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00:00Cooper. All right. Rank them. Lightning, Canadians, Bruins, Senators. Can we find no pressure? I mean, we'll talk. We've been
00:11able to get through these shows talking to each other for 23 years now. Never a problem.
00:18But if you want, might we have somebody listening that would stump for each of the four teams as the
00:29Sabres' best case scenario? Tampa, I think, if I were sort of, I worked for a law firm, say, and
00:40it was my job to come up with, you know, make an argument. Well, what if I don't believe in
00:45it? We don't care. You work at a law firm.
00:47Right. Find some facts. Sorry, wifey. Stand on them and figure it out. That doesn't matter. Right. So, Tampa, it
00:56would be, I mean, have you watched their games? The Sabres, the energy is through the roof and the Sabres
01:02have beaten them three out of four times. The loss was in overtime. So, okay, you could stand there. I
01:09think, you know, you think Boston is the weakest team. I watched Boston yesterday and I came to agree with
01:14that.
01:15And they lost to Tampa on Saturday. Just, like, couldn't do anything. Right. 2-1, I think, Saturday. Lake Hall
01:21beat them. Right. 2-1. Yep.
01:23Turnovers, they couldn't really generate. So, I could listen to that. Yep.
01:27Montreal is exciting, but maybe not as strong in goal or a little top-heavy. Just overall. Yeah, right.
01:33And Ottawa, I think you would say, like, that's maybe the, if not Tampa, is that the toughest argument?
01:38Yeah. I still would give Tampa, I'm in the same place I've been. Order of preference, for me, goes Boston,
01:49Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa.
01:52And Tampa, Ottawa is like, I'm giving Tampa the nod there simply because they're Tampa.
01:57Like, they just, the pedigree, they've done a lot of winning. I feel like they should be a tougher out
02:04than Ottawa.
02:04But I think Ottawa will be a handful. I really hope, you know, wherever we end up here.
02:12I mean, obviously, you end up second, you're not playing Ottawa because you're playing whoever's third.
02:16But if you end up first, I'm really pulling for that to be Boston.
02:20I just think Ottawa is defensively, they're just the team that is, to me, most capable of producing a series
02:28where three games into it, we're like, we can't score.
02:31Sure. And it's not because the goalie's great or something, I mean, he's a part of it, but they just
02:37don't give up a lot, Ottawa.
02:39They just don't, they're very, very hard to play, I think.
02:42Even though they're not overly intimidating physically, they're just going to be on you, I think.
02:48There was nothing, a lot of their games look like the game the Sabres played there when they had that
02:53first chance to clinch a couple Thursdays ago.
02:56So, very winnable game, though.
02:58Yeah, of course.
03:00They don't run away from anybody, but you just got to get there.
03:06And so, that's a team that I have a lot of respect for, Ottawa.
03:08But I give Tampa the nod over them just because, again, Tampa, they got the goalie and the coach and
03:13the, you know, there's, those are, that's a championship caliber team.
03:17And they have not, you know, Florida's been ruling the roost for a couple of years here, three years now.
03:21Are we underdogs if it's Tampa, even if game one is here?
03:26I bet yes.
03:27Tampa minus 140.
03:31Serious.
03:31I think I would, I think I would agree.
03:33I think Tampa would, even if the Sabres finish ahead of them, I think Tampa would get the nod there.
03:40I wonder if it'll be different if they meet in the second round.
03:44Because the Sabres will have proven, oh, hey, we're new, but hey, we did it.
03:48We're through a round.
03:49You know, they're probably still an underdog.
03:52Could Montreal beat Tampa in a seven-game series?
03:56Yes.
03:57The standings are so close.
03:59Montreal could beat anybody they play in a seven-game series.
04:01Or lose to anybody?
04:02Or lose to anybody.
04:03Yes.
04:04I think they're, it's, these teams are so close and so comparable.
04:09I think, you know, different ones, I think in my viewing of the season are, you know, better at different
04:16things than the others.
04:18They're not all the same, which makes it interesting, but yeah, it's so tight.
04:24I would say more than any other season, especially because Ottawa is going to get there, a first-round series,
04:34Boston, Carolina, I don't know, like that, that, that, that could be, that could be a tough series.
04:41Ottawa, Buffalo, flip a coin, Montreal, Tampa, they're all Pittsburgh, Philly.
04:48I mean, what am I, every one of these series, I think I would have a very hard time just
04:54saying confidently, I believe X is going to win.
04:57Well, there are going to be at least four teams in the East that finish with at least 91 points
05:07that we'll miss.
05:09Washington is at 93 now with a game left, an outside chance.
05:14Philadelphia has two games left.
05:16Not easy.
05:17Carolina and then Montreal, both in Philadelphia tonight and then tomorrow.
05:22That's all there is, but 93 is going to miss 92, 91, 91.
05:29That's crazy.
05:29I mean, that would easily have been a number.
05:31I say easily.
05:32It's not like you would have to agree with this, that you would have taken for the Sabres before the
05:36season started something in the low 90s.
05:39All right.
05:39Well, then we have a chance.
05:40Meaningful games.
05:41Right.
05:42So they're at 106 with two left.
05:44Good thing because 91 would lose.
05:47Detroit is out.
05:50Islanders are out at 91.
05:52Columbus is down bad at 92.
05:54Barely hanging on, right?
05:55Washington same thing.
05:56And then Washington at 93, which was not in the conversation for much of the last month, but neither was
06:03Philadelphia until recently.
06:05So fun times.
06:07I was thinking, this can't be my favorite Sabres season ever because of 2006.
06:17Personally, professionally, and just for what it was.
06:21That's number one.
06:22506 is number one.
06:24You know, I knew some of the players, which I was taken by because they were a little bit, they
06:29were close to my age.
06:30And like that, that for many reasons that season, like for many fans, that that's the one off of a
06:36year without hockey.
06:38I can't put this year above that, but I want to say two things.
06:42One, it's kind of close.
06:45It's the most comparable, I think.
06:47It's close because it was so unexpected.
06:49Right.
06:50So there's that.
06:52And then just the fact that, well, it's really almost the same point, I guess.
06:58I'm trying to separate these things.
07:00It's different for me personally and even professionally.
07:03But the idea that this was even possible when we were in, at Thanksgiving, that this would even be, what
07:12would it have sounded like to tell your friends they can win the division?
07:17Yeah, wait.
07:17They're going to have 108 points.
07:19What would that have sounded like?
07:20You would not even talk to the person anymore.
07:23I would have called the authorities.
07:25You would, Bulldog would have called the police on you.
07:27I would have called or, like, someone, you know, I don't know.
07:30Yes.
07:31We need help.
07:32What if you had called our show?
07:34Maybe somebody did.
07:35Yeah, I don't know.
07:36And made the claim because, you know, there are always certain callers that we get that are ready to predict
07:44that they're going to win a Super Bowl or they're going to win a Stanley Cup.
07:47You know, like, you don't hear from them again when they don't.
07:50I remember a couple of guys about the bills the last few years.
07:53Like, I'm telling you right now they're going to win it.
07:55Okay.
07:56You know, maybe.
07:56I'll call you back.
07:57But at least the bills are good.
07:59Right.
08:00Right.
08:01The Sabres were nowhere.
08:03No, that is why I think if you are half my age and this feels like, you know, because you're
08:1330, which means, what, you were 10 back in 05, 06.
08:18Like, you know, maybe this really didn't hit home for you or maybe that was perfect, whatever.
08:22But if you want to tell me or us or anyone that this is your favorite season of Sabres hockey
08:28ever, like, I'm not getting in the way.
08:31Because it is very much that I've talked about it for 20 years, 05 and 06 and 06 and 07
08:40could not have been more different experiences.
08:42Because one was completely unexpected when the season began and even was a third done.
08:48And the other was how am I going to handle the team in the finals when I get there, which
08:55is absolutely the worst way to go through a six-month sports season of any kind.
09:01Because I did not enjoy the Sabres, you know, they were the best team in the league all year long.
09:06And I hardly enjoyed it because I was worried about how they were going to handle Chris Pronger and Scott
09:10Niedermeyer in June.
09:11That's the bills.
09:13Newsflash.
09:13They didn't get to June.
09:15So I've always tried to stay more present.
09:18But what's irrefutably true is that a year like this one that you did not see coming, if the Sabres
09:25are great next year and have 105 points, it will be impossible for it to be as much fun as
09:30this year has been.
09:32At least as it's happening.
09:33It might end differently or the same or better or whatever, but we don't know that now.
09:39I'm just saying the year that comes out of nowhere is the best year.
09:43And that is absolutely this year, and they have earned their place as a bona fide contender to come out
09:52of the East at least.
09:53I mean, Colorado is lurking out there as the only real super team, I think, that there is.
10:00And who knows?
10:00They've got to run through two tough playoff rounds in their own division before they even get to the conference
10:06final.
10:06Well, that's actually, if you remember, if you're old enough to remember a few minutes ago where I said there
10:10were two things I wanted to say.
10:11Ah, I'm sorry.
10:12I cut you off before you got it.
10:13I forgot the second thing.
10:14But the second thing is, I want this week, this is going to be how I do it and feel,
10:21if not you or anyone else.
10:23But I want to soak in the regular season and appreciate it before I lose my mind over who's going
10:31to take draws against Pasternak or something.
10:34Like, I don't want to rush to that.
10:38You know, like, this has been so cool, and that's really it.
10:44Like, I want to just enjoy tonight, Wednesday.
10:48There's no real bad outcome this week.
10:52That's right.
10:52So, that's what I want to focus on is, like, just to appreciate what the season has been, which is,
11:01like, really a joy that nobody really saw coming.
11:07Yeah, the worst outcome this week for me is I draw Ottawa, and that still means I won the division.
11:12Yeah, you win both games.
11:14Which is like, okay, I think I've still had a good week.
11:17Yeah, I know I've got the least desirable or one of the most least desirable matchups, but it's because I
11:24won the division.
11:25Yeah, okay, good.
11:27I'm home for two rounds if I can go that far.
11:30Who knows?
11:31Maybe even three.
11:32We'll see.
11:32I mean, that's not likely.
11:34Ottawa, one game left Wednesday at home to the Leafs.
11:39Brad is with us.
11:40Hi, Brad.
11:41Good afternoon, gentlemen.
11:43Two points.
11:43Number one, if we win the division, we get a new batter.
11:48Hope you do better remembering the second one than I did.
11:52The other thing I was going to say is exactly what you guys just said.
11:57This feels like a kid right before the start of the Christmas holiday season, right?
12:03Christmas, it means it's all over, and you've already arrived there.
12:06The best part is the buildup when you're getting to that time to Christmas Eve, getting excited for all of
12:12it to happen.
12:13And just comparing that to the playoffs we've been living with for years, which is the Bills,
12:17which is just one week of – it's all on rides on one game, right?
12:21I've kind of forgotten about a seven-game playoff series and what that's going to be like.
12:26And listening to WGR every day and riding on the ups and downs, it's so exciting,
12:32and I'm looking forward to being a part of all of that.
12:35So it's just – it's that anticipation that I'm really excited for.
12:39Yes, thank you.
12:40I've been trying to say that for the last few weeks.
12:43This is the best part.
12:45I mean, winning in the playoffs is great.
12:47That's what it's about.
12:49That's why this can be called the best part, because you're setting up for it.
12:52But they have done so well that there's really not a lot of stress here.
12:57And you don't have to think that Ottawa is the hardest matchup,
13:01because that's probably going to be the team that draws the top team as the second wild card.
13:08Boston also has one game left, like Ottawa, and theirs is tomorrow at home to Jersey.
13:15So Boston can lock that up tomorrow by beating New Jersey.
13:21Right, they can get to 100 points.
13:22Ottawa maxes out at 99.
13:26They would need to win in regulation.
13:29Well, win it all is 100.
13:31If they lose in overtime, they're vulnerable, because Ottawa would beat them on the tiebreaker.
13:36Yeah, they have by five on the regulation wins.
13:38Yeah.
13:40Well, here's to everything.
13:41I mean, this is setting up so well.
13:44Thank you, Brad.
13:45Mike Schopen, the Bulldog, at 803-0550.
13:48Paul Hamilton from Chicago weighs in at 4.
13:5220 minutes.
13:52The...
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