Hour One- How far can these Sabres go

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Aspire is at Mike, and the Bulldog. I guess what day it is. Oh come on, I know you can hear me.

It's Mike Shope, and the Bulldog. Guess what today is?

It's hump day. Woo-hoo! Not WGR.

Pump day! Sports Radio 550.

You know what, 27 years of this? Usually I just sort of trust myself to have something

when the light goes on. Yeah. And I just had a thought like 10 seconds ago

that my idea for the beginning of the show today was like cool game.

That was on at 10 o'clock at night, and just like really not any sort of interesting debate,

or like I just, I'm getting a little bit lazy with this, with the savers. I'm getting spoiled.

Wasn't it cool? 803-0550. I did think earlier that I've enjoyed this year for the different,

I don't know if this makes sense, but kind of emotional milestones or signposts along the way,

like okay now I care this much, so look at the standings. Now I care enough to watch the

West Coast games. Now I care enough to do this or that. And I thought today might be 1-4,

like do we all have a favorite player yet? I'd thought about this, because it's a few different

times. It's not the bills. No, right there's not, yeah, I mean they're best guy, you know,

whatever we could argue about. And with the bills there's no argument of who their best guy is.

I don't think there's any argument about who the savers best play. Well, Dalline Thompson,

I think you could make a case for either guy. Really? But Dalline I think is the better player.

Me too easily. Okay. Yeah, I'm not sure. Fill out your bills, savers. I think I started going

in the wrong direction. No, I was just going to say I used to play fantasy golf when Tiger was

his most dominant. And the person who ran that league broke to a point where he's like, all right,

you can't pick Tiger Woods. That's it. You know, it would be like 10 guys for the whole year. And

Tiger was so above everybody else that you were not allowed to take. You had to play the whole

season out without Tiger Woods. Everybody did. Allen is that, you know, for that bills question,

like, well, nobody else comes close to him. Even coaches, even management, nobody comes close to

to the quarterback in importance, right? You agree? Yes. So, but the savers are not that at all.

The sport isn't built like that. Unless you have Dom in his prime or something, then maybe that's

what we would have done. But really, like, Done last night scores that, is that a shot on goal?

Does he get credit for a, do you have to get credit for a shot on goal if you score? We could have

called it an own goal. A Done goal is an own goal last night. I don't think you have to because

didn't, um, didn't McLeod score a goal into the empty net last year that he did not get credit

for shooting the puck. He had the puck and lost it. And maybe the other team put it in.

I get deflected. Yeah, I feel like there was a situation last year. I don't remember exactly

the specifics. I know it was an empty net. And I'm pretty sure it was McLeod. And I'm

almost sure he got a goal without a shot. Okay. But I remember exactly how mechanically it happened.

But somehow he got a goal, credited for a goal without a shot on goal recorded.

Well, where does Josh Done rank on a list of popular sabers? Is he like top, he's got to be top five.

I would bet he is. He's, he's new. He's young. And you already have, he probably is if,

if parents are out there or even, um, anybody who's thinking about a jersey, whether it's a

parent thing about a jersey for a kid or just an adult who's thinking, I want a jersey for myself.

You're at the age where that is still something you want to be doing. Where in jerseys around,

either the games are out or whatever, he just signed a seven year contract. So you feel,

I mean, pretty secure there about, you know, his, his runway here. Like you're probably going

to have him around for at least a little while. Um, so you might be, feel safe there. Um,

although who knows anything can happen. I don't know what kind of trade protection there is on his

deal. The key to that is that they're winning. Right. I mean, I call signed a eight year contract

after he'd already been here for a while and everybody wanted his jersey and he was gone. Yep.

So he even changed numbers in the middle of it. Yeah, which was up, which was a crime. Yeah. But

Done, like if, if they're good, why should there be he won't want to go the, and if he continues

to play like he's playing, they won't want to move him. Like so he, he might be the safest bet

on the team right now. For sure. Life can feel overwhelming, but on my podcast,

from the heart with Rachel Brayton, we're in it together. Every Friday, a new episode brings you

a new story with topics on motherhood, wellness, self love, and more. Listen to from the heart with

Rachel Brayton wherever you get your podcasts. I mean, outside of the big guys, like if you,

the thing I always have liked about hockey and I don't know. I mean, you see a variety of jerseys,

with bills fans with different, you know, jerseys, depth guys, different guys. And it's almost

kind of like a batch of honor. Like if I, you see somebody with a, like, oh, wow, I really respect

that. You know, you and Lewis. Right. You went, you went, you went for John Marcus Ingram,

or whatever. I'm sorry to pick out the two UB guys. But even there, like a little because

they're from UB, you know, you just find me someone a little more obscure than that, right? Like,

somebody out there with a Sam Franklin jersey, right? The hockey is, has always been like that.

I think like that fans are going to find their favorite guy. And he may not be as important as the,

the guys at the top of the lineup, but like he serves a purpose. And when the team is good,

all of that matters. Owen and I were talking about this last night. He stayed up through the,

through the second period, you just get here at five in the morning. So he, he pulled the

shoot there and watched the third period. But while we were watching the game, Malinstein,

whatever, he ran someone over just did whatever Malinstein, Malinstein was Malinstein. And,

Owen said, I really think I'm going to get a Malinstein jersey. And I said, right away,

you know, his contract's up after this year, right? He's like, I don't think I care.

Like, I feel like I'm going to want to remember him for this year. What's he worth? Because he's

doing all these cool things, including making some pretty remarkable plays occasionally,

offensively, not just, you know, running people over. What's he, I don't know. I, I don't know.

Because I think he definitely, if I'm not sure anybody doesn't, this team, he definitely

qualifies as somebody who could be your favorite guy. Yeah. I mean, not only does he play the way

he plays, also scored a couple of goals. Like what? That's what I mean. Right.

It was a Montreal, a score they, Montreal, like he had backhand move in front of the net. Yeah.

He had, and he had one earlier this year. You just, you had the sand, he played against San Jose.

I think it was a breakaway that you couldn't believe he controlled the puck and made a great move.

And he scored. And I was thinking about earlier this year, I think he scored a goal in Washington

that looked like the Palm andville overtime goal. Do you remember when he came?

I thought that was Montreal. That's the goal. Okay. I think that was Washington. Okay.

I'm not, I'm not positive. Maybe both. Um, but yeah, where he cut it, cut it in from the left wall

and, and cut across the crease and like same number, like, oh my gosh. So you get that plus you get

the running people over and fighting people and blocking shots and like, he's an animal.

And we love that guy. Hockey fans love that guy. Teams love that guy. Sure. So I don't know,

like, it's contracts up. I'm not even sure what he's getting paid now. But I don't know,

is two years, five million crazy? Like for a, do you want to lock down your fourth line,

where that's how good your team is? But like, he's not, I don't think he's easily replaced.

Like, he's a great skater. He's a great forechacker. And he's a penalty killer. And he says,

he does a lot of stuff that doesn't matter at all when your team isn't good.

Well, here's to that day in May or June, where we spend the whole day on him, right?

He's, he's the new JP Duma or somebody that should they, you know, overpay or hometown

discount or I don't know what he's, he's interesting enough. Like, I don't really want to name

anybody that I think wouldn't be. You've got two goalies that are cool. Good. I mean,

the way this year is going, kind of the whole blue line. I mean, now you have a couple new guys

and that takes a minute to germinate. But up top, I mean, anybody up there, you're thinking about,

which is wise, you're thinking about contract status. You know, Alex Tuck at this point,

is that somebody who's jersey I want to buy? I'm not thinking about buying jerseys. And I don't

know what age you had in mind earlier, by the way, which like where that line is drawn. I think

it's younger than 54. Yeah, I just know I'm well past it. Yeah, I'm done buying jerseys to where?

Right. Same. So whatever that age is, but like, that's part of your calculus, I guess, when

you're thinking about buying a jersey. But, you know, again, not to make everything about 06,

but there are so many obvious easy comparisons and similarities. And that was a bunch of guys that

most of whom, or some of whom we just didn't know anything about, that team had more like Rochester

brought up and prospects. And if you were that kind of fan, you knew who they were,

then this team does. But still, like you've got, remember Kool-Eak? Remember him?

Yes. As good as he was. Yeah.

Remember Paturka? As good as he was. Malenstein, I would, I have no problem admitting this. I mean,

anything else would be dishonest. He's like five or six of the guys on this team.

When it happened that they were acquired or extended or both, I'm like, wow, great. Cool.

Just no respect for it at all. I mean, that isn't Samuelson, because Samuelson got paid before

last year. Right. Sounds like I like that. Like 50 games or something. Yeah. I like that when

they did that. But Zucker, I didn't care at all about, you know, just some of these guys like,

whatever. I don't know who you are. I guess we have to have you, because we're that desperate

for anybody that wants to actually play for the Buffalo Sabers and look at it.

Right. Zucker's got 20 goals and matters. Malenstein, quintessentially, like that is, you know,

I said this maybe, I don't know, when they got in the race a couple of years ago,

Greenway was healthy and playing. And he's not the same player as Malenstein. But like,

it was close enough. And I remember my observation on him was like, he does all the little stuff

that only matters when the games really matter. Otherwise, he's not going to be a lot of goals

or assists or flashy play, but he's going to make the right play. He's going to, you know,

good stick, whatever, tough to play defender. And Malenstein is just all across the board, all that

stuff. And if this team were languishing in 12th place, and he could, he could have the exact same

stat line, even the pretty goals. And it'd be like, yeah, I don't care, whatever. Right. Right.

It's just hockey in particular. You need a certain level of your contender status for the guys that

do that sort of job to rise above like, whatever, get another one. You know, his contrast done

to sign another one. Say money, just go find a comparable player. And as I said, you couldn't find

a comparable player, but you start once you've got like a guy, especially in that role that's

doing it really well, provided somebody doesn't want to pay him. There's a guy, because it played

Coleman. There's like a role playing guy that I think is on Kellgary now that maybe was on

Tampa when they won. And he got like six for 30 or something in free agency. And he's never,

ever, ever, ever, ever, ever come close to living up to it. As long as mail sign doesn't get that

offer, you can probably keep them for a reasonable amount of money. I would hope. Maybe he can be the

new Gurgonsons. Is it Gurgonsons kind of that? Yes. He would do the occasional things. Right.

Right. Got to the point. Fabric of the team matters when your team is good. Everybody could have seen

what his value would have been to the Sabers, but it got so to the point that we just all hated

all of them for it. Like, you know, like he became, was his two years ago now? Yeah. He became a guy

that the GM at the time almost broke into tears talking about in terms of his loyalty and devotion

to the Sabers. And when as far as it seemed to hold against anybody who criticized the Sabers for

having Gurgonson, and we're out here going, because that was us. We're out here going what? Yeah.

Does it? It doesn't matter. Right. If he's he's a great leader and really good for culture and all

this stuff. So what? What is it amounting to? You're still in last. So yeah, I don't, you know,

that doesn't make what you how you defended him untrue. It just isn't amounting to anything. So

let's all just move on. Yeah. So move on for the sake of moving on. Right. Because he has he had

become, you know, a picture of the losing. Yes. You know, absolutely. And, you know, Dali maybe

almost became that eight years. He was too good to think of in that sort of lesser context, but

this is the best. Well, good. I was going to say the Sabers, I've said it before, we've talked about

it. The Sabers have never had a team like this. They've had good teams. This is a good team. This

is on the list. We'll see what happens. They've never, am I wrong? Like they've never had a team

like this that defensively is just like sort of really tough to penetrate and exploit.

And even our favorite Saber teams ever, they all had that we come almost a weakness if not,

not a strength. I mean, this team has it as a strength. And they have games where they don't

really need to score. Yeah, that game last night was one nothing for two hours. And I never,

I'm looking and made some great saves. And they don't have a number one goalie, but he wasn't,

it wasn't an onslaught. It wasn't like they weren't sloppy necessarily in front of him. It was like

all great save. And then the place over one of the things that was so great about how well he

played is how much the puck sort of seemed to stick to him. Like even if it hit him and he didn't

have it like frozen to his body, it was right in front of them in the gloves right on it. And

like that almost happened a half a dozen times. Yeah. And that game. Great chance.

Puck hit some frozen, which is, I mean, that's great. And that's a credit to them defensively

that guys weren't available to get those rebounds before he could corral them. So I want to say he

was maybe the best game he's played in maybe a long time. I thought there were a number of really,

really high level saves. But he wasn't under siege. Like they sort of had the game in control

the whole time. And it's one nothing. And you're not like, I don't know, speaking for myself,

I'm not nervous. I'm just watching them play and going like, yeah, they could probably win this game

one nothing. Maybe they'll get a late one and they ended up getting an empty netter. But I can't

admit to if going that to going that far last night. No, I made it sounds like we both watched it.

I made it. I this when you started like all these different levels of like, you're unlocking

achievement badges, right? It wasn't even hard to stay up to watch that game. No, I tricked,

I tricked myself and I made do this Thursday because I had things to do after work and I helped.

I'm I get in a rut. I like to just go home and I got a game at seven o'clock and turn it on,

whether it's a sabers or not. And like, that's my night. Some dinner and watch the game and I go to

bed. That said, I was out until like nine thirty. And so everything was just pushed back a couple

of hours and it worked great. Like, I'm in my living room at 10, 15. I had I ate some dinner.

I want to go grab a guitar and play the and I just sat there next thing and it was midnight.

Like I never felt like, oh God, I'm in danger of falling asleep here. And the team does have

a central part in that. Like, they're so good and fun to watch that I didn't even feel,

I didn't feel like, oh God, it's midnight. Fine. So Thursday, I got to try to find something to do

between like seven and nine. All right. I think it just, it doesn't involve like going to a bar

and throwing back beers because that could be, you know, three words. Go on underdogfantasy.com.

Jump in a bigger board. Most fun, you'll ever spend a hundred bucks doing. And then

it'll be game time. Actually, you might need to do a few to fill that long of a block. I mean,

easy for me to say I can also sleep until nine thirty if I want to on any day of the week, which

I chose to do today. So, you know, even it's not like I got to get up at six to, you know,

get to the factory. You know, so that's pretty cushy. Yes. But still, I want some credit for not

having it be a chore to stay up until one in the credit watching the hockey game credit.

Good job. We're all, we're all happy for you. I'm so proud. Yeah, it's just, I mean, again,

I'm sitting here kind of like basking in what's happening. Not even looking to what I should be

doing help lead a conversation. Just sort of talking, you know, it's, yeah, really fun. And yesterday

we did who do you want? You know, first round, different possible matchups and that. And I got

to think more and more fans every day, every win feel comfortable doing that because not everybody

is the type to want to do that until it's like official. But it's just one more step. Tampa wins

two. Yep. Pretty easily. A couple of empty net goals or at least one five points for your buddy.

Kuterov. He has. Carolina loses. No, I saved it somewhere. I think 93 points in his last 45

games. Kuterov. It's the, it's the most points in a 45 game span since Lamu had like 100 and

something back in 94 or 95 or something. It's insane what Kuterov is doing. So yeah, I mean,

he's he's continuing to just blast off like crazy. There's a there's a badge unlocked. Carolina

mattering on the out of town score for me for the first time, right? To me anyway, right? Right,

tied with Carolina for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They have a game in hand. So points

percentage wise, they have you, but still wait, you wish you had a game with them? Yes, left. I really

do. Yes. It was so good the last time they were in there and they lost in regulation. We were

on the air. Yeah, we were. Well, really watch it. We that game started at like one that we saw

most of it before we got on the air. Was that after Denver? Is that the day after the Denver weekend?

I think that's right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Was it? I think so. I think that's right. It was that day.

I might not have been paying close attention. I I felt like I watched the heck out of that game.

Because it started a couple of it was like one o'clock or 130. So like most of it was, but anyway,

yeah, I wish they played Carolina again. I'd like to see that. Dan is on WGR. Go ahead, Dan.

Hey guys, thanks for taking my call. Sure. It is just it is so fun to talk about the Sabers

again and it matter and it's just exciting. So hey, just to kind of a couple of points,

I've been wanting to call with WGR here for a little while now, but you began to show with

who's a favorite player. I really think for me, I think it's just becoming Dome. I think just the

way he plays his aggressiveness, you know, is he is he awesome Matthews? No, but I mean, he just

he plays the game the right way and a great player, great great pedigree. And so I think I think it's him.

You know, we talked a lot about you guys at 0506 season. I had something a parallel that was

really interesting. After that lightning game a couple of weeks ago, it was actually about 20

years ago to the day, March 9th. The Sabers beat the Tampa Bay lightning eight of five into that

March of 2006. I thought that was pretty interesting. And you know, I think this team, you know,

also, I guess it's probably been said, but Lindy Ruff, Lindy Ruff deserves a lot of credit for

this team and just what he means to this organization and the community of Buffalo. So I guess those are

the three things I want to talk about and I'll hang up and listen and we'll talk soon guys. All right,

Dan. Thanks. Yeah, you know, Lindy, when that when that happened summer two summers ago now,

I remember feeling like, yeah, you know, great Lindy, the start warming, impossible not to root for

and why wouldn't you root for the guy who's coaching the Sabers? Like, I don't want the stench of

the organization to get on him now too. And the way year one went, it was kind of just pretty shaky.

It's easy to forget because as much as we all were convinced when they started this winning streak that

when they got home on that from that road trip out to Western Canada, that change was coming.

Like Adams was going to be removed that Ruff was there was a lot of reported turmoil about him too.

Not that he was going to be taken out back necessarily, but that he might be moved out of

had coach bumped upstairs, something like that. And they got hot and it just never happened.

Going a long way just to say the opposite of getting the stink on him is what is happening now.

It adds to how this feels. If you if you live through his first 10 year as the coach or even

you're old enough like we are to remember him even as a player and a captain on this team,

him being the coach of this team, there's no other person that could be the coach that would mean

as much. It just we're tied to him. Buffalo hockey like Lindy Ruff is absolutely Buffalo hockey grew

up here as a young man playing coached all of it and to have him now at the helm of a team that's

doing this, it just couldn't be better. Thanks Dan. Don, he's even sort of like moving to the music

before it was before the second period or the third period last night and on the bench I'm kind

of moving with him. I mean, I have a friend who looks like Don to me. I know a lot of young people.

I see. And I just was so enjoying that last night. Also not worried at all about what time it was.

Lines are open for your calls. We're just sitting here reveling in all of this madness 803-0550.

I think I can say madness if it's in a different. Yes. I think I you didn't. Hopefully I get away

with that. Use the name of a month or anything ahead of it. So I think your no months were mentioned.

Yep. In the making of that point. Christopher Passo, Sal Capaccio today, Mike show up in the Bulldog WGR.

Hey there. I'm Kendra Adachi and my show The Lazy Genius Podcast helps you be a genius about

the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't and you get to decide what matters.

I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to give you a new way to see episodes of The Lazy

Genius Podcast are full of compassionate time management tips and permission slips to do what

makes sense for you. New episodes drop every Monday. Follow and listen to The Lazy Genius

Podcast on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. I think that's just the growth

we kind of have had this season. That comes with winning I feel like it's we've been throwing away

so many games before in the similar situations where we kind of do something stupid and even

personally for me just kind of finding the confidence, kind of finding the calmness to play in this

situation, you know, has been kind of a point of growth for me. Last night's winning goalie

shut out at that Ukepeca-Lukinen Sabers 2 Vegas zip. Next up San Jose tomorrow night.

What are you thinking about this team? How big are you dreaming? 803-050 is our number. My friend

Andy Provin last night pointed out that Josh Norris by his empty net goal became the eleventh

Saber to hit 10 goals on the season. And I asked Andy today what the team record is. Got a guess

what might be the all-time Saber's record for most 10 goal scorers? 10 goal scorers. How many do they

have now? 11. Krebs has nine. Benson has seven. Power has seven. Malinstein has six.

With is it 14 games left? Yes. I'm gonna I'm just gonna guess the most they've ever had is 12.

10 goal scorers. 15. Oh wow. Is the record. Wanna play? Oh sure what year are we talking about?

82. 83. Oh my gosh. Oh boy. Oh. I'm not looking so I could play to. Oh boy. Uh okay 82. 83.

All right well see already my first guess. My first guess is gonna be Howsley but he's like it. He

they're already used to it. I think. Okay. All right. Andrew Chuck. Okay. Also. All right.

Fulino. Gilbert. Mm-hmm.

Brent Peterson. He writes. I don't know. No. Hamel. Seer.

Yeah. He he he never was the score. He was thought to be when he got here but he probably scored 10.

Yeah. That year if he was on the team so I really down the court. I'm gonna look now. Yeah.

Oh my goodness. We didn't even get the leading score. 36 goals. Oh this is a shame. The rest of

me I think we got. Lindy is one. Lindy had 12. Is it two? It's too soon for John Tucker. It might

be. Okay. Gilbert Fulino. Hamel. McCourt. Howsley. Five. Seer. Andrew Chuck. Peterson. Rough.

Nine. We got nine. There's six more. Oh boy. Including the leading goal score by six.

This is a shame. 82 83. Yeah. I'm sorry that I didn't get this. I'll give you the other names

while you try to nail that. Yeah. Too early for Rick Vive. Yes. Rick Sealing had 19. Andre Savard had 16.

I was gonna guess Savard. Damn it. Hanu Verda. Okay. 13. Craig Ramsey 11. 10 for Sean McKenna.

Okay. And then 36. Oh I have to say I'm gonna every second that goes by annoys me that we haven't

said his name yet. Leading goal scorer of the Sabers in 82 83. One of 15 players to score double

digits. You're right. I mean I'm you've been looking at it. I'm gonna be so mad. I don't have it.

McKegney. Oh wow. Wow. I would have never guessed he ever led them in goals.

Or or point. Wait. Was it goals? Goals. Okay. Second in points. Wow. To peril. I just do not.

I would have never guessed. I could be in a bar arguing so loudly. Um about about

no way he ever led them in scoring goals. Goals. Goals. But wow. That's that's tremendous.

He shot 20%. Somewhere right now Sneaky Joe is laughing in his car. It's a good shooting

percentage here. It's an outlier. The team shot 13%. Yeah. Let's go to chase here. I chase.

How's it going today guys? Good. Thank you. It's like for me it's crazy as a fan because I'm 19

years old and the only game I've ever witnessed in the playoffs was Tyler and this is game winning

goal in the playoffs, which I was like five. But my question. My question today is like as a fan,

like it's great having the top seed and all. But I'm just like I'm always like so worried about

them just getting in. Like obviously they're in a great spot. But like should I focus more on

for the out of town scoreboard? Like the bottom teams I should say like I guess like the red wings

and Bruins or should I just like still focus on like Tampa and the red wings and not the red wings,

the Hurricanes and see how they're doing and stuff like that. I don't do it all. I mean do do

whatever you like to whatever makes it fun for you. You know I'm you can look behind you. I think

it would be smart to hope nothing's going to matter. You know what I mean us hoping me hoping

for something isn't going to amount to anything. But I'm very invested in Ottawa not getting in.

I just think that is another team that I think they could be comparable to the Sabers.

They don't have the decore the Sabers have but they they they there's a lot of young guys there

that if you you get in a series with them you'd be like oh wow that guy's really good. Like if

you're just having like sat and watched Ottawa a lot. I think they're dangerous and there are

four points back still five points back right now. I don't want them to get in but that's something

I'm thinking about. I don't think they're they're not going to knock the Sabers out if they get

in. I just don't want them in the pool because I just think that's a better team than the teams

they're chasing exclusively all three of the teams in the in the Sabers division. I would rather

play than play Ottawa. I am choosing myself to not be the slightest bit worried about getting

into the playoffs at this point for two reasons. One is statistically mathematically projections.

Like they're almost a lock already 99% or higher although there's no X right so I'm not

I'm not wasting any energy on the Sabers collapsing and secondly I just love the kind of team

they are for one that I think will be tough to beat. I mean they've become they are tough to beat

already. I'm not so big on the old winning different ways business. I mean that Tampa game was a

severe outlier. They're not playing eight seven games like right or even you know usually six

five games or anything like that. Last night is the kind of game that I think they're suited for

and that second period they had how many odd man rushes five it's 10 like they had tons of chances

to build the lead and just didn't do it. And you know other nights those go in. I mean that's just

I think I think it could have been an easier game on the scoreboard than it was and they had a

they won by a shutout. I think what they are defensively and they're having the players they have

that can finish usually is a great formula. Yeah well to be able to win games like last night

for me anyway is the kind of game that gives me hope that they can really do something when the

playoffs get here because the tight games like if the Sabers were winning six to four all the time

it'd be really fun for you know like all the good they the stats would look great and you know

the horn would blow a lot and like that you know the goals goals are fun. I don't know that I'd

feel the same as I do after a game like last night last night is the kind of game you're going to

need to win some of almost the majority of your games in the playoffs will be more like last night's

game and they have gotten really good at playing really comfortable playing those games so much so

that I already said it like I'm watching it's one nothing for like two hours you're watching

that game like I don't feel I'm not I'm not I know one goal ties the game but I'm not stressing about

it. I mean they're they're placing the standings does play into that to some extent because like one

you know a game that gets to overtime is going to cripple me or anything so like there's that

there too but just the way they play to me inspires confidence in a game like that and it's a

very promising sign for the playoffs. It really is an adjustment in how you think how you feel

how you watch games it really is like you the sabers have had if you're old enough to know this

and have seen it they've had good teams before but this one is different than I think any would

you say otherwise there this team is different than any team they've ever had I I think that's

right 70s I wasn't there you were 75 like just high end talent skill right and what they could

hold up physically and when and when it tightened up Philly just was able to lock them up 80s they

lost a lot of those years they weren't usually bad but they still were not like tough to score on

teams you know usually for the most part 90 was good like this but then you had the Hashtag teams

which were ordinary teams but had the best goalie ever I mean I think that's probably safe to say

was blasphemous at the time but right and then oh 5060607 again we're back to

just speed score your way on a trouble is how Lindy said it after I think after they lost

he said like we never found another way to play other than scoring our way on a trouble

and that's the point here this team it does not need to score four to be comfortable

they'll get in front one nothing and just and play and I'm not saying that that's that they're

impervious to mistakes and breakdowns I mean it's gonna happen and maybe it'll rear it's head

in the playoffs if someone gets a little tight because it's the playoffs I don't know but they

it's good practice to be comfortable playing games like that like even though it's only March

and it's a road game in Las Vegas and the you know you're you've got some cushion in the standings

it's it's a good mental exercise to go through that especially on the road if you want that part

too they're just very comfortable playing that kind of game now here's Joe next hi Joe

hey guys great camera today um listening to like the favorite player on the team I don't know

that's cool to pick one of the two big stars but Dalline has always been my favorite

he's tough, talented and you know he can dish it out as well as take it

and the second point I want to make is uh the guy that called right before the break and brought

up Lindy Ruff and I don't know if there's been conversation yet but I really think and I know I'm biased

that he needs to be considered coach of the year for what he has done with this team and my little

bias with that is that him and his wife used to come into the restaurant nice to run and they

were just great people to talk to he had a great sense of humor and just a real down to earth guy

to talk to so those are the comments I wanted to make in Lindy Ruff coach of the year that's

the big thanks guys okay Joe he is the betting favorite and bulldog and I have action on it

at seven to one I saw plus 175 today Cooper plus 240 I bet sure how official that is I can't

check it on my phone because you can't bet my words on my phone at least when I'm in New York state

but I think he is the betting favorite to win I think if they get this division home with them in

first place I think he will win it he might not if they don't yeah I think Cooper might win it if

he doesn't if they don't win if the sabers don't win the division whoever win amongst those two teams

nobody else well once or else six back at whatever if it's a two team race I think the the team

that wins their coach is going to be coach of the year thanks Joe Mike show up in the bulldog

Christopher Paso NFL draft at four here on WGR I'm Mark Salinger producer and one of the hosts

of the mouth podcast for nearly two decades the mouth has brought live storytelling to stages

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