3/13/26 Full Show

0:00I'm Dr. Mary Claire Haver, and my new podcast, Unpost, is the place for bold, unfiltered conversations about what it takes for women to thrive in the second half of life. Listen to and follow Unpost, available now, wherever you get your podcasts. My dad's not here right now. He's still at work. So I'm going to bless him. Mike Shope and the Bulldog. I'm going to see if there's a clean version so that my parents and the people at my school will not get met at me. We've got the spritzer filled with water, just in case if stockets too fire. I'm going to set up the speaker and I'm going to listen to Mike Shope and the Bulldog. I think this is the best Mike Shope feature that I've heard in a long time. I think his flow is really good on it and I like his aggressiveness on it and the Bulldog put not enough effort in it. I think overall his flow was good but I don't like that mobile wrapping.

1:03That was my review of Mike Shope and the Bulldog. Didn't need a spritzer. Wasn't fire enough. No spritzer for you, no spritzer. The snow looks so pretty. It's so, you know, it's, it just floats down out of the sky. It lands on everything. It makes everything look so peaceful. It's so nice. I love the snow. Excuse me, let me stab myself in the face with a fork. Holy cow, all right, enough. I know, I know. Like if you're who sucks more than the guy that is going to hear somebody on the radio say that or tweet something like that, they're like, hey, it's only March. Like, I know that it can still snow and it often does. It doesn't mean it's not jarring when it happens after it's been, I don't know, 70 one day this week. It's, it's, it's, it's, you know, it takes a little getting used to.

2:03You're soft. Yeah, whatever. I don't know. I've had enough. I, I love winter. I like the snow. I'm just ready for it to be gone now. I'm like, exact mention. I'm watching golf on TV. And there are people in shorts drinking cocktails with some of them having brellas in them. I, I'm craving that. I don't know, I've had enough of this, although I shouldn't be complaining. The sun is actually coming out here in Amherst. So this, this will all be a distant memory, you know, until Tuesday when the temperature drops like 40 degrees again. We'll get through it. I know what this is. Uh, what do we have? Idiot spring or fake spring or first fake spring? Is maybe what we just had. And now we've got is a second winter. And then we go on from there. I love these lists. Like Facebook is great at these. Some, somewhere along the line, you get hell's front porch. I imagine that's like mid-August when it's, you know, like 98% humidity and 89 degrees.

3:04And like it just, it just spontaneously rains because there's just so much moisture in the air. Yeah, uh, hell's front porch. Anyway, hi, welcome. It's a Friday. I am the Bulldog Mike has the day off today. And so a solo flight for myself. We are guested up to the gills. Our buddy Sam Panney out of it. We'll join us for insight on the coming NCAA basketball tournament. And maybe some baseball futures and our Lindy Ruff coach of the year bet. That's coming up at 330 at four. Luke Fox, one of our favorites from Toronto sports net. Luke Fox jukebox, one of the all-time great Twitter handles on the Leafs and the NHL in general. And kind of timely. We've got the Leafs coming into town tomorrow night. And the Leafs are taking it. I mean, they are getting blistered for their reaction or really a lack thereof after Captain Austin Matthews went down on a need-a-need job from one of the filthyest hockey players.

4:06Can I say ever in the league? I don't know. Certainly currently. Racco-Gudas is absolutely someone who hunts players to hit them hard and that often results in injury. And we'll see. We don't know how severely Matthews has hurt yet. He's having an MRI today. Anyway, Luke Fox on the Leafs and the way forward for them and the Sabers and the NHL at 430. We sell the Bill's CJ Gardner Johnson signed a safety yesterday. So we're going to want to get sales thoughts on that move. That'll be at 430 and then at 5 Paul Hamilton will join me and we'll get back to the Sabers. And by back to the Sabers, I mean that's where I want to start. Last night, I mean, what do you want to do with last night? Right. I mean, I already got a little pushback as I, you know, put together a tweet to preview the show this afternoon and said last night was a bit of a bus kill. And the first person through in my mentions is like,

5:09our expectations so high that we have to refer to the first loss in eight games or nine games as a bus kill. I'm like, well, it's a buzz dent at least. I mean, they didn't win a ninth in a row. I mean, I'm not panicked about it. I'm not even worried about it. But it happened, you know, it would sound a little different if they'd won another game, a ninth in a row and built or kept their lead in the division and had a chance to equal their 10 game winning streak from earlier in the season tomorrow night when they do host Toronto. But they don't because they lost to one on a late goal. Wasn't like a a disastrously bad game or anything. But they were kind of flat in the third period. Look what they ran out of gas to me. But, you know, again, I'm inclined to kind of put that over there and just sort of dwell on what we have been enjoying for, I mean, I guess some of us, some of us arrived at, we've arrived at different times to the Sabers party. I was pretty much full on believing they were going to end the drought by the time the 10

6:11game win streak ended. I thought there were enough good signs within how they were playing at that time that they'd make it. I did not think they would catapult past everyone and into first place in the Atlantic and be contending for the top spot in the conference and the top seat in the playoffs and all that. But that is where we are here with them. But I do like the idea of rather than picking apart Logan Stanley and Luke Shen, I will certainly do some of that as we go, maybe even very shortly. I more would like to hear from you just on the vibes of having it back, having the Sabers back in your life in a meaningful way. You have been able to pick up this relationship with them if you are willing to. And it can feel like it never stopped. All you really did is all we ever really do. I think we have to learn this, we have to remember this.

7:12For all the drama and however bad it feels at a given time and believe me, having been in this chair for the entirety of this 14 season playoff drought, I have felt every bit of the detachment and the bitterness, the anger and eventually even the lack of anger, the lack of emotion, that's what detachment really is. I'm no longer mad at their results. I'm just accepting of this is it. This is what we are stuck with and therefore I'm not going to let it hurt me anymore, so I don't care anymore. I hope you've all gotten over that because you'd be missing out on one of the great re-starts rebirths in Buffalo Sports history. It's happened a few different times with the Sabers and the Bills too. I mean we've had 17 season playoff drought with them too.

8:13And here we are in the throes of a great generational run featuring Josh Allen. The Sabers, it can be bumpy and it can really feel like it's not ever going to come back. But when it does, it reminds you, I've made this point a few times this week because we went through this in 0203, 0304, before the season long lockout, bankruptcy, league ownership, like there were people working over there worried about whether they're going to get paid on time, like it was for a pro sports league and a team and a pro sports league, things were really, you were worrying about things if you worked there that you should never have to worry about. In the employee of an entity that is that big, and that big corporation and all these resources. Anyway, 0506 comes along and as soon as the Sabers

9:25got good again, we were right back there. And we've been through this has been a much longer, maybe not as dramatic this drought in that there hasn't been bankruptcy. You know, I mean, Terry Pagula has owned the team the whole time. We've had stability as far as that piece goes. There hasn't been concern about, oh, you know, we need a new owner or I mean, you might be mad at the owner from time to time for his inaction and leaving Kevin Adams on the job as long as he did, but there was not ever concern. I don't think really about the overall, like, you know, if someone going to swoop in and take the team away, I guess if the attendance had continued to be what it was, if they never got good again, that could be a problem. But obviously, that's all gone. They have recaptured our imaginations and I just think you get so much back when you've got that, you know, and I'd love to hear what you out there, our appreciating the most. Like, what is your favorite part of this Sabers Resurgence, right?

10:29Is it going to the games? Is it going to the games with your children who are maybe adults now, like mine, who were really little kids to younger remember the last time the Sabers were good? And so now you're experiencing this with them for the first time. I've got that going in my house with one of my sons, Owen, who's a hockey fanatic and works on the morning show. His younger brother Leo couldn't care less about hockey, so I don't have that bond with him. But I'm telling you, I'm having the most fun I've ever had watching the Sabers right now when I'm watching with my kid. It's just, it has been so long coming and the drought really spanned. I mean, he didn't get really serious about the game. And he always even loved hockey the whole time he was playing from the time he was four or five years old and we taught him to skate right on through when he finished up playing just before he turned 21. I mean, he loved the game, but it didn't get serious for him really until 2014, 15 or even later. Yeah, I mean, even later than that. So, you know,

11:39that's dead in the drought. And so like him being someone who's into the game appreciates the game, understands the game, even in ways that I never have and will because he's been in locker rooms and on buses and parts of teams and he understands tactics and different things about the sport that I've never really been exposed to. Watching with him now is just the best like last. And so, share if you want 80305 50s. The number always time for calls when when one of us is out. So that is the case today. So get in as soon as you get in. You'll get on with me here at 80305 50. I just think you you have to be some of you out there have to be experiencing things similarly to myself. That I know that game last night was not, you know, they all can't be, you know, they they can't all be the, you know, the best, right? I mean,

12:39this games like Sunday night against Tampa are going to be rare where I mean, it's just off the charts with excitement and just everything you could possibly want the sporting event. Last night was was far from that. It was a very ordinary sort of run of the mill weeknight NHL game. But even within it, the Sabers that first period, they were, they were, but they're opportunity to win that game to me clearly was in the first period. If they'd gotten two or three goals in that first period, they might have cruised. But they didn't the Washington goal did a good job. But within within only scoring that one goal, the goal that was scored that play by Mellonstein. He I'm mad the Sabers mad. Disappointed is better. I'm disappointed the Sabers lost. They didn't get their two points, you know, they didn't keep their four point lead over Tampa. They didn't close within two more of Carolina, yada, yada, right? The standings. That's disappointing. I'm as disappointed

13:42that they didn't win that game because the play that Mellonstein makes for the one goal that they did scored in the game would have been like a play. I want to say I would have never forgotten it. And maybe I won't, but it's, you know, it's one of 82 and it's a loss. But him unveiling, a no look backhand. I mean, is that Leon Drysidle? Who am I watching? Mellonstein with a behind-the-back no look pass across the goal mouth to Carrick for a tap in. It's back Mellonstein. Oh, and I were like roaring in the living room, like roaring laughingly. It could not believe like the audacity of this team that they're, they're fourth line banging Winger. And he's had these moments. He had one just the other night, like the breakaway he scored on needs. He's had other ones, even one against Washington earlier this year, where he kind of recreated the Pomenville

14:44goal against Ottawa in game five, the series winner. He has, he's had these moments. But last time it was just hilarious to me that he's uncorking that pass to Carrick. And he's just like, what can't this team do? That's back Mellonstein. What in the world is even happening out here? And because they end up losing the game, I kind of feel like that'll be, I don't know, some version of the pass that Josh Allen threw to Stefan Diggs in the corner of the end zone in Arizona in 2020. You know, the plan probably go ahead touchdown late to put the bills in front there. That's what I go ahead touchdown is. And it's like this great throw, this great catch. And it's a play we should be talking about for the rest of the year. But then Colin Murray comes back on the field. And the hell Murray is complete to do Andrew Hopkins and Arizona wins the game. And this great throw in this great catch become like a footnote, right? The only time he gets mentioned is in a moment like this where you go, you remember some great plays that ended up not

15:47really mattering that much? Yeah, that's one. And I feel like Mellonstein is going to be filed in that category. And that's too bad because it was such a super cool play. And along with that goes that sequence at the end of the first period, which I haven't talked to anybody that was in there. I would love to hear from anyone who was that can tell me I should have asked this on Twitter because somebody certainly would have gotten back to me with at least an opinion about it. But it just felt I couldn't really hear the crowd on last night's broadcast that while I don't know why it just was a novelty to me. So I couldn't really tell how a lot it was. But when Thompson was hammering those five consecutive one-timers on that power play at the end of the first period, I thought we were, I had tears in my eyes. I couldn't tell if those shots were on that or if they were, you know, wide or high or what I just was crying from laughing so hard. And oh same same thing like we're just my wife had some friends over there in the dining room

16:52wondering what in the actual app is going on in the living room because we were just hysterical. Is one after the other after the other after the other I left off and after the other there. I have to think if if the third or fourth one of those had gone in the net that the building would have been in serious danger of caving in. I just feel like the crowd had to be building and building and building like such an incredible moment to have. And you know as it turns out they don't score there and they end up losing two one and just like this mail-in-stein play to score their only goal is kind of like a a little footnote you just sort of leave over there. And it probably would have been that anyway because they didn't score a goal on the sequence. So I guess maybe I'm more disappointed they didn't score there the Thompson didn't score there or somebody didn't get a rebound or something because it was I have never seen in an NHL game.

17:53Really any game for that matter but I know I cannot recall so I'm gonna rephrase because I you know never seen it's tough I've seen a lot and I therefore have forgotten a lot but I cannot recall ever having seen a player Ovechkin right from his similar similar spot as Thompson Thompson was a little lower I think than Ovechkin's you know legendary spot there on the power play. I just have never seen a guy get teed up four times as quickly and ultimately it was five there was one more like after the power plan did I think uh that made it a total of five I just can't recall ever watching a guy get teed up that many times in that short a time span like one power play and it wasn't even like over the course of the whole two minutes it was just like this this little pocket near the end of the power play where he just they just kept letting him hammer it and so he did and it was just the funnest thing to be watching and witnessing and even Thompson look to be laughing

18:59about it as he left the ice at the end of that shift and as the period was winding down it was just such an incredibly cool moment um you know within it when I squeezed this in um because Owen made this observation and I have been a lot of you did too uh and I wholeheartedly agree with it as cool as it was watching Thompson hammer one timer after one timer after one timer after one timer after one timer there I said them all um I won't do that again I promise it does kind of shine a light on what the limitations of the saber's power play can be the fact that Washington was willing to just give them that I don't think those saves easy for me to say me to say I'm not I'm not Charlie Lindgren sliding from my left to my right getting in position for a 98 mile an hour one timer from taged Thompson but it's pretty predictable I mean it's been a

20:00part of the sabers game plan on the power play and it absolutely should remain one but it often is the only thing they seem to be willing to spend time trying to set up and in that way it can become pretty predictable and five in a row definitely became predictable I mean I know Lindgren was honest about playing the position and was moving around but he might as well have just stayed facing to his facing taged Thompson because the puck was going back there it seemed no matter what we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna tee this up we're gonna we're gonna make this work and somewhere within that there is a criticism to be made against the sabers power play overall because they just do not have enough they don't have enough variety in what they're trying to do so that was fun but it also I think does leave a little room for you to be like oh come on we we find another think we find one other thing to do maybe two or three would be helpful

21:03instead of just doing this over and over and over again but uh that said the criticism takes a backseat the the fun of it was just awesome to watch unfolding uh as he's just hammering those shots at the net but again ultimately been score and a late defensive breakdown uh leads to a two one loss to Washington and you know a bummer no nine game win streak no opportunity to equal the seasons earlier ten game win streak tomorrow but a chance to get back on the right side of things with the Leafs coming into town um we saw Logan Stanley for a second game in this in this game last night paired with his old teammate and frequent partner in Winnipeg Lucien and I look I appreciate the sabers place in the standings uh I appreciate that they've got new parts that they want to try out um I'm not eager to see Logan Stanley and Lucien on the ice

22:03together again never uh if it's necessitated because of injury which is mainly why at least I think Shen was acquired I think Stanley was acquired to play meaningful minutes on the third pair with Castle Ring or maybe eventually Connor Timmins we'll see um how that goes um I get them wanting to like get both of these guys out there and see what we got let Shen get acclimated but um there were some misplays obviously the first goal was a misplay from Shen um two Stanley and there were a couple of other times where they kind of had a tough time in their own zone um so let's uh pump the brakes on that um you know we'll see about tomorrow and what the sabers might think they have coming at them from Toronto maybe they'll want toughness in the form of Shen in the lineup still Stanley I don't think comes out uh but Shen really is the one that I I'm I'm watching last night going let's not let's not do this again again if we have to we have to

23:04if we're comfortable with our position in the standings and you want to get some guys some time off you know okay you know that's that's reasonable um but I I don't I don't think I need to see that pair again it did not it did not go real well um so those are some thoughts on last night's game but mostly it's you know it's it's it's vibes chuck uh is what is what I'm after um let's squeeze um oh I can't I can't uh work the can you punch rich up here real quick for your break thank you Zach uh rich sorry about that you're on the air here on WGR well dog it's obviously a privilege to speak with you I've heard you since the bn days my question or not my question is you are spot on um with the power play it's more predictable than the wwe you were to take give it to take you can't do it you get to move around you got to get these guys moving around and everybody uh

24:07that we play against knows if around the power play it's going to be oh you're just the one time no you get to move around you got to make these teams know that who's going to get the pop who's going to get the pop um yesterday's game was very disappointing I'm a little worried about the western trip uh I don't know too much about how their teams are in their building but this is going to be the test if we can come out of the western conference or the four games in the west if we can get at least two then I'll be more confident about how far we're going to go okay I'm I'm not uh to me they've passed every test already I don't feel like it's a test um we've talked some already this week about great sabers teams that had very bad stretches at the end of seasons 0506 that team lost eight of nine I'm not I'm not I'm not looking at anything like oh I

25:09got to get this I got to get that I got that they're good I'm I'm trusting that they'll figure it out last night was a blip um the power play for sure the thing that's weird and thank you rich for the compliment the uh the thing that's really weird before I get to break about the power play is to me how effective they are moving around the offensive zone freely at five on five this high cycle that they use all the time just the way they move around the offensive zone is so I think different than the majority of teams in the league right now and yet on the power play they're kind of stagnant and that just does not really add up to me it's it's a weird it's just a weird piece of all this that is never really added up uh to me anyway thanks for the call let's hit up a timeout same panty out of the chin the other side of the break we'll get into the NCAA basketball tournament look at major league baseball futures discuss our Lindy Ruff coach of the year bet and more with our buddy Sammy P right after this Mike is off today I'm the bulldog you're listening to WGR

26:14hey what's up flies this is David Spade Danny Carvey look at I know we never actually left but I'll just say it we are back with another season of fly on the wall every episode including ones with yes will now be on video every third deal here is NCIS chatting with big name celebrities and every Monday your stuck with just me and Dana we react to news what's trending viral clips follow and listen to fly on the wall everywhere you get your podcast a team that always they always compete even with the injuries last year I think they went 13 and 4 I mean I feel like there were one piece away and I think that I'm that piece and I'll look forward to coming here and improving that that is new San Francisco 49er wide receiver Mike Evans who leaves Tampa after a certain Hall of Fame career already to join the San Francisco 49ers a player that plenty of bills fans were

27:16curious about whether maybe Brandon Bean could pull that player into the boat the story goes that they were somewhat interested but instead pivoted to trading a second round pick in exchange for a fifth and DJ more from the Bears glad to have you with us here on a Friday afternoon Mike is a way today I am the bulldog joining us now on the west here hotline is our good friend Sam patty out of its Sammy P from the chicken dinner sports wagering podcast Sam what's going on I feel like it's been a few weeks for me I was not here last week and I don't know maybe you were away the week before I feel like it's been a minute how are you I feel like I'm here every Friday but yeah it's been a couple weeks for us right yeah I agree I'm trying to pull the room right now I just got to the bar I'm back in Chicago I'm trying to pull the room on what that they like tonight and college basketball and then we just go the other way we are it is that time of the year the room

28:18the room the you the you guys made the room somewhat notorious on on your your previous incarnation I'm sure the room has continued to be the subject of derision on the chicken dinner podcast as well and this is a time of the year where the room really shows up is it not college because what what do most people do with college basketball you know I'm sure there are of course fans who watch it all year wrong thief all year long feverishly but the vast majority of us are like oh there's conference tournaments on during the day while I'm at work cool what's going let's go oh I like this team time to wager right and that's probably not the best way to do it no it's not but it's okay I mean you never want to be that person that gets late to the party and it could be a betting party it could be a music party a drinking party whatever you want to get there early you want to set up shop right but I think there are a lot of people that sort of deter the market because they start watching games this week and they have all their assumptions

29:20made and they have all their dots connected because they've watched four days of college basketball and they have all the answers so there's a game tonight you know it's in the ACC Virginia is you know a top 10 team in the country but if you look at the market bulldog you know most of the bats like seven of every ten bats are on Virginia the line open four and a half the line is not three and a half against Miami so while all the bats the physical bats are on Virginia the line has moved against Virginia so that it just tells you market-wise that there's respected play on Miami now look I mean we did we bet Miami yes I think I think the game should be closer to a pick them but people will watch what Virginia's done and most importantly people will look at the rankings and all Virginia's 10th and Miami's unranked and I only got to lay three and a half or four so it's a very casual appetite when we get to conference weekend because most betters they

30:26sweat and grind college football and the NFL they do it from the end of august through the Super Bowl and then when that's done it's like oh now what oh now I know college basketball and it's just it's not that easy to pick it off this late in the game well I know we obviously don't get brackets until Sunday and then the tournament fires you know wow whatever there's the play in games but Thursday Friday the traditional you know star to the tournament and we're we've got games in Buffalo on Thursday and Saturday here Mike and I are doing our show from a casino downtown next Thursday while the games will be going on so that should be a fun time what can we do right now with that without having the bracket yet like can I can I pick final four teams already can I like and is there anything you like sweet 16 or is that stuff all weighed until the brackets are out no you can bet this up now it's fluid let me raise your like to love I love Houston to make the final four Houston's my squad this year they're so good defensively

31:26and they've got you know a top five pick at point guard they've got size speed length all over the court they guard the hell out of you but all you hear about is Michigan and Duke and Arizona and that's fine but that also sort of inflates the market on those teams so I think Houston at two to one to make the final four is a really good bet and I love this bullet because I'll send I'll send a bet to my buddies at two to one like plus 200 and they're like I want more and I'm like that's me okay I'm I'm this guy right but like if you're betting a point spread or a total you're laying minus one 10 every bet right so you'll lay minus one 10 but oh two to one's not good enough like I just I think it's so funny guys get in their heads and all that I think Houston to make the final four you you can find like a plus two will five right now on the cougars all right I think they are bound to make the final four all right I'm I am filing that away I will do what I can do

32:27there what is going to happen to my enemy Ohio after they lost for the first time they're they not going to get in they should get in yeah the bubble so soft this year I I don't have a hot take for you um and you didn't prep me on this question I I think if you go 31 and oh you should make the tournament now I'm going to agree to I mean like can you imagine a 31 and one team not making the tournament they're like how dumb does that sound on the service um no no where do you see them not look here's I think what they're going to do I think they might put them in the the first four games they might be one of those 11 seeds you know that plays on Tuesday or Wednesday and that's fine like but you should if a team goes 31 and oh man how do you not make a field of 68 I think that's a good question I think that's a good question and my answer I think should be they have to be in uh so I just know that I saw some you know like oh no they may not make it so I hope

33:28you're right uh we'll see where it all goes sand panning out of its chicken dinner sports wagering podcast host co-host on the west or hotline with me here on WGR so the it was another week where our buddy Greg Waschinski with the spn.com their senior hockey writer he's been posting I don't know if he's doing it monthly or or by weekly or what it is but sort of forecasting the NHL awards market and still polling I don't think it's voters I think it's just because it's I think it's a different group that votes for coach of the year than what who he's polling but anyway John Cooper still according to that information is the leader for coach of the year what are the betting odds telling us about Lindy rough and John Cooper because I think those are the only two options right well when we talked last week Mike and I we were talking about Lindy rough is the even money favorite to win and then we all saw the game last week right I mean what a game huh I'm sure you guys talked about that for three days pretty much yeah the savoury camp brother for

34:34three days I'm still trying today yeah you're still trying to like oh I should probably shower again after watching that shoot out I don't I don't understand how and we you and I have talked about this before camp a bay was one of the favorites to win the east like they they should be good Buffalo was supposed to be a fringe playoff team if that if that so I I don't know like I I understand you know the rankings and the columns and all that but the the betting odds still have Lindy favored and we have what do we have seven and one on Lindy right now yeah that's what I believe yeah I mean you're the one who made the bet but I'm pretty sure it was seven to one I lose track I mean there's so many bets a little time yeah well you Mike and I have we have a bet on Lindy and I I remember I was I was standing outside a bar in Boston as I usually am on Friday and I'm like why are you not talking about Lindy at seven to one and so now he's even money so you know the $10 we bet wink wink to win 70 now you got a bet 10 to win 10 so I think we relatively speaking

35:41have a good bet I just the Buffalo sabers could be one of the best teams in the east and it came out of nowhere how does that guy not win the award I don't know it's there's a sentiment around and NHL circles that John Cooper the Tampa coach they they've they've they've won in one in one they've been almost almost a dynasty a two final two two cup wins in a row he's a great coach team Canada's coach if you want that to and he's never won coach the year so it kind of became a thing where it's like oh it's career achievement time you know let's give it to Cooper this year because the team you know one of the best teams coaches never wins it so we'll give it to him and I think what I think we might need Sam to cinch it is just simply whichever team wins the the division and the sabers have a two point lead in that department right now Tampa still has a couple games in hand so that's not ideal but I think if if the sabers come out on top I would predict that will win our bet and if he doesn't I think it could be real touchy but also like not to draw

36:45direct comparison but to me John Cooper is sort of the Andy Reed of the NHL he's got one of the best teams in the league every year he's got multiple Hall of Famers he's got all stars everywhere you know you could coach Tampa Bay and they make the playoffs right I I think what Lindy has done and again I'm I'm an adopted Buffalo diehard hockey fan here I I don't I don't know how Tampa's story is better than Buffalo's story big picture yeah I agree I think we'll we'll see how that evolves here over the next month we got just about a month to go in the regular season so we'll see moving on quickly I wanted to pick your brain a little bit about major league baseball division winner futures I mean we're we're closing in on the beginning of the season the world baseball classic is going on I was looking at the odds today and found it I guess not surprising but if people haven't looked yet the Dodgers are like minus 650 to win the NL West and everybody else is

37:51close like plus money and maybe Seattle is like minus 105 but everybody else you know all the other divisions the even the favorite is plus money the Dodgers are just that good that's pretty stunning to me they're just so stacked and I think there'll be a lot of people but the books are doing there is they're they're dealing you the Dodgers so you don't bet them because people don't want to lay you know the average better doesn't want to lay seven to win one that's boring they want to bet one to win 15 so what they're doing there fundamentally is just sort of they're trying to guide you toward a bet on San Diego or Arizona or San Francisco or whatever like they want you to bet those teams because they they know the Dodgers are going to win that the two sharp bets that I've heard so far are on the Detroit Tigers to win the central and granted they're they're favored but we've seen some sharp bets on Detroit and then there have also been some bets man on the Cincinnati Reds to win the NL Central now the two teams that everybody talks about are the Cubs

38:53and the Brewers and then Paul Schien's helps the pirate flavor but there have been some sharp bets on the Cincinnati Reds to win the National League Central in Las Vegas how do you like the AL East I mean I'd probably because that's Yankees Yankees J's Red Sox are all pretty close I think when I looked I I don't love this bet I mean I I would sprinkle a little bit on Boston I think Boston over 86 and a half is a decent bet you're always going to pay the Yankee tax and of course Toronto just went to the World Series so everybody likes Toronto I think Boston can be a 90 win team that might like I'm not missed the playoffs but I think Boston over 86 and a half is a good bet I don't have a division bet for you I think you've paid the Yankee hype and the Blue Jay hype and over the Red Sox win total all right sounds good Sam appreciate it very much love you making time

39:54when you're back home in Chicago anything we need to know like wow how often is the chicken dinner showing up and I just want to make sure we're doing our best to hold up a hold up our end of our relationship here sure yeah we got a Sunday selection Sunday spaces coming up this week and we're going to talk about the brackets and the lines once the bracket comes out we're going to have a show up on Tuesday and we we bet Miami tonight Bulldog plus four against Virginia understood and you're and you're headed for Vegas for the start of the tournament are you not yeah when we talk next week I'll be in Vegas well that will be fun I'm sure Sam thanks for this appreciate it very much and have a good visit in Chicago thanks buddy see if somebody Sam panty out of it chicken dinner you find that on social media sites great intel into the wagering world from Sam and his partner Joe Astrosky they've been very generous with their time and helpful to us all right hit up a time out here you got time for a couple of calls if you're out there 803 05 50 enjoying this Sabers joyride will get into tomorrow's game that's right we're at previewing the next game

41:01stage of fandom here on the show Luke Fox from sports net in Toronto going to be our guest talk about the Leafs and the state of things there Austin Matthews injury and all of it coming up at the top of the hour so please do stay tuned for that as well Mike is away today I'm the Bulldog and you're listening to WGR I'm Sally home with the podcast history this week in each episode we serve as your eyes and ears into history's biggest events major elections world wars scientific breakthroughs but we also bring you into the smaller behind the scene stories the unsung heroes secret meetings even personal grudges that changed the course of history listen to and follow history this week and Odyssey podcast in partnership with the history channel available now for free on the Odyssey app and wherever you get your podcasts 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

42:01after 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 it old pizza it's Mike's show if you're calm that wondrous big cat would be calm too but if you 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 now WGR sports radio 550 all right super pumped to have you along for the ride with us here on a Friday afternoon I am the Bulldog Mike show has the day off today joining us right now on the west her hotline is one of our favorites from north of the border sports nets Luke Fox Luke Fox jukebox on the Twitter slash x machine Luke it's been a while I think probably earlier this season was the first time this year we talked nice chat with you again are you coming to town for tomorrow's action

43:03I am and I'm excited first time in a while that it's going to be a different feel in the old key bank centers so you know last few times I've been there for leaf sabers the Toronto fans have crossed the border and kind of taken over the building but with the leaves kind of fizzling out here after the Olympic break taking themselves well out of the playoffs and the sabers surging you got a clash between the hot one of the hottest teams in hockey and one of the coldest and it's going to be interesting to see this this atmosphere because I hear it's loud now and Lord knows the the city's been waiting for it it has been a long time coming I think almost the entirety I don't know how long we go back you had you joining our shows Luke but I don't think the sabers have ever been good when we've been talking yeah right yeah I'm old enough but you might not be so you know I'm curious to see what what it looks like to because tomorrow the crowd because the

44:08the sabers have not had this year a very big season ticket base at all so my guess is that Toronto fans could have bought those tickets at the window when single games went on sale and even avoid the secondary market and the question is whether they're dumping them back to sabers fans now like usually sabers fans are dumping them on leaf fans who want to pay a premium to see their team I'm sort of bracing for it to still be kind of overwhelming how many Toronto fans are in the building myself yeah I don't know you know being in this city Toronto at the the passion has dwindled right like even the home games when they lose a lot of the fans turn to booing so I just don't know if fans are are going to want to make the effort to cross the border you know spend US prices and invade Buffalo to watch this version of the lease I mean certainly if when they're

45:09playing well and they're bound for the playoffs I get it but there's a bit of fan apathy seeking seeking in in Toronto and then you'd like to take the sabers fans want to get their hands on these tickets right like this is suddenly the the funnest team to watch in the sport taking over first place in the Atlantic you know many people are calling that that lightning sabers game the game of the year like there's momentum there so hopefully you know the sabers fans that have been saving their money because they haven't the going of game right it drones for for years it's now it's time to pay up and support the team they deserve it I hope you're right I really do hope you're right but I'm I'll believe it when I see it we have so much experience Luke my partner Mike and I who's off today um sitting in that atrium in years where the Leafs were bad and the gates open and it's like the people with the capes and the tinfoil cups like it's not the fans that go to the games in Toronto it's you know St. Catharines and people that can't get up to Toronto

46:11so I wonder like they have supported that team when they've been bad before in our building so um I'm I'm sort of eager I'm not positive of anything but I'm really curious to see what it looks like I'm the Leafs currently here Luke how much there's another real interesting piece of tomorrow um if you you remember last year when Taj Thompson got leveled in February against the devils and the sabers didn't do anything about it it was a firestorm here right and you know how that is and the next game they called up Dennis Gilbert from the miners and he's got to fight some guy on the blue jackets I think it was to like oh because we're tough you know just like so I don't blame Gilbert but it's just such a super lame thing to let your teammate lie there after being can cost or at least hit in the head and not do anything and then the next game some guy that wasn't even on the team at the time is going to show everyone that no work together it's just such nonsense I would imagine the Leafs are getting a ton of that after what happened with Austin

47:11Matthews last night 100 percent so you know it was really curious also who was on the ice it was some of the longest serving Leafs you know you got Morgan Riley out there you got William Neelander who's been riding all the ups and downs with Austin Matthews for 10 years now and he sees the whole thing play out and all he does is throw his arm up like he's a lineman calling for a penalty none of them go over and talk to to Radco Gouda's you know big Brandon Carlos there you know a really nice guy but he doesn't he doesn't get in Gouda's face and then it's hard to blame rookie Eastern Cowan but I am concerned about the type of culture that this this kid who's a really talented kid tries hard that he's he's growing up and learning from because on a good team team that's together they jump on Gouda's like a pack of dogs right that's your captain that's your best player he took out his knee with a really greasy dirty hit you know

48:15Matthews isn't a guy that invites a lot of contact but when he does get hit he seldom stays down and there he is on the ground riding in pain needed help off the ice that doesn't just happen he's not a baker so for them for the Leafs on the ice to give Gouda's a pass was frankly embarrassing it was also a little bit telling of of where they're at as a team and how far they kind of checked out of the season when they're going out tough they they kind of slunk away and Craig Rume goes in the intermission I mean I would love to see footage of that intermission speech she must have tore the pain off the walls with his voice because they came out and yeah they scored on the major twice they came back and rallied to win the game Eastern Cowan you know and it up dropping the gloves they mixed it up but it took a talking to from their coach to wake them up and good teams that's just in them right it's instinctual it's in their DNA and they don't have

49:18that now I do think you know they're getting a lot of blowback today from fans and media who look back on the situation so I'm sure they're going to be a little more fired up in Buffalo than they have been for most of these games after the Olympics yeah that's that's kind of what I'm what I'm expecting is some kind of a reaction in that way and I think we all saw you referenced last Sunday against Tampa the Sabers were certainly willing to engage it's not their strong suit by any means but that that's you know that's how quickly it's not actually that quickly it's a year later but the Sabers that was one of the best things about the Tampa game for this fan base is that that New Jersey game when Thompson got knocked out knocked over is such a distant memory because now it's like all hands on deck and man when a team doesn't I think there's not a bigger sin you can commit to your fans I don't know about in the locker room I'd imagine it's pretty bad in there too but with the fan base if you react the way the Leaf reacted to Matthews it's to me that's

50:22the biggest sin there is like don't give me I didn't see the hit I didn't know how bad it was he's lying on the ice the lines of inner chasing Radco Goudus around you know what you you can suspect that maybe you should get after Radco Goudus right I said the same thing about Owen Power and Matthias Samuelson last year they were two players who were on the ice last year when Thompson got hit and you know maybe they didn't see the hit but you can add even playing hockey your whole life you can add up what probably happened there right the lines men are telling you who to go after because they're chasing the guy to make sure you can't get to him so you should die trying to get to him I think is usually how it should go no absolutely and Goudus has a history of being a Leafs villain like that they're very well about who this character is right so there's that it's the who but then it's also like how it affects the fan base and like if these guys don't care about each other that much why do I care about rooting for this team

51:23but I think the bigger problem is not between the players and the reactions and the relationship to the fan base it's it's to each other yeah so you got to go into and you got to sit across from your captain or whoever it is even if it was a role player like it shouldn't really matter and you have to look them in the eye and say yeah I was on the ice for that but I don't know I didn't think it was really worth it or I wasn't quite sure so I just sat on my hands and and you know if and if that guy doesn't do it for you are you gonna do it for them and there's a there's a like a chain reaction there there's a trickle effect the good teams it's like we're all in this together and yeah maybe sometimes we'll go across the line but we'd rather you pull us back and say we were too aggressive then then vice versa I mean you're not going to take that element out of hockey and what's more is it's not as if the Leafs are need to be worried about taking penalties because they're to play off right this is all garbage time this is a time to to just

52:27to stick up for one another or show a little bit about what you made of because there aren't all real consequences you don't have to worry about oh we got an extra penalty now and now we don't have the power play who cares you're out of it do you think Luke that tomorrow will be some degree of a circus because of all this like it's trying to call tough guys up from the miners or something like what do you think happens here I don't know about a circus I mean they already called up the toughest guy they had in the miners they're not exactly flushed with a bunch of enforcers down there they called up Michael Pizzetta and he hadn't played with the team all year so he had like you know a bit of a ceremonial fight right off the puck drop in that Anaheim game last night just to show hey I care about being up here I'm going to make making the name for myself because I finally got called up but there's no one else to call up really I would expect I would hope from the Toronto side that they show some pride and show some compete and I mean it's

53:31not just the the fighting stuff I don't think it's going to turn into a circus but it's just like finish your checks try to win a puck battle like show a little bit of pride you just got embarrassed you know and honestly you've played some pretty embarrassing hockey for about it games now like it's fine to lose you know half the league doesn't make the playoffs but be able to hold your head high if you're going to go out yeah Luke Fox sports net on the Leaf beat with us here on WGR he'll be making his way down to Buffalo for tomorrow's Leafs Sabers game so on Matthews there's an MRI today do we have any idea when we'll hear anything and and Goudus I guess is a phone hearing so five games max I'm gonna bet he gets the five but what do I know he's trying to handicap what the department of player safety is going to do it can be a fool's air in any way but what do you think when do you think we'll find out some word on Austin Matthews well hopefully tomorrow morning so the Leafs are going to have a full

54:35they took the day off today someone was available to talk to us pesky reporters but they're going to have a full morning skate 1130 at key bank so I would expect by that and I'll have Matthews imaging done and we'll get more of a timeline if if there's any thought that this is something that could require surgery or weeks of rehab you know I don't want to play amateur doctor but you know like stretch to torn ligaments then just shut them down the guy the guys that been through a lot there's no point you want to get a look at some of the guys you have in the farm system anyway so that that's I would guess that that's what they do but maybe hey maybe it just looked worse than it was then the images come back negative and he's good to go in a week but I I would say that if the if it's any anyone borderline they'll shut them down but yeah

55:35tomorrow morning hopefully we get rid and and I wouldn't be surprised if we hear our goose was just a phone hearing so we might hear word on the length of the suspension tonight and this guy has a history I'm a little bit surprised that they didn't do in person and I wonder if that's because the refs did their job it through the book Adam as much as they could in terms of kicking them out of the game and giving them a major so sometimes players safety they don't like to say it but it feels like they chase it if the refs missed it but the refs didn't miss it right well regardless of however Matthew's the imaging turns out if it's severe or mild or whatever what is the way forward here in Toronto Luke I mean back to the the big story here which is that this season has just gone up and smoke for them and it really it it didn't start really well and it never really got good like once they faded they never rebounded and they're just riding along in last place here um I don't know you're you're around the team obviously you talk to Austin Matthews in the locker room I see him on their missions are on pre games and I don't know

56:38Morse code so I don't know if he's blinking get me out of here but every time I see him talking on a telecast it feels like I'm watching a hostage video um like what is the way forward here for them well the way forward might be taking some steps back because these things are cyclical and I've followed them closely and even early in the season it didn't feel like their year and injuries played a part of that show but I think when you step back I think it's more a changing of the guard the buffaloes are young and hungry and coming up and guys signed to reasonable contracts the trade red wings are finally taking a step this year Montreal looks like it's going to be a force for a number of years having a young exciting fast core locked up auto wise they can get goal tending are going to be in a conversation a one year blip is not under the question

57:38for the Florida Panthers because of missing Alexander Barkoff uh for basically the entire year we'll see if he makes some sort of late return here but uh that's your MVP and he didn't play all year so that seems a little more feasible the leaves feel like there's too many holes to fix I would say they probably need two puck moving defensemen they have a blue line locked up but they're all old they all have injury history um the guy that's supposed to be their number one Morgan Riley has been miscast the bounce back year never happened uh he's he's been a disappointment and he has full no move um hard conversations are going to be had this off season I don't think they've been had yet but is there a path forward to build around kneelander and math use supplement those guys and try to get back right in the conversation and even even at that I think it's more playoff relevant not Stanley Cup championship contender relevant uh and I think that would be delaying

58:44the inevitable which is you're going to have to make deeper cuts to the core eventually restock the cupboards and take another run at this because I just think their time as the Atlantic big dog has come to an end and other teams are it's their turn now I mean I made my crack about math use and what the interviews look like on TV is that is there in your mind any credible reason to move him do you think that that's on the table for the organization or not? I don't think this summer but I think they're going to have to have some frank conversations with him I think he's enjoyed you know winning the gold medal winning three rock of a sharp trophy the heart trophy you know having the 69 gold season he's enjoyed all the individual stuff and I do think he's ready for some team success and he has to believe that the main beliefs have a plan that he believes

59:47in better wingers a coach that sees the game that he does which I don't believe he sees in the brew they want to play the game the same way and if there's a path I think he'll be willing to to give it a shot for another year too and see where it takes them but if not I do think that we might see him enter his Quinn Hughes year which is next year the year before that you know his walk year he's only got two more years left on his deal and you have to be proactive with him it's and if he doesn't feel the team is going to win and his prime is dwindling and now as we saw last night the injuries are piling up the career doesn't start to feel as long and anymore and you want a championship you want your name on that big silver thing I'm sure the gold medal only fueled him towards that and how good that felt I've never seen him happier so maybe there's a path where it's not like I'm going to ride this out and solve my way out of town

1:00:50but have a frank conversation with management and say is can you work to find me a different destination that's more ready to win yeah but I think the first choice is to give Toronto another crack but there's just there's a lot of holes in this roster that need to be filled to make that legitimate in my mind do you expect new people to be in charge of filling the holes like is there a GM and coach house cleaning coming do you think or no it's I'm hearing different things I think there should be I think there should be for sure I would say that Kray Living might be a little safer than Brew Bay and at the deadline I asked Kray Living who's always back to Brew Bay you know what do you think of the job the coach has done he said Craig the terrific coach but his next sentence was but it hasn't worked and it hasn't this you know some people might say the Winnipeg Jats I would say the Toronto Maple Leafs are the most disappointing team this season and it's not all injuries it's style of play it's a disconnect between front office and coach coach

1:01:56and players organization and the fan base I do think it refreshes in order I think that is the office front office I think it's the bench I think it's everything but I'm not I don't know for certain that Keith Kelly who runs mlsc is willing to do that just yet did it really go wrong with the with the last big move here to move mariner out like that that have to I mean I know like year over year it's the same story only a couple around one win so the disappointment but I mean I don't know no one can be pleased with what it has looked like this year with no Mitch Mariner on the team I think but how much of the blame for the year do you think Trace is back to them divorcing from Mitch yeah good good chunk but you know I do think you can't just circle that and shrug your shoulders and say it hey we didn't have Mitch so we can't do it I think he was a tremendously mismanaged asset and they scrambled late to try and get something

1:03:03they did get Nick Waw and then later they flipped Nick Waw to Colorado's first of fifth you know down the road so it's not exactly nothing but it's almost nothing because you can't let us superstar walk in his prime like that and they gave him a full moon move clause in the final year of his deal so they let they gave all the control over to the player and that was a decision made by Kyle Davis before tree living took over but there were always a little bit late on the decision making and I think they've been late on Morgan Riley and hopefully they've learned their lesson and they won't be late when it comes to deciding where to go with with Matthews here but yeah that was a that was a major step but then you also have all this cap space and then who do you uh give Mitch his money to the T.S. Michele Dakota Joshua uh these guys Michael Pizzetta who got called up like a few guys and they tried to try to do it by committee and the flyers they

1:04:09took on guys didn't really pan out either you mentioned Pizzetta getting called up yesterday do we know are they going to call someone else up for this game tomorrow with Matthews obviously not I mean however severely he's heard I imagine he's out for tomorrow do they need to call another guy up I ask because there's a a kid from Williamsville who played a lot of minor hockey as a as a junior saber here in the area Matthew Barbalini who's been on the Marley since I think late last year he got there and he's been there all year this year I mean he's not like any kind of a hot prospect or anything but I wonder if he's someone who might get a get a look yeah it's possible they don't have to though so they had uh Steven Lawrence and Dakota Joshua as Healthy Scratches last night and they're already given looks to Pizzetta uh this this guy Bogru who scored last night is played two games for them now and his looked pretty good he was the leading scorer down on the farm for the Marley's um so he's looked pretty good I imagine he'll

1:05:10be in the lineup they're giving Jacob Quillen another Marley a look here so they already called up three Marley's uh all forwards that I guess there's a chance if they want to continue to scratch the rents and Joshua but they don't have to they could easily just plug one of those veterans in all right well if this Barbalini kid shows up at any point here between now and the end of the year just tell him all his friends in Buffalo are watching and rooting for him for me will you uh okay yeah no you know what I really enjoy chatting to the guys that get called up because the veterans that are feel defeated and understandably you know feel like it's a lost season but there's still these feel good stories um from the HL when these guys get their their chance they're hungry they're happy to get that phone call so it's kind of like a little little silver lining stories amongst the uh the general Maple Leaf's misery that is it's totally totally totally failure our Paul Hamilton understands exactly what you mean believe me after all these years of walking into Sabers locker rooms with nothing like what do I even ask you people anymore

1:06:14I don't even know what to and they don't know what to say anymore either all right Luke thanks so much for the time save travels down here uh tomorrow for the game and uh you know really appreciate catching up yeah I'm excited yeah I hope the atmosphere is off the charts there tomorrow night all right good deal Luke Fox sports net on the Leafs tomorrow's opponent for the Sabers we'll hit up a time out here Sal Kapacho will shift gears like we effortlessly can and get some football in the bills made assigning for their secondary uh yesterday evening CJ Gardner Johnson a pretty somewhat notorious player in the league it's a name I think a lot of casuals know um he's he's got a lot a lot of flare a lot of personality uh we'll get the lowdown on what Sal thinks about the move as we continue right after this Mike is away today I'm the Bulldog and you're listening to WGR are you looking for a money reset with the New Year upon us the Jill on Money podcast is here to help you take control of your financial life follow and listen

1:07:14to Jill on Money wherever you get your podcasts I really wanted to give sale today off I mean not that not that doing this this hit on the show you know would be the day off but you know the day off of our show uh you know you got anything on the calendar that's uh I got a 4 30 I was hoping but you know the bills went and made another signing yesterday and it's one that I think you know it's a it's a very familiar name within the league anyway I think to even some casual fans um CJ Gardner Johnson to uh run in tandem at safety I assume with Cole Bishop and so here is Sal for a few minutes to just sort of give

1:08:16us the lowdown on what he thinks this is all gonna mean and how it'll all fit together good afternoon Sal how are you today pretty good Bulldog I'm just really happy it's you and not powerly welcoming me to the show right at this point to be quite honest with you so this is good we're off to good start if you weren't with us earlier some for some reason phone calls to this show when I started at three o'clock all excited about the sabers and yeah come on in and tell me you know what you're enjoying about this resurgence of the sabers uh every call went to 9 30 WBN we don't know really why but we fixed it I just I don't know what happened so I want to know what it was like on their head that's right I know right right yeah like like did did did someone even make it on the air even like I wonder right anyway well CJ Gardner Johnson this happened right before the hockey game started last night and right is a name player in the league maybe not always for the best reasons um

1:09:19these bounced around a lot and you know I'd like to get into why you think that might be but this is a whole that's filled we talked yesterday and I said like I'm kind of surprised only two editions so far on defense well slowly but surely here's a third and I assume this is a starting caliber player right yeah interesting player too I mean you know there's been a lot of just talk about his personality what he brings to the field um you know the edge that he plays with you know he's also a guy that's made plays I mean he led the league in interceptions just a few years ago with six in 2022 and I mean missed a few games that year too he had six again in 2024 and won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles I mean the guy can be a ballhawk for sure um the way he plays he's just he's got a fearless uh he gets under your skin there's no doubt about that that's been a lot of the talk today and I I agree with you I think he slots right in as a starting safety next to cold bishop you know he does have corner experience but that's not going to happen on this team you know at least as a starter could he play that in a pinch sure I'm sure he could

1:10:19happen it could happen but you have Christian Benford and Max Harrison of course as you're starting corners you had a hole I think at safety depending on what they thought about Jordan Hancock this probably gives us a better idea on that right now which is that maybe he's not ready to be in that role so I think right now you're looking at your starting secondary pretty much what it's going to look like which is Harrison and Benford on the outside the Alfred at nickel and then bishop and C.J. Gardner Johnson at safety yeah I mentioned he's he's bounced around a lot and even even this piece I think right the Eagles lost blakenship in free agency they are looking for a safety does it concern you at all that they didn't go back to the C.J. Gardner Johnson well after having known him as well as they do like I'm wondering if they just didn't want to do that again kind of thing you know what I mean it's a it's a fair question I don't know I mean we don't know what the money was for either side right what what he's looking for in your right I mean he's bounced around I mean the guy's been in a league seven years and he's already played on four different teams five different teams sorry five different teams but that counts the Eagles twice I

1:11:23guess one two three four five teams went to the Eagles twice so moving around six times essentially so that's a fair question to ask but I'll also present this the Eagles brought him back after losing him once right so that he was on the Eagles in 22 and he went back to the Eagles in 24 so you know there's a there's a history there of them bringing him back and you know I don't know does he wear out his welcome where he is sure it could happen you have personalities that rub people the wrong way there's no doubt I'm not saying that could happen it's going to happen or it has happened everywhere he's been there's reasons but that's also why you sign into a one-year deal come in here ball be a free agent and go earn some more money somewhere and you know it's 28 years old right now I guess next year will be his 29 year old season he's young enough to still be able to cash in and have more contracts like that yeah I guess it really depends on how you want to position it right if you like this idea he's got he's got he's got attitude right he's he's got flair and you know moxie and if you don't like this player then it's he's a headache and you know

1:12:24he's going to complain about why how he's being used or whatever I think it's really interesting that this is a player who has been available numerous times and now with no Sean McDermott like this is the first player in a while I feel like that they've gone out and acquired that had this level of I don't know notoriety for just the you know the personality and the trash talking and the the the style of player that he is and I wonder if it's a player that just would have never had a chance here with McDermott as the coach it's funny we've we've I've heard this a lot and I've had this discussion with you and other hosts and I've read about it and I certainly think it's a fair question I don't think it's um I don't think it's out of the realm I also think maybe we've gone a little too far in thinking this and the reason I say that is because there have been players here and maybe they didn't acquire them quite like this right you're right this is the difference with CJ Gardner Johnson is he has this reputation already he's bounced around the league and the bills went out and got him right so but the bills also kept AT kept a player like Stefan Diggs on their

1:13:28team that had a bit of a reputation but I'll look at a guy and I know this is totally not the same player Alec Anderson plays on the edge a lot right and yet here and yet the bills that he's been with Sean McDermott and they they've had him you know as a player Michael Hoyt under Sean McDermott they went out and got him last year he was a guy known to bring the energy get under players skins we saw that in the Carolina game the first time so I I personally don't want to say he would never be here under Sean McDermott I don't think that's the case I do think though that that might be a little bit more of an opportunity here for players like this to say look we're going to kind of get maybe from point A to point B to sign him a little bit quicker than we normally was it is also fair to point out in that same context sale that there is a different defensive scheme here now you know not that Sean McDermott wouldn't have needed a guy who takes the ball away playing safety but you know it's possible his skill set just fits better in what Jim Leonard wants to do with this defense and with the safeties then maybe what Sean McDermott wanted to do with him that's right I also point to Jordan poyer Jordan poyer you know he came back here and he had a few times where he

1:14:29was considered by you know fan bases even hit key on Coleman remember when he was a member of Miami Dolphins and you know and he came back here so like I said I I don't want to lean all the way into that but I agree with you on this premise too which is what did Jim Leonard say about defensive players and who he likes to coach he does his best with guys who don't fit into a box as the way he put it positionless players this is CJ Gardner Johnson he he's a guy that has played inside he's played safety he can do kind of anything you need him to do and he kind of totally fits that prototypical guy that Jim Leonard was talking about when he met with the media the first time so it looks like at least starter wise the secondary is filled out what like what's next on the list here right yeah I heard Trapaso and Geary were in all week in the week before to ahead of our show here on WGR and while they were on today the Jerry Sneed was released by the Tennessee Titans and they spent a few minutes talking about that and whether that would be a fit any thoughts on whether the bill should throw a line in the water on him as as maybe a travius white depth outside corner

1:15:35replacement sure I mean he's a little bit younger and tray white he's 29 years old just turned 29 that's a player that's you know familiar with one of your rivals in your conference Kansas City obviously had some good years there um he's had I think some injury issues though the last couple of years he's only played 12 total games over the last couple of years in Tennessee that's got to be something you look at after playing pretty significantly the years before that I wonder you know they're moving on what is the reason for that it would be just a depth piece here I don't know how much he's gonna cost it can't be too much um I don't honestly I would maybe revisit tray tray white before I did that okay I'm not saying it would be a guy that you would be against having I don't know what the money would be you can't pay tray white what you did last year what I mean honestly Bulldog I think they're giving C.J. Gander Johnson about six million the report is six million right right that's what they gave six that's what they gave tray white last year six up to eight so they're kind of paying they're replacing that money with how they paid trade this white I don't know what a guy likes to need would command you know there's a couple of guys here you ask me what's next well I think you have to figure out a couple things first of all we

1:16:37don't know what they think about Dorian strong right Dorian strong confector in Tennessee had next surgery he said he's going to come back but he did have a pretty you know devastating that injury and we don't know does the team think that he's going to be available and come back and play that matters as far as what they how they approach it and then the other one is honestly what do they think about Dorian Williams do they think Dorian Williams is truly the starting inside linebacker next to Turraubrenar because that's the spot I go to next which is I wonder what they do at linebacker because if they feel Dorian Williams fine that they can feel that all they want but also say under this regime under brin and mean they drafted remain Edmunds as a young linebacker to start right away now I know Matt Milano was actually drafted right before brin and being got here but he took over that rookie year under you know brin and means leadership and played for a long time as a young linebacker Turraubrenar was drafted and then inserted after a year as a young linebacker I wouldn't doubt if they look in the draft for for a good linebacker to to put next to Turraubrenar and then hey let's have him compete against Dorian Williams but I think that might be the next spot on the list

1:17:39they have to look at all right so what's the weekend looking like we are in an outdoor hockey tournament this weekend I think it's going to be snowing and windy so maybe a little a little outside where is that river works are where well river works is part of it but tomorrow where east or are you ever go to the east or are I have been there yes we play only played there when he was a skater still like maybe the first or second year he was playing hockey we played there yeah so east or are and then we'll see where it falls on Sunday over the weekend so that's good I'm also going to be the emcee for the make-a-wish gala with Melissa Holmes from channel two tomorrow night and that's always a great event we raise a lot of money to help make a wish and the the foundation up there so that's tomorrow night so a lot going on this week and we try to stay busy as you know bulldog of course sell all right man thanks for this and have a great weekend and we'll touch base next week all right you got it buddy thanks a lot that's our dude sail kapaccio on the west her hotline his appearances are always brought to you by new yorks only outlet liquor when you need to stock up it's the place to buy a case what's your outlet and he thoughts on anything

1:18:41saline I just talked about feel free the phones do work you won't be asked for your opinion on whatever Tom Bowley's talking about today I hope I feel pretty confident that won't happen 8030550 is our number anything on the sabers of course still open season there as well Paul Hamilton will join me for more on the sabers at the top of the hour Mike is away today along with Zach Jones I am the bulldog and this is WGR on Aspire with emigrate I sit down with people who don't just train big they feel big from Mark Cuban to Mel Robbins we talk about mindset ambition and the work that actually moves the needle listen to Aspire with me emigrate an Odyssey podcast available now it's Paul Hamilton that's what they called me a college or some old he has the facts to back up his opinions people ask me well how the sabers can I think I'll win tonight oh cool now WGR sports radio 550 we're along here on a Friday thank you for tuning in I am the bulldog Mike show pez the

1:19:47day off today joining us now on the western hotline as the beautiful eight bit NES music tells you is the great Paul Hamilton high Paul how's your day going I am well how are you I am good thank you that's good um where do we want to start here what um I mean like last night was you know whatever they're not going to win every hockey game they play for crying out loud we all we all know that um what did you think of of their game overall I I thought maybe I guess you know the body doesn't you don't get to choose when you when you get fatigued but I thought they looked like a tired team in the third period of the game yeah they looked like the team that played the night before not the Washington capitals by far I mean they they looked exhausted that might have been one of the reasons around the ice today just Lindy rough didn't like what he saw and wanted to get a practice in and it's been a while since he's had a decent practice and there were things I think he wanted to work on and and did because let's be honest it's been the last three games at

1:20:48all of a sudden turnovers are becoming an issue again um it's been a long while since that's been the case but uh they've been turning the puck over and actually they outscored their mistakes in two of the game they won two of them and actually could have won the third yeah very easily but I don't think there that's a recipe for championship hockey the way they've been playing in those three games so it's something that they're gonna have to clean up I probably will I mean they did a pretty good job cleaning up turnovers that used to be a real huge bugaboo with theirs and uh they wouldn't be on the run there on if they hadn't cleaned that up yeah you know the turnovers a glaring one was the Benson play that led to the Wilson breakaway I guess that would have been in the was that in the third period yeah it was third period um and like I love I I make this point all the time I don't know that we've really gotten into it I'll bet you've talked about it with Owen because where I get it from the the high cycle that they like to use like cycling up high above the dots in the offensive zone like I love that I think it's a it's a it's a it's a relatively

1:21:52new way to play and therefore I think gives them a little bit of an edge on teams for now but one of the downsides is that at times Zach Benson is your last guy back right I mean so he fumbles the puck there and the demon are somewhere else and he's the last guy back and you know it was a tough scene looking and made a a save there um so it didn't didn't sting him but um that was an example of the sloppiness you're alluding to there yeah and only me he knows how he feels but he is not in my opinion even close to himself since he's been back he has not played well at all um and I'm just thinking he just doesn't feel well yet he's just not all the way back and he's trying to play which very often at this time of year happens and um so but uh yeah it's that was just another play would make me just think uh oh he's not there right now yeah I I liked him was it the San Jose game I think that he he got back I got off the fourth line and up with Thompson

1:22:53and I thought there was like a a shift or two within that game that he looked to me like don't ever take me out this line again look what I can do and but I think overall I think game to game I agree with you I don't think it's really been there which is why he probably is where he is in the lineup at this point yeah definitely and now he's you know that they're shuffling it again and uh the one thing I'm really happy to see I definitely did not think uh Thompson Benson and Oslem was working at all uh and that went on for over two games and that appears to be over Thompson was with Krebson talk with along with Kozak uh meaning if talk doesn't play maybe Kozak would uh you know so that that was good to see because that's just I I like all three players I don't like them together in a line I just thought that line was awful uh so uh now Benson's back with Karak and Malin's time I wonder if Lindy was like sort of sitting on getting Benson and Oslem

1:23:54back together from the game or games there was the Nashville game where they scored I think right right uh Helen who scored two goals in that first period and then the next Montreal game they looked really good together and then they started kind of getting into trouble in their own end and then Helen has went down and that was the end of that I wondered if a part of Lindy putting Thompson with the two of them was to get them together again and see if they could get some magic with Thompson with the two of them younger players but I agree it also has not really born much fruit in them yeah it could have been and and I think Lindy Ruff looks at let's see what it looks like right if you don't like it we can change it again you know type of a thing and that definitely could have been what we were looking at yeah I sort of feel like that's maybe something we got to get used to with the lineup I mean not that the Sabers have it made I mean I'm sure they want to finish first and whatever first in the conference is out there for them if they can if they can finish strong here but I also think you know you've added some pieces here Stanley and Pearson and Luke

1:24:55Shen and like let's let's see what we've got here and boy to start the game I don't know how maybe you thought the rest of it went but boy Pearson looked like a nice fit with Malenstein and Carrick there I mean the goal speaks for itself not that he had a lot Pearson had a lot to do with the goal but he had another good chance shortly thereafter I think shipped after the goal but boy Shen and Stanley together Paul I think that that is just like let's try it out probably and I don't think I need to see the two of them together I would expect I mean you tell me if I'm wrong I think Stanley is gonna play I think I see it tomorrow oh really is it because oh because they think there might be rough stuff tomorrow no it's because I don't think Samuelson's gonna play oh right okay I would put Kessel Ring in but Kessel Ring was paired with Dunn today oh wow from what I'm looking at and Stanley was with Shen and Metza was with was with Dalline so that could change yeah

1:25:58I mean that's only practice and it could change next day but very often not always but very often what you see in practice is what you get and if that's what we see they'll be back together well I want to correct you because I'm not wrong I'm telling you I don't need to see it again that doesn't mean I won't and I'm telling you I don't need I don't think it's a good idea yeah I agree yeah but it that was that was pretty that was pretty rough I get like I said like let's try it out we got some new guys let's see how the pieces fit together and I thought Shen left Stanley in a pretty crappy spot on that first yeah and Kekelein and after the trade deadline said you know very enthusiastically that we're a better team now and I would say depends what we're talking about I mean you're probably are not gonna get thrown all over the arena by the Tampa Bay Lightning which does make you a better team that way but you are not a better hockey team when when those two are together you are not a better hockey team you're a better hockey team with Metson Kessler in dress they're better defenseman the Metsa if I'm not mistaken I'm in the ballpark

1:27:05I know I think it's been on the ice for 18 goals four and two against and so from a hockey standpoint not a toughness standpoint it's not even close yeah not even not even in the ballpark close so it just depends what you're talking about now I would rather have Metson Kessler ring as my third pair and if you need it dress Stanley as a seventh the I mean and let him play three four minutes or whatever if you feel that's what you need in your lineup because he unlike Gertzen from earlier Stanley can't play the game you're right I mean so I mean as a seventh defenseman but if we're I mean part of they got to clean up the turnovers again and then having Stanley and Shen together is not going to clean up the turnovers you're wrong no I agree I agree with that Paul Paul Hamilton on the western hotline with us here so but do you what do you

1:28:07think though like my my guess is that they traded for Stanley and if everyone's healthy Stanley and maybe Kessler ring are your five and six right I would think that's what it should be yeah and Shen is your seventh and Metson eventually get gets back to being although Lindy really gushed about those guys and rightfully sell um you know and when ask about them because he said it is difficult to guys that have been here all year and put their souls into it and then all of a sudden other guys are here and Lindy did say goes this is the group that got us there and I still have a lot of time for all the guys like cozy dunner casts Mets I've got a lot of time and I've got a lot of ad for admiration for how much time they've put in to help us be a better team you know I felt like um you know there could be a lot of things going on in the games leading up to the trade deadline but we started to see I don't think we ever got around to talking about

1:29:07this Paul but in those last three or four games before the deadline last Friday Metsa was getting paired up through games with random partners it was Byron uh it was power occasionally it was Daliene and I felt like that was an effort not so much to see wolf could he play on the top pair for us or something in the playoffs but let's just see if he has to play in the playoffs what it's like right why does he handle this the harder competition because you're right his numbers the metrics are great a lot of it is relatively sheltered I think Lindy's been pretty careful about where he deploys Metsa and what kind of situations but the numbers are great so let's take it out for a spin well you mentioned I think did you tell me from practice he was with Daliene in practice so maybe that's a pair and I'm just curious like if there's any amount of an audition here for Metsa to like still stay in the lineup despite these additions they've made because well yeah I think you write because if he was just an extra they probably just send him down a rod just to let him

1:30:10be the captain of the Amherst again because they desperately need him they have missed him in Austin something fierce there and I'm really huge losing streak and Rosie Ann that was gone too right um but um yeah and you're right the way they've used them but they've used them that way the whole time but it's more minutes in the games you mentioned right like he was getting like seven eight minutes and it was more towards 12 13 14 in the games you mentioned um because in warm-up Metsa would be the left D and Kasselring would be the right D I don't think Metsa has taken one shift on left D at all but I've seen him in practice and I've seen him on the warm-up that way because of what you just mentioned because they don't play together as a pair when it's time for Kasselring on the ice he's out there with one of the top four when it's time to put Metsa on the ice he's out there with one of the top four now when when it was Metsa and um Bryson they they were out there together and quite honestly I thought Bryson was having his best season you know you know they worked

1:31:13well together but when it's the two right-handed shots they they they tend to be worked in with the top four Paul Hamilton on the western hotline with us here on WGR so I'm sorry to like bury the lead here you mentioned San Wilson's in question for tomorrow do we know like what the story is there is it just like a minor thing like what's up with him it sounds minor like Tuck um we got a chance to talk to Tuck today Tuck has been in both practices but as Lindy said in the morning skating he came up to him twice and it's and Lindy said if it was a playoff game he probably would have played but and then the way Tuck described it today too he goes he's better today was yesterday and he said if he felt like he played yesterday it would continue to bother him so he said rather than do that he just wanted to get ahead of it he said because the amount of games coming up down the stretch and the playoffs he didn't want this thing to linger I think they're absolutely right with that yeah you got to miss a game or two here miss the game or two

1:32:14here don't make it worse and then you're hobbling around for until you get to the playoffs or whatever but he said it was better today and it sounds like Samuelson and Tanner Pearson are both in that same boat somewhere along the line Colton Ellis got hurt he missed practice I'm wondering if it's his back again he tends to get back spasms from practice every now and then so looking and may have to back up tomorrow for lion which is no big deal the ball goal tenders do like to set up because Ellis backs up every game right and they they can like really well relax and they actually like lion he's in like during the game he's in the weight room he's looking at film he's getting himself ready for the next start by doing those things while the game is going on he has a game on obviously around him but he likes that he said that's really good for him to get prepared for the next start he doesn't have to worry about backing up I imagine Luke and

1:33:16probably feels the same way but hey they got it back up they got it back up right was there anything definitive on talk as far as tomorrow goes or is it like you expect him to play does he expect to play or does it depend on he sounded like since he was better that he'd like to play I mean he he did take a regular shift with his line but Kozak also did you know they alternated back and forth so so he seemed like he he would like to get and Lindy said and he and really talked to him yet and he said you know he goes we'll have to see tomorrow at the morning skate now since they practiced in a full practice today tomorrow's morning skate will be an optional but talk probably would want to take the optional if he has a chance to play just to see where he's at a type of a thing so it sounded promising but it didn't sound like for sure Paul have you ever seen this is this is back to last night now have you ever seen in any hockey game you've ever been watching a team tee up their big gun for five one time person a row I've never seen anything like that you

1:34:22should ever talk he goes I had to laugh he goes it was hilarious he goes and Tej even was laughing he goes when he came off the ice he goes and and every one of them was just right in the wheelhouse and just let her rip and I think Dan described it one in the crossbar the post I was downstairs getting ready for my walkoff interview I handed down in front of me but I didn't see if it I didn't see a replay if we want to actually hit the post of the crossbar I was going by Dan's description and Dan's usually pretty spot on with that stuff so but just to to and it was always because recently in the on the power play that's really not there so they have to move Thompson around you know sometimes he's over there but they can't really get it going to him and he's got to move around and you know they when they when they had success on the power play which they have had I know we keep taking this around I was like I know yeah it's like well you had a five on three it was one of the most pathetic five on threes I've ever seen in my life

1:35:26they they tried to force everything they had once one scoring chance by bi-room and I'll give them some grace because Dalline was in the penalty box and you would want him out on there a five on three and then for the rest of the game they went four for five in the power play and that's kind of the way this has gone yeah you know where they're you know they oh yeah power play goals and 10 out of 11 games at one point but you know they're one for four in the power play and three of them were horrendous but they scored on one of them no so it's it's produced it's really really been hard to talk about because it's been at so so far on both sides of the spectrum yeah Paul even even the five one time in a row I know the last of the five was after the power played expired but the four whatever it as cool as it was I said this earlier in a way it sort of shines a not so complementary light on their power play because that's the that's the play right Lindgren might as well just stayed facing Thompson waiting

1:36:30just ignore the passing and just wait because of course it's coming back to him um they just have not had enough variety there but um it's so wild to me that they move around the zone so freely at five on five I'm talking about the high cycle a few minutes ago and on the power play often it just feels like it's kind of stagnant and I'm not sure I can really rectify that and our goalie was sitting right next to me the one I think when done scored I'm one of the times he scored coming out of the corner and I have been yapping on that don't don't you mean don't yeah yeah what did I say don't yeah I'm sorry yeah uh they you know I've been yapping about that is wide open come out come out bring it out and they wouldn't bring it out bring it out they would bring it out it's like and I said to him I said oh and I go that's wide open they are giving it to him because they know they won't take it and they're giving it to him sure enough don't came out bang in the net and he's done another one he done what does another one the other day too yeah I asked only have one like that it's like it's wide open there if you take it and it makes them worry

1:37:34about something else then where they where they weren't worried about it before but it drives me insane that the other team gives that to them and they don't take it Galaxy brain thinking Paul they're saving it for the playoffs that's got this gotta be it that's gotta be it uh and and and and goalie dad how did Lindgren not be the first star last night he wasn't even a star I don't know are you kidding me I don't know the shots were 15 to three in the first period the capitals do not win that game without that goalie and he's not a star are you kidding me take it up with your fellow media members Paul you guys vote on the three stars don't you don't anymore you don't anymore the sabers pick them oh okay well interesting all right before we wrap up I I talked with Luke Foxx already earlier today and of course Toronto coming to town tomorrow night Paul we know this one right there star player got cheap shot it and no one reacted and now they are getting

1:38:35the ever-living crap kicked out of them um what do you think they Toronto does not I ask Luke about this like there's they don't have a gearts in the call up right there there's not like a line of tough guys waiting to come but they're all gonna fight tomorrow because they've been questioned you you think yeah yeah we're gonna get full on circus act just like sabers did after they all wanted to fight after that they all want to be part of you know we want to be there for each other so you know Stanley probably needs to be dressed tomorrow because I would the Leafs are got to do for that matter I guess right yeah yeah the Leafs are gonna be you know and as I've told you many times still believe it you know the thing that happened to the sabers last year probably is the best thing that could have happened to them because they you know they got together they sat in a room and they they hashed it out and said some things that needed to be said that were probably pretty hard to say to a teammate and it never happened again they they became a team yeah and the Leafs are at that cross road right now I I don't understand I

1:39:36really don't understand I would expect a house league team of 14 year olds know how to react in that spot I don't understand how people in the NHL need a class in how to react when your captain gets hit by the biggest goon that has played this league in 25 years who goes out to try to hurt people has his whole career I don't understand why you all need to sit in a classroom and be taught what you need to do when he takes your captains knee out really 100% yeah really it's amazing and I didn't understand it last year either right you know and I don't get it yeah I mean a lot of the I saw and read quotes from Morgan Riley today who was on the ice and it's like well I didn't know how bad the hit was but I you know he took a spot I should have done something you know I missed an opportunity but I didn't see it and it's the same thing with

1:40:37the guys last year like I don't care if you saw it your your your star player is lying on the ice the lines men are telling you who to go get because it's the guy they're chasing to try to keep you from spearing him in the face yes so like go make a beeline to that guy yes you've been playing hockey your whole life you know make a mistake who cares right right and it's radical goodness like you said it perfectly Paul he is the dirtiest player in the league the last 10 years and I don't think it's even close like he is gross every time the and the sabers will be out there next week right they go to Anaheim next weekend I think I just would just please get through the game without Radkogut is ruining somebody's knee just please get through the game well you hope he gets five games he won't get any more than that because right oh that's right and that's the fifth game right yeah so yeah so you hope that he gets the most he can possibly get which is five games which is ass and I be concerned he's a repeat offender I mean I understand you know Malcolm didn't mean to

1:41:38do that he lost his head if he would have been thinking he's not going to slash dolling in the neck that's sometimes happens I get it but Goudus does this crap all the time it's like it's like the Miller thing with Lucic and here's Paul Gostad the gutless Paul Gostad who basically is standing next to Lucic but kind of turns his back to him so it looks like he doesn't know he's there and and then after he gets absolutely annihilated by the fans in the media it's like yeah I made a mistake I'll fight him next time oh yeah that that'll do good yeah yeah go get him next time as he's laughing at you because he knows you're coming and he basically took his gloves off taped his hands but before you got there and and and and basically sat there laughed at you as you arrived yeah do it then that'll be perfect yeah I'm really curious to see like whether Luke Luke didn't think it'll be a full-on circus um you feel like you're leaning more toward like

1:42:43you think the leaves so yeah their man has been questioned I I just really think uh the sabers will be in for a bit of a tussle all right well that'll be fun then I guess right fun for us we're not we don't have to eat any punches we just have to watch and just so I've already remembered it'll be 80% leave fans because those tickets are sold back don't don't forget in November the sabers were last in the conference that's when those tickets were sold not in the last 10 10 days or 10 games where the sabers have sold out the building and and everybody is really excited yeah I'm expecting tomorrow to be jarring in that way too uh maybe leave fans will want to sell their tickets back to the saber fan maybe we talked about that with Luke too like he because he doesn't think it'll be as strong and I don't know that I would want to say it'll be as strong as it's been but it's not going to be what it's been the last chunk of home games like you said but it just because again those those many most of those seats were sold long before the sabers got on their run starting in December yeah the question is whether leave fans have put

1:43:43them back up for sale to sell them back to sabers because they're so ticked off about how things have been going but uh they still probably would have made your money because they're going to give it to you for half of what they paid right no doubt right all right Paul thanks a lot for this appreciated um enjoy uh whatever tomorrow brings okay sounds good take care Paul Hamilton on the western hotline and his appearances are brought to you by Ray Lax Honda Ray Lax we got this all right yeah what do you think is tomorrow gonna be like a three-ring circus because the leaves are being slagged hard for their lack of response to Austin Matthews getting cheap shot at by racco gudas last night um i definitely could happen i mean i i would expect there's at least offlight but i don't know if it'll be anything like what that Tampa game was last week but i i think the leaves will try to make amends and show how tough they are to some degree or another but again it's not a team that's stacked with that you know they know there's no Ryan Reeves there anymore so it's not like there's there's somebody that you've got to be really

1:44:48worried about in that department either um so i guess we'll see how it goes uh tomorrow what do you think 803 05 50 uh is the phone number you want to get in we'd love to have you bills or sabers uh welcomed uh at this point mike is away today i'm a bulldog you're listening to WGR if we're really talking about the bills though the thing they have lacked defensively and they have lacked an enforcer Milano good linebacker Bernard good linebacker they're not enforcers taylor rap good safety not enforcer drawing pooryer really really really good safety over the years he's not enforcer mike a high my dog had neck issues he's not enforcer today the swite that's the homie he not enforcer they haven't had enforcers the bills have never had a dude put fear in your heart that's johnsy garden john Zach i'm sorry can you tell the people who that was and what he a man a manual acho i don't know what he was talking about because i was talking to Zach the entire time the man was talking

1:45:52uh she's talking about uh cj gardener johnson well that's funny because me and zack we're talking about another safety the bills just signed in your face acho sorry that really didn't make any sense um it's it's like uh the bills have signed according to jordan shultz another safety another starting caliber safety this is a player who started 17 games i believe the last two years for the Bengals geno stone um yeah so one year deal probably modest at that but another piece for the secondary there after gardener johnson was signed yesterday that's a one year deal we know the money i feel like gardener johnson is the more he's a bigger name certainly in the league um if you like that's the guy that probably starts but stone has 14 career interceptions um in his career has been around since 2021 um originally a late round pick with baltimore and has played

1:46:58for baltimore and Cincinnati in his five years in the league and again i think unless i'm seeing something wrong here i've got 17 games uh each of the last two seasons with the Bengals so um is what the pdf page had the years wrong at two 2024 years which i know can't be right so i'm assuming that second one is 2025 and it says 17 games started the last two years you only started i don't know 18 games over this previous four seasons with the baltimore Ravens uh but another piece uh for the secondary uh geno stone so update your uh uh your scorecards if you uh if you need to um good nick i mean accomplished players players who are experienced starters in the league feel like this is good news it was just yet twenty four hours ago we're talking to sell i'm like how are there only two additions on this defense here already a week into free agency

1:47:59whatever wednesday but monday is when it really begins um and team start making deals with players unless they decide to lie about their medical histories and then walk away from the trades but anyways um and it was pretty stark to me that at this time yesterday it was Bradley Chubb and dl Alfred who added on the on a defense that seemingly had a lot of holes a lot of free agents leaving and a whole new scheme to implement uh but just in the last 24 hours or less cj gardener johnson at safety and now geno stone at safety so the bills are filling in here as the first wave and maybe even the second wave of free agency has gone by uh they're getting busy and adding at least players who have starting experience at their positions in the league and that's at least the very least that i think you can say or should say uh about geno stone so uh okay there is that um um what do we think about tomorrow what what do we what do we think with the leafs coming in i've got two

1:49:02i got conflicting ideas here from men who cover both of the teams luke fox from sports net on the leafs earlier today said like of course the leafs are getting you know they're catching it from all all directions here with that show last night with uh Austin Matthews being cheap shoted by Ratco gudas uh if you didn't see it i mean there's as as grizzly and and gross a neon knee hit as you can really get um just and it's a player with an awful reputation to begin with like Paul and i were talking about gudas and the leafs did absolutely nothing in the moment about it and there was opportunity to um it's like he was squired away immediately to the penalty box he he was available nobody seemed to have the gumption to go do anything about it which is the worst we know this one from history most recently last year with tach Thompson like i've talked about a couple of different times and just how sour that left everyone and how much different we feel about the

1:50:02sabers now that they have shown quite definitively i would say i think most people would agree that that is a thing of the past uh the way that they've handled themselves not just in the Tampa game on Sunday last weekend but really all through this year right we had a a situation the the Tampa game before that where um dolleen i think was cheap shot at her or was it Thompson i don't remember who but somebody got slashed across the skates and and put down on the ice and Noah Oslin was right there to jump in the sabers have completely gotten over and done away with that reputation they're going to face a team tomorrow in the Toronto Maple Leafs who season obviously is circling the drain and are now being challenged in that way um i am sure that the every time i go through my twitter feed i've got another show with another former player on some podcast with Elliott Friedman just talking about how embarrassing it is to the crest and all this stuff the way they handled

1:51:05themselves yesterday the Leafs did with with Matthews on the ice with what appears to be at least some level of a knee injury will find out once they get an MRI done like Luke Fox is saying we won't know anything really probably unless word leaks out tonight um it's certainly feasible they'll have the results before tomorrow morning but the next time anyone within the Leafs is available to the media will be following their morning skate here in downtown Buffalo tomorrow so that's when at the latest we can expect to find out how severely Austin Matthews is hurt but our concern is how the Leafs react to that as that game went on young player young prospect player maybe the maybe the the brightest young prospect they've got Eastern Cowan got in a fight there was another play later in the game where someone a hit was leveled or something and Cowan went right in and answered and I mean he got this is not a kid that should be fighting but I think he wanted to you know recognize you know what had happened and how it was handled earlier in the

1:52:07game with Matthews was not okay so he went in and just like Sabers guys who didn't handle themselves great in the fights we don't really care just show up and defend your teammates and you're going to score points certainly with your teammates and with your fans so Cowan did that last night I'm curious what tomorrow is going to bring in that respect whether the Leafs are going to be like full on looking for that kind of thing to sort of prove themselves um you know we'll see the Sabers in the same scenario last year did dress Dennis Gilbert in the next game and he immediately fought with I think Joe said it was Columbus um that they were playing the game after Thompson got leveled against New Jersey and first time Gilbert was on the ice he's in a fight with some Columbus guy um and you know that's like just a huge eye roll um me I would I would think that at at a minimum we get something like that from Toronto like some you know some second third or fourth line

1:53:12player there um I don't even know is like is Dakota Joshua playing regularly still for them I I know he's been in the lineup at times like maybe that's a guy uh that is gonna you know go go find Beck Mellon sign or Logan Stanley or whomever and maybe that's the end of it or maybe Toronto will want to make a bigger point and just sort of make it a thing all night long I guess we'll see uh how that all goes tomorrow we don't know before then there really I don't think will be any clues from any call ups that they'll make because they're not an organization that's got like a a goon they're sitting on or anything um but I'm kind of curious it's the Sabers really want to be really really want to be jerky and I'll tell you what the the move tomorrow night is is go go bump into the goalie in the first minute of the game uh go find a way to take a run at Willie Nylander or Morgan Riley and just kind of see what happens that I mean that that's what

1:54:15Tampa did to them last week like let's see what happens when we start poking you and we start cheap shotting you and the Sabers answered with you know a flurry of fists and uh and scrums and a pack mentality I wonder if the Sabers have it in them to sort of tweak Toronto in this in this moment like just push them to see if they can get them to snap um just curious um really I don't I don't know what to expect um I think again at a minimum you get some staged signature fight so that some guy on Toronto can say see we're tough and we'll all be rolling our eyes including leaf fans and maybe even some leaf players or we'll get some full on Donnie Brook out of Toronto I don't know anything could happen but they are getting there I mean the shots are coming pretty much nonstop uh you can imagine I mean it was it was hot and heavy here in Buffalo last year imagine Toronto and the media in a year where they're spiraling circling the drain and the captains

1:55:19lying on the ice I mean they're just getting clobbered for it so be interesting to see how they react to that 80305 50 is the number Mike is away today I'm the bulldog and you're listening to WGR I'm Sarah Turnie and I'm Courtney Nicole were the hosts of the Crime House original podcast The Final Hours. Crime has impacted both of our families teaching us how of the last conversations of the misbred flags can change everything on the final hours we examine the moments before a disappearance and the questions that never got answered the podcast that puts the moments before a disappearance under a microscope listen to and follow the final hours available now wherever you get your podcasts