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00:00I was off Thursday and Friday. The Sabres lost Thursday night in Ottawa and then Saturday in Washington.
00:06I mean, the scores weren't close. Thursday's game was pretty close.
00:10Two empty netters, yeah.
00:12Saturday's was decided earlier than that.
00:15What do you think, what's your level of concern and what do you think there is overall about this?
00:23I mean, they've won now two of their last seven games.
00:28You know, it's 2-3-2, so it's not horrific.
00:32I mean, two of those were overtime losses, but still, they're losses.
00:36I mean, I think I'd be lying if I said I'm not more concerned today than I was the last
00:41time we thought,
00:42I don't know, are they in good form right now?
00:45Like, what's going on?
00:46The wins weren't great.
00:47Right, that's right.
00:48That's right.
00:48And Saturday was tough.
00:51It was maybe the lousiest I've seen them look, you know,
00:54even though they did pull to within 3-2, I think, after falling down 3-0,
00:58but then it just, you know, they got boat raced from there.
01:01I think it was 4-1.
01:02So, oh, okay, maybe that's right.
01:04Maybe.
01:04I thought they got within one.
01:06Sorry if I'm wrong about that.
01:07Anyway.
01:07No, you're right, you're right.
01:09I'm sorry, it's my mistake.
01:10Malenstein made it 3-2.
01:11Okay.
01:12And then they didn't score again.
01:13They didn't challenge again.
01:15Okay, anyway, but immaterial.
01:18They're not in good form.
01:19I happen to think, and this, talk about rationalizations,
01:25I think it's hard to be at the level they have been at for as long as they've been.
01:30And so I guess I've been sort of expecting, ever since Thompson said the thing,
01:36which, you know, his captain pushed back.
01:39I don't know if he even knew he said it,
01:40but his captain issued the exact opposite statement.
01:43This is a couple of weeks ago now.
01:44You know, Thompson said after a game, after a loss,
01:48we've worked hard to get where we're at.
01:49You know, we're in a good spot, which to me sounded a little bit like,
01:55I'm just going to take a breath here and, you know, don't worry.
01:59We're okay kind of thing.
02:01But am I going to work as hard as I've been working for the last three months
02:05every night from here to the end?
02:07Probably not is what that sounded like.
02:08And then Darlene, you know, maybe at the same time, I don't know,
02:12other reporters are talking to him.
02:13It was like, you know, you're going to find out what kind of team we are,
02:16unacceptable, that kind of stuff.
02:17So from the minute Thompson said that, I just sort of thought, it makes sense.
02:22They're not going to be at 100 miles an hour all the way to the playoffs
02:28and then be at the peak of their game in the playoffs.
02:31They're going to probably take a breath, hit a pause.
02:35I think that's probably what we're doing tonight.
02:37I think we'll tell you a lot about their ability to flip a switch
02:40because I do think they need to flip a switch.
02:43I mean, I know that's sort of a hacky way to describe,
02:46but if it's effort and desire to, like, play strong in your own end
02:51and better defense, I think that's what certainly was lacking
02:54on Saturday night in Washington.
02:56You think it's effort?
02:57I think it's effort.
02:57Yeah.
02:58I think they're just coasting a little because I think it's a little natural
03:02to just sort of, you know, we're going to need all of our best here
03:08in a couple of weeks.
03:09So I think they're just, you know, they press pause.
03:12I don't think anyone's going to, the closest you'll come to someone
03:15admitting that is Thompson saying what he said.
03:18So I hope that that's right.
03:19And I would think tonight would be a night where you'd want to turn that
03:23on its head.
03:24If the players recognize that or think that about themselves,
03:29I would think they'd want to be at their best tonight
03:31and putting forth a maximum effort because this is a game
03:34with a lot of attention on it.
03:35I mean, Tampa's back in front of them by two points.
03:38They still have that pesky game in hand.
03:41So if you still want to win the division, this game really matters.
03:45You might have to have it.
03:46Yeah.
03:46It's hard for me to foresee them gaining four points on a team
03:49that still has an extra game to play if they were to fall four points behind.
03:53And then you've also got now Montreal, right, you know,
03:55tied in points and behind you because they played one more game than you
04:00and that's just how it works.
04:02So I think tonight will go a long way, but I'm far from sure
04:07I'm going to get what I hope for.
04:10They've not been in good form.
04:12And I don't know that I'm right about this sort of, you know,
04:14little mental, physical break that maybe they're taking here.
04:19I don't think Thompson ever knows what to say.
04:22Like, just get me out of this press conference.
04:24Get me out of here.
04:25You know, these guys have been – he's been around long enough to know
04:29what's like – what gets you in trouble and what not to say.
04:33You know, that's the same thing.
04:34So let's just say, you know, something around that these games are not as
04:40important as they could be.
04:43That's really what I think he – you know, he didn't say that.
04:46I don't want to hear that tonight.
04:48No.
04:49But I would get it if it were true.
04:53Not that they won't be amped for this game,
04:56but I don't want the Sabres to make the mistake of not panicking,
05:03but just sort of putting everything in to these next six games – five games, right?
05:10Tampa has six left.
05:11Buffalo has five games left.
05:12But just try to remember what's at stake.
05:16And really, it's not that much that's at stake.
05:20First place would be great.
05:22You might get Boston if you can win the race against Tampa and Montreal.
05:27Okay.
05:28You've been saying you'd rather the Sabres play Montreal than Boston.
05:33Is that no longer true?
05:35You think Montreal would be a relatively good spot for them?
05:38I don't think I ever said I would rather play Montreal than Boston,
05:42but I'm not scared of Montreal.
05:44I think Boston's the easier mark of the two teams.
05:46Okay.
05:47And I think I have felt that way the whole time.
05:49Okay, okay.
05:49I'm not positive.
05:50But Montreal can be scary, but I'm not scared of them if that's allowed,
05:54if that makes sense.
05:55Like, I think their high end is really, really good,
05:58but I think, you know, the way the Sabres play,
06:00I think it's a good matchup for them.
06:02Boston's a different kind of thing to me,
06:04but I don't think they're as good at all.
06:05Okay.
06:06Sorry.
06:06I think, though, that's still pretty tough.
06:09It hasn't changed.
06:11The Bruins and the Canadians, like, some other teams have kind of gone away
06:17from the conversation.
06:18They're not as much likely candidates anymore, teams like Detroit.
06:23But it's still so even.
06:26I mean, by points at least, if not by quality, that's some measure of it,
06:30that I wouldn't want – I guess it's maybe more mental than anything else
06:35where guys are starting to get scared of where this is going.
06:41Remember the 06 story.
06:43Not that players on this team would even know it necessarily,
06:46but that team lost eight out of nine lead.
06:49Right.
06:49And, you know, I'm sure there were lots of people telling you how bad a sign that was.
06:53I mean, I got friends doing that already, and how did they do?
06:58I mean, it's the closest they've come to a cup in forever.
07:01So I just wouldn't want the mental – that mental piece to come into play.
07:07And that's where Lindy comes in, and you want to think –
07:10I want to think that he would have a similar perspective on it,
07:14for whatever that means in terms of communicating with players.
07:17And I still think it's right also in terms of the lineup where we were two weeks ago
07:26after the deadline to want to find out what works and what doesn't.
07:32And they did the dance with Metza, sending him down.
07:36He comes back up.
07:37We're not talking anymore about how few goals he's been on for.
07:41Right.
07:41I mean, that's kind of over.
07:43He is what he is.
07:44Not that that's bad, but just, like, we don't need to go crazy about how important he is necessarily.
07:51And so even tonight with Shen, okay.
07:56I mean, just – on a certain level, it makes sense why they'd want to be as big as they
08:01can be for this game.
08:02Done to tonight.
08:03Sure, okay.
08:04So do it.
08:07But I choose not to get freaked out about two losses, you know, on the road or five out of
08:15seven,
08:15whatever framework you want.
08:17Because I think the whole point – that's the privilege of clinching or of being at the 99% spot
08:24that they were beforehand
08:25is that you can be flexible and try things.
08:29And maybe even if I'm not trying too hard by this, maybe even the adversity is good that you don't
08:36go in with such big heads.
08:38Yeah, and I think if you subscribe to that from out here, I guess my point would be I think
08:44it's hard to keep that away from the players.
08:46Like, I think they know where they are and they know what it takes.
08:51And, you know, the risk is that you, you know, lose it and you never get it back or something.
08:56But I don't happen to believe that.
08:58So I think my instinct is that they'll be fine.
09:03But, again, I don't know.
09:05You know, the lines are always so fine.
09:08You know, it's always so tight that it can be hard to tell.
09:13One thought I did have – I mean, I don't know what to expect tonight.
09:18You know, we've been in these situations before, not with the standings.
09:22It's been a long time since we've had the standings.
09:24But, you know, nasty game the time before, cheap shots, retribution, all right, what happens next?
09:33And, you know, often enough that game doesn't rise to the level – not that anything.
09:39I wouldn't expect something to rise to the level of that 8-7 game from last month.
09:44But even close.
09:45Like, it's not a physical game at all.
09:46Nothing happens in that department.
09:48And I don't know what to expect in that way.
09:50So I appreciate the Sabres wanting to protect themselves as best they can.
09:57Because you sure would hate to not dress that element if you've got it at your disposal and then wish
10:04you had.
10:05But I'm a little worried about, you know, them actively choosing to make themselves worse in a game that has
10:12pretty big implications on the division.
10:16So, like, that piece is there.
10:19No Hagel.
10:20So, like, that's the guy that, to me, you would have – if there was a guy on Tampa that
10:25you wanted to get because of last game, he was it.
10:29He's the guy that jumped Darlene and punched him four times in the back of the head or whatever the
10:32heck it was.
10:34And –
10:34Got a penalty for it even.
10:35He never really –
10:44Never happened.
10:45So, he's out with an injury.
10:47So, you don't have that powder keg if that is what that would have been.
10:53So, I just wonder what kind of game we're even going to get.
10:56You know, it could be a game where you got all the – like, all the beef dressed and maybe
11:00you don't hardly need it.
11:02You know, I'm obviously on the outside here.
11:04But I'll say it anyway.
11:05That's kind of how this works.
11:08Another form of this kind of attitude I'm taking on with these last few games is, like, you know, see
11:13what happens.
11:15But don't feel like it's – this is really what it's about.
11:19It's not about these – this game or the five games before the playoffs.
11:22It's about the playoffs.
11:24I don't want to see Lucanen play Wednesday and Thursday.
11:28I don't think there's any way you'll see him play Wednesday and Thursday.
11:32Okay.
11:32Okay.
11:33Win the night, win Wednesday, first place, no?
11:37I don't think so.
11:38They do have four days off after Thursday?
11:40I still – just – they've had – that's a hard – I can appreciate them choosing Lucanen if that's
11:48– it appears that that's what they've done.
11:51I think to go from alternating all season to a guy – any guy playing back-to-back nights is
11:58a little nutty, even with the steak.
11:59I would be very surprised.
12:02And Lyon barely played on Saturday night.
12:04He got pulled and all the – you know, it was the team in front of them, all that.
12:08I could see Lindy wanting to get him back on – you know, back on the horse real quick.
12:12I will play devil's advocate with you on that because they might already have decided that he's not in the
12:19picture for the playoffs.
12:21And they do have that break.
12:23And then after – next Thursday, when it ends, they'll have another break.
12:27Right?
12:27I mean, at least a day.
12:29Maybe that's not a break.
12:30Not really, yeah.
12:31If the playoff starts Saturday, that's not really a break.
12:33But –
12:34It's a day off.
12:35They'll have – they're off from Thursday to next Tuesday.
12:39Right.
12:39They don't play on the weekend this weekend, right?
12:41So, he might think he can do – he can press it.
12:44Yeah.
12:45If they win –
12:45If they win –
12:45I'll be really surprised if he doesn't.
12:47If they win the night, he plays in New York.
12:49Mm-hmm.
12:51And if they beat New York, I don't know.
12:55Let's hope to find out.
12:56I think someone else goes in.
12:58Let's hope to find out.
12:58Yeah, right.
12:59But the way it looks now, he's going to start game one.
13:04Yeah.
13:05At least.
13:06I think that's correct.
13:07Yeah.
13:09You know, unless something – I don't know.
13:11There's not that many games left, but I guess it could still –
13:14Change again?
13:15I don't know.
13:16He could be bad.
13:17I guess it could.
13:19He's the key man tonight.
13:20But that's the choice.
13:21They made their choice last week when they started.
13:23When he played three in a row, that was them, I think, declaring,
13:27okay, you've won the playoff job.
13:30When he got Ottawa.
13:31Yeah, right.
13:33Or there was a win before that.
13:35Right.
13:36They beat the Islanders, and then they went to Ottawa.
13:37Mm-hmm.
13:37I think that's how it is.
13:38Well, he's a key man tonight.
13:39The goalie always is.
13:40But he gave up seven of these guys last time.
13:44And now, the way it has taken shape, it's clear that he is the plan.
13:48They're going to go to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years.
13:51And with five games to go before that starts,
13:54he is the clear number.
13:57He's as number one goalie as almost anybody now,
14:00given a couple of good results for him and then Lyon and Washington.
14:05That's tough on Lyon, right?
14:06He doesn't play for so long.
14:10So maybe I'm overstating it a little, but need a great game from him.
14:15Just because there's no Brandon Hagel.
14:17Tampa's great.
14:18I would expect, yeah.
14:19I think the whole team is going to need to be, you know.
14:22I expect Tampa, if they don't try to push the Sabres around like they did
14:28last month, I still think they're going to be, you know,
14:31they're going to be firing.
14:33Like, they got embarrassed by this team twice in a row, once in their building.
14:38You know, if 8-7 is embarrassing, I mean, I don't know.
14:40They had two late two-goal leads and couldn't hold it.
14:44And then there was all the, you know, all the emotion of it.
14:47But I just would expect a team like Tampa, the veteran group that they are,
14:50to be ready to roll tonight.
14:53What do you think?
14:55803-0550, what are you concerned about?
14:57Are you panicking?
14:58Are you not?
14:58Is panicking ridiculous at this point?
15:01I'd like to have a live weekend.
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