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00:00Chad D. Domenicis, Expected Buffalo, on the Western Hotline.
00:03Chad, how are you?
00:05I'm good, guys. How are you?
00:08Mostly good. This other thing is wrecking us, ruining us, but we're mostly good.
00:12Varying degrees.
00:13It sounded like it, yeah.
00:14I know. We're really...
00:15You know, Chad, our default setting is to find stuff to bitch about.
00:19So, you know, it's just...
00:20The Sabres went and ruined it.
00:21This is how it goes.
00:23Right, yeah.
00:25Even when they lose a few games, you find a way to complain.
00:27Yeah, let's start here, because I have a feeling we're like-minded.
00:31I think I saw something from you earlier today.
00:33We had a caller last hour pointing out that he thought Byram had a really strong night last night.
00:40And I thought he and Power both had a great night.
00:43How on the nose is that to you?
00:46Yes, very much so.
00:48Actually, I got in the car just in time to hear that call.
00:50And I was nodding as I was listening.
00:52Yeah, I completely agree.
00:54You know, Byram, I thought, was sliding back a little bit.
00:58You know, it was hard to ask him to replicate what he was in December.
01:03And it's not so much even the offense I was looking for.
01:06And it was something I talked about on our podcast this week.
01:09But more the defensive zone decisions.
01:11There was a lot of turnovers that were creeping back in again,
01:13which has been unlike him for most of the season.
01:16But it was kind of those things that we saw last year and early this season creeping back in.
01:21But that was not the case last night.
01:23So that was good to see.
01:26I think Power has been a little bit better.
01:28There's been some inconsistencies there.
01:30But, again, I thought he was really good yesterday.
01:33So that's good.
01:34You know, one of the things I think about now watching those two,
01:37I think it was Dom from The Athletic had an article.
01:40And, like, he has a good 16 stats or whatever.
01:43And one of the things that he called out in there was that Power is now getting the meatier, heavier,
01:49more difficult minutes.
01:50And that was something I didn't really notice until he put it in there.
01:53And that's interesting to consider.
01:55Darlene's, you know, minutes have been pulled back in terms of their difficulty.
01:58I mean, not anything significant.
02:00But it has allowed him maybe to be more offensively focused and Power is getting the more defensive minutes.
02:06So that's something interesting to think about.
02:08And that's kind of what I thought about with Byram is that he is kind of a guy who will
02:12have to deal with that, too,
02:14being Power's, you know, mostly his partner.
02:18So, good for them both.
02:19You know, difficult minutes again yesterday.
02:20I think they played the most of the pairing at 5-on-5.
02:23They were, like, a 72% expected goal share of playing against Kucherov and against the line.
02:28So, yeah, you want to see that continue.
02:30And good for them in a big game of plays like that.
02:33You know, speaking of being like-minded with you, and I think I speak for Bulldog in saying we both
02:37hope to be,
02:38in all situations, like-minded with you.
02:42Byram, you and I talked a few times last year, like,
02:45what do we want to do here?
02:47Like, are they going to extend him?
02:49Do they want to trade him?
02:50Is he worth, you know, playing it out?
02:53And what happened, Chad?
02:54Like, how good are his numbers?
02:56And is there something different about either his utilization, to which you were just speaking,
03:01or something else coaching-wise, maybe?
03:03Or just, you know, patience with a young player.
03:05What has gotten better for him this year?
03:09Yeah, I think it's probably all of those things, a combination.
03:15I think the usage, I think his partner has definitely helped.
03:18You know, Power and Byram didn't have great numbers, but they do this year.
03:23I think early in the season, playing with Timmons a lot was not a good idea.
03:27We saw that when Timmons got back in, and they tried to shove that back in, and that didn't work,
03:32and he was back out in a hurry there.
03:34So, maybe you kind of put some of those early-season Byram struggles on being with Timmons.
03:39So, you know, again, he's a young player, too, like you said, and defensemen take a little bit of time.
03:46We're seeing Sanderson at 24-25 hit his stride.
03:49Byram's right around that age.
03:50Power is only 22 or 23 years old.
03:53I can't remember off the top of my head.
03:54So, same thing.
03:54He's not even at his peak point yet for a defenseman.
03:58So, yeah, that plays into it.
04:01You know, in terms of what I would do with him, there's still a year left.
04:05I honestly probably do nothing this summer.
04:09Now, does that mean if somebody comes with a tradeoff, I don't consider it.
04:12But I think the way that this top four has catapulted them,
04:16and when the top four isn't going, they struggle as a team,
04:21probably indicates that Kekelein would want to keep those together,
04:23and then you see how another year with Byram goes,
04:25and then you deal with it at that time, whether it be early in the season,
04:29the middle of the season, whatever, in terms of a contract extension.
04:32That way, it would be significant.
04:34You're probably in double digits with the cap going up,
04:37and that's a decision you have to make when you have Darlene making 11-1⁄2.
04:40You have power at a little over 8.
04:42You know, do you want to get Byram up to 10?
04:44That's a lot of money that you're really putting into your defense,
04:49and that kind of the Pareko conversation came into that, too,
04:52and that was a thing that's even more money.
04:54I think they would have been the highest amount of cap percentage in terms of defensemen.
05:00Maybe not the best idea, but, you know, we'll see.
05:02My approach as of now is keep your top four together, build on that after this season,
05:07and then see where things take you next year.
05:09Of course, we all know that there are six defensemen that play in each game.
05:13Usually, teams sometimes do that a little differently depending on health and whatever,
05:17but they need – I'm being cute here just to get to the third pair.
05:22We know the top four.
05:24I've referred to it as their superpower all year long or once they got going,
05:27that that was just such a – it's so potent.
05:31We lived through a Shen Stanley night last night, and relatively, you know,
05:37I mean, it was a pretty low event game, especially that third period,
05:40and they were out there plenty, maybe even more than I would have liked
05:45because I'm just so nervous, Shen especially.
05:48It just is – it's incredible how the game now is unforgiving to a guy
05:54that just isn't fleet of foot anymore.
05:56I mean, he really stands out as moving, you know, slower than just about everyone else on the ice.
06:01But like I said, they got through it.
06:02I understand why they made the choice, not knowing what to expect with Tampa
06:06and whether it was going to be like a put down the foil kind of night or whatever.
06:11What is your idealized version of that third pair right now, Chad?
06:18Yeah, it's tough.
06:20It definitely doesn't include Shen.
06:21And, you know, to give him credit, he made it through yesterday.
06:24There were some certain plays and minutes where, you know, I'm biting my shirt
06:29or kind of just mixing faces.
06:30But he got through it, and, you know, that's kind of what he's there for.
06:35Stanley's been very up and down.
06:38Maybe it depends on who he's playing.
06:41You know, I want to say I think an idealized lineup in the playoffs,
06:46and that's important when I get to Metsa here in a minute,
06:49probably includes Kesselring, but they just refused to play him.
06:54So I don't know.
06:55I don't know how that looks with Stanley because I can't see it.
06:58They won't let us see it.
06:59So that's, you know, listening to Lindy Ruff on your station this morning
07:03indicated he's going to play here, so maybe we do get a look at that.
07:06But he just seemed to be pushed way down the depth chart.
07:10Probably with the way Timmons' situation has gone, he's down there too.
07:15So if you're left with those results, then I guess a Metsa and Stanley bottom pair
07:21is what I would prefer to go with over Shen.
07:24And just Metsa has, you know, we talked about this I think last time we talked
07:28with Metsa, that was when he was sent down, or maybe it was the morning guys,
07:32but either way, you know, he had that PDO run that is super over now.
07:38I think his last two games he was on the ice for four goals against.
07:41And he had a couple of rough games, and that's fine.
07:43But I also think that is a little bit of an exposure.
07:47You're playing two teams that are desperate playoff hockey.
07:50It's a tighter checking game.
07:51It's faster, more aggressive.
07:53And his size is something that you can't deny in those situations.
07:57I think he was pressed a little bit.
07:59I think he turned the puck over.
08:00Now some of that too could be, which I thought was a little bit nutty,
08:04getting him back in there, playing three and three, getting him in there right away.
08:07Maybe a little bit tired could have contributed to that.
08:10But, you know, openly, I think there's some concerns.
08:14I think their matchup matters.
08:15Could he be okay against Montreal in a seven-game series?
08:18They're not the most physical team.
08:19They're faster.
08:20Sure, I could do that.
08:21If I get Tampa or Boston, a bigger team that's not as fast.
08:25I mean, Tampa's fast.
08:26I mean, Boston's not as fast.
08:28I don't know.
08:29I probably want to go with more meat, a little bit more size,
08:32and that's where Kesselring comes back into play.
08:35So hopefully if he gets a chance here and plays well, they would consider it.
08:38But we'll probably be pushed into a Stanley and Metza pair would be my guess.
08:44How much do you take into account that the team overall may have played,
08:50you know, just collectively?
08:52And I know, like, you know, some guys probably did a lot of good things
08:55in games they lost.
08:56But, you know, they were pretty lousy against Washington,
08:59and even the game before that was not great.
09:02Like, is that – is Metza someone who, if everyone else isn't pulling the rope
09:09as hard as they should be, maybe that you're going to be in trouble.
09:12But if everyone's playing their optimal game,
09:15maybe it masks whatever his shortcomings could be a little better?
09:22Yeah, I think that's fair.
09:24You know, it's difficult when you're thinking about a regular season
09:28compared to the playoffs.
09:29So in a regular season situation, game in, game out,
09:32you're not playing the same teams over and over again.
09:34Matchups happen, but it's not as, you know, significant.
09:38In a seven-game series, you know, a head coach could identify him as, you know,
09:42I'm going to put out a heavy line against him,
09:43and I'm going to hammer him for a game or two and see how he handles it.
09:47But – so that's something that, you know, gives me a little bit of a concern.
09:51They're not going to play a ton, you would think,
09:54although I didn't think Stanley and Sean were going to play a ton yesterday,
09:57and they played a lot more than I thought they would.
09:59So you never really know there either.
10:01But, yeah, I think when everything – your top – when your top four is going well,
10:05your bottom pair usually isn't going to kill you.
10:09But when that top four has their off nights,
10:11and then you have an off night from your third pair too,
10:14it can get pretty ugly from them.
10:16So with Chad DiDomenicis, expected Buffalo, Mike Shope and the Bulldog here,
10:20for a while the goaltending situation seemed, well, let's see,
10:25they'll get to the playoffs, and whoever starts game one, if they're amazing,
10:29do they get game two?
10:30Like would they break the rotation, just what's on the line?
10:33Now it's much different, quite the opposite of that.
10:36And I wonder if it's a shaky game one for Lukanen,
10:39who almost definitely at this point would seem to get that opportunity,
10:43would they make a move to Alex Lyon in the second game, something like that.
10:48Is there, in your mind, an optimal way to play it with the goalies?
10:52Does it depend on the schedule or even the opponent?
10:56And, you know, maybe every team is different.
10:58The Sabres have not really had a clear number one most of the season.
11:03But maybe they do now.
11:06Yeah, I think right now it's Lukanen's net.
11:10I would hope that if they give him game one and it doesn't go the best,
11:15that they don't have a short leash and immediately pull him in game two.
11:19I think he's earned the opportunity for at the very least to get the first two games
11:23and see how that goes.
11:26Lukanen's one of those guys that I think you could tell when he's on.
11:33And I think last night was a perfect example of that.
11:35He's calmer.
11:36He's not chasing the puck as much.
11:38The puck is sticking to him.
11:39He's reading the plays well.
11:41And really, I think late in the game,
11:43really showcased that he was locked in and into it.
11:46He makes that play to, you know,
11:49late in the game to get a whistle for a shift change.
11:52He makes that play to with the empty net, keep it going.
11:56And then eventually the empty net goal.
11:57And then on top of that all, he's like, oh, you know what?
11:59I'm going to try to score at the very end too.
12:02So, you know, he was really into that game and he was locked in.
12:05I think that is a good sign because when he is in and he is locked in
12:10and he's playing well and he is comfortable in seeing the game,
12:12he is a good goaltender.
12:14It's just you don't see it consistently.
12:16But when he's in a groove like he's in now,
12:18I think you just ride that out because that could go a long time.
12:22So, for me, he's easily game one, game two.
12:25See how that goes and make a determination from there.
12:29But, you know, Lyon hasn't had the best couple of games.
12:32He'll probably get a game or two.
12:34I'm assuming they're going to give Ellis one of these two of the next four.
12:37So, you know, there's not really a lot of runway for Lyon
12:40to pull anything away from him.
12:41Now it's just how long is the leash for Lucanen.
12:44Yeah.
12:44I like Lindy laughing about Lucanen trying to score.
12:47He gave the puck away in the zone.
12:49Like, and Tampa didn't get a goal out of it.
12:52And I don't think it would have been real funny if that had happened.
12:53But, you know, whatever.
12:54The results, I guess, matter a lot.
12:57I loved him freezing the puck on that draw that you just mentioned
13:01to get the change.
13:02And a listener who I don't have any reason not to trust told me,
13:07I couldn't tell for sure.
13:08I didn't remember who was on the ice.
13:09But Stanley and Shen had been out there.
13:12But Stanley got off before the puck was iced.
13:14But Shen was out there with power.
13:17And the fourth line was out there.
13:19And that's when Cooper pulled the goalie.
13:21And it went right to Lucanen and he just froze him and was like,
13:23nope, we need different guys.
13:26And I thought that was, I don't know,
13:28Mike seemed to think it was maybe a little more obvious.
13:29I thought it was pretty heady.
13:31Yeah.
13:31Both.
13:32Yeah.
13:33Yeah, I think for sure.
13:34And, you know, those are the kind of things in a playoff series
13:36that are going to matter.
13:38Right?
13:38In those tight checking games and those instances,
13:40you want your goalie to be locked in like that
13:42and to understand the situation,
13:44understand it's on the ice for both teams.
13:46And even an empty net, not empty net,
13:48it makes a decision.
13:49So that's good.
13:50That was very encouraging.
13:51Chad, what's the best case scenario in your opinion
13:55in terms of the playoff bracket,
13:57the result of this regular season?
14:00And then also, what's the worst case?
14:06Best case, you know, it's weird to go back and forth.
14:09Best case right now for me is you win the division
14:12and you get Boston.
14:13Now, Boston does scare me a little bit.
14:16Veteran team.
14:17They're the only team, actually, this season
14:19who has scored at a higher goal,
14:21scored over, but over-expected than the Sabres.
14:24So that's something to take into account.
14:25All of that has kind of come back to earth for them.
14:28They've had some real trouble scoring the last few games.
14:31I think Geeky, you have them, like, stuck on, like,
14:3330-something goals I saw in the last broadcast.
14:35Yeah, it's like 16 games or something.
14:36Four weeks now or something.
14:37Yeah, something crazy like that.
14:39But they have Pasternak.
14:40They have Swayman, who's pretty good.
14:42I feel like Buffalo hasn't played Swayman all season.
14:43Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like every time it's Corpus Allo.
14:47So Swayman has had a really good season,
14:48so that, you know, obviously scares you
14:50when a gold center in the playoffs.
14:52But I think, overall, the Sabres are a faster,
14:54better team than Boston,
14:54and that would be a good matchup for them.
14:58Montreal, I think that's a true 50-50 coin toss split.
15:02You know, so I'm not really,
15:04don't know where else to really pull out of that one.
15:06Tampa Bay, I think, could be a tough series
15:08because, you know, they know how to win.
15:10Veteran team, love other guys back.
15:12But the worst-case scenario, I think,
15:14is falling into the wild card,
15:16which I bet could be cleaned up tonight,
15:19like you mentioned.
15:19Yep.
15:20So that wouldn't be a thing.
15:21So really, you know,
15:22as long as I don't fall into the wild card,
15:24it's whatever for me.
15:25If I've got to play Montreal, fine.
15:28Preferably to have home ice.
15:29I would like that, if that's what it comes to.
15:31Yep.
15:32But, you know, Boston and Montreal
15:33look like they're most likely opponents,
15:35and, you know, that is,
15:37I'll take that at this point.
15:38That's very much how I feel,
15:40especially about Boston.
15:41Like, that would be the team
15:42I would pick out of the pool right now
15:44to play.
15:45Montreal, I have said it like this,
15:47and I hope this makes sense to you.
15:49No one has told me it doesn't make sense,
15:51but, you know, you never know.
15:52Maybe they're just being nice.
15:53They can be scary,
15:54but I'm not scared of them, I think.
15:57Like, their high end is really hot,
16:00but I think if I can play the way
16:02I'm capable of playing last night
16:04in the third period,
16:05I think I can corral some of that.
16:08I mean, they're going to get theirs,
16:09but I don't think top to bottom
16:11that's a team that is as well-formed
16:14as the Sabres are, I would say.
16:16You know who you didn't mention here
16:18that I've been a little worried about
16:19all along here,
16:20and it's not just because the Sabres
16:21lost to them last week?
16:22I think Ottawa,
16:23it all hinges on Allmark,
16:25which is, you know,
16:26go figure.
16:27It hinges on the goalie.
16:28I think that team,
16:30that four lines,
16:31and when their D is healthy,
16:33that's a team that's,
16:34I think, every bit as,
16:36as they're fast and on you
16:38on the forecheck,
16:39I think Ottawa gives me some pause.
16:43Yeah, me too.
16:44The good news is,
16:45I don't think there's enough games
16:46for them to catch Boston
16:46with their kind of trip-ups
16:48they've had here recently.
16:50But yeah,
16:51I don't want any part of all
16:53where they can go in the
16:54Metro Division bracket
16:55and be a menace over there.
16:56That game,
16:57without their top two defensemen
16:59the other night,
17:01and they could still play that style.
17:03I mean,
17:03they are the best
17:04from goals,
17:06expected goals against
17:06that five-on-five.
17:07They are the best team
17:08in the league.
17:09Lowest quality against.
17:10They do not give up a lot.
17:11Their goaltending
17:12has been horrendous
17:13the entire season
17:14in Allmark's very up and down.
17:16And his, you know,
17:17his playoff career
17:17also is pretty poor.
17:19But I just,
17:20I don't want any part of it.
17:21I will,
17:21if the Sabres in the playoffs
17:22for the first time
17:24in 14 years
17:25and I have to watch that team
17:26suffocate me to death,
17:28I'm going to rip my eyeballs out.
17:29So I just,
17:30I want no part of that team.
17:33Chad DiDomenis,
17:34expected Buffalo.
17:36What's new on the site?
17:37Is there a Corey Perry hit piece
17:38that might get me
17:39or others to subscribe
17:40or double my subscription?
17:44I think it would be Hagel, right?
17:45That would be the one
17:46that I think gets the most, right?
17:47Is a Brandon Hagel a hit piece?
17:50No, it's a lot of podcast stuff
17:52I've been focusing on
17:53with all the games
17:54and the post games,
17:54but I'm actually started working on,
17:56his name has come up a lot
17:58with people
17:58and I'm a little bit interested.
18:00Similar to what I've done
18:01to Norris and Kesselland recently.
18:03I started diving
18:03into Ryan McLeod a little bit.
18:05So I think tomorrow morning
18:06I should have something up on him.
18:07I got to watch some,
18:08you know,
18:09some video
18:10because you got to do stats
18:11and video together.
18:11That's the way to do it right.
18:13Watch some shifts
18:13and kind of clip some stuff
18:14out of there
18:15to make sure my numbers align.
18:17And then we'll see
18:17what's going on there with him
18:19because he's,
18:19I haven't been that pleased with him.
18:21I don't think it's as bad
18:22as some people maybe think,
18:23but I need some better there.
18:25So we'll kind of see
18:26what the data
18:27and the video tells us.
18:29The two-on-one last night.
18:31I mean,
18:32the fan base,
18:33I think,
18:34at least a portion
18:35of the fan base
18:36that I'm paying attention to
18:37and my text threads
18:38with friends
18:39are like,
18:40this guy is never
18:41going to shoot again.
18:42Does he know
18:43he's allowed to shoot?
18:45Why doesn't he ever shoot?
18:46Last night,
18:47it maybe reached its peak.
18:49Hopefully it did
18:50because he threw
18:51like a pass
18:52waist high
18:53over to Zucker
18:54on that two-on-one.
18:55I'm like,
18:55here you go.
18:56Good luck with that.
18:57Like,
18:57what are you doing
18:58with that?
19:00Saucering it
19:01like,
19:01you know,
19:02at his groin.
19:03Like,
19:04what?
19:04It's a tough play
19:05even in tennis.
19:06It's just not.
19:07Like,
19:07just any shot on goal
19:09would have been better.
19:10Fan on the shot
19:11would have been better
19:12than that.
19:12I mean,
19:13what are you doing?
19:13What happened
19:14in Washington?
19:16Yes,
19:16the fourth goal
19:17the Capitol scored
19:18when it was a two-on-one
19:20same situation.
19:21I forgot who was with them
19:22was going to the net.
19:23But then he gets it.
19:24The pass across to him
19:26is going to shoot it.
19:27But he hesitates
19:28looking for a pass
19:29and here comes power.
19:30The power of the guy
19:31and your two guys
19:32go into the net.
19:33He throws it across
19:34and it goes back up the ice
19:36and odd man rush
19:36the other leg
19:37and it's 4-2
19:37and that's pretty much game.
19:39That is when it peaks
19:40for me and started
19:41to drive me nuts.
19:42And I couldn't believe,
19:43like you said,
19:43he was doing it again
19:44against Tampa.
19:45So,
19:45yes,
19:46driving me nuts.
19:47Time for an investigation.
19:48I look forward
19:49to the deep dive on that
19:50because I'd like to know
19:53what's happening there.
19:54Chad,
19:55thanks for your time
19:55as always.
19:56Here come the playoffs.
19:58Yes,
19:59super exciting.
20:00Can't wait.
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