00:00He's moved and stopped living off of, well,
00:03Josh Allen is the answer to every single problem on this team,
00:06whether it's on offense or defense.
00:08So, you know, I'm a little disappointed in the fact that we had two weeks off
00:12and nothing has been done.
00:14You know, it sounds like we're just going to roll out with what we've been going with.
00:18And, unfortunately, I just don't think that's going to be good enough.
00:22So, appreciate the time, guys.
00:24All right.
00:24Thank you for the call, Rick.
00:25Much appreciated.
00:27And as I said, the timing worked out.
00:29It was perfect.
00:29We didn't have to cut him off.
00:30He said goodbye by himself because we're joined by Paul Hamilton.
00:34Paul Hamilton, how long is the flight from San Jose to Anaheim
00:37or whatever you just did, San Jose to LAX?
00:40It was about an hour and 15 minutes.
00:43Okay.
00:43Not bad.
00:44You okay?
00:45You tired?
00:46Yeah, yeah.
00:46No, I don't know if I'm tired.
00:47I'm probably tired.
00:48I don't know.
00:49I haven't figured that out yet.
00:50I'm in an Uber right now.
00:52Did you fly into LAX?
00:54No, Orange County.
00:55Okay.
00:55That's better.
00:56Yeah.
00:56I'll fly out of LAX on a red-eye after the Kings game.
01:00All right.
01:01That works.
01:02Was that the best the team has played across the board, start to finish?
01:07You know, full 60-minute effort, or at least the best they played on the road?
01:10I don't know.
01:11What did you see yesterday?
01:12Because I loved it.
01:13Yeah, as a hockey person, there were so many things I liked about it.
01:19Really, the only thing that you wouldn't like about it is they had chance after chance
01:23after chance again and weren't converting.
01:25But they were getting those chances.
01:28I mean, they were on the net constantly.
01:31I was kidding earlier.
01:32I thought Beck Malenstein would probably become roommates with their goalie because he sat
01:38and lapped the whole game, and he wasn't the only one.
01:42I mean, they crashed the net constantly, and it was all sorts of different people doing
01:46it.
01:48Every time Zucker was on the ice, it seemed like he was causing chaos around the net.
01:52Benson, Norris was around the net causing chaos.
01:56It was one thing that you guys probably sensed, I talked to Lindy Ruff about one of the things
02:04that really wasn't going well for them.
02:06They weren't blocking shots.
02:08They were with the worst team in the league at blocking shots, and I understand Connor
02:12Timmons is their best shot blocker and hasn't been there, and Alex Tuck was their best forward
02:17at blocking shots, and he's not going to be there.
02:22But still, I mean, it was, and they were like, there was a penalty, Benson took a penalty
02:28right at the end of the second period, and before the buzzer went, Norris blocked a big
02:33shot, and then right after that, Malenstein blocked a big shot, and everybody was doing
02:39it.
02:39I mean, they had a season-high 21-blocked shot, so they were always in passing lanes.
02:46They were always in shooting lanes.
02:48I could see the Sharks getting frustrated, because it was always a saber around, and
02:53then, you know, the second period ended, and I'm going, Brian Cozy, well, this is something
02:57different.
02:58They were ahead to start the third period.
03:00They had it the first time all year.
03:02They had been ahead to start the third period, and you know how good they were last year at
03:07protecting leads, and guess what?
03:09They didn't forget how to do it.
03:11I mean, they did a good job of protecting the lead.
03:15I thought those top four defensemen were phenomenal.
03:20Samuelson and Darlene, by far, were their best game, by far.
03:23And it wasn't only just getting up in the play and producing offense.
03:27The way they were killing plays, Samuelson, you know, using his reach again and killing
03:33plays, and it just never, I never really sensed they were in big trouble.
03:40And when a big save, when they had to have a big save, it was made.
03:45You know, Ellis made that big save for them, and I think what really got him into the game
03:52is they turned the puck over, and Celebrini wound up with a great chance in the slot, and
03:59it was right off the bat.
04:00It was in the first, might have been his first shift, or maybe his second, one of the two.
04:06He's up in top of the crease, makes a big save, and that gets him in the game now, and
04:12he
04:12said so.
04:13He goes, yeah, you make that save, and you're ready to go.
04:16You know, and it was kind of funny.
04:19Yesterday, I talked to him for free game, and I said, you had to sit on that game.
04:25That wasn't your best game, and you got pulled, and he had to sit on it.
04:29He goes, you know what?
04:30He said, I've been a goalie for 15 years, and that'll happen again, and I know how to
04:36handle it.
04:36He said, he goes, I go over the tape by myself, I go over it with Mike Bales, and it's
04:42done.
04:42Yep.
04:43He goes, we move on to practice the next day, and we work on the things that need to be
04:47worked on to be better, and he said, he goes, if you can't get it out of your mind, and
04:54you do, quote, sit on it, he goes, you won't be in this league.
04:59Absolutely, and that, for me, last night, Paul, was one of the bigger things that I
05:03was interested to see how he handled, because not only was that last start a bit of a struggle,
05:08but he got a little bit of a shot across the bow from the GM when he came on our
05:14station
05:14a week ago, and said, like, Ellis, you know, he's not playing well, we can't, you know,
05:19whatever, and then he sits on the bench as long as he has, and, like, that's a spot where
05:24it's very easy to feel the pressure and to crack, and I was very impressed that he handled
05:29it so well last night and played such a great game, making such huge saves in big spots.
05:35And when he wasn't there, Zellweger was diving across the goal line to knock it out.
05:39Yep.
05:39I mean, the desperation, we haven't seen that desperation yet this year.
05:45That's what won them hockey games last year, is the desperation to block a shot and kill
05:52a penalty.
05:53Now, in the last two games, they're five for five in killing penalties.
05:57Why?
05:58I think we've seen increased desperation.
06:01We saw them diving to block shots.
06:03I mean, all those little things in a game that would add up to wins for them last year,
06:09they did in this game.
06:11So, really, as a hockey fan, it was just enjoyable to watch a team play like that.
06:17For sure.
06:18I thought it was very, it was a return to form.
06:21You've said it in there, like, it looked like the team did last year.
06:24What do you make, Paul, if you think back to their three best games this season, and I
06:28think it's pretty easily Minnesota, Florida, and this game last night against San Jose, and
06:34that's all three Colton Ellis starts.
06:36I know he got pulled in that Florida game, but that is three of the Sabres' best performances
06:41played in front of Ellis.
06:43Do you think that there's some part of them that just feels a little bit more juice with
06:48him between the pipes?
06:50I don't know what to think, because, yeah, their best game was that Minnesota game, and
06:54I remember he won it, I believe it was in overtime, but he only faced 22 shots, made 20 saves,
07:03then he played very well.
07:04And that was the game where I thought, yeah, okay, he got his start, and he's in the picture
07:10now.
07:10And then the next two starts weren't too good.
07:13But the team didn't play well in front of him, and, you know, Lucanen hasn't had the
07:19team play in front of him like that, but the two times they've done it, and done it well,
07:25was in front of him.
07:27So, I don't know if there's anything to that.
07:31I don't think they sit there.
07:33I've never at all sensed that they don't like Lucanen, or he's not a good teammate, or they
07:40feel any bad way about him or anything else.
07:43So, I would think it is coincidence.
07:46But, yeah, their two best games by far were in front of Ellis.
07:51And when they play like that, that allows the goaltender to play better.
07:55When you've got somebody, when you've got a team blocking 21 shots in front of you, that's
08:0021 shots you don't have to handle.
08:02You know, or let's say they've only blocked four in another game.
08:06Well, that's 17 shots you don't have to handle.
08:09Yeah, that's a big difference.
08:10Yeah, and anything can happen in any of those 17 shots.
08:16But Ellis also had to make some phenomenal saves, as did the goaltender at the other end.
08:22He was great, except for the Zellweger goal.
08:25I would think he'd want that back.
08:27I mean, he just came through the circle, but that was the only blemish on him.
08:32I mean, he made some fantastic saves, too.
08:35There were a lot of good saves by goaltenders in that hockey game.
08:38Is it a no-brainer?
08:39Well, I guess it's two different questions.
08:41One, Paul, would it be a no-brainer for you to start Ellis again tomorrow night in Anaheim?
08:47And what's your guess on how Lindy plays it?
08:51It would be a no-brainer for me.
08:53I know Ruff was trying to get Luken going, and to a point I think he was.
08:58I mean, Luken, I think, was improving as he was going along.
09:02He was starting to make big saves that he didn't make in the first three games.
09:07And it looked like he was, you know, this wasn't about Ellis.
09:11This was about getting Luken going.
09:14It wasn't like, I can't count on Ellis type of a thing.
09:17Anytime he talked about what he was doing in goal, it was always about Luken and trying
09:21to get him on a run a little bit and get him going on a run.
09:24As he said, he's seen that happen before, that the more he plays, the better he gets,
09:29and he kind of gets on a run that way.
09:31So he might think to himself, like he did last year, if you recall, when Lyon had a
09:37shutout, and he didn't play the next game because they were alternating, and it was working
09:42very, very well for them.
09:44So does he decide he wants to get back to alternating?
09:48He's got one goaltender improving, the other one had a great start.
09:52Or does he use that great start and put him right back in net?
09:56Yeah, I think previously he was trying to fall back into his pattern.
09:59No established pattern has worked for the Sabres yet.
10:02So to me, it seems pretty logical that you go with Ellis.
10:06And if you do settle into a rotation at some point, that's cool.
10:09But to me, he's earned the next start.
10:12We'll see how Lindy plays it.
10:13I definitely agree, but that's it.
10:15That's why I asked it.
10:16Let's see how Lindy plays it.
10:18That's why I asked it two different ways, Paul.
10:20I know what I'm doing here.
10:21Thank you for your time.
10:22We've got to cut you off now.
10:24Enjoy the game.
10:25Enjoy your stay in Anaheim.
10:28Enjoy Disney World.
10:29And then we'll talk to you tomorrow.
10:30Yeah, I'm glad I could join you.
10:31I had to do math at 5.30 in the morning originally.
10:33I didn't think I could.
10:35And then I figured out that.
10:36Actually, as long as the flight goes well, I can join you.
10:38All right.
10:39Well, the flight went great, and we're glad to have you.
10:40Thanks, Paul.
10:41We'll talk to you soon.
10:41Thanks, Paul.
10:42Take care.
10:42All right.
10:43There goes Paul Hamilton.
10:44Say goodbye to him.
10:45We'll take a quick timeout.
10:46All of this is in an effort to get Joe Brady live at about 140,
10:49which we expect to carry for you right here on Middays
10:53with Brad, Tim, and Owen on WGR.
