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00:00But the Sabres, they salvaged the weekend, I would say, by winning that shootout.
00:05Otherwise, it would have been, you know, more likely to be pretty tense.
00:11Do you know people who are freaking out?
00:13I mean, I feel like I do, and I just can't even acknowledge it.
00:18Freaking out?
00:19I mean, I know people who get nervous when you talk about it being a certainty that they're going to
00:25make it,
00:26and I don't know that those are exactly the same thing.
00:29The Venn diagram, there'd be a lot of people in the both, in the middle.
00:36So I think everything they do, good and bad, is likely to cause a freakout.
00:46And I think that's been going on for maybe a couple of months already,
00:49because we're just so not, we really don't know where the boots are.
00:56You know, like, how do we equip myself to be prepared to take a ride with a hockey team that
01:02I care about?
01:03Again, it's a new thing.
01:06Like, what should I be upset about?
01:09What should I be worried about?
01:10All of that is like, we've got to sort of reevaluate our checklists.
01:14And, you know, not that they all have to match, but, yeah, I think that because of 14 years,
01:21there is still, until they have the X next to their name, I think there's a certain part of the
01:26fan base
01:27that, whether they're freaking out or not, maybe don't want to hear about how great everything's going.
01:32Just like, I need to make sure that they don't fall apart here.
01:35And I don't, I've never thought for a second they would.
01:38I mean, I think they could fall apart and still make it pretty comfortably.
01:41What is falling apart?
01:42Losing every game?
01:44It's certainly, that would be bad.
01:46Losing games in overtime?
01:48Really not that bad.
01:49If they, if 98 points with eight games to go, if they get to 100, aren't they in?
01:55Yeah.
01:56So, I mean.
01:57I mean, this came up last week.
01:59It's not exactly, it's different conversations.
02:02The idea that the bottom's going to fall out, I mean, I don't know.
02:06I can't believe that, you know, you'd be worried about that, because that's close to unprecedented
02:14for a team that's had this season to just sort of completely lose it.
02:18I just have friends who get, anytime they give up a goal, it's like, that's it.
02:23And I just don't know how you live like that.
02:26You want to talk about how to navigate these waters, just don't worry about it.
02:31How about, try that.
02:33Like, just enjoy it.
02:34Right.
02:35They're not so much better than teams like Detroit and Seattle and Boston that you could
02:40possibly, you know, rationally think the Sabres should just win no matter what.
02:44Yeah, this is not the Bills playing the Jets in Week 17.
02:47It's not the Bills.
02:48I mean, that's right.
02:49The sport is different, and it's just like so even.
02:53So, you couldn't possibly, like, rationally think that.
02:56They end up in an overtime game with Boston.
02:58They dominate the shots against Detroit but lose.
03:01That's hockey.
03:01And then Saturday you get there.
03:03Good thing.
03:04I mean, I don't even want to talk about missing the playoffs.
03:07It's just ridiculous.
03:09I think Friday was, I don't know how much, you know, anyone in our audience is hanging
03:15on, like, Greg Wyshynski's last two appearances on our show.
03:18But, like, he's made the point about their shooting percentage and the save percentage,
03:21and that is PDO.
03:23And, like, you know, I don't know, it's a little, Friday night was that game.
03:27I was thinking about Greg all night Friday because I thought they had three, four, five
03:34really great chances early in the game, and Gibson shut the door.
03:38Detroit scored.
03:39You could have used a save on maybe one of those first three goals.
03:43Would it have been a great save or a very good save?
03:46Probably.
03:46But they've mostly been getting that out of both of their guys and scoring on their great
03:51chances, and neither of those things happen.
03:53And go figure, you're down 3-0.
03:55And you really never, you know, the closest they got was 4-2, 3-1.
04:013-1, 4-2.
04:013-1, 4-2.
04:02So, you know, it was never, you know, it never looked good.
04:06And mostly I thought Detroit got great saves and the Sabres didn't.
04:11That's hockey sometimes.
04:12That can happen.
04:13Yep.
04:15Well, are we seeing the Sabres about to break their goalie pendulum move?
04:22You know, one guy after the other, back and forth, Lukanen and Lyon.
04:26Today, at practice, the reporters had it that it was probably going to be Lukanen tomorrow,
04:31and that would be a story.
04:33Mm-hmm.
04:34And I just think, again, I'm not going to try to predict it because it's a complete waste
04:40of time.
04:41Which one of these guys is the right choice?
04:44I mean, they're so close.
04:45It's goaltending.
04:46I don't know.
04:47I'm not necessarily speaking for you on that.
04:49I don't have a strong opinion on which guy should be game one or just, like, he's even
04:54better than the other one.
04:55But what I do think is because it's how it usually works in the league that the Sabres
05:02would want, if they could shape it, to have one goalie be the choice and have it be kind
05:09of clear.
05:11And to this point, they have not, they don't have that.
05:14I mean, it's eight games left, and it's been back and forth, and, you know, both guys have
05:19had streaks, and they had shutouts back-to-back out west.
05:23Like, it's not, to me anyway, it's not cut and dried who the, quote, better guy is.
05:29I don't know that there is a better guy.
05:31There doesn't have to be.
05:32But I think they probably want a number one because that's what teams do.
05:40And if not, if they go into it, they make it to the end this way and go back and
05:46forth
05:46in the playoffs, well, that'll be, I mean, even maybe controversial to hockey to do that.
05:52But I do think they'd probably like to avoid that.
05:55And right now, today, it seems that they're giving, they might be, I don't know, giving
06:02Lukanen a chance to do that for them.
06:06And if he blows it, we're right back to the other.
06:09Then maybe they'll give Ryan a chance to try that here somewhere in the remaining seven
06:12games after tomorrow.
06:14Yeah, I mean, that's probably what would happen next.
06:18You know, if the signs are to be believed, I mean, it's, you know, which goalie's in
06:22which net at practice the day before a game, starters net, the other two guys are split
06:26in the net, and Lukanen was in that solo net.
06:29So, you know, if everything is the same as it always is, then you'd expect him to get
06:33the start, and that would be two in a row.
06:34So I think it is really notable.
06:36It is the first time that maybe the two things that you would need to have happen to make
06:44a decision to change from your, every other game, you know, your rotation have happened.
06:51Lion has had a couple of, I think, you know, rocky outings.
06:57Detroit was, you know, again, could have used a save early.
07:00They weren't great in front of him.
07:02That's always the case, often.
07:05But still, it wasn't a great night for him, and that was on the heels of Anaheim, which
07:09was not great either.
07:10So it's two sort of, eh, performances in a row.
07:14And Lukanen, I think, has been excellent in his last two.
07:19And so if it's right, if the initial premise is they're going to want to make a call, they're
07:28waiting for an opportunity to do it.
07:29Do you agree, by the way, that they would want to?
07:32Yes, I do.
07:32Okay.
07:33I think it stands to reason that they would not be the team to break the mold and feel
07:38for whatever, everybody's benefit, the goalie's benefit, the team's benefit.
07:42We got our guy.
07:43This is our guy.
07:44It's kind of late to be doing that, but still, I've sort of suspected that they would want
07:50to arrive on a guy.
07:52And so this is an opportunity for Lukanen, and we'll see.
07:57If it goes really well, then maybe we'll have an answer.
08:01And maybe he even plays again on Thursday when they go to Ottawa.
08:04And then Lyon gets a game on the weekend, but it gets to a point where, you know, if
08:09you were playing more games here, where maybe Lukanen would play three out of every four.
08:14They don't have back-to-back until next Wednesday, Thursday.
08:18That's the only one they have left.
08:20All right.
08:20So they don't have to worry about that.
08:21Right.
08:22So they could really settle in with a guy here if they, again, if they really want to,
08:26and I suspect that they do.
08:27Uh, so, but it all depends on how Lukanen goes tomorrow.
08:31Right.
08:32So, um, he, if he, if he stumbles, then you're kind of right back to, you know, a little bit
08:40of the old, well, if you got two, you don't have any thing, you know, that you always just
08:45say about quarterbacks, um, you know, that might be how it feels, but I think then if
08:51he stumbles, then I think, yeah, I think Lyon would get Thursday.
08:53And if he go, if it goes well, then maybe he gets the next game.
08:57Like, let's see if someone can take a hold of this thing.
09:00Uh, they really haven't, I think the results haven't made that necessary yet.
09:08And so they've, I mean, it's been convenient to just kind of keep going with how they've
09:13been doing it.
09:13But I do feel like the two things lined up, Lukanen very good.
09:18The last two Lyon, maybe just sort of average and like, okay, the door's cracked open.
09:23Let's do it.
09:24Which I think is a clue that tells you they've been waiting for a chance to do it.
09:28Uh, which is why I believe that they probably would like to, you know, they would prefer
09:31to choose all guy for this.
09:34So, well, I mean, if you're not comfortable or in shape or whatever it is for this kind
09:41of, this kind of thing, uh, you know, thoughts and prayers, but it's just so good.
09:48Montreal is in Tampa tomorrow.
09:52Sabres Islanders, you know, a couple of games or just one, I guess Pittsburgh Islanders tonight,
09:56the only game, but all weekend you had like yesterday, five o'clock, you had three or
10:01four games that were interesting.
10:02I did the quad, did some quad box, uh, action yesterday.
10:06And you fit in Yukon.
10:07Before I got to the basketball, I was quad boxing.
10:10Yes.
10:10Quad boxing.
10:11Quad boxing.
10:11That's what we call it.
10:12That's something, I think maybe Sal has done that.
10:15Yeah.
10:15Didn't he take up quad boxing a few years ago?
10:17There was a boxing, yeah, I don't remember what.
10:19Quad boxing.
10:20That wasn't quad boxing.
10:21It was just boxing, boxing.
10:22Yeah.
10:22I don't know.
10:23But Tampa and Montreal tomorrow night in Tampa, Lightning 98 points, nine games.
10:28Buffalo 98 points, eight games.
10:30Canadians 94 points, nine games.
10:32And they are annoying.
10:33Boston 92.
10:34You, you landed last week, right?
10:36Midweek on like, okay.
10:38I hate them.
10:39Right.
10:39Like I don't, yeah.
10:40Right.
10:40They're there.
10:41I know I landed.
10:42I'd rather play Carolina than Montreal.
10:44Okay.
10:45Well, you want first place because of like, they're, they're annoying to you.
10:48Right.
10:49Saturday down to nothing to Ottawa or okay.
10:51Here we go.
10:52No, last night it was only one nothing to Nashville, but still halfway through the game.
10:58I tweeted about it halfway through the game, one nothing shots for like 16 to five for
11:03Nashville.
11:04Like, okay, this could be a, this could be good.
11:06Nope.
11:07They just find a way.
11:09They're good.
11:09They're deep.
11:11Yes, they are.
11:11You know, they're deep and good.
11:13And they got, they got, they got by with the backup goalie yesterday too.
11:17Not even Vasilevsky.
11:19As they almost did here when they gave up seven.
11:21Right.
11:22Right.
11:22They scored seven.
11:23I meant.
11:23Yeah.
11:24I was thinking, you know, the lightning, I do, Montreal is right there in the conversation
11:30too.
11:31I mean, the games against Carolina, they both, they won both.
11:33They got outshot in both games, I think maybe by a lot, but they still won.
11:37And we know that, who was it on our show that said that top line is just amazing recently.
11:43We had a guest that said that.
11:45Matt Larkin, maybe.
11:46Maybe it was.
11:47Yeah.
11:47Or Greg.
11:48Yeah.
11:48But I was thinking about Tampa Bay and you can either want to dream big or be afraid
11:57of it.
11:58Doesn't mean anything, how you feel.
12:01So, I mean, I want to think, be optimistic just to hope that it works out.
12:07I think the Sabres have proven that they're good enough to be considered for a run.
12:13At least that's probably putting it a little bit mildly.
12:15Like, why shouldn't they be with the season they've had?
12:18Here was one thought I had.
12:20Whenever it might be, if they get a playoff series with Tampa Bay, and maybe this can
12:26only be answered by knowing when it would be, would it, would beating Tampa Bay this
12:32year in a, in a series be, let me just ask.
12:36I'm not saying I know that it, that I think necessarily it would be, would it be the best
12:40playoff series win of their existence?
12:44I mean, there are a couple of candidates.
12:48Somebody already, I mean, one series has to be the answer to this.
12:52Not that we'd all agree on it.
12:54The Pommenville series against Ottawa is on a list, a short list of, this is the greatest
13:01Sabres playoff win.
13:03How much better was Ottawa in that regular season than the Sabres?
13:07Like, like, were they, were they 110 points?
13:0910 points, maybe?
13:11Okay.
13:11I don't know.
13:11Yeah.
13:12It was a, it was an upset.
13:14Yeah.
13:15Yeah.
13:15I know that.
13:16Yeah.
13:17I mean, Ottawa had home ice.
13:18They obviously had the, the, you know, the, the better, the better season.
13:20It was the second round.
13:22I think the 99 Leafs would be another one going to the finals through Toronto.
13:28Again, with them having home ice, like they were the better team in the regular season.
13:32Toronto was.
13:34Yes.
13:34If that, you know, whatever that man, it's just indicative that you, you know, that has
13:38to almost qualify as an upset.
13:40You were the lower team in the standings.
13:42So, um, would that matter to this?
13:45I think when I'm looking back at it, like it's a, it's a factor to take into account.
13:49What's the most significant playoff series win.
13:52And I think if you beat a team, you play Tampa and you end up two points ahead of them.
13:59That sort of mitigates how big of a, it's not that much of an upset.
14:02I mean, I, I, they, they might be a better team.
14:05I might tell you they're better than Ottawa was that year or Toronto in 99, but I was
14:12right there with them all year.
14:13So how big of an upset can I really claim?
14:16Well, that's not the same question though.
14:18No, right.
14:18Best series win ever.
14:19Yeah.
14:20I'm not considering underdog favorite.
14:22Yeah.
14:23But maybe it's right to, I mean, it, it can be a part of it.
14:28Like you said.
14:29Yeah.
14:30I just think it might be as good as anything they've ever done.
14:34Yeah.
14:35It's a, such a long time ago, but I think it was pretty stunning that they beat the
14:40Canadians in 75.
14:41Probably.
14:42To go to the final.
14:42You were there.
14:43Like that, you know, I was 10, but I mean, Montreal was just hall of famer after hall
14:49of famer and the Sabres, you know, took them down six, six.
14:55It was six.
14:56Yeah.
14:57Right.
14:57I think so.
14:58I think that's right.
14:59Yeah.
14:59That's gotta be like, that deserves to be on the list.
15:03Anything else?
15:05Like what's the greatest playoff accomplishment in their existence?
15:10I don't think it's beating the Rangers.
15:13They escaped that series.
15:14No, no seven.
15:15No, no.
15:16And I don't, you know, mayday is a great moment.
15:20And it's, I mean, that's sweeping your, at the time, biggest rival still is one of your
15:26biggest rivals back then.
15:27I don't know that there was anyone bigger than the Bruins because of the playoff history.
15:32Like that is pretty significant, even though it was, it's a four game sweep makes it seem
15:37like it wasn't that competitive, but it was, you know, overtime in game one, overtime in
15:41game four and three.
15:42Okay.
15:43Right.
15:43Hinolev in game three.
15:45Right.
15:45Um, that, that might be my answer.
15:47Like that, that series, just because of, it's a little like ending, it was ending a drought.
15:53The drought was not getting out of the first round.
15:55I know, but you know what?
15:56This is, this is, it reminds me of a bills topic from a decade ago, maybe a little bit
16:02how, Oh, you're telling me that a first round series is your career achievement.
16:08And then you got swept in round two.
16:11I hope not.
16:13I know they don't have a cup.
16:15I hope that's not it for me.
16:17I mean, it was, it was cool.
16:20We did a thing, which was get to the second round for the first time in like a decade.
16:24Yeah.
16:26Good for you.
16:27Put it like that.
16:28Kengartz.
16:29Is that the word?
16:30You know, it takes a little bit of steam out of that for me, I think, but it was great.
16:34I, yeah, but I honestly, I don't know like how, how much that path.
16:39I, I, I might like Montreal.
16:41It's just so long ago that like, you know, 70% of our audience has no idea what I'm even
16:45talking about.
16:4675 semis.
16:4875 semis.
16:49Yes.
16:50You know, that, that's a opponent with massive legacy in the middle of still a, a, a, a
16:57era of dominance and you're who again.
17:02You're the, who are you?
17:03Yeah.
17:04You've been in the league five years.
17:05Like that was not on unprecedented.
17:08The blues did it before the Sabres did it as a new team, you know, but that was the blues
17:13didn't have to play anybody except expansion.
17:15That was kind of rigged for somebody was going to get there.
17:18So they did, um, I think Montreal in 75 would be my answer.
17:22Okay.
17:23Well, a Sabres lightning series of, of course, this is premature, uh, if it even happens at
17:28all, would be perhaps in the third round, maybe the second, but probably not depends
17:35on Canadians.
17:37If, if it's one, two Tampa and Buffalo in either order, they can't play before the third
17:42round, right?
17:43The third round or the second, doesn't it go?
17:46Oh, that would be the second round.
17:47The second round.
17:48Yeah.
17:48Is that you stay in the division if you can't, I think the way, the way that they would meet
17:52each other in the second round.
17:53Yeah.
17:54Yeah.
17:54Okay.
17:54Of course.
17:55Right.
17:55Well, okay.
17:56Then that, but I just think it would be monumental.
18:01I think it would be a huge.
18:02Yeah.
18:03And I'm not here to say that I would rule it out if they beat them from being, you know,
18:09exceeding what I'm talking about with that Montreal series from, you know, 75.
18:13Would it be the greatest playoff achievement?
18:15I mean, I said to my, we, we watched Tampa.
18:17You know, I was out mostly for the game on Saturday, but Sunday, um, I, I, that was
18:23on in the living room.
18:24And my, you know, my wife's like, we're, we're rooting against Tampa.
18:27And I'm like, that's right.
18:28She's like, are they good?
18:29And I'm like, yeah, they're probably, they're probably better than us.
18:33I like set it out of the side of my mouth.
18:35She's like, what?
18:36I'm like, they're probably better than us.
18:39I think very highly of that team.
18:40I think it's a very good team.
18:42I think most people would say that.
18:44803-0550 for your calls.
18:46Sal Capaccio from the owners meetings in Arizona.
18:49The picture is out.
18:51Joe Brady made the picture.
18:53Not everybody did.
18:54It's never everybody.
18:55In pants.
18:56Brady.
18:56In pants.
18:58Sal joins us at four.
19:00We'll talk to Paul Hamilton later on.
19:02Let us know how you're feeling.
19:04The goalie, the possible break of the goalie rotation.
19:09And the Sabres in general.
19:11We will look for your calls after the break.
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