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00:00Okay, so notoriously, at one point you said, Paul,
00:04Paul Hamilton is joining us, by the way, on the West Air Hotline.
00:07At one point you said, people ask you if they're going to win tonight,
00:09and I don't have a clue.
00:11Well, in the preseason, what if I asked you yesterday,
00:14are they going to win tonight?
00:15Would you have just went, yeah, like I did?
00:17No.
00:18Really?
00:19I would say they are not going to win today.
00:22Okay, because they're not playing.
00:25That's the only time you'll get me to answer that question.
00:27What about when one team brings their whole team,
00:29and the other team just sends jerseys and lets locals jump in?
00:32How about that?
00:33You didn't know?
00:34All right, well, I felt confident telling my son yesterday
00:36that I know the Sabres lost last night,
00:38but they will win by a similar score tonight.
00:39I was this way like 50 years ago when you were on the air.
00:43I wouldn't predict then either.
00:44No, I know that.
00:45But my overall point, Paul,
00:47in trying to keep with the theme of the radio show that we're doing,
00:49that people are listening to,
00:51is that the preseason is goofy.
00:54You know, the Sabres send a group of players
00:56who are unlikely to make the team on a road game,
00:59and then when it's in front of your home crowd,
01:00you bring out the real players because the fans are going to be there.
01:03And, like, how do you assess things when the competition is so lopsided?
01:07Well, seriously, there was a good example to refute that
01:12when the Sabres went to Europe.
01:14And they still had to have a preseason schedule,
01:16but the team was in Europe,
01:18so the Amherst played the preseason schedule.
01:22And they did pretty darn well.
01:24If you remember, they were right in hockey games.
01:27I believe they might have won some hockey games.
01:30And we were all just marveling that,
01:32how is this team hanging with the A-team
01:35and the Pittsburgh Penguins or whatever it was?
01:37You know, and they were.
01:39They were getting really good goaltending from whoever.
01:41I remember Ratzlaff had a phenomenal game.
01:45And so they got good goaltending,
01:47and they pulled it off and were very representative
01:51as an AHL team against NHL competition
01:54while the A-team was, as they said, in Europe.
01:57All right.
01:57What have you seen over the last two nights
01:59to give you any, I don't know,
02:01any positive or negative thoughts
02:03about heading into the regular season next Thursday?
02:06Well, I've kept keeping my eye, of course, on Kulik.
02:08Just, you know, since we all know that, you know,
02:13he hasn't played in almost a year.
02:16And he got a lot of ice time in the first game in Pittsburgh,
02:20which was basically the Rochester Americans
02:24and one or two or three, you know, Sabres on the team.
02:28He played center in that game, which I thought was a good thing
02:31because I don't really like him on the wing.
02:33But Lindy Ruff said he's going to move him around.
02:35Now he's playing with Carrick and Malenstein.
02:39Maybe that's telling Kulik, you know,
02:42we need to get you acclimated again.
02:44We also need you to earn your position back,
02:47even though it's not your fault you had a blood clot.
02:50You're a young player and we're not going to hand anything to you.
02:53So that could be part of it.
02:55And Kulik definitely, I thought, the first game.
02:58Lindy Ruff said he was rusty and I thought the same thing.
03:01That was kind of the first thing I wrote in my notes.
03:03But there were some good things too.
03:05He got to play a lot.
03:06Now he's gone back-to-back games, played yesterday.
03:09Actually got in a bit of a scrum that it was nice to see Crevier jump in.
03:13You don't need Kulik fighting.
03:15And he couldn't get there right away because he's being held back,
03:19but he broke loose and got in there and took over for Kulik.
03:22But at least Kulik was a willing participant when the whole team needed him there.
03:28And so, you know, he's the guy that – now you could – the thing is with forwards,
03:34they're going to have to do something with one forward because Zucker will start on IR
03:38and they have two extra forwards.
03:40You could waive Danforth or Kozak or you could send Kulik down for free.
03:46He doesn't have to be waived.
03:48And would it hurt him to go down to Rochester to get acclimated again?
03:52Probably not.
03:54You know, even after four preseason games.
03:56I think he's an NHL player and I don't think he'd be down there long.
04:00But you wouldn't have to waive anybody to do it.
04:03And if you're going to put him out there with Carrick and Malenstein,
04:05I would put him in the press box anyway.
04:08I wouldn't even dress him.
04:09To me, that's a complete and utter waste of time.
04:11Sure.
04:11I would rather have Danforth or Kozak dressed then.
04:15I would wonder if Kulik is in the lineup on opening night,
04:20why not switch him and McLeod?
04:22Put Kulik with Norris and Halenus.
04:24That would be more of a line for him.
04:27McLeod last year struggled.
04:30I mean, first year he's played really, really well.
04:32But defensively he struggled to the point where Lindy Ruff in the playoffs
04:36put him with Malenstein.
04:38He lost his line.
04:40So, you know, if Kulik is still around, I would at least make that switch
04:45because there's just no point in having him on the Carrick line.
04:48I liked McLeod.
04:49Two separate things.
04:50One, I liked McLeod down there.
04:52And I know that's probably not what he's looking for.
04:54And this isn't all about me, Paul.
04:57That's the one part of it.
04:58And the other part is Carrick came in and I thought was such a perfect addition.
05:03And then he got hurt.
05:05And then I forgot about him.
05:07And then I was so excited to see him on the roster again.
05:09And I was like, oh, yeah, I forgot I liked what he brought to the team.
05:12And poor Justin Danforth.
05:13And I'm guilty.
05:14I'll raise my hand.
05:16Everybody forgot about him.
05:17Yeah.
05:17He played four games and then he had two injuries, broke the kneecap, and then had to have knee surgery
05:24and two surgeries.
05:25And we never saw him again.
05:27And, you know, so there were times during the year I didn't even think of him being on the roster.
05:33And I had a chance to chat with him the other day, which was, you know, he's ready to go.
05:38He's all set.
05:39And now trying to prove to his new teammates, he knows them all, but he's new on the ice to
05:44his teammates, that, you know, he can be somebody that can be dependent on in the lineup.
05:49So he's kind of a new player, even though this is his second year with the Sabres because of that
05:54injury.
05:56Just to underscore your point, Paul, just to throw a couple of stats out there regarding Uri Kulik, he played
06:0119 minutes, 39 seconds down in Pittsburgh a couple of nights ago.
06:05So 27 shifts, Danforth had 22, nobody else on the roster had more than 20, and then comes back right
06:13away one night later back in Buffalo last night and has 19 shifts for only 12, 25, but still trying
06:21to bang some of that rust off that you were talking about.
06:24Yeah, and let him go back to back.
06:25I wasn't sure he would do, they would do that.
06:27And Lindy said yesterday, right now he has it in his head he's going to play them all four games.
06:32Good.
06:33As he should.
06:34You're right.
06:34He should.
06:35Because he hasn't played 100 NHL games, the new rule is if you've played 100 NHL games, you can only
06:41play two preseason games.
06:43He's only played 75, so, you know, he's not eligible for that rule.
06:48Sabres started last night with six defensemen, wound up with four.
06:51What are your thoughts on the circumstances that led to both of those injuries?
06:55Zellweger hit his head down.
06:56It was not a dirty hit, and Lindy Ruff thought, and I agree, that the concussion came when his head
07:02hit the ice.
07:03I think the back of his head hit the ice with the helmet on, but so he's in concussion protocol.
07:11You would hope it's not a Tim Conley type of a situation.
07:13It's just concussion protocol that's a week or two, and he's ready to go.
07:19Samuelson, you know, that may be.
07:22Now, whether it was the blocked shot that caused the injury, he blocked a shot, and then we didn't see
07:29him.
07:29It was halfway through the second period.
07:30We didn't see him again.
07:32I don't know if he got hurt before he blocked the shot or if it was the blocked shot that
07:36did it.
07:37Now, we all know, and I'm not playing doctor here.
07:40I'm just saying when you block a shot in hockey with a puck, broken bones sometimes happen.
07:47I don't know if that's happened to Samuelson.
07:49You know, I'm not his doctor or anything like that, but that can happen rather, I would say, rather easily.
07:56And then if that's happened, he's going to be out a bit, depending if it's a stress fracture or what
08:02it could be, if that indeed would be the case.
08:05So he's getting more testing today.
08:07So I think right now he would be more of a worry than Zellweger.
08:13What's the policy in the preseason on revealing this sort of information?
08:16He'll get tested and people will know stuff.
08:19When will you know?
08:20Do you have to work hard for it or will they give it to you?
08:23Depends what mood Lindy Ruff's in.
08:25Okay.
08:25But, you know, sometimes he tells.
08:28Like last night he did say that Zellweger's in concussion protocol.
08:32He won't always say that.
08:33It took him a while to tell us that Danforth broke his kneecap.
08:37He didn't tell us right away.
08:40So it just depends on his mood, what he feels like telling, what he feels like not telling.
08:45So I can't say really.
08:48As I said in the open, I don't have a clue.
08:51Because Lindy is very up and down with that kind of stuff.
08:55People ask me all the time if so-and-so has a broken bone.
08:58I don't have a clue.
09:00Isn't it amazing that the hockey coach in town is more forthcoming with injuries than the football coach in town?
09:07And in NFL, you have to reveal injuries on Wednesdays.
09:12And you didn't have to in preseason.
09:13But you have to now.
09:15Whereas the NHL, you never have to reveal it.
09:18All they say is upper body, lower body.
09:20Lindy sometimes goes with middle body.
09:23Which is kind of revealing the injury.
09:24Because I think when it gets to middle body, we're talking core injury or maybe lower back or something like
09:30that.
09:30But, you know, that's all they ever have to do in the NHL.
09:34And that's all they do do.
09:36Do do.
09:38Last night was, you know, the real lineup for the most part.
09:43With UPL starting, does that indicate that he's the default?
09:47I know that it was 1-1-A or however you want to put it.
09:50But, you know, is that a declaration that he's probably the starter on opening night and then we go from
09:54there?
09:55Yeah.
09:55And Lindy Ruff has basically said they likely will alternate.
09:59He liked it last year.
10:00He thought it worked extremely well.
10:03Now, each goaltender wants to be in the crease all the time.
10:06But they have both admitted it did work.
10:09And at least you're playing every other game.
10:11You know, Lukanen would like to play more games.
10:13He thinks he's more consistent when he does.
10:15But he does understand they were winning.
10:18And they both put up really good numbers after December 9th or 8th, whichever it was,
10:24for the rest of the season.
10:25The two of them really put up good numbers with alternating back and forth.
10:29Now, that went astray a little bit when injuries hit.
10:32But for the most part, they alternated.
10:34When the injuries were over, they alternate again.
10:36And actually, sometimes when Ellis was in, they would alternate.
10:39So that's what they're going to start.
10:42But, yes, I do think Lukanen gets the first chance in Columbus and then Lyon,
10:45and then they go from there.
10:48All right.
10:48I think we're done, Paul.
10:50Are we?
10:50Yeah.
10:51It was quick.
10:52Is there anything you want to add that we didn't ask you about, Paul?
10:54Yeah, that's a good idea.
10:56No, I think we basically hit it.
10:59A lot of it is – and I always say about the lineup, because we're always saying,
11:04because it's our jobs, you know, well, what are they going to do with the lineup?
11:07They're going to have to cut somebody.
11:08They're going to have to trade somebody.
11:09They're going to have to put somebody on waivers.
11:10They're going to have to do this.
11:11And in the end of the day, it usually just works itself out almost every time.
11:17And here they are with two defensive injuries.
11:19Now, on the forward lines, they have an injury already with Zucker,
11:23so now they have to only deal with one forward instead of two.
11:27And by the time next Thursday rolls around, they may have another forward injury
11:31where we're not even talking about it again.
11:33So it's hard to figure out the lineup because you just don't know.
11:38And as I said, very often it just – one guy gets hurt, the next guy comes back.
11:43And it goes like that.
11:44Sometimes you do have to figure it out.
11:46Maybe they will have to figure it out, but sometimes it becomes very easy.
11:50I think fans and many of us in the media, though, are so freshly off of the 53-man roster
11:56for the football team in town or whatever city you're working in that we've realized once again
12:03that because we're too stupid to learn it and to act on it in July and August,
12:09that what we wrote about and all that we feverishly watched really didn't matter.
12:14And all that hot late-round draft pick or undrafted rookie that's going to make the roster,
12:21this veteran who's on his fourth team in three years, and you're like,
12:25oh, I really like this guy, and then he gets cut.
12:28But by the time hockey training camp rolls around, we've been freshly reminded,
12:34why waste your time?
12:35And how many times have I said since last Thursday that I hate Kulik on the wing
12:39and it's a waste of time to have him on Carrick's line,
12:42and Lindy Ruff is laughing under his breath going, well, by opening day,
12:45he'll be at center with Thompson like he was a – but we're not going to put him there right
12:49now.
12:50I've heard you say it once because I haven't talked to you since Thursday,
12:52but I got you.
12:54That's good.
12:54All right, Paul.
12:55I've said it quite a few times, but, Brad, you've been ignoring me.
12:57I have not been ignoring you.
12:59I've been very, very busy, Paul.
13:01But it's nice to speak with you, and we'll talk again very soon because here comes hockey.
13:04Take care.
13:05Thanks, Paul.
13:05Where's Paul Hamilton?
13:06It's on the Western Hotline.
13:08It's WGR Middays, driven by Northtown Automotive.
13:11I'm Brad.
13:13That's Tim.
13:13This is WGR.
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