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00:00Late Sunday night, with the Sabres falling flat to Boston in Game 2, 4-2.
00:06It's one of those, knowing from experience, just knowing how many swings there tend to be in the playoffs,
00:13it's one of those where that game happens and you go, well, actually, they were down for most of Game
00:201.
00:20Maybe we overdid it. It was such a great comeback.
00:25With us now from Boston is Paul Hamilton. I don't know.
00:29I mean, you'd have your own takes on this like we would, Paul, but did we get a little carried
00:33away after Game 1?
00:36Well, Marco Sturm didn't get carried away. After a few goals, he put a stop to it.
00:42He called timeout and got them over there and wasn't going to let them completely disintegrate like they did in
00:49Game 1,
00:49so he got them back going again.
00:52They didn't score on the empty net, but at least they kept the Sabres out.
00:56The Sabres almost scored a third goal, but Swayman – and Swayman had a weird game
01:01because before the Sabres took two consecutive penalties, he made a bunch of great saves
01:06to prevent the Sabres from taking the early lead.
01:09Yeah.
01:10And then he watched the rest of the game until the third period, and then he made a bunch of
01:14great saves again.
01:15And the Sabres got a couple of goals in between, too.
01:18In the middle, he basically could have bought a seat.
01:21They didn't really put too much pressure on him.
01:23Right.
01:24So it wasn't like the first game where he really played well until he didn't, which was the last eight
01:29minutes.
01:30But, yeah, it was kind of a weird game for him.
01:33Yeah, and the game going the way it went sort of leaves us – Mike was alluding to it there.
01:39Like, Game 1 was not their game until the end, but it was kind of their game.
01:45Like, they dominated the game mostly, Game 1.
01:47They just were behind on the scoreboard.
01:49Last night, they were behind, and they deserved it, right?
01:53I think, like, in Game 1 – now what we do, though, is we couple them together,
01:57and it sort of feels like – I think I even heard you say this with Brad on my way
02:01driving in today, Paul.
02:03They've only been in the lead for three and a half minutes or whatever it is, you know,
02:06from the time they scored that third goal Sunday night.
02:09That's the only time they've spent in front in the series,
02:12and that can make you feel like they're kind of getting their asses kicked here.
02:15But they're not – I mean, they did last night.
02:17I didn't like them last night at all, really, from the first eight minutes of the first period
02:23to when they got a couple of goals late.
02:25They didn't do much of anything in the game, I thought.
02:29Game 1, they kind of had the puck all night.
02:32Like, I thought it was a matter of time on Game 1.
02:35Last night, I didn't feel it at all from them.
02:38Yeah, it was 3-24.
02:40They've been ahead in the whole series in two games.
02:44And you know what?
02:45I think the team that has taken it to the other physically has won both games.
02:50Buffalo did that, and I thought they wore Boston down.
02:55It took a while, but they finally wore them down.
02:58The Boston defense looked exhausted when the Sabres got that third four checker in there
03:02and really started pressing them.
03:04And then Boston wasn't guarding the middle of the ice anymore.
03:07And Tej – well, I'll use Marco Sturm's term.
03:11Number 72 got loose in there and, you know, scored two goals on them.
03:16And, you know, they just weren't defending the way they were.
03:19I thought Boston had the better physical game in Game 2.
03:23And Bo Byram basically admitted it in the postgame that, you know,
03:27they kind of wore them out with the way they were forechecking
03:30and the physical play that they exhibited.
03:33And the Sabres really couldn't find a way to solve the pressure.
03:37And that right there is what they've got to figure out for Game 3,
03:40is what are they going to do to solve that pressure?
03:43Because that's Boston's game.
03:44And that's the only way they're going to win.
03:47They can't win any type of a run-and-gun situation or anything like that.
03:52It's get in, get on the forecheck, and just play good D.
03:57Don't allow the Sabres to get into transition and play the game the way they played it.
04:04And on that forecheck, that's the only way they're going to win.
04:07So – and the Sabres really, if you think about it,
04:10have solved pressure pretty well this year.
04:12So, I'm anticipating going into Game 3,
04:15Lindy Ruff will have a different type of a game plan to help solve that pressure.
04:20And part of it might be Dress Oslin.
04:22That's what he's good at.
04:24Yeah.
04:24You know, he's good in all zones, doesn't make mistakes.
04:28Now, he's not like the savior or anything,
04:30but he certainly is a player that is smart enough that he knows where to go with the puck to
04:35get rolling.
04:35Yeah, I'm fully in support of that idea.
04:38And I'm guessing Dunn – although, I mean, they could do something else.
04:42I guess they could take Krebs off of the Thompson line and put Benson there and make a spot for
04:48Oslin that way.
04:50But I feel like Dunn is the guy that comes out.
04:53And now I'm wondering, Paul, with how – you know, there was a lot of yapping last night.
04:59And I don't know who's challenging who to fights or whatever.
05:01Like, it seemed like Dunn wanted to go.
05:03And I don't think that Janot had any interest in it, up for nothing.
05:06I mean, he'd been an idiot.
05:07His coach should have benched him forever if he engages in anything that could have gotten that crowd going.
05:12So, I never really bought that there was about to be a brawl there.
05:16But there was plenty of rough stuff.
05:18And the series is – you know, it's a series.
05:20It's antagonistic.
05:21They might feel like they need Dunn.
05:24But I am in favor of putting Oslin in in his place 100%.
05:28I was just about to ask you guys that, and you just kind of answered the question,
05:31which means I think we maybe disagree a little.
05:34I'm kind of wondering why Dunn is turning everything down.
05:38And I'm wondering if he's still hurt.
05:39Well, maybe.
05:40To me, it seems like he doesn't really want to get involved with that stuff.
05:45And I thought, well, if you don't really want to get involved in that stuff –
05:49Well, then what are we doing, right?
05:51Yeah.
05:51Yeah.
05:52That's kind of the way I looked at it.
05:53The thing that was happening last night, Paul, and you were at the game,
05:56but I'm sure you were watching the confrontation in the third period
05:59right in front of the benches there.
06:02There was some audio that leaked through Rob and Ray Ferraro.
06:05So, I guess, depending on which broadcast you were watching,
06:07you could hear bits and pieces of it.
06:09Right, and I can't hear that.
06:11The way the MSG broadcast interpreted that was that it was Janot challenging them
06:18to fight or Dunn to fight.
06:20Right, and I thought what I heard was, this is Janot now, you want to fight?
06:26Who are you?
06:27I felt like Janot was saying, I'm not fighting you now.
06:31I don't even know who you are, man.
06:32Like that old psych job where Josh Allen has to look at the back of the guy's uniform
06:36to know who he is, like sort of you're a nobody.
06:40I thought at 4-0, or the score might have changed by then.
06:43I don't even know.
06:44There's just no way that a Boston guy is taking a fight there.
06:47So, I don't know that Dunn turned it down.
06:50I thought the guy was making fun of Dunn, myself.
06:53Not challenging to a fight, saying, you're not worth my time, is what I thought he was doing.
06:58So, I don't know if Dunn turned it down or not.
07:01But either way.
07:01Well, there is one Boston guy that would have taken that fight.
07:04Zdorov would have.
07:04But he wasn't involved.
07:06Right.
07:08So, I don't know what happened there.
07:09But anyway, the point holds, right?
07:10They're going on the road.
07:11So, if Lindy's worried about physicality, he might be tempted to leave Dunn in.
07:17But I still would put my best guy in.
07:19And Auslin's a far better hockey player.
07:21Yeah, he is.
07:22And you've got Stanley and Timmons can get involved.
07:26And Samuelson is using his size and strength to get involved in some things.
07:31And it's a shame.
07:32And I don't blame Tate Thompson at all.
07:34I understand totally what he did.
07:35It was 4-0.
07:36He was mad.
07:37He had, you know, Geeky and Pasternak are in his face.
07:40And he just popped.
07:41And I get it.
07:42And he wound up with 12 minutes in penalties.
07:44I probably would have done the same thing if I'm being totally honest with you.
07:48Next thing you know, it's 4-2.
07:49And you're thinking, boy, I wish Thompson wasn't in the box if you're a Sabre fan for 12 minutes.
07:54You know, we could use him here.
07:56And he didn't come out until less than two minutes were left.
07:59And then he basically played the rest of the game until it was out of hand, you know,
08:03to the place where they weren't going to be able to tie it anymore.
08:06But, honestly, I would not – I just – I understand the frustration he was exhibiting there.
08:13Things weren't going well.
08:14He's got these two bruins in his face.
08:17And it's just like, all right, fine, shut up, let's go.
08:20You know, and he wound up with 12 minutes in penalties.
08:22But at the end of the day – because he went to the locker room.
08:26I think he probably thought he got 15 minutes in penalties.
08:29Yeah.
08:29And he came back out and sat in the box for maybe the last minute of the 12 minutes.
08:34And I suppose he could have been hurt and doing – taking care of that.
08:39But I'm thinking more to the point that he might have thought he was out of the game.
08:42Yeah.
08:43Well, eventually he came back and sat in the box and then came out with like a minute 40
08:46or whatever it was to go.
08:47So, okay, what about the – I'm just dominating this thing here.
08:50Mike, I'm sorry.
08:52What do you want to do with goalie, Paul?
08:54I'm ready to go to Lion.
08:56And I'm usually not itchy on the trigger finger with these, but Lukanen really freaked me out.
09:01Not just the 100-footer.
09:03I hated the first goal.
09:04I just think there's no way he should have expected anything but a shovel at the net on the backhand
09:10from that guy
09:11with where his hands were, where he was on the ice, where Samuelson was, and the puck was rolling.
09:16It just – I cannot believe he did not stop that shot.
09:21And, you know, Lion, assuming he's healthy, has been excellent all year.
09:26So, I would make the switch.
09:28I'm not done with Lukanen.
09:30I'm not changing my mind to Lion being my number one.
09:33I'm just going to use my other guy.
09:35And I feel like it's not that hard to do because it's not like Lukanen has been hellebuck all year
09:40or something
09:41and played 60 games.
09:42They split the year.
09:44And so, I'm ready to pivot.
09:46I don't know if it seems panicky.
09:47What would you do?
09:50I totally respect what you're saying, and I see what you're saying, totally.
09:54And I said yesterday, I go, I would need to sleep on this.
09:59And I look at it this way.
10:01Lukanen had a very good first period.
10:03He had a very good four periods, really.
10:05But, you know, he stopped two breakaways in the first period, made some other good saves, and then it happened.
10:11That goal that you talked about, yes, that wasn't a good goal.
10:15And, of course, the one from the red line, stuff like that happens every now and then.
10:19And I remember Dominic Hoschuk letting one in against Juno or Bondra in the playoffs.
10:24One of the two of them shot from the red line and beat him.
10:28And you hate that it happens.
10:30And I understand what he was trying to do.
10:33He said he was trying to come forward and get it before it bounced, and he didn't get there.
10:37And then it bounced, and he didn't have his body behind it.
10:40And, all right, fine.
10:42And then, of course, the goal that pulled him wasn't a good goal either on the two-on-one.
10:46He's got to stop that.
10:47He's got the shooter.
10:49But as well as he's played, and this really has nothing to do with Lyon, as well as he's played
10:55since December 9th,
10:56where he had either the best or second-best save percentage in the league, I can't get to pulling him
11:04and not starting him after just one bad period.
11:08I can't get there with that, just as well as he's played.
11:12And I still have – even though Lyon was fine.
11:15Lyon got right into it, too.
11:16He was yapping a minute he got in there.
11:18You know, he stopped his seven shots, but he had three rough starts.
11:22The last one was not his fault.
11:24The team was awful in front of him.
11:25The first two were.
11:28It's not that – but he's also, on the other side of that coin, old enough and experienced enough to
11:33know how to compartmentalize that and put it away.
11:36And, you know, be ready to go.
11:39But I finally, this morning, after sleeping on, I thought to myself, I just can't get to not starting him
11:45after one bad period.
11:47I wonder if it would be viewed as panicky by the team, you know, by the players.
11:51Because that's mostly what I would be concerned with, you know.
11:56But that's where it not being, like, a long-standing, season-long situation where he's the – he's not Jake
12:03Ottinger.
12:03You know what I mean?
12:03I mean, he's – they chose him to run with it here.
12:07I don't think it was circumstantial because of Lyon's injury.
12:10I think it just timed out that way.
12:13So, I think Lukainen earned it.
12:15But, to me, he's earned a spot to watch tomorrow.
12:18I want to try the other guy and get ahead of it.
12:20Because I feel like if I put Lukainen in, Paul, and he's wonky tomorrow, now I kind of got a
12:25gun to my head.
12:25I got to put Lyon in for game four.
12:27And that's a tough spot to put Lyon in because, you know, the whole team is going to be like,
12:32oh, we can't go down 3-1.
12:33And I just – I'd rather – I guess I'd say I'm being proactive if I choose Lyon now as
12:38opposed to maybe being forced to choose him for game four.
12:41If that makes sense.
12:42Yeah, when I look back to Lukainen this year has had a pretty good tendency of shaking off a bad
12:49game and coming back with a good one.
12:52Maybe more than his teammates, I worry about him.
12:55You know, what's he thinking?
12:57It's like, really?
12:58After one bad period, that's it?
13:00That's all I get?
13:02That's it?
13:03I mean, he gave Lyon three games before he was done.
13:09But it's the playoffs now.
13:10But, yeah.
13:11Yeah, it's the playoffs.
13:12But I think you could maybe lose him.
13:15I don't know.
13:16He seems to mentally be up pretty good these days.
13:19So, maybe you wouldn't.
13:20I guess I would be more concerned about that more than the team.
13:25Okay.
13:25I think Boston feels really good.
13:27I mean, the first game was not their night, as we've talked about already and had talked about yesterday.
13:34So, they don't really have claim to that game, per se.
13:37But they got their road win, and they dictated terms last night.
13:41They probably feel pretty good now.
13:44No, I think they would, yes.
13:45Buffalo, as Lindy said, is a very good road team.
13:49But the Boston Bruins are also the second-best home team in the NHL.
13:53And, quite honestly, this is the playoffs, as Bulldog just said.
13:56And probably most of that means nothing.
13:58I mean, look at how many road teams have won in the playoffs so far.
14:03So, and Boston is not a good road team, and they won.
14:07You know, Buffalo's a pretty good home team, and Boston won.
14:10So, I kind of ignore a lot of that right now because we're into a whole different season.
14:17I'm pretty comfortable, from what I know of the Sabres, that they can go into Boston and take one of
14:22these two games.
14:23I mean, if they come home 2-2, I think they're fine.
14:27You know, for game five, obviously, they're not fine if they come home 3-1, down.
14:33So, but, you know, Lindy Ruff is pretty good at making adjustments, and certainly they're going to have to make
14:39adjustments to get around Boston's forecheck.
14:41And to get back to some of the things they do well, it would really help if they could get
14:46some early goals.
14:47Yeah.
14:47Instead of waiting until the middle of the third period when the whole game is played out, and you're on
14:52pins and needles, hoping your goaltender can hold you in there.
14:56I think that would be, because look at how many times they scored first this year, and that just propelled
15:01them.
15:02Right.
15:03Let's get a lead and make this team try to chase you a little bit.
15:05That would be, that's something we really have not seen, except for the, you know, closing stages.
15:11Of game one.
15:11Something else I'm curious to see an adjustment on, Paul, and I'd like your thoughts on, is the number of
15:17easy breaks, odd man rushes, breakaways.
15:22Like, as we just started talking, we've got the game on, on the replay on MSG, and the goal to
15:30open the third period is just a clearing pass off the glass to a two-on-one.
15:35Like, I feel like with how many of those opportunities have come on just sort of chips and clears, it
15:43feels like Boston has found something in how the Sabres cover, or how they're attacking, that they know there's these
15:50opportunities, and they're using them.
15:52And I wonder what the Sabres can do to counteract.
15:54It might be a real problem for their active D, because that's what maybe is getting exploited here by Boston.
16:01It's also what Boston does, and the Sabres should know that.
16:04They do know that.
16:05Lindy Ruff's talked about it, and they were talking about it instead of practicing the other day, going through tape
16:11and everything.
16:13And it's still happening.
16:15I hated that first goal.
16:17Well, first, what you said about it, I hated.
16:20But I hated the fact that they just flipped the puck in the air.
16:24Right, and it's a breakaway.
16:25And Norris and Samuelson are basically out for a Sunday skate.
16:28It's like, what are you two doing?
16:31And Arvidsson looks like he got shot out of a cannon, and it's like he blows by both of them.
16:36And it's like, well, this is what the Bruins do, you know, guys?
16:39Guys, maybe expect this might happen.
16:42Maybe expect, well, one breakaway yesterday in the first period was on the Sabre power play, and they gave the
16:48puck away, and they're gone.
16:50Well, that's shocking.
16:51That's not shocking.
16:53And the other one was Arvidsson coming out of the penalty box.
16:55And again, you've got to be aware that that guy's coming out of the penalty box.
16:59And, you know, Lukanen made two great saves out of that.
17:03Pasternak does it almost every game, and he did it twice to them in game one.
17:07So those are things that the Bruins do that the Sabres should be well aware of, and you're right.
17:12They've got to cut that out.
17:13Paul, thanks for your time.
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