- 2 days ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00So the Sabres are making big moves tonight?
00:03They're definitely taking the lineup for a ride, yeah.
00:07They are putting in Timmons and Kesselring.
00:12Timmons has been in the lineup pretty recently since he came back from injury,
00:17but Kesselring had been all but banished, even had lost the locker at one point.
00:21I don't know if that is still the case, but I remember Paul telling me a few weeks ago
00:24he had the folding chair in the middle of the room,
00:26which is not a good sign for your potential to get in the lineup, I think.
00:31He deserves a locker tonight if he's going to play.
00:34I think so.
00:35So he's going in with Timmons for Stanley and Shen off of last game.
00:39March 10th was his last game, Kesselring, San Jose.
00:42It's more recent than I thought.
00:43I didn't remember him even playing on that trip.
00:47And then on the forward lines, Dunn and Greenway are coming off the fourth line,
00:52and in go Kozak and Tanner Pearson.
00:57Who is on the Sabres?
00:59Look, yes.
01:01I only say it that way because the last time I saw him in a game against Detroit,
01:04it took me a moment.
01:05Who is 70?
01:07Did I miss something?
01:08Who did they call up?
01:09I'm like, oh, Tanner Pearson.
01:11Yeah.
01:12I feel like it's all fine.
01:16Yeah.
01:17I mean, Shen was a little bit controversial for the Tampa game.
01:21They survived it.
01:23But he played, you know, like they didn't get killed.
01:26Right.
01:27And they won.
01:27And I think the overall right point, the point that rules the day on this for me remains,
01:34no matter how close the standings are and therefore how big the games are,
01:39it's still better.
01:41You're accomplishing two things here.
01:43One is you're testing.
01:45You're experimenting with different combinations and players.
01:48And the other is you're not pushing anybody super hard.
01:53I mean, Baleen's not going to sit.
01:55Right.
01:55The big four are still playing.
01:57But yeah.
01:57Like your stars are going to always play.
01:59But they're able to kind of give, especially goalies.
02:04I mean, that's what's been true almost all season is give their guys some rest.
02:08And I think that that's better than taking tonight's game as like a must win kind of thing.
02:16If it's a must win, I mean, literally, none of those guys is in.
02:20I think all four of them don't play.
02:23I think that's probably right.
02:24Yeah.
02:25But it's not.
02:26So, okay.
02:28You know, I think maybe a lesson was learned on Monday with Tampa, with Shen.
02:34Right.
02:35I mean, because that was, from what I could tell, not a popular decision to play him.
02:41But, you know, okay.
02:42I said with you, like, I can't really hammer this.
02:46I think the better, the bigger point is to try things.
02:51And especially for that game, as we talked about, the whole point of Stanley and even Shen was for games
02:59where it gets rough.
03:00And you had every reason to expect that from the Lightning.
03:03And it kind of was.
03:04You know, you were right.
03:05They were right.
03:06They did that.
03:07And they were not punished.
03:09So, you want to do some more of that here?
03:12Kesselring, I think, is kind of interesting.
03:15Yeah.
03:15He, to me, like Shen fit a certain mold that they wanted filled, role that they wanted filled on Monday.
03:23I doubt that we get into a playoff series and there's ever a cause for that.
03:30I mean, it's just not how.
03:30The playoffs will be rough and hard and, like, anybody you play may pick a spot to try to challenge
03:35you.
03:36But I don't think you can extend your wanting to be prepared for that to dressing someone who you willfully
03:44know will make you worse.
03:46So, I doubt that he's an option in the playoffs.
03:48But fine.
03:49Kesselring, to me, I don't know how realistic it is that he can do enough here to impress anyone to
03:57get back in the lineup.
03:58But I know that they are, I shouldn't say I know, it's not like Lindy or anyone on the coaching
04:04staff has told me this, but I get the sense.
04:08I talked to Chad, we talked to Chad Dina-Minicis from Expected Buffalo yesterday, and he's somewhat connected.
04:13And he's certainly intimated that they organizationally are concerned about Mezza in the playoffs just getting picked on and exposed.
04:22So, if they want to go all the way with the, well, we want more size back there, that is
04:28why Stanley, I think, is going to be in the lineup game one of the playoffs.
04:33Seeing if Kesselring can play and be better than he's been most of the year is something you should try.
04:41And I think maybe if tonight goes well, I might want to see him with Stanley.
04:45Because I think it's very hard for me to imagine a scenario where Stanley is not in the lineup in
04:50game one.
04:51Yeah, me too.
04:52Right.
04:52So, if he's five, and there's this concern about Mezza that they have, and I'm not, look, this is not
04:59me validating that, it's just I believe it's true.
05:02That they're worried to some extent about Mezza being a liability because of his size in the playoffs.
05:09Well, the guy you've got on your roster that's the furthest away from that problem is Kesselring.
05:14And he was acquired to be someone who was going to really matter for this team.
05:20I think there is a good hockey player in there.
05:22We just have not really seen it all year.
05:24And maybe that never happens because he just cannot figure out left from right in this system or something.
05:31Like, he just can't get it.
05:32I don't know.
05:33But I also know he has been hampered by injury almost all year.
05:37And if that's better, take him out for a spin.
05:41And, like I said, if it goes well tonight, the next time Stanley is in, I think they owe it
05:47to themselves to see what Kesselring and Stanley look like on the ice together.
05:51Because if Kesselring can play at all like the player they envisioned when they made that trade last summer, then
05:58there's your answer for who six is, I think.
06:01You said it already, though.
06:02I think it's probably too late.
06:03It might be.
06:05It might be.
06:05Really, when they got, when was it, off of California, when they got to a point where statistically the playoffs
06:15were all but a formality, that's when, and I think they largely did this.
06:19I mean, that's when you can start to dabble with different combinations.
06:23And they did that.
06:24They sent Metza down and used Timmons.
06:27Forwards have been this.
06:28Greenway comes back.
06:30And I think Kesselring would have already worked in, if they had any serious thought to him mattering in the
06:37playoffs.
06:38The Shark game he played was before they left for California as a home game.
06:41Oh.
06:42He did not play out West.
06:43Okay.
06:44And so he has not played since, that's March 10th, I think I said.
06:48So anyway, I think we would have seen him already.
06:51You know, if they had the mindset of like, we got this guy to make a difference.
06:55There's still time to try to make it work.
06:57No.
06:58And you mentioned Chad, and I think Paul has been like this.
07:01Like, people are like, he's not going in.
07:03But he's going in the night.
07:04Yeah.
07:05And I think he's going in the night for the same reason that Timmons and the other guys are going
07:09in the night.
07:10Because they can.
07:11Mm-hmm.
07:12And they play tomorrow.
07:13Yeah, yeah.
07:13Yeah.
07:14That makes sense.
07:17But I do, I still don't think they know what they want to do with Six.
07:23Really?
07:23I, if Metsa is, has been the best partner for Stanley, I think.
07:30And if there, there is an organizational reluctance to do that for the play, if there is, I'm not positive
07:38there is, but I, I, I get the sense that maybe there is.
07:42Then what are they doing?
07:44They tried Timmons there and that Timmons went out as soon as he came in.
07:48He had one good game and then the second game, it was like two power play goals in the first
07:52five minutes of the game.
07:53Good, thanks for coming for your penalty kill.
07:55Do you think it's about who they play?
07:58I think it, I think it, oh, you mean in the playoffs?
08:01Yeah.
08:03Yeah.
08:03Is who they're going to play the answer to that question?
08:05Yeah.
08:05I think if you get Montreal, maybe there's less concern about Metsa.
08:08You get Boston, then I think it's right back up again.
08:11So I, I, I don't think I, I guess I wouldn't be able to say with great authority right now,
08:19I, I'm not sure who Stanley's partner is going to be.
08:24And if, if, if I believe that, then I think I need to believe that Kesselring still has a chance.
08:30Like I, everything you said is right about how everyone has sounded about him.
08:35Um, but if it goes well here, I think that could open their eyes.
08:41Um, so I, I guess I don't want to rule them out, but I think you're probably right.
08:46Um, maybe it's notable that Timmons is getting another chance here too, because you know, that, that's someone who I
08:52think that they, that they want to count on that, you know, it hasn't gone great since he came back,
08:58but maybe, maybe he's a, I think any of those guys, those three guys are your contenders for the six
09:03spot.
09:04So, so, and to me, Metza has played the most and we all, I think out here feel the best
09:10about him, but I don't know that they'd be eager to throw him in, in a game one against the
09:14Bruins.
09:16803-0550, if you have thoughts, Sabres and Rangers tonight in New York, pregame at six, Buffalo minus 146 at
09:25the Blue Book, as Joe and Sam might say, although they're not sponsored like they used to be.
09:30So they probably named, you know, they would just say FanDuel minus 146 Sabres on the road.
09:36Tampa loses to Ottawa decisively.
09:40Montreal steals two points from Florida.
09:4320 seconds.
09:44They tied that game.
09:46Yeah, that was tough.
09:47So you've got three teams through 78 games at 102 points.
09:52One part of me wishes it meant more because this is a great race.
09:56Just the three teams alone, let alone the whole conference, how close it is, but it doesn't, you know, and,
10:02and, and the other part of me is sort of relieved by that because the playoffs are the thing.
10:06And if I had to stress over these four games, like it was everything, I don't know if I could
10:09take it.
10:10Tampa at Montreal tomorrow.
10:13What's the latest?
10:14Anybody's welcome to take on this question on sort of what you want here.
10:18Boston losing to Carolina means the Sabres cannot fall out of the top three in their division.
10:25So there's no chance at Carolina in the first round anymore.
10:28It was slim anyway.
10:30Right.
10:30So you're not going, you're not crossing over.
10:32I thought that, I think that would have been nice, but maybe not.
10:36Carolina's good.
10:37They're at 50 wins.
10:39And so, uh, tonight the other teams are off.
10:41Everybody that matters is off unless you include Washington and you could take the lead in New York.
10:47Minus one 46 is not resounding, but at least they are favored on the road.
10:51The Rangers have won a couple, won a couple in a row.
10:53They're five, four, and one in their last 10.
10:55Not like that's great or anything, but for a team that's been around last place and still actually in last
11:01place, uh, in the entire conference, uh, that's maybe as good a stretch of 10 games as they've had all
11:07year.
11:07Uh, I don't know that for sure.
11:09They probably have had better.
11:10I don't know, but yeah.
11:11Um, they've got, you know, they're, they're maybe the classic example of, you know, here's
11:17it's Gabe, Gabe parole shows up.
11:19Here's a new guy and like, it's going well.
11:21I think he's got, you know, he's got points and goals and, uh, quite a few of the games he's
11:25played so far.
11:26And it's just sort of play loose, have fun, you know, make a mark for next year time for some
11:32of these guys.
11:33Um, so the guys may trying to make a name for themselves in the NHL.
11:38Aren't that worried about what their record is?
11:40Probably there's going to try to try to do their level best.
11:43You're getting Shesterkin tonight.
11:44Um, I did see that.
11:46So, um, it's only fair, right?
11:52The Sabres have played the Rangers twice opening night.
11:55How'd you feel?
11:56They lost four to nothing at home.
11:58And then they had a game in New York that they won in January.
12:01I'm thinking of a Samuelson goal.
12:03A Samuelson shorthanded goal while I think they were up maybe two, one or three, two at the time.
12:09And it's like, Oh, nervous time.
12:12Shorthanded.
12:13I hope we can.
12:13And he just like cruises down the left wall and just fires this shot into the spot.
12:19Like between the goalie shoulder, his head in the crossbar and like, what, what, what just happened here?
12:27I think that one went there.
12:28He had two like that.
12:29And one of them I think went lower, but anyway, it was just like one of these crazy sniper shots
12:35that like, that was a moment.
12:37That is a moment that stands out on the whole year to me is that shot by Samuelson.
12:42This is like, what was that?
12:44Who is this guy?
12:46And what was that?
12:47Yep.
12:48That was a moment from that game.
12:50Let's talk to Phil here.
12:51Hi, Phil.
12:53Good afternoon.
12:54How are you guys today?
12:54Good, Phil.
12:56Good.
12:57Just wanted to make a quick comment.
12:58You know, you were talking about who was going to be Logan Stanley's partner on D and, you know, I
13:04didn't mind Shen playing with Stanley the other night.
13:08I don't think he hurt us at one bit.
13:10It gave us two big defensemen on the back end.
13:12And going into the playoffs, you're going to see D'Alene's line playing more minutes, which I don't think having
13:19Logan Stanley and Shen as a defensive partner playing, you know, maybe eight to nine minutes a game is going
13:24to be that bad of a problem.
13:26They're going to be there if you need them on the back end to, you know, play their style of
13:31game on the back end.
13:33I don't think there's any chance of it, that Shen is the choice.
13:36Yeah, I just think the foot speed is glaringly lacking.
13:40And, like, I'd be, you know, you'd be really mad if they did that.
13:44You've got better players as options.
13:47I just think, you know, Shen is, I appreciate him being here and being plugged in when they feel they
13:53need that.
13:54And, you know, if they suffer injuries, he's experienced and he's won the cup twice and yada, yada, yada.
14:00To me, there is almost no chance, the way I see it, that he's in the lineup in game one
14:05if they're healthy.
14:07They've got three better ideas, I think.
14:11And I don't know that there's a lot of, I mean, this guy feels the way he feels.
14:15I don't, I doubt he has a lot of company.
14:17I think Metza, Timmons, Kesselring, in some order, are going to outrank Shen to almost everybody out there.
14:24I mean, I think there are probably a lot of fans who would see it the same way.
14:27But a lot of fans, I think, respectfully don't see what value really can look like with other players.
14:35I mean, how many times have we listened to Owen Power this year get banged on for what he isn't?
14:41What he is, is worth a lot more than what somebody who is the opposite of Owen Power is worth.
14:49And that's maybe Shen.
14:50Again, due respect.
14:52It's just a matter of understanding what matters.
14:56And, okay, I've got a guy who's been in the league a long time and he's big.
15:00But I feel like I'm talking about teams from the old days.
15:04And I know that not everything, I've made this point myself many times on different subjects, not everything has to
15:10trace back to a Buffalo reference.
15:14But 2006, I kind of want to think we should have learned a lesson 20 years ago about this.
15:19And the league is no less dependent on skill now than it was then.
15:24And what that was, was a team that did not have experience or size, but it had tons of skill
15:31and they danced on a team that was mostly their opposite style in the first round.
15:37So, maybe that's not even useful anymore.
15:40It's so long ago.
15:41But it just baffles me that we never, it sometimes sounds like we just never get it.
15:50803-0550 for your calls.
15:53Thanks, Phil.
15:53We've got Chris Trapasso coming up at 4.
15:56Brian Kozio talking Masters at 4.30.
16:00Back to your phone calls next.
16:01Mike Schoep and the Bulldog WGR.
Comments