ESPN.com has a long piece that posted maybe last night. I saw it and I retweeted saying Greg's
07:14going to come on with us and it's, it's, you know, handicapping the award stuff. And I think he's polling
07:20voters maybe, or maybe it's just front office people. I'm not sure.
07:24But like Cooper is still ahead in Wyshynski's model. Um, but like 58 points to 50, however, the first place
07:33voting gave you this many points, whatever kind of thing. Um, so I'm interested to hear Greg on that.
07:39Well, how do you vote for Cooper if they don't beat out the Sabres? I don't, maybe they will, but
07:44right. If they don't, I don't think what's the argument can I, I, that I decided back in December, I
07:50was going to do this is the argument, which is nonsense. We make a bet. And then finally, this is
07:55the year where like the standings don't matter. Right. Right. That's not fair.
07:59Where a coach that took a team from very last place in the conference all the way to the top
08:03in the span of a few months doesn't get the award. Like the, like you just said it. I mean,
08:08that those awards are, we've talked about it for years. Those are words are made for Lindy Ruff. Like a
08:13coach having the year Lindy Ruff and the Sabres are having. Speak it into existence. I mean, yes, not, not
08:19only you could have been saying either, not only were the Sabres, you know, down last year and have been
08:25for so many years, but this year went along for almost two months.
08:29And they were the same. I mean, right. They were, they were last place in the East, last place in
08:33the East. Yeah. Two months into the season. How is that not a great coaching achievement? Almost has to be
08:41Sabres minus 200 against the Sharks pregame at six minus 200 minus 200 against a team. That's one point out.
08:49Yeah. Listen, yeah. I don't want to, um, the way that I am, I bet on the Sharks a lot
08:56when I, when I put in four or five,
08:58five leg parlays because they are often not, you know, they're often an underdog. And so you don't even need
09:05to give up, you know, one and a half or anything that you get them on plus money usually. And
09:11they are a certain kind of good. Like they can surprise you if you're not buttoned up. And I would
09:16say the same thing tonight. Like what, what are they on the, on the money line? Do you have it?
09:20Or do you, you, did you, well, if it's minus 200, it'd be something like plus one 60, right?
09:24Yeah. That's like, I'm all over that. Nothing against the Sabres. I'm putting a, I'm putting a parlay together. I'm
09:31throwing in on a, on a, on a good young team. That's in a race still on a team. That's
09:37riding a seven game heater on the heels of the game of the year in the NHL. I mean, there
09:44was listen to this. There was a lot poured in there. So, um, I'm just saying dogs on the shark
09:48objectively. Sharks are good value tonight. Interesting. You say that. I think that's subjective.
09:54But all right, sure. Uh, I get the logic. Alex Lyon, probably tonight. That's one of the more interesting facets
10:03of this down the stretch run here. And then into the playoffs for the Sabres. I'm, I would guess, and
10:12I'm, believe me, I don't have to convince you. Like I'm not talking to anybody about this. Um, if it's
10:18even been decided, it's probably been talked about in there, but I would guess as long as this is happening,
10:23they'll just keep alternating seven goals, whatever, like you want, I would think they would just, the, the games are
10:30spaced out Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.
10:32I, then they go out West next week. It's Tuesday, maybe in Vegas next week. So I would think that
10:39they would keep doing that. Eventually though, they're going to have to make a choice. Probably. Yeah.
10:45They're not going to alternate in the playoffs. The only way they would alternate in the playoffs is if they
10:50choose a guy, obviously someone's going to start game one and you drop game one, then you could pivot to
10:56the other guy. And it's this, it's the system, right? Assuming you haven't had a big conversation with either of
11:03the, like you could go to the guy, both of them and say like, look, we're going to Alex, you're
11:08our guy, you know, and then to walk, but they probably won't do that.
11:12I think they'll, if I'm rough, I leave it open-ended enough that you're starting game one. And if they
11:19lose it, then there's maybe a chance to pivot to the other guy. But if you win that game, then
11:24the other guy doesn't come out.
11:26I think. Well, who starts game one? Is it eeny meeny? Do they just go all the way to the
11:30game 82 and then whoever plays game 82 sits in game one?
11:33That's a good question. I doubt that they will do it that way. I'm sure they already have some idea
11:39of a preference. I have no idea what it is. You know, I really, really don't. I think these, these,
11:48you know, how many games are we talking about left here? Less than 18 games.
11:53I mean, for the, for the goalies, I would bet every one of them is going to matter. I know
11:57fans will not soon forget seven goals on Sunday night. So I think we'll be hearing about that. You know,
12:03it's certainly if, especially if Lucan in is, has turbulence in his next outing or two.
12:08What did you think of his game? I thought that some of those in the middle of the game were
12:13like, what is he supposed to do? Yeah. Yeah. They were just lost. I thought.
12:16I think there was, there was some sloppiness rebounds, but a lot of it was just, yeah, just, it was
12:24one of those games where there's a lot of clean looks and, you know, I didn't feel like looking at
12:31the goals.
12:32I had big problems with his positioning or anything. It just was one of those nights, which again, I think
12:40is why rough, you know, how, how much did Lucan in trying to get into the fight with, with, with
12:46Hagel?
12:47Play into rough thinking. But I think rough, it sounds, yeah, to leave him in. Like he's in the, he's
12:53in the fight, right? Paul made a point yesterday with us, how, you know, connecting that, you know, might've been
12:58a reasonable thing to do that. Maybe rough felt like he he's, he's in it with everyone. I'm not going
13:03to pull them out now.
13:04Well, he did say something like that after the game, just like he's in it with everybody. Yeah. So he,
13:10I'm sure everybody liked that. Yeah. But, but, you know, if he had been objectively
13:16bad on a few of those goals, maybe he would have gotten pulled. I, I, I think it's possible to
13:22give up that many goals and not necessarily have a bad, like a pull worthy night.
13:26Right. I'm really glad it didn't happen because it felt like, I guess I, I can't say I was thinking
13:33about it at the time when it went to six, four, but as late as it was in the game,
13:38is that the third period?
13:40By now it's six, four, you don't see a goalie pulled so often in the third, right? But it seems
13:47like it could have been possible five goals in a row given up. Right. And you know, why do coaches
13:53take the goalie out when they do, they do it to change the mood of the game. And, you know,
13:59it's just usually in the first we're down three, nothing in eight minutes. So it's just good. We got to
14:04do this.
14:04This is what coaches are sort of taught to do and almost always will do. But in the third period,
14:10it's a little different. I'm glad it didn't happen. Remember when rough took Miller out of game seven in Philadelphia?
14:17Remember that? Oh God. Yeah. Yeah. Like Lindy doesn't seem that special when it comes to this stuff, but he,
14:24he left him in and it was still, you know, it was still game on. Uh, I'm glad he did.
14:30I'm glad he did.
14:31I feel like most of the time, not, not most, but a lot of the time goalies get pulled and
14:36really it's just sort of lame because you, you, you made, you built your schedule around a goalie play in
14:42a certain night and then you give up a couple of bad ones or just, even if they're not bad
14:47and you, oh, well, we got to take them out because this is what we're supposed to do. I don't
14:51think you really need to do that as often as coaches do it.
14:53Yep. I wonder if internally they have an outcome they're rooting for, you know, like the management scouts. I mean,
15:04Lukanen is the younger guy. Lukanen is the guy with the contract. It's not, it's not a terribly burdensome contract,
15:10but there, there is a commitment there.
15:14And Lion is more your journeyman backup guy. And if he, if he, you know, if he's the better guy
15:20and that's who they choose, you know, so be it. But I would be surprised if internally they're not hoping
15:26Lukanen hangs a number on the board here in these last, if he gets, you know, nine of these games,
15:32uh, I'll bet they're really, I guess.
15:34I just feel like he's the guy that to me, that I think he could get to a level where
15:42he could steal a game or two and, and Lion and he are both having the same year, basically like
15:49their goals saved above expected are both excellent.
15:52They both have been very, very good. I just feel like Lukanen's got just a little more athletically size with
16:01whatever it is, pedigree, second round pick finished national team. I just feel like they would like to be able
16:08to lean on him, but that's not to say that it's leaning one way or the other.
16:12They both have been excellent. And Lion does not have whatever you want to say about the quality of the
16:19saves and the goals and the whatever. Lion does not have a numbers killing performance on his record here recently
16:27at all. And, and Lukanen just gave up seven on whatever shots, like his numbers are in the tank for
16:32the year. I assume I've not even looked. Lion almost never loses. Right. So I think right now, if they
16:37were choosing, if tonight was game one, I mean game, the game from Sunday night,
16:42sort of slants it a little bit, obviously, but I think if game one were tonight, they would pick Lion.
16:47Interesting. Uh, but I'll bet internally, they would like to see Lukanen elevate. I, I am, I think I'm going
16:54to want to advocate that they keep rotating even in the playoffs. Yes. It's just not how it's done. I
17:02know. That's what I hate about sports where you have to do it because there's one way to do it.
17:08Like listen to the argument. I got here.
17:12rotating goalies. They haven't really separated themselves too dramatically from each other. There should be logically the same benefit to
17:24spacing out the work that there is in the regular season. Why do teams sit their number one starter 25
17:31times a season? Because they've seen the data. They've seen the light.
17:36They know that it's better this way. They know that it's better this way. Usually the odds are good this
17:41way. So why should the playoffs where it's that much more intense and the possibility for long overtime games, which
17:52you don't have in the regular season as well.
17:54Why shouldn't the logic be the same where I would keep, you know, both guys going. This is the routine
18:00that they're used to. This is how we've made it this far. Why, why should we change it? I think
18:08I'm going to want to be there unless something happens in the next month, which would be what one of
18:14somebody falls apart. Right. I mean, on this team is somebody just going to really fall apart.
18:18I mean, Marty Baran, Miller and Baran. Again, it's 20 years ago, so apologies, but it's like the last Sabres
18:26team that was really good. The next year, I mean, Baran is gone. Right. But still, I would say looking
18:32back, you could have done more of that. I wonder what Marty would say. Yeah, I wanted to play. Hi.
18:38I agree. I don't know what he would say. But I remember as we went along with Ryan Miller, thinking
18:44more and more often, he's really not that much better.
18:48than Marty is. So why does he have to play every night? You know, now we're getting into it and
18:53everybody's exhausted and everybody is playing hurt. I don't know. I'm getting a little carried away. But I think I
19:01think I'm going to probably if the playoffs were to start right now, I'd want two goalies for my first
19:06two games. Yeah, I think. Well, I'm not here to tell you for sure they won't do it. It would
19:12be it would be almost shocking to me if they did because it's just not done. But that doesn't
19:18I know that doesn't mean you can't. Right. It doesn't mean you can't do it. Right. I mean, even this
19:22year, I kept expecting there to be a time, you know, anytime there was a little break, you know, oh,
19:30they're going to go watch. They're going to get Lukan in. They're going to try to establish Lukan in. He's
19:34going to play two of two of three kind of thing. And it never really happened. There was one time
19:39he got he got a start on the heels of the previous start. And I don't remember if he won
19:45or lost. But that was the end of that.
19:47Like, they did not do that again. I don't think either guy has played two games in a row since
19:52that. That's when? January? It's a long time ago now. Yeah. So, you know, you're saying unless something happens here.
20:04I mean, that's where Lukan in, I think, needs to reestablish himself on Thursday night, assuming he gets Thursday night.
20:10Like, just don't let the seven from the other night become a thing where, oh, the next game out, you
20:16give up four.
20:17Because then it could start to unravel on him. Well, is there a game tonight where Lyon would get Thursday?
20:25Boy, I don't think so. I don't either. I think he could shut this team out on 31 shots and
20:31they would still go to Lukan in on Thursday. If they lose, they don't go back to them. And they'd
20:35have to win in some sort of like Hasek-like game or something. And why change anything? Right. You know?
20:40Like, that's eight in a row. Yeah.
20:41Yeah. And even if he, if it were some game where he just stole it, you'd be like, all right,
20:48well, he worked hard on Tuesday. We're not playing him Thursday. I know. I know. There's just no, yeah, I
20:52don't see that changing between now and the end of the regular season.
20:56I would guess that it will in the playoffs, but again, I don't have to be right about that. Sabres
21:02minus 200 versus San Jose, 705. Tampa Bay, home to Columbus tonight. Also a seven o'clocker. Minus 240, by
21:11the way.
21:11Oof. Tampa. Wow. Against Columbus, which is pretty good. Double up on the Blue Jackets and the Sharks, people. That's
21:17your advice for tonight. What? Are those even teams? My crossword puzzles. NHL, Columbus. Oh, poor Columbus. Like yesterday I
21:29took shots and here I am again. They're like a point out or whatever. They're close. They're close. They're not
21:35terrible. Yarmo's going to come after me. Like, listen, stop it on Columbus.
21:40My mom's from Xenia. I'm just going to use, I'm going to play that card now that it's actually, I'm
21:46just picking, I'm allowed to pick on them because it's home. Oh, I see. Yeah. You've got cred. You've got
21:51street cred. I've got Ohio street cred. That's a team name. Sal Capaccio coming up. We'll talk about the Dawson
21:59Knox restructuring.
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