Best Sabres Interviews on WGR: March 23-27

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Sabers home tomorrow.

I'll play the Boston Bruins,

starting a four game home stand.

Bruins play tonight against the Leafs.

And we'll see if the Sabers can keep things rolling along

after picking up seven out of eight

on that Western conference trip.

Joining us on the Western Hotline is

Sabers in Coach Lindy Ruf.

Lindy, good morning, Jeremy and Joe.

Congratulations on the seven out of eight.

I feel like, you know, the eighth point,

it got away at the end,

but seven out of eight feels pretty good.

Most times, I'd imagine.

Yeah, that feels pretty good.

Especially against teams that were really all battling

for, you look at the Vegas battling

for playoff positioning.

And then we got to San Jose

and they were the cusp of a playoff position.

Really felt we saw their best

and Los Angeles Kings the same thing.

So, yeah, we let one slip away.

I mean, heck of a comeback in the third period.

You know, took that late penalty,

which hurt us,

but to get seven out of eight against the West Coast,

it's back home to try to win the next game.

Your next few games, this home stand is going to have

Bruins, Red Wings, Seattle, the Islanders,

more teams that are still fighting

for playoff positioning.

Is that something that's kind of,

is that unspoken Lindy?

Or will you bring that up to the players?

Like, you can notice this time of year,

things are dialed up.

Maybe you're out of, you know,

the middle of the season,

and teams are really trying to get those points

to get into the postseason.

Yeah, I think you're going to see a little bit of both.

You know, obviously, it's teams that are battling

to get in.

There's teams that are battling for positioning.

It's talked about that we're going to see every team's best.

I think when we played as well as we played,

you got a little bit of target,

teams want to try to knock you off.

And we know we have to pair best hockey to win hockey games.

And that coupled with these playoff races

makes for great hockey.

Do you feel like Lindy over the road trip

that your team played a bunch of different styles

and found a way, like we were spending some time

with there was a comment made about a player

that called your team River Hockey.

And fans have been taking that as an insult the last week.

And I don't know, like, you played a couple of games

where you shut it down.

You showed against Anaheim.

You can open it up.

Like, do you feel like your team can kind of play

any style that it needs to?

Yeah.

Well, I've heard the River Hockey comment.

You know, you can call our hockey

whatever you want to call it.

We've worked really hard on our game

and all three zones.

And we're going to continue to try to get better.

I think, you know, if you look at how we played

Vegas, San Jose,

type of opportunities we gave out,

I thought we played really strong defensive.

I thought LA, another against the team

that plays a defensive style.

We played a real solid game there.

You know, special teams in the scoring got a little out of hand.

When I walked in the dressing room for the third period,

I said, we're going to have to put risk in our game.

I told Al, our goal kind of.

So you're going to have to make a couple of saves.

We're going to get on the offensive side of the puck.

We're going to, you know,

we're going to try to keep pucks alive.

If, if we miss out on that,

you're going to face some big opportunities.

I said, I'm going to ask you to make some saves this period.

We're going to get back in the game.

And I glad to meet a couple great saves.

And I, but I thought our offensive zone

was some of the plays we made were fantastic

to get back in the game.

And actually, I thought we could elite

in the lead with a couple plays.

So I think most teams,

you know, let it all out when, you know,

when they're downed by a couple goals,

you know, I don't think our style is that much different.

Then a lot of teams, you know, it's funny.

You say, a lot of teams might want to do that.

Do you feel like this group is as good as maybe most

that you've had over the years at doing that at any coach

might want to?

You guys are second league and goals score.

Like this, this is a group that, you know,

when you decide to turn that dial in,

it feels like they're ready for it.

Yeah, I think even you can look at two things.

We've been able to score.

Going up to scoring through the lines.

It's been real good.

I really thought an extra, you know,

one through four lines.

We got great production and contributions from everybody.

And at this time of year, that's what you need.

You know, offensively, we were firing pretty good.

I look at defensively where we're at

and the goals against where we're at.

And I'm comfortable.

It's an area that, you know, this time of year,

you see a lot better games.

You see three, two, two, one.

I think sometimes when you get into back to back or four and six,

depending on who you're playing,

the games get a little bit looser.

But where we've tried to get our game,

we're going to continue to try to build.

But like I said, both zones are trying to be real good offensively.

And at the same time, trying to be trying to be that defensive team

that can lock it down when you have a lead.

And on that defensive, especially in the blue line, Lindy,

like your top four has been a story all year long.

Do you feel like you've found something a little bit here with the third pair?

Especially on this road trip with it being Metsa and Stanley playing together?

You know, I do. I think that pair has played as played well.

I think they've got some comfort and they've got some familiarity with each other.

They've been able to read off each other.

I think Stanley's getting comfortable with how we like to play.

And his game has come along.

But if you look at the, you know, the three guys that we have sitting out,

there's going to be a place in a time where in the regular season,

we're going to need all these guys.

We might need the stronger, more physical.

It just depends on who we're going to come up against.

But I like what our top right now with the top six get on that road trip.

But I still look at our group and I've lived at a tough pass with losing defenseman

that you can never have too many of them.

Is that most important for Timmons, especially given that he's been out so long,

like I don't know, like think about the playoffs and ramping up to the intensity of it?

Like would he be someone you would specifically want to get kind of involved in the pace of everything

before, you know, the the playoffs start?

Yeah, you know, when you look at it, I think each guy that we have here can add something from,

you know, you look at a Timmons and Shen and they're penalty killing and the physicality that,

you know, Shen can bring to line up, you know, we have Kesselring that, you know,

has struggled with injuries throughout the year and has never really quite found his game.

But I thought his last few games were in a pretty good place.

And now you've got another big man that can skate, that can move the puck.

Early in the year, I thought Timmons was a big reason our penalty killing was where at that.

So you look at Shen and and Simmons both are both the great shot blockers are good penalty killers.

And penalty killing sometimes having that right handed shot when you're digging pucks out of the

corner that to get those 200 foot clears is is a big deal.

Linda, I want to get back to Zach Mezza. Are you guys, I imagine you are aware of like the crazy

numbers of goals for and against when he's on the ice. He's been on the ice for three even strength

goals in 37 games like he whether it's shooting percentage or safe percentage like Mezza has kind

of been this this thing wherever he's on the ice. Good things are happening, even if it might be

to some degree unsustainable the sheer volume of goals for and not against. But you know, his game,

maybe it's not sustainable. It can't be a coincidence. I don't think.

I don't think it is a coincidence. You know, watching this game, his breakout plays,

you know, or are right on cue a lot of times. He understands, you know, where the puck's

got to go. I think sometimes it's a safe replace. Sometimes it's a it's a real it's a real option

to get the puck into the middle and make a nice play up the middle. But

I'm well aware of all of all the stats. We've coaches that we haven't talked about it.

We have discussions on, you know, on our group and, you know, can we change a piece

with all the demand we have. But some of his stats are just incredible. Sustainable.

I'd love to say so. Yeah, right. Like a 91% goal share is kind of nuts. His story is interesting.

Too because, you know, this is his first year playing at this level. 27 years old. It took him,

you know, a good amount of time to get here. But he certainly looks comfortable.

Yeah, what a great story. A guy that, you know, we looked at that. It could be a death guy for us.

And with some injuries, you know, came up, played some games and played well. And earned his

opportunity. I think, you know, when we send players down, we talk about, we talk to the players

about, you know, whoever's playing well. It doesn't matter if you're a draft pick or if you're a guy

we brought in, if you play well, you will be the guy that gets the opportunity. And I think he's

the perfect example of the guy that took advantage of playing well down there. Got his chance up

here and has come up and played very well. So I think when preparation, you know, meets that

opportunity, a lot of times the player can have great success. Lindy are off with us on the

Western hotline. Lindy Sam Carrick fitting in nicely. I mean, the goals are coming. I'm not sure

that was as expected when he signed, but about the fourth line in general, like you mentioned earlier

that the scoring depth has been four lines deep. And I mean, for that, you need your fourth line to

produce and it has been. Yeah, I mean, you look at the LA game, the goal he scored. Again, I guess

another really good story of a guy that was more of an offensive guy, you know, coming out of his

is junior career. And now is found, you know, a way to stay in a league is he's the guy that's

physically will take anybody on. He's been a guy that's willing to get the puck to the inside,

make some great plays. You know, the Benson play and then him taking the net in LA. And then again,

Benson scored the goal, the go ahead goal in Anaheim. It's like I said, the depth, his job in the

face-off circle. We were looking for that right handed guy to win to face-offs. And he's our

highest, but saying it's a case-off guy right now. So it's really been a good fit for us.

On Benson, do you feel like he's the guy that can fit in on any line? Like he's playing on the fourth

line. He's played on the top line. And also, Linda, like he takes a lot of hits. I wonder if

there you see like a toughness in that. Like there's giving hits, but man, he takes shots. And

a lot of times it is to make a play. And even like when the McNabb hit happen last week, like he very

rarely is someone that isn't going to bounce right back up from it. Yeah, for sure. I think the

couple hits he took, the Vegas hit, the hit in LA. I mean, that's unbelievable winning hockey

on his part. The willingness to do what he did to really bring the LA game, bring those guys to

him. And like I put themself in position to take himself out of the play.

You know, it's like he baited them. He took the hit and made an unbelievable play to care. But

you're right. You know, in times in the game, even in the Anaheim game, I bounced a few players

around. And I think that's the flexibility. I can play him. There's times where, you know, I feel

like I can just put him up there with with with Paige and talking and it's a good fit.

But to move the pieces around is probably a luxury that I have that they're a little bit interchangeable

and a lot of times get good results from. I remember early on when we talked to you last year,

Lindy, like some of your first impressions of Benson, I can remember you saying like I love this

kid. And is he is he wherever you put him instant energy, infectious energy? He does have infectious

energy. You know, I think from the top of the circles down, he's a hard guy to track the

Hona. I mean, the bigger guys can't get leverage on him. He can, you know, basically stop on a dime.

He's pretty evasive. And and for his size, he's probably a, you know, in the top two or three,

much afford crew of getting around the front of the net and being real annoying at getting in

the right position to frustrate other teams goal tenders, other teams defense. And a lot of times

you see his goals are coming from anywhere around the paint. Lindy, you're off with us. Lindy,

the, the playoffs are not clinched yet. I mean, maybe it could happen in this homestand. We'll,

we'll see how far away that is. His league changed it all from your vantage point on like resting

players down the stretch once things have kind of buttoned up. Like there's always who you could play

in division races. But once like playoffs are kind of official, I don't know, is that

changed it all for you? Or have you seen that in the league? Like teams being a little bit more

willing to, okay, this guy's banged up. Let me give him a couple of games off at the end of the year.

I think if there's a real reason to rest a player, you know, somebody that's playing that's,

you know, been having a nagging injury or something that has been holding them back,

I think that's a real opportunity to get a player healthy for the playoffs. I don't think the

resting part in whole, if a player, if you just stand on table, we're going to rest this guy,

we're going to rest that guy. I don't really see that in our league. You know, I think maybe the

teams that run away with a spot have that luxury, but you look at the Eastern Conference right now.

I don't know what team that's going to have that luxury going down the stretch.

Yeah, it's one thing like you guys seemingly win every night and I check the standings and

everybody else is winning every night too. Is there a next benchmark for you Lindy? Like,

you know, we could chart whether it's clinching a spot, whether it's clinching

whole mice in round one, whether it's, I mean, the division, it's 11 games left here and the

division is, I mean, you guys are in the driver's seat. You know what my next benchmark is to win

our next game. And we've pretty well taken that up. We've taken that approach the whole year.

We've got the same just one more. Just go win one more. You know, after that game, we just move on

and we move on to the next game and we'll end up where we end up, but I think the approach is,

let's, you know, let's take a really hard look at that next game. We're playing, get ready for

them and be prepared to win that game and ready to move on to the next one after that.

Are you a fan, by the way, of the slogan, the tage coined last week, everybody ropes,

everybody rides? Or is it the whole locker room on that? Everybody was in on it. It's something

that we've had in there all year long. It's something that, you know, in our meetings before

the season, the day we spent up in peak and peak on a culture building really retreat that we

came up with. There's three or four, three or four kind of slogans that we use. And that is one

of them. That is just, you know, no job too big, too small. You know, you might have to be a defensive

specialist in the last 10 minutes of game. You might have to be a guy that has to get involved

physically for a teammate, for yourself, whatever. So it's, I think it's a great slogan about

we're all in this together and it doesn't matter what it takes from blocking shots to scoring goals.

Well, it's all been fun. And the river hockey stuff has been fun, too. I mean, like,

when we caught wind of that, it was whatever. It's, it's, everything's been tons of fun,

you guys are having as much as well. So, yeah, well, I'm just hoping that's a fast-flowing river

they're talking about. That's right. That's right. Thanks, Lindy. Best of luck tomorrow against Boston.

Okay. Thank you.

Timber said Coach Lindy Ruff joining us here on the Western hotline. You know, the,

there are 11 games left and the playoffs begin in less than a month. And it's the kind of thing

that we used to do if the playoffs started today. Yeah, we used to do that. Should we do that?

I'm in. Let's do it. If the playoffs started today, I love where it is right now. Yeah,

I love where it is right now with the full intro here for. Oh, yes, the,

the full 20 seconds before it really gets rolling on Hurricane 2000.

Boston. It would be Boston. Boston. If this playoffs started today, it would be tomorrow night's

opponent. I love it. The Boston Bruins might be my new favorite idea. It's, it's starting to

grow on me above Detroit. There are five on five numbers are putrid. Boston 28th in the league

and expected goal share. They do have a goalie. And that could scare you a little bit compared to

like an Ottawa. That's a big difference. Don't want to get goalie. But like in a series,

they're about a game, but a series. I have got no time for any fear of the Bruins because,

oh, they're bullies and they're, they're the playoffs and experience Boston. Oh, like that's,

that's not them. Chara ain't there anymore. Lucci chain there anymore. Marshawn. Who is the guy?

It's a Doroth, right? He's a, he's a giant goon on the blue line revenge game. I gotta be afraid of him.

Who, who on the Bruins am I afraid of? Like a Pastor knock is great. Yep,

don't get me worried about him, but they don't got this team of physical bullies that are great

players anymore at all. They did just sign James Hagen's and they're expecting him to be a part

of their team soon. Do I have to carry about that guy? Not now. I think. But like, okay,

like looking through their lineup, Fraser Mitten. That's their number one center,

Pavel Zaka, Victor Arvidson, middle stat, Elias Lindholm. Like, they're not, they're not

any more physical than the Sabers are. It's just the logo that makes you think that. Yeah. Who on

their team has playoff experience? Pastor knock and McAvoy. Is that it? Yeah. Like, they don't have

playoff experience. So Boston first round, if the playoffs are the day Carolina and the Islanders

would play. Okay. Tampa Montreal and Tampa Montreal. Tampa Montreal would be another great part

of this. Give me one of those two knocking each other out because really what you love to have

is Tampa get upset in round one. And if you make it through, like that, that is a tougher test. So

if they're gone, that's good. And I think Montreal is the most capable of taking them out.

And Pittsburgh and Columbus would be the other Eastern conference series.

All right. Of course, we love to do this exercise for fans. We're very mad at me yesterday

online. If it was one through 16, like it used to be, it would be Sabers and Ottawa.

One through eight or 16 was not Ottawa. Detroit. It was one through 16, which it was at one point.

The Sabers and Redwings. If it was a regular one through eight, yeah, it would be Sabers and Columbus.

All right. Columbus has been red hot. But anyway, the Bruins. This is where we have to

ruin out race that if the playoffs started today also, the second best team in the NHL would play

the fifth best team in the NHL in the first round. That's so stupid. Right. And then would play

the winner of that would play the best team in the league in the second round. Yes. Yeah,

the top five, three of the top five teams. That's batman wants it that way. He said it.

Everyone, well, you know what actually to make just to make this point in this scenario,

it's Dallas in Minnesota. And I was about to say like, oh, yeah, what a rivalry game there. Dallas

in minute. All right. They actually kind of stole their team. So that's a that's a not a bad one.

That's that's all right. I mean, we're going to need rivals. Right. The lightning will be one.

And I'm I'm good with the Bruins being another one because they're I just I'm not afraid of the

Bruins at all. Everybody ropes. Everybody rides. Which is a good slogan for someone that's watching

yellowstone right now. So I get it. I also I also have thought Lindy was going to the Paw Patrol

slogan there when he said, no job is too big. No job is too small. I thought no job is too big.

No pop is too small. I thought it was going Paw Patrol. That's the line. I think a lot of people

were jumping on the puppy power when uh, when Benson scored the other night scrappy do scrappy do

scrappy do is an incredible nickname for him. It's I mean, he is it's great watching him is nuts.

It is wild. I think he's one of the toughest players on the team to see what he's willing to do. Yeah, he

takes licks every night. And he always bounces right back up. And like we'll knowingly take that he

did it against Tampa. I mean, Lindy mentioned the goal against L.A. There was another goal in this

road trip where he takes a giant hit make the pet play and it ends up as a goal. The Tampa game.

Remember the caricle the caricle where he's coming through the the offensive zone. Why that happens

because Benson sits on the wall waits for character to come through and gives it to him while getting

destroyed by a defense who's probably six five. Yeah, he's awesome. 803 05 50 on the sabers. If you want

box some drafts here. Ty Simpson. We should be paying attention to the Ty Simpson uh, ad campaign.

I think he's going to be the most talked about player in the draft only because Mendoza is not

that interesting and going to go at the top. So yeah, we didn't know it. Like you got a month to

the draft. It's a month from today, April 24th. And uh, you know, you got to find a quarterback to

argue about. That's Ty Simpson. Who Dan Orlovsky just said is QB one in the draft. Oh, get out of here.

Diddy. Yep. That's quarterback. Ty Simpson. Come on. That's a real take. Yeah.

Is it should I be reacting like this? Is that ridiculous? If it comes off as you're just saying

something to make waves. 803 05 50 and 1 888 552 550 to join us. Jeremy and Joe on WGR.

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review key concepts and strengthen their skills before assessments, it can make all the difference.

IXL helps reinforce what they're learning right now so they walk into every test feeling prepared,

capable and confident. IXL is an award-winning online learning platform that helps kids truly

understand what they're learning, whether they're building math confidence, strengthening

reading and writing skills, or reviewing science concepts. Designed for students from pre-K through

12th grade, IXL delivers personalized interactive practice that adapts to your child's level and pace.

It's an easy, effective way to support learning as the school year heads into its final stretch.

Studies show kids who use IXL score higher on tests, proven in all 50 states. IXL is used in 96

of the top 100 school districts in the US. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now

and listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at IXLlearning.com

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It's a big point for your club, but again with you know a little over two minutes left getting

the lead you'd like to be able to hold that. I think the panel we took we took a couple bad

penalties in the first period and then the panel we took their late really hurt us. But to get

seven out of eight points in the road trip and to battle back from being two down to take the lead,

I mean it was a good effort. I mean back-to-back games you'd make some mistakes we made someone.

They took advantage with they made a few and we took advantage.

Safer set coach Lindy Rob following the team's overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks

at the tail end of their western road trip. Yeah I mean you feel great about seven out of eight.

How can you not right? It's it's anybody says seven out of eight out west like what NHL team?

What NHL teams fan base isn't taking that. But you come home with a bitter taste in your mouth

losing it late like that much like you did down in Tampa a couple months ago when they had the late

lead and then they tied it Tampa and then they went it over times the same thing right. So I guess

that it's good that they feel like they should have closed the deal and they didn't but getting seven

out of eight is obviously really really good. We also by the way we're now at the point with the

Sabers official Twitter account is tweeting out with their magic number is 13 with 11 games

remaining in the regular season. Joe Jordan joins me on the west her hotline. It's amazing Joe

isn't it the Sabers official Twitter account is is tweeting out magic numbers to make the playoffs.

Great that it's magic numbers not tragic numbers A. That's right you can have that too. I'm still

I'm still wrapping my head around how this team's done this this year it's it's you watch every

game and you and you see how they play every game and you're like it's and you think back to

October you think back to November and you're like this is this is unbelievable it's it's

believable because they've been doing it for 40 games now but it's still unbelievable because

you're like we saw the old Sabers for the first two months you know the Sabers we've gotten used

to seeing and it's it's incredible. Joe Jordan here on the west her hotline all right Joe so let's

I'll ask you why and how well what do you think happened here it's my wife asked me the same thing

we're just watching randomly maybe last month the game and she goes what changed I'll ask you Joe

Jordan what changed. Well I tell you what it's this everything about what they're doing goes

goes a long way into self-belief having that sort of awakening moment where you know the

the guys in the room say listen if we don't we don't get this together like this is you know this

is going to be another miserable year this is going to be another bad season we have to deal with

all the same questions all the same stuff you know the same stuff a lot of these guys been dealing with

for you know five five six years you know in some cases but you know it's something where the

the guys that are the leaders in that room you know it's Dulley and it's Thompson it's Tocks and

Zooker it's you know it's Greenway it's all these guys where they say you know let's just let's

just get this right let's just you know let's let's get the job done and let's take care of things

the way we know best how to do that and let's listen to what the coach is telling us and let's

just do all the things the way we're supposed to here and it sounds crazy to say that because it

you know it makes it seem like they weren't doing that before but but when you get everybody on

the same page and you get everybody believing in each other and you start stirring a wins together

confidence goes a long way it makes everybody happier wins make everybody happier and who doesn't

like being happy you know and that's that's kind of where where this team's been able to thrive I

mean they haven't lost consecutive games and regulations since since that west coat that western

candidate trip that turned ever turn the entire season around it's it's amazing you can find

Joe's work by the way at noted hockey.com he's a contributor at pleacher report as well on ex at

Joe yearden all right so how much credence do you give we haven't talked in a while Joe and I

appreciate you coming on today I can catch up with you a little bit on all this stuff because I'm

wondering how much credence you give to the change of GM I mean I don't know I mean he Kevin

Adams this is his roster so to speak up until the trade deadline he gets fired they turn around but

nothing really changed how much credence do you give to that. You know I think I think in the narrative

part of this it gets a huge it gets a huge credit because that's that's the fun I guess that's a

fun story for you know 99.9% of people because they're not Kevin Adams for Kevin Adams it's a

lot less fun but but I look at it as that that's it's convenient timing to be able to say that

because you know by the time he was fired by the time they got back from western Canada they

you know they had strong three three three three in a row whole boy I can talk yeah he was still

he he was he he was still the GM right when they won the three right if I remember right at the time

my timing is right yeah yeah yeah so you know they they win in Edmonton they you know they win in

Seattle they win in Vancouver and you know they come home and it's like okay now I the mind you

I think at some point probably after that lost the Calgary I think all of us were thinking what's

it this is probably going to be it for for yeah for for Kevin Adams and you know we'll see how they

shift things around you remember I don't know why maybe you remember maybe you don't but like

the rumors were running hot and heavy after that lost the Calgary that there was going to be a huge

shift of everything yes rolls were going to change jobs were going to change all this stuff was out

there and instead it was you know they went three in a row and it's like well that's that same

Kevin's job and no it didn't but they kept everything else the same you know the coaching staff

stayed the same though you know Lyndy didn't you know move up to the front office you know everybody

stayed in their places and it was just Yarmul stepping in I can't you know I say just Yarmul but

Yarmul's you know great you know great executive but but that I you know I think it's in a way

I don't think it's what spur them but I think it's a way to look at it in in that it changes the

perspective of how things are run in a way that I think the guys in the room can kind of wrap around

and say okay listen we got we got a guy who's been around the bend before as a GM who knows you

know who's been there done that has taken his team to the playoffs before and can make a big deal

when he needs to whereas with Kevin every good deal that he made I think was was counteracted by two

or three where you're just left scratching your head on and I think that's that's a that's a tough

thing especially you think back to how close they were to the playoffs a few years ago and the one

move they made at the deadline that year was to acquire Jordan Greenway which okay that's great that

was a small you know that was a solid depth addition but that team needed more to be able to get

over the hump and they didn't get it and shortly after that trade deadline I think they lost five

in a row it was like well there goes the playoffs dream and you know that team had a roller coaster

final you know month and a half two months but um but I think you know when when you boil at that

when you boil it down though I think you know Adams Adams getting let go it's fun for the fans

it's fun for everybody to look out and say it was boy they fired the GM and they went

went crazy but I think it's more about the guys in the room and more about the coaching staff

kind of getting everybody together and saying like let's just go do this let's just play

yeah and and and Lindy especially to me so I remember last year and I'm sure you do when he said

he was frustrated because he couldn't fix it he said it's been the it's been like the toughest

solve or something like that he said like it's the toughest solve maybe he solved it it just took

him a year and a half right I mean maybe maybe that's he has to have some hand in this and how

they're responding to him as well oh yeah and you look at the way they play hey you know we

started off the season looking back on you know the uh the 2016 because you know nice round number

20 years and and thinking about like how that team played and how that team overshot everybody's

expectations because that was supposed to be a last place team and then you know they end up in

the eastern final probably should have been the same like a final probably should have been

anyways this team this year I don't think the expectations for that low I don't believe anybody

was picking them for last place but I don't think anybody was picking them for the playoffs either

because they had done it the years before you know I'm raising my hand on this saying I'm guilty

in that too picked them for the playoffs they didn't make it and it was like well all right guys

you got to show me something here and you look at the way this team plays now that that everybody's

together everybody's everybody you know it's like what sage Thompson talked about the other day

everybody's you know everybody rides everybody ropes and this whole team's together and it reminds

it reminds me a little bit of how that team played where it was just you know fire wagon in a way

you know high pressure hockey that you know made teams just like lose their mind trying to deal with

them playing against them and they just keep winning games and that for me is is what really stands

out about you know what that team was for Lindy and his and his legacy and what this team is doing

for him now because you know you know he gets you know he gets bounce out of Dallas bounce out of

Jersey and you're just like I don't know yeah I don't know if the guy can coach if he you know if he

can hang the modern day whatever it is he can do it he can coach he can handle he can take care

of business and and these guys are are are going a bad for him now Joe what can what concerns you

about this team as they head to the playoffs and you know making a run and then what are you

confident in about this team in the playoffs that they can handle well I think what I'm worried

about a little bit is is needing to rely if they have to rely on special teams specifically

power play I think in playoffs that's a little it's it's a concern but it's not because you know

playoff rule books a lot tighter and I think maybe weathering how games are called when it's you

know when it's going to be you know it's not going to be as easy to get penalties not going to be

as easy you know for that because their pk has been very good all year so I don't really sweat

that the Anaheim games kind of an aberration that that's a freak show team at home when it comes

down to it but you know it if if a game hinges on getting you know needing to get that one power

play goal to kind of swing the game I'd be a little nervous about that but this team's so good at

five on five then I'm not really sweating that too much you know like they're they're able to

control games at even strength and I think that's that's a huge strength of theirs but I think the

resilience of this group is they've been tested all you know all year and if you want to go back

previous seasons they've been tested plenty to to know how to handle when times get tough and

things get bad and and how they just keep fighting back keep fighting ways that Anaheim game I

don't they lose they lose it over to you like you know whatever but you know they're down two goals

in the third period and you're just you know I could see it on social media fans just say oh well

you know it's been a good run blah blah blah and it's bang bang bang then they're right back in front

and it's like oh right that's what this team does and they've been doing that all year long you know

so I I think if I think really when when it comes down to it when when people are ready to count

this team out that's when they punch back the hardest and I think that's that's a real that's a

real good mark of what they've done all season no doubt real quick let's handicap the rest of the east

what what would be the best matchup for this team and what team would give you pause and say

that's going to be a grind it's going to be a little tougher let's throw Tampa out of the equation

here I don't think they'll play them Carolina wouldn't happen but of the rest of the group the

teams fighting for the wild car the boss and the Detroit's the Pittsburgh's the Montreal's is

a team there you say you know what they're in for a fight against that team and is there a team you

say I think that that would be the best matchup for this group uh well I I think the most fun

but stressful series would be a Montreal series um for sure right all that offensive firepower right

all of that and the I mean we got a little taste of it earlier this year going up for uh

going up for a game of Montreal and the fan I mean every game of Montreal is a scene like it

I always tell folks if they want to go to a road game go to a game of Montreal because there's

nothing there's nothing like it anywhere in the NHL uh Montreal and the playoffs though is a

is a is that times a million it's so intense and it's so fired up it's great but it would make it

bonkers it would be in a bonkers series to deal with uh for both teams honestly because the

expectations are I mean they're high now for Buffalo I mean there's the glad to be their part of it

but like there's also the we're really good and we can go far part of this now too so um and

Montreal wants to do better than they did last season so so there's that I I as far as bad matchup

told I don't like how they match up with Columbus uh they do terrible in Columbus I don't know if

the site of the cannon freaks them out or what the deal is there but they play bad in Columbus no

matter how good the team is I think they've got eight wins in Columbus in the franchise of history

so like that's that's not a matchup I'd be too excited about um I think Detroit would be

fascinating where you get the cane part of it for one also they've got their own playoff

throughout so you'd have two playoff throughout teams breaking breaking getting off the snide

and then facing each other in the first round I think that would be a ton of fun

Boston Boston would make people pull their teeth out because Boston plays so tough

defensively and Jeremy Swaman is a goalie that can win a series and I don't think I don't think

favor fans want that kind of agenda uh first thing up on the playoff so um it's uh I think a matchup

with Pittsburgh does them better but Pittsburgh gives them fits to so yeah you know the fun part of

the playoff though is that everybody's good especially in the east everybody's good and every matchup

has one has something where you're doing the Larry David like well I don't know kind of you know

it's good but it's bad I don't like it but it's great you know that kind of feeling because

the east I mean everybody's everybody's playoff tested in the east that's that's the worst part of it

is that everybody's coming in yeah already with battle scars and ready to go Joe tell everybody

where they can get they can get your work and uh follow you when it comes to the Sabers and the NHL

yeah absolutely you can find uh you can find my Sabers coverage at noted hockey dot com uh

well plenty more to go there with the playoffs we're just kind of getting gassed up there lots of

stuff that bleed to report uh the NHL side of bleed to report easy to find on the app everything

there uh yeah find me on x at your yard and not not as busy on x uh blue sky as well uh just

look up my name you'll find me pretty easily there uh yeah and on Instagram I mean I'm kind of

lazy with the photos or at least the hairbring with the photos but you find me there too

hey uh listen noted hockey dot com really good website check it out Joe does a great job

and uh really appreciate you coming on today and I'll catch up soon I'll see you at the uh at the

Sabers not only as the end of the season but up in the press box for a playoff game and I can't believe

we're saying that thanks buddy that's awesome so thanks so much all right you got it that is

Joe yearden really good guy really good cock hockey coverage check him out at noted hockey dot com

we'll take a time out we'll come back here we'll wrap up the hour and then any young of spectrum

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it's my show and the bulldog they have this panther sound effect that is just the

cheesiest stupidest sounding idiot big voice guy going after goal scored by sam right heart

where'd you get that thing i trapped it then keeping it in my bathroom at the hotel feeding an old

it's my show if you're calm that wondrous big cat be calm too but if you're scared that

beautiful death machine will do what god made it to do namely each you with a smile on its face

and the bulldog no wgr sports radio 550 obviously the sabers being in the playoffs for once in 15

years is number one on this list of things about the upcoming NHL playoffs to be excited about but

maybe number two is no florida panthers i had enough or leafs i mean there are people who hate

the leafs like that i'm not one of them but i kind of like florida in yeah i i can take a break from

people you know reacting to the panther roar uh because you know just it you know i heard a lot

about that i will not miss i was you on there i will not miss florida and maybe perhaps neither will

our guest joining us on the west or hotline fluid ocean zawa from the athletics but on the

Bruins beat for many years sabers and Bruins tomorrow night Bruins and leafs tonight so we've

reached you on a game day here thanks for your time yeah you bet can i close bulldog this

uh nineteen eighty three sabers Bruins hockey reference spot score page on my browser are we done

something good come up fluto there's of course plenty of playoff history between the sabers and

the Bruins uh most of which tends to haunt me uh but hey look at the standings today and this could

very well be a first round matchup i think it would be if the season were over uh tell us about

this Bruins season so far well that will be wild on multiple levels just given um what expectations

were like heading into this season if if you look at it from the Bruins side uh they they're

they're no they're no sure thing at this point it's it's probably a coin flip but they're in pretty

good shape um the the gold heading has been tremendous it's probably the number one story here

in terms of Jeremy swayman just being um game changer um the he stole them a couple points in

in Detroit massive two points in Detroit um so you look at where the Bruins have come from they

were terrible last year um fifth worst and the league trade their captain the guy whose number is

going to be up in the rafters trade a whole bunch of other folks um and then have some bad luck

actually in the lottery to drop two seventh but you look at the way that they have put some

foundational pieces in place starting with a new coach he's been anarchist terms a plus job

i'm getting so much um above expectation performance pretty much across the board in terms of

where you look at the roster and credit to management for bringing in players that fit um

marco's vision so uh again it's they they could they could fall flat on their face here and

their last i think they have 12 games left but um regardless of what happens from here on out for

the Bruins i think this has been a very good step in terms of returning to where they want to be

i'm glad you started here because i think you know for us we're just a little background here

Pluto we're we're wrestling with a fan base that has been pretty detached here i mean 14

years not in the playoffs i mean we've never called on you before you been on this beat for 20

years um you know we just been sort of at arms linked with the sabers and i bet a lot of our audience

if they weren't closely following the league would have just expected the Bruins were in the playoffs

every year here but last year was kind of a bottoming out and that's what makes this year such a

surprise other than the goalie how have they really done it uh power play it's it's taken a little

bit of a hit um but consistently top five all year so uh that's pasta knock that's geeky

that's the macka boy at the point i think that that's a big one um i think they've they've also at five

on five they've they've scored significantly above expectation um you can look to geeky again

that that's a player um and and and part of it has been playing with pasta knock but that that

hasn't been a a line combination that's been regular this season in fact morgan's been on their

third line while david's been on their first line so they really haven't spent that much time

together but yet morgan here he is with the career high in goals he's he's hit the wall here a

little bit but that's that's a player that is shooting way above expectation um you had

formed from a buffalo guy a kacy middle stat he's he's really made a hundred and eight degree turn

from where he was last year from when the Bruins got him from Colorado um they're they're second

line with with kacy povazaka victor arvinson that's been probably their most consistent um three

zone line so i would say goal tending number one power play number two um number three in terms of

just just performing above expectation when it comes to goal scoring um and and just just an

overall um fight in terms of their attitude never out and that reflects so well on on the coach um

so again perhaps a little bit of a head scratcher in terms of you look at how they've played versus

their expected metrics in some of these categories um it's been it's been better than expected

so um good on them flutton zawa are guests from the athletic michael in the bulldog here you mentioned

middle stat not the only former saber in the mix in boston i saw nakita zadorov's goal in

detroit that was a big one that's not what he's you know about but still and jokie harry you in

and out fluto what's his status henry has been yeah he he'll be back in tonight he'll be

and he'll be playing with zadorov um so he's been kind of the pretty much regularly the seventh

defenseman here um andru pique has been um mostly the the nakita's partner on that third pair

henry it's been hard for him to gain traction i think um there's been a little bit of a mismatch

here in terms of of his strengths versus what they want him to do and how they want their

defenseman to play um he he likes to play with a puck he he's he's got some skill there um but

he's not he's not physical he's not really in the mix in terms of of really digging for pucks and

playing and playing stout in in these own coverage and and being there boxing out so uh i don't

know that it's been the i bit um for henry here um but on the flip side nakita's been he's again

that's that's another player that really struggled at times last year as a first year brewing

taking away too many penalties and now here he is he's been he's been very good he's been one

of their three best defenseman um and shut down guy or we'll fight um we'll we'll go up in the

rush um he's a great skater at his size it's just you can't contain nakita uh the door of when

he's at full speed so um some some um you know positive and negative when it comes to those two

ex Buffalo guys yeah you mentioned here that the brewing still have work to do to make sure they

get in so they're not they're not made here but assuming they they get this home and they make

the playoffs as a most likely as a wild card i guess they they're tied in points of Montreal

so third is still on the table for them um maybe even second um do you think it's sticky like

did they bottom out last year and sort of spring back like are there building blocks here for them

to kind of keep going or is this sort of maybe a fluke one-off type year no i think this is a good

first step and i think they're they're trending upward um i was just in provenance today this

morning with James Agons right look look like he at times he might have been gone first overall

last year but he goes seventh um and he plays out his sophomore year at bc um he he's a natural

center but he played mostly on the wing which is where he'll start as a pro so who knows um he

is going to start in the american way but it might be temporary just because

like assuming he makes that that NCA to pro transition well like this is this is a player whose

skill set would be needed here in Boston now for for this stretch run so maybe he stays the rest

of the year in provenance maybe he doesn't maybe he comes up and and and helps out the uh

diversity but that's that's a foundational player that could be that could be a top line center

for a long time um and they still have three foundational players uh poshna

mac avoid swamon uh now poshna keys let's see he's a 96 so he'll be 30 in May so okay but he's

still performing at a elite level uh charlie's a 97 so he's a year younger and Jeremy uh also i

think he's 97 maybe he's 98 um but like those are those are those three players that you can build

upon so uh beyond that haggins is coming up uh minton uh former former leaf has been playing very

well houston vinoff um from from minnesota last year the acquisition like these are they've

they've got some players here but they still have some picks to go like they still have Toronto's

first round pick so which is a top five protected but let's say Toronto finishes uh six worse and

they get that that's a that's a pick that could play um right away so yes they they it's not done

but it's a good first step in the right direction they did this with mackavoy a few years ago didn't they

signed him he went to provenance play a little bit and then he eventually came up and played in

the playoffs right correct he was the plan was for him to finish out uh same thing sophomore year

b.u um reports the provenance and hit the plan was for him to say they're the rest of the run but

then the the body started falling left and right on defense for the grooms then um Brandon carlo

i had a mackuade maybe toy kuga i can't remember but he was needed they they needed a player and he

was ready and he up he comes and he's playing with dano chara on the top pair and and then and

there's there's no turning back so that that's kind of an exception i don't like that's that's hard

to expect a player like hegans but that was yeah that's there's a precedent there for for a

american league stay that that didn't stay that didn't last very long that extra pick is carlo from

Toronto right that's a top one yes to you know push like they did last year and they don't not get

there losing florida now having this season off of that we don't have your number one i just read a

piece from Toronto with with the athletic which is where our guest is uh does this work on the

Bruins beat about that trade and like how well you know the state of mind that get they were winning

the division like we're loading up for the playoffs let's go get a big mean tough defense men

oh sure a number one pick in this prospect we got to do we got to do and holy cow a year later

it looks bad how about that fluto last year in march the Bruins making that move i mean

good good on them we've had plenty of experience there with the trade deadline just get what you can

get the the sabers however last year did a little bit differently even though they were near boss

and at the bottom of the division signing Jason Zucker for one trying to kind of make a statement

send a message that we want to keep players who enjoy playing for the sabers and build from the

team we have instead of just you know selling off pending uf a's all the time and wow i mean

we're stunned who isn't by the the sabers season so far how have you what has been your perspective

on them yeah it's it's hard to believe you keep saying oh maybe this is a year this is a year

this is a year and it never is and you look at it from from outside that that just and i know

this is a long time ago but but just that that stink of losing that year to try and get mcday

of it and and not doing it like i have to believe that just that that just just seeped in to the

organization right for for so long and it's just take takes so long to to dig out from under that

so but hey it's like i still i can i can remember some of those those games when they were relevant

when when Miller was there and um yeah you had some hard players good players

palm andville ghost and reggae or this was those are those are some some real

headbutts that that buffalo and bossen used to have and it's it's it's it's nice to see it's

really nice to see um and i think the people there have had a hard time for a long time and and

good on them for getting rewarded yeah but you'll see a building if i assume you're traveling

here tomorrow fluto that or are here on your way already um it's it's very different the last

Bruins Sabers game i was at i mean we're used to Toronto fans and Canadian fans in general piling

into the building for Montreal and Toronto like i said i was overwhelmed by Bruins fans the last

time i went to a Sabers Bruins game and i'll but those still be a smattering but the the fans are

back so it's a it's a different scene here you know you know in the course of this Mike mentioned

this playoff history that the Sabers and Bruins have and so much it's a whole different era of

course um but we both kind of grew up with the Sabers and Bruins budding heads and it was often

very physical and often felt like the Sabers were on the receiving end all too often uh from a

bigger tougher stronger team you know we saw Tampa roll in here a couple of weeks ago i don't know

most of the hockey world paid some attention to that game that eight seven game from a couple

Sunday nights ago Tampa very much looked like we're gonna try to push you around and the Sabers

reacted in kind and we're up to it and you know thinking about the Bruins and even about a

potential playoff matchup i'm wondering if the Bruins might have some some instinct to see if they

can push Buffalo around are you ready to be in the playoffs it's been 14 years are the Bruins capable

of playing that kind of game successfully at all at this point yes and you can tell in their

penalty minutes there it's too high for their liking they take a lot of stupid penalties but a lot

of those penalties are from from the five-minute kind um castelick the toughest they come will fight

anybody you know he's a little bit banged up but that's why you don't you don't want to mess with

that that is as good of a fighter as as there is in the league as the door of always willing

so yeah those those three will take on anybody aside from that it's not there's not really

in terms of fight stuff but you don't want to mess with any of those three characters

um because yeah they're willing to go what a season so far fluto in the Atlantic division alone

our colleague joe de biasi pointed out on twitter a couple of days ago maybe how i mean it's stunning

as the sabre season has been they're not just leading the division they're leading like the best

division ever when you look down down the list i mean you got Boston and and Detroit and Ottawa right

there four five six and you know having really good seasons not everybody's going to make it here

what's your perspective on just like this division and playoff outlook as a whole it looks pretty

flat to me mean here we are with the sabres likely to make it who do you want to play i don't know

like everybody's about the same i'm not sure how much of a reward there is for first place

yeah there's a lot of of high performing clubs right now like you look at Ottawa

that's a team that deserves to be in the playoffs but they've they've got no gold tending if you get

if you get average gold tending their ends just give given the pace and the skill that they have

i saw Detroit the other night that they should have they should have beaten the Bruins just because

of how many quality chances they got in but two leaky goals against uh against Gibson and and

none against swamon so there there's a difference maker among three all i think

there hasn't been a line that i've seen lately that's better than um

susuki koffield and foskowski that's that's that's a dynamic dominant first line that i've seen

so and then of course tampa and and yeah florida they they ran out of guess so uh

otherwise they put a bit right in the mix too so um yeah pick your poison when it comes

to this division there's been there's been a lot of quality coaching a lot of quality systems

high performing players so yeah it's uh it's exciting you mentioned that about auto i was watching

them last night about a lot of hockey fans that don't really care that much about auto or the

rangers were watching it because it was the only game that was featured in the league tonight

they'll be 15 games but i'm watching out of the last night and learned that they're they're

they're allowing a league low 24 shots on goal against but their save percentage overall is 30

second in the league which is that's that's an insane combination like if you're to be limiting

chances i mean i don't know about goals above expected or any of that stuff i mean i don't have it

at the tip of my my fingertips here anyway um but man that's stark to only give up 24 shots a

game and be last and save percentages tough go because goes back to the golden and like that

former former Sabre or former Bruin and the former Vesna trophy winner if if leanest place to his

level they're in but he's had the the mental health issues uh who knows what what else is going on

like he hasn't it's not not even close to his level so again you you just never know with

goal tending it's just so random and so fickle and guys that that are great one year are there

just they fall flat on their face the next and you just it's so hard to project that kind of

performance um like how many years do we see Alex Lyon kind of don't run out of gas after playing

great for for a long time and then you you realize okay this is why that it's he's never really been

an ace but then then some years it's just it just it works yeah so yeah who knows but yeah

out of what they they got they have all the skill but the goal tending has has really let them

you would have seen Alex Lyon up close there for his only playoff experience i believe that to

start that series against the Bruins three years ago right uh i gosh that that does sound

familiar now um yeah night night i i like Alex a lot nice nice guy cerebral takes his craft very

seriously um but uh did never really gain traction right where where because she's i remember interviewing

him when he came through with the trite and he's just wondering okay is this guy ever going to stick

and and really um think it's even um i wasn't i didn't know that he he it was it was going to come

for Alex but great great great for him well one more before we let you go fluto on on that topic

the sabers have been i mean just one after the other after the other like a perfect rotation the

two goldies here for for quite a while and that's not usually what you get in the playoffs

that'll be maybe one of the well surely one of the more interesting topics around them going into

the playoffs is whether they'll keep that rotation up do you have a sort of a philosophy when it comes

to that would you think that would be the right move just in in a vacuum or what they might do

dependent um i remember it was it was an issue here a few years ago with swamen in all mark and i

really thought that they could have um gone gone one to the next and and just just flip flop the the

whole way and it would have made sense um they didn't do that they ended up like Jesus seems so

longer uh i think it was leanest that started and then they eventually turned to Jeremy so yeah

absolutely i i i totally i can i can see that um i think some team will will eventually just go

to a peer rotation if the goldies are equal if they see that it promotes um high performance in

terms of mental and physical rest just just just to have that kind of a rhythm and i i think just

just seeing it here in Boston it was ideal ideal for both leanest and Jeremy um to to have that

kind of partnership uh and they got along and they pushed each other but to have like it was it was

just it worked out so well for for both of them and their growth uh obviously it worked out for

the organization and leanest goes on to get a great deal in Ottawa Jeremy gets his deal here in

Boston so yes i believe in rotations i do it is it right for buffle i don't know i i i don't know

that well enough but um i'm i'm all for it i'm with you if you're making the trip tomorrow decent day

low fifties we'll take it right bulldog i mean we'll always take low fifties in march so um if you do

end up coming to buffalo enjoy yourself and maybe you'll be doing so quite often in about a month

you'll see very good thanks guys thank you for your time fluto jenzawa the athletic the

Bruins host Toronto tonight and then visit the sabers seven thirty tomorrow all the teams in the league

played in at except two buffalo and i don't know i don't know who the other one is

mascoe denamo i haven't i haven't tried to put the puzzle together yet

the drama no way to find out

sal kapaccio is going to join us at five sal got a stadium tour with assorted media today we'll

see what his takeaways were lines are open for your calls at eight oh three oh five fifty

want to keep the rotation going in the playoffs uh or not might show up in the bulldog here will be

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