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00:00All right, what was your question?
00:01Yeah, I'm ready.
00:02Sorry.
00:03So tonight is the first game of the Stanley Cup last round.
00:10The Sabres went from, I'm sorry to be like this and sort of drag this out
00:14because it's really not necessary.
00:16The Sabres went from a 14 consecutive years of not being in the playoffs
00:20to division title in the hardest division ever,
00:25and then game seven, overtime of round two.
00:30What's a good year next year?
00:32Does it have to be better?
00:34Does next year have to be?
00:36No.
00:36What does next year have to be?
00:38No, next year does not have to be better.
00:40To be considered a good year, I think if they are contending for the division,
00:51they're not squeezing in in the eighth spot.
00:54They're not in danger.
00:56If they're like a top three team in the division, I think that's a good year.
01:02And then the playoffs are like whatever.
01:04You know, it's hockey.
01:06So I am not going to judge whether they had a good year or not.
01:12But to me, the most important thing they can do between now and the beginning of next season
01:18and then even into the start of next season is look like what we saw for five months is real.
01:26We've got one of the best teams in the league, and we are going to be that again this year.
01:31And that will give you some hope that, you know, this window will last as long as Rasmus Dalleen
01:37and Owen Power are excellent or until Tate Thompson ages out and you have to find a way to replace
01:42him
01:42and, you know, all that he does for you.
01:45That's a little ways off.
01:46Yeah, I think so.
01:47If you get a season where they're that level of team, then I think to me that that would be,
01:56for me, good.
01:58And then, you know, whatever else happens once you get to, you know, mid-April, start flipping coins.
02:05What if they start 11 and 18 again?
02:07We're going to not panic.
02:09Right?
02:09We can't?
02:10We're not allowed to?
02:10We're not allowed to panic.
02:12Guys, there's 53 games left.
02:13Remember last year?
02:14A lot of time.
02:16Maybe they'll fire Yarmul.
02:17I mean, you just can't.
02:19Just to light a spark?
02:20Right.
02:21I'm just kidding.
02:21Just a little humor for you.
02:25Imagine if that happened.
02:26Yeah.
02:27Yeah.
02:28So.
02:28Well, I don't know.
02:30That's what I think.
02:31I think we've, not speaking for everybody, but we had a blast this year, partly because we had no idea
02:41that it was coming.
02:43So, we got this unexpected joyride from them that lasted into mid to late May.
02:52And meaningful games in March became a, you know, a relic, a thing of the distant past.
02:58Became meaningful games in May.
02:59And then it was May, and like, okay, well, this is, you've heard this before, you'll hear it again, final
03:07five teams left.
03:09You know, like, that's not really a thing, but everybody else, every other series was over, so they were one
03:14of the final five teams.
03:16I just wonder what this year does for next year's expectations, because there's really nothing not to like about their
03:26setup.
03:27And that makes me think that the bar is pretty high.
03:31And it's not a team that has any real, consistent, don't laugh, history of success.
03:39The years we've pointed to, whether it's 06, 07, or 10, 11, because that was their last time in the
03:46playoffs, were both fleeting experiences, different leaders.
03:51And, you know, again, short, you have the Hasek years, and that's almost even too long ago to matter, right?
03:59I mean, it's different owners, different...
04:01Very different leagues.
04:02Just not a different coach.
04:03Right.
04:04Somehow, they have the same coach.
04:06There is that, yeah, with an interruption, but yeah, yeah.
04:08But I just wonder, I'm, you know, up in my chair for next year.
04:14Like, I'm ready for it.
04:15I want to know the schedule this time.
04:17Who are we starting with?
04:18And, like, what are the, whatever it means in hockey, like the premium dates and just all of it.
04:24But is it a team where, so the Lightning or the Panthers before this year, these teams that are perennials,
04:33Colorado, Carolina, even Vegas, like easy division.
04:37But these perennials, I sort of like to pick at how the regular season doesn't mean anything.
04:45Because you know you're, Chicago in the Cane and Taves days, you know you're good.
04:49So, what's the point?
04:51Are we playing, is home ice important?
04:53Is something, there's no bye week.
04:56There's no, like, it's really just that.
04:58The matchups are not that different depending on where you land.
05:03Look at the Sabres this year.
05:05How many points did Boston have?
05:0798 points?
05:08That's definitely true in this division.
05:10The Metro's a little bit different.
05:11It was this year.
05:12I think Carolina had really, had just fantastic fortune to draw Pittsburgh and then Philadelphia.
05:18Ottawa.
05:19It should be Ottawa.
05:19No, and we didn't want to play Ottawa.
05:21No, that's right.
05:21We liked Boston more than Ottawa as an opponent.
05:23That even didn't matter.
05:24Right, right.
05:25So, I don't know.
05:26What are we supposed to do with next year?
05:29Just, like, kick our feet up?
05:30I think expectations will be very high.
05:34Which is why I think, like, being realistic about it.
05:38Like, I don't, you got to go win the division or you, you know, something's wrong.
05:43I just think that's nuts.
05:44I mean, it could be, it's just going to be so close this year, it'll be close again.
05:48I think if you're in that mix, top three, you're not really worried about the wild card fight.
05:54You're, you know, maybe as the year's going on, you're like, boy, this two, three looks like it'll be really
05:58tough.
05:58I'd really like to be able to pass that and play a wild card team like I did last year.
06:03Like, if we're talking like that in February, then I think you've had a good year.
06:07I'm not going to say it's a great year because a great year, I think, would be building on what
06:12they did last year.
06:12But I think that's very hard.
06:14Building on 109 points is nuts.
06:17Like, you're going to have a hard time doing that, you know, statistically anyway.
06:21And I think it will be, like, I think Florida will be back.
06:26Montreal ain't going anywhere.
06:28I think Ottawa, kind of the same thing.
06:30We'll see about Detroit and Toronto.
06:33Detroit was looking like Buffalo and Montreal for most of the year.
06:37And then they just fell off a cliff in March and April.
06:40They just disappeared late March and into April and just wheezed to the finish line.
06:46The division, I think, is set up.
06:48Tampa, I think, is still going to be loaded.
06:51They're not old yet?
06:53I don't think maybe yet.
06:54I don't know.
06:55I feel like they've pivoted effectively enough.
06:59Hegel.
06:59Point.
07:00Kucherov.
07:01Kucherov is still prime, I think.
07:03You know, Hedman is maybe the biggest concern you'd have there with, you know, with the way this year went.
07:08But nonetheless.
07:09Radish.
07:10I think.
07:11Well, Radish is a free agent.
07:12Good.
07:13We'll see.
07:14Do we want him free agent idea of the day?
07:16I don't.
07:17No.
07:17I think somebody's going to give him $11 million because of all the goals he scored this year.
07:21And then when that gets cut in half, they're going to be like, wow, good contract.
07:26I don't know.
07:27We'll see.
07:28He's a late bloomer.
07:30Maybe he'll keep going.
07:31I like it.
07:32It's a one-off year.
07:33He was nobody before this year began.
07:36And now he might be poised to become the highest paid defenseman in the offseason.
07:41Like, in free agents, I don't mean he's going to go to the top of the – he's not going
07:44to make more than Makar or even Darlene probably.
07:46But, you know, you know what I'm saying.
07:48He'll be the guy in this class that gets paid probably because of all the goals.
07:54So, I think the division is going to be really – it'll probably be the best division in the league
07:59again.
07:59Would you take third right now?
08:02That's very tempting.
08:04I don't think I would.
08:058-0-3.
08:06I don't think I want to, but it's tempting.
08:11No, I've got to say no.
08:13Because I think I can still – you might have asked me that in February.
08:17I'm in the playoffs next year.
08:19I'm yes.
08:20Yeah.
08:20I think so.
08:21Right now, I'm yes.
08:22They're that good?
08:24I mean, all the Greg Wyshynski conversations about shooting percentage and who knows if they have a good goalie.
08:32Like, every year, it's just the Wild West and net.
08:35I think I would take third right now.
08:38You wouldn't?
08:39I don't think I want to, no.
08:40I'm in.
08:41Much like I – I know I'm in.
08:42And I'm saying that that qualifies as a good year, but I'm closing myself off from a great year.
08:47And they may be capable of a great year.
08:49You know, respectfully, there's no good or great year in the regular season in hockey.
08:56Like, it's all about what happens after that.
08:58So, what's Vegas?
09:00I mean, really, these teams – what was Montreal?
09:03They were third in the division, right?
09:05Just – I don't know.
09:07Sign me up.
09:09Yeah, well, home ice is not – we're going to have a hard time convincing people that home ice really
09:13matters.
09:14We went 2-5 and our building is rooting for the other team.
09:17And they lost game seven in overtime at home.
09:19So, that's tough.
09:20Didn't we talk ourselves into for like 30 years that starting on the road is better?
09:24Yes, we did.
09:25When that was all we had.
09:28That's absolutely right we did.
09:30I don't know.
09:31We did.
09:31Give me third next year.
09:32Give me third in the Atlantic right now.
09:35I guess I want to experience it, but I would take it.
09:38You would not.
09:39Interesting.
09:41I think I want to roll the dice and hope for better.
09:45But it's a very – it's one of the best times you've ever asked that question, I think.
09:51Because I'm already telling you, I think top three means you've had a good year.
09:56And so, if that were to be the outcome, I'd be happy because I think they would have had a
10:03good year.
10:03You just want that first game against whoever at home.
10:06And I don't know why that means anything.
10:08Like, it's just – you know, we're just sitting with this for the first time.
10:13I mostly just want to enjoy – see how much difference is there being one of the best teams in
10:22the league again.
10:23I mean, Montreal was one of the best teams in the league this year.
10:27They finished three points behind the Sabres.
10:30Did they have 106 or whatever they had?
10:32I don't even – I don't remember the numbers.
10:34Sounds right.
10:36That was one of the best teams in the league, and they finished third.
10:39So, I don't know.
10:40It is 106.
10:41I have a feeling you could probably press me into it.
10:45I can get you there.
10:46I think you could get me there.
10:47I think you could get me in that car.
10:48I'm driving off a lot in that car, I'm pretty sure.
10:52I think every team in hockey should take that deal.
10:56Third in their division?
10:58Yes.
10:58Home teams win 54% of games.
11:00Do home teams in this playoffs even have a winning record?
11:03I don't know.
11:04Maybe not.
11:05Boy, through – like, midway through round two, they did not.
11:10I was keeping track of it.
11:12At one point, I think it was 32-37 or 32-35, and then, I mean, Vegas romped, Carolina romped.
11:22It probably didn't really change.
11:23I think – I'd be pretty confident in saying that I think home teams have a losing record
11:28these playoffs by a game or two.
11:31Mm-hmm.
11:32Not that next year has to be the same thing.
11:34I think that's probably right.
11:35So, yeah.
11:37And, you know, we're the problem.
11:39Because we want it too much?
11:41No, because we went 2-5.
11:42Oh, I see.
11:43Oh, right.
11:43I see.
11:44We contributed to that.
11:45If they say we've gone 5-2 in the playoffs, then maybe that's different.
11:51But there's every reason to like the future, and even the near future.
11:56Maybe even more the long term than the short term.
11:59With all the –
12:00That might be right.
12:01That might be right.
12:0220- to 24-year-olds.
12:03That really depends on what happens in the next, you know, six weeks or so.
12:07Because – and not so much the draft itself.
12:11But what action takes place around – in and around the draft as far as trades go.
12:18And then free agency, what, you know, what ends up being the verdict on Tuck.
12:22You know, what happens there.
12:24And what have I done to replace him, if anything, effectively.
12:30That is all just there for them to figure out.
12:36And I think even without Tuck, you can provide it again.
12:42Moves are made.
12:43There's already – every time I see something from a Drager or whatever, if the Sabres come up, it's like,
12:50well, they were aggressive in March.
12:51They'll be aggressive now.
12:54So we'll see what the trade market looks like with that.
12:57Why the sigh about that, aggressive?
13:00No, it's just because, like, you know, you mentioned an insider's name.
13:03Oh, I see.
13:03Somebody's just telling them that.
13:04Okay.
13:05And don't they all want to tell them how aggressive they're going to be?
13:07Like, I wonder what the last 15 years of insider tweets have read like in terms of the Sabres.
13:12Oh, this is the year they're going to go after it.
13:14But I'm not sure that's right.
13:16And it's a broad brush, I admit.
13:19Yeah, yeah, yeah.
13:19I don't know.
13:20I just – I want to see first.
13:22I know that Vegas – the thing we have to figure out how to do is get into the Pacific
13:27Division.
13:28Vegas had 30 regulation wins.
13:31Washington had 37.
13:32Yeah.
13:33It's going to be hard to pull that off.
13:34They weren't even in.
13:36Right.
13:37Washington has the card to play that there is a state in the West named Washington.
13:43Like, they could actually maybe get away with it.
13:45Yeah.
13:46Yeah, they're that much closer.
13:4837 regulation wins, Vegas 30.
13:51Yeah.
13:51L.A. 22.
13:52Weren't there like maybe five teams in the East that outpaced both L.A. and –
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