Growing to love the Sabres again

0:00I'm done carrying around bulky drinks. And I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out of my pockets. So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow 5 hour energy shots. These little guys are as pocket sized as any candy. But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero sugar caffeine boost. Candy can't even compare at this point. Fruity rainbow 5 hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor. To the tasty caffeine kick. That's right, caffeine just got a flavor upgrade. And it's not just one flavor. Five hour energy shots bring you tasty caffeine and 17 flavors, 17. So if you're craving that candy flavored chaos, but actually want energy that works, grab fruity rainbow 5 hour energy shots, pocket sized, zero sugar, big flavor, available now at 5hourenergy.com or on Amazon. This is attorney Amida Zari from Zari Law.

1:01If you've been injured in an accident and feel like no one is fighting for you, it's time to fight back. Call Zari Law at 888-828-3rd. That's what one call you can put a proven legal team on your side. Zari Law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years, proudly fighting for our local community. I was born and raised right here in the DMV and my team is made up of experienced, reputable local attorneys dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you. Follow us on all social platforms at Zari.law. That's a-z-a-r-i dot L-A-W. Don't wait, don't settle. Fight back with Zari Law. With offices in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, my team and I are ready to stand up for you. Call 888-828-3rd. That's 888-828-H-U-R-T. Let us fight back with you. It's Charles Barkley here with Wayfair and let me tell you, game day is serious business

2:02at my house. If I'm grilling, chilling and watching hoops, my outdoor setup better be ready to play. That's where Wayfair wins. From patio seating and umbrellas to grills and grill accessories, Wayfair's got it all and it shows up fast. I'm talking fast and easy delivery, so level up your grill game and your outdoor chill game. And head to Wayfair.com to get your outdoor space ready for the season. Wayfair every style, every home. It's Mike Shope and the Bulldog. Raisin brand? You got to put Raisin brand up there. Everybody knows it. It's Mike Shope. Listen, get your own stupid old dying person team and choose your own series. And the Bulldog. I shall unleash my theory upon you like the crushing of a thousand waves. That cereal is soggy. You reach into the fridge for the milk and open the lid on the milk to pour it in there and that crap is already psyched. I am untethered and my rage knows no bounds.

3:05That's a problem for a cereal. I knew the problem. It's Mike Shope and the Bulldog on WGR sports radio 550. Welcome back, happy Friday, 5 o'clock. We've got the sabers, sudden movers and shakers and winners in the Eastern Conference, the NHL. It's all pretty amazing. The bills are doing the tough work today, cutting veteran players and not really anything unexpected there. But we do have the DJ Mortrade. That wasn't anything close to being a given kind of not shocking that they would do something like that. Exciting to talk about as well. Just thinking about as we continue here, Salat 530, EJ Radik, NHL Network at 6, so lines are going to be open for you right here. Thinking about Paraco again and how that fell through for the sabers. The Blues had a press conference and it was a little bit weird. They were talking about, I didn't see it, but I'm reading about it, checking people's

4:10phones to see if anybody is caught leaking the Paraco trade. I don't know. It was weird from the beginning that we had the exact specs of a trade before he agreed to it because they always knew he needed to agree to it. And then, of course, he ultimately did not. And it was a little bit, it was another case of somebody doesn't want to play in Buffalo. Yarmul Kekalainen got a few questions today about that aspect of it and he consistently repeatedly said, we're not going to change anything. It's going really well. I love it here. Our players do all of that, which I can certainly believe. It's nice when you're winning, you know? A lot of that stigma is from so much losing and it's just not enough time yet to reverse all of that. I think not assuming Buffalo is where you want to be traded to, it can be reasonable.

5:16And then there's also the personal aspects of it. I'm done carrying around bulky drinks and I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out of my pockets. So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow five hour energy shots. These little guys are as pocket sized as any candy. But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero sugar caffeine boost. Candy can't even compare at this point. Fruity rainbow five hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor with a tasty caffeine kick. That's right, caffeine just got a flavor upgrade and it's not just one flavor, five hour energy shots bring you tasty caffeine and 17 flavors, 17. So if you're craving that candy flavored chaos, but actually want energy that works, grab fruity rainbow five hour energy shots pocket sized zero sugar, big flavor available now at fivehourenergy.com or on Amazon.

6:17This is attorney Amida Zari from Zari Law. If you've been injured in an accident and feel like no one is fighting for you, it's time to fight back. Paul Zari Law at 888-8.8. That's what one call you can put a proven legal team on your side. Zari Law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years, proudly fighting for our local community. I was born and raised right here in the DMV and my team is made up of experienced, reputable local attorneys dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you. Follow us on all social platforms at azari.law that's a-z-a-r-i dot l-a-w. Don't wait. Don't settle. Fight back with Zari Law. With offices in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, my team and I are ready to stand up for you. Call 888-828-Hurt that's 888-828-HU-RT and let us fight back for you. It's Charles Barkley here with Wayfair.

7:19Let me tell you, game day serious business at my house. If I'm grilling, chilling and watching hoops, my outdoor setup better be ready to play. That's where Wayfair wins. From patio seating and umbrellas to grills and grill accessories, Wayfair's got it all and it shows up fast. I'm talking fast and easy delivery. So level up your grill game and your outdoor chill game and head to Wayfair.com to get your outdoor space ready for the season. Wayfair every style, every home. This is a player that was in-has been in the league a long time, only for one team and I don't really blame him for his choice. He's earned the right to make that choice and I don't think he ultimately was traded anywhere. Peraco. But here's the point. All that having played out here in the last two days or so, it's a day where they brought in four back of the lineup players at best and that's all well and good.

8:19You want that? He wanted more experience, he wanted more size and he got it. Two defensemen, two forwards. I think he met his goals, Kekalainen. I would be annoyed with the Peraco thing if I thought he was a better idea. And if I thought he was a better idea, I think I would be standing there more than kind of enjoying the moves that they did make, that here we are again with a player that was a big get and he scuttled the move, taking us right back into the palm trees and taxes stuff. If I thought Peraco was a better player, I would be mad about that. I don't, I mean, he's probably better than the guys they got. He was more expensive by the reported trade by far than the guys they got. So that would make sense. But I'm not really bummed out about it.

9:22Talking to Travis yesterday, reading enough people who I respect that weren't that excited about that acquisition. Okay. I mean, if it's someone better and I'm talking about essentially trading two first round picks, you certainly could think he's better than I'm saying. But if we're talking about somebody better that the Sabers were willing to trade two firsts for, that's the lead. That's the lead of the trade deadline. Then I'd be fighting with myself about sort of being critical at a time where the vibes are so good with the Sabers. I'm not down at all on what they did. I mean, a couple of these guys, the defensemen from Winnipeg, the charts are pretty gross. On Shen and Morso, I think on Logan Stanley. But they're going to play lesser roles here. And I think what they did in the end all made sense. And I did think Perrico would have made sense.

10:25I mean, you're talking about a team with a chance to win and being willing to trade prospects and draft picks in the process. I mean, that's all perfectly normal to see happen. But I just, after two hours or two hours, two days of thinking about him and what this would all add up to after the deadline was over, good luck to him, you know, and good luck to the guys we've got. That's what matters. Let's stand by the boys, right? We talked earlier. A caller brought up the experience point and how important it is and that's there for you too to discuss. I mean, that's what we're all going to be talking about sabers wise here for maybe like most, much of the rest of the season, it's going to be big. As the playoffs come closer, they're not quite a lock yet, but they're closing in on that. That's going to be everybody's maybe main talking point about them, maybe less so relative

11:28inexperience on the roster than just the drought ending and how long it's been since they've been good and players like Thompson and Dalin who never had a taste of the playoffs before what that's going to look like. I just can't wait. I think today was fine. I think it made sense and I don't think they really lose much, not getting paraco. I mean, if they had gotten paraco, they don't do some of this today, right? I mean, they don't need two more defensemen from Winnipeg. They did send Jacob Bryson out. I don't know. I doubt they would have done as much. It doesn't bother me. I'm in such a good mood about them and shouldn't we all be like, this is crazy. You sit down, you watch them on ESPN and they just roll the penguins like, okay, a lot of these games, even last nights, I would say they're not like dominating, but who does that? I mean, they're winning and it's just so much fun.

12:30I'm so happy for everybody that, I mean, all the fans who are enjoying this, but especially those who like sort of stuck with it in a way that I admittedly did not do. I have a professional obligation that I would admit at times I didn't take that seriously because the team was such a drag to talk about. It was like doubly annoying. You get to this time of the year and they're dead and there's all this NFL stuff happening. The playoffs are so much fun. We're left out and then there'd be games and we'd stop a conversation about Bill's stuff to give you a pre-game show like these and kind of like who cares. On a personal level, having had season tickets for almost 20 years, I got really fed up. I wasn't having any fun in there and it's just like again, exponentially annoying because

13:33you know how much money you're spending, you know that other teams have nice things and you don't and the buildings maybe half empty and the people who are there are rooting for the other team anyway and sometimes you think it's better off if we lose, we certainly had that experience. It's just think of all the different parts of the conversation that have just been upended or even killed and it's also each and every one of them on its own is great to have you know be behind us and put together. It's just amazing and it's always better when you don't see it coming, isn't it? I mean I like being right, I would like to have told you I thought all along this team would be great, I definitely did not. I like being right but whatever, it's really fun when you get a team like this, think of the bills, right? I mean we're at the point with the bills and have been for a couple of years where it's just all this pressure, it's only a successful season if you go farther than the year before

14:39and that hasn't been easy and they haven't really done it. I mean they've hit their heads on the ceiling in the playoffs. So now it's like the regular season, I mean games are fun but you kind of expect to win and it's all about the playoffs where you have the sabers now and it's just the best. All the big surprise, people that stuck in there with tickets, good for you, I just couldn't. I was having such a miserable time going and would find like every flaw in it just sort of that's kind of my nature and I would get so negative thinking about what I was giving up to go whether that's money, it is money, it's also time and what a breath of fresh air. So good for you if we had a call or before it hasn't been to a game in years, he's going tomorrow like what a great feeling. All right, that's enough for me for the moment, 803, 0550 for your calls. Let's talk to Pat here next, hi Pat. Hey, I just kind of piggybacking off of what you're saying, I'm lucky enough I'm in Connecticut

15:41right now. My son had just completed his first year of hockey in several years, he had a bad experience before he's loving the game and just sharing the sabers with them. We've been watching for years and he just like always asked why are they so bad and this has just been, I mean it's just, it really is like almost a life change and it's so refreshing, it's so amazing to share this with him again. You know what else Pat? And I can speak from experience on this one sitting in here for so long. It has not always been easy to answer the question your son asked. Oh my God, he's a bill's fan and a sabers fan and I felt guilty for so long. But if he asked you why do they lose all the time, what do you say? I mean they've had high draft picks that have become great players and it still hasn't been enough to even get them in. So it's not crazy. It's not been an easy question. I can't even, I can't even believe and I feel so excited and also like bad for him because he's never experienced play up hockey. I mean you're talking about cage and Dallin, but as a fan when every game is like a heart

16:43attack, it's just insane. Yeah, it's really fun. Thanks Pat for sharing all that. You know, my daughter is the same age as the drought. She's never been alive for a sabers playoff game and she's a hockey player. I'm not sure how into them she is, but you know, once in a while I can catch her watching a game. She likes, she's still like Seattle. That's what happens when your team is just never in the playoffs. You sort of gravitate or it can happen. You don't have to gravitate to an expansion team, but she's a kid and like the colors and the logo and the name and everything like that. I mean, I was there once. I rooted for Seattle and football, did you know that? When I was a kid, I rooted for the bills also, but the Seahawks were kind of my favorite for a while. Part of that was because my mother is left handed and their quarterback when I started watching was left handed, Jim Zorn, so I liked him and I tried to learn to throw left handed. I sort of got into that, so anyway, enough about, I said I would stop talking.

17:44Frank is next. Hi, Frank. Hey, how's it going? Happy Friday, by the way. Thank you. So I just, I'm loving the sabers just being in the playoffs, but I kind of wanted to address the DJ more. I feel like it's going to work out and I think we're all of our hopes and worries are not really as important as the bottom one that we spent on them. I think that's the major downfall is that we probably could have got two equivalent, I mean, one, not equivalent, but two mid-tier players for the same price that probably would have been just as well, but it just seems like that Buffalo is having problems getting players. When they say we have Josh Allen and people want to play for us, it seems like we're having difficulty having players, but our players come here and want to come here, but anyway, that's all they wanted to say. I think it's going to be a great move, but I think we did overpay just a little bit. Okay. Thanks. I think they've overpaid by a lot when you put together the draft pick and the money that they're guaranteeing him for three years.

18:46I mean, into his post 30-year-old phase of his career, cross your fingers, but I don't agree with they could have just gotten two lesser guys and done just as well, because that's what they've been doing. We've been settling at that position, and this at least is a different direction for them. I don't know that DJ Moore is great, but he's good, and he's better than who they've got, so I'd rather they do this, all else equal, I'd rather they do this than two mid-tier players as you put it. Let's go to Steve next. Hi, Steve. Hey, thank you for taking my call. You're welcome. Welcome to the Sabers, and I know it is a celebratory era, and obviously the vibes are a lot better than they used to be, and I don't mean this to come off like negative or cynical. I just think that we've been so conditioned to lower our standards to the point where the 14-year playoff appearance drought is what we consider to be the drought, which

19:49in my opinion, I think you have to go back to 2007, I think the drought is the last time the Sabers have won a playoff round, and that's harsh and maybe unfair, but if they don't do it this year, it is 20 years since playoff wins, 20 years, say it out loud. They have not atoned for jury and brière. You could draw a through line for all the ineptitude, all the problems that we're building the tank years, all the draft picks, everything goes back to July 1st, 2007. It's not fair, and maybe I'm scarred from it until they win around, but really, they have not done it since. I know you talk about it's fun that there isn't the same kind of pressure like it isn't the bills, and sure, that's true, but if they don't do it this year, it's 20 years since the playoff round, and I think that you've got to start to, I think Sabers fans need to start looking at it through that lens, not just getting in, but you've got to win. They have not done it since that fateful day, 20 years ago. Well, I agree. Thank you, Steve. I agree with a lot of what you said. I mean, many times I've said they're still not recovered from the blow of losing those

20:51two players. But fans absolutely do not have to make this harder for themselves, you do not have to do that. I mean, not to get philosophical, we know the stats, I mean, you're right. It doesn't help you to fixate on that, it's not healthy to think about all the years of losing. I mean, hopefully those days are over, they're never over permanently, but sure, I mean, they could win. It's not going to be, I think, a huge long shot to think they could win in the playoffs, even maybe more than once. So I don't want to dwell on 2007 right now, not even the drought. I mean, we did reference it, but yeah, I mean, you're right. You want to set a high standard and make it that it's winning in the playoffs that really should be the standard. And I don't disagree with that. I'm just not going to sit here and, you know, obsess about it.

21:55Let's go to Jim next, I Jim. How you doing, Mike? OK. I'm going to have to agree with every color that's had before me, but my daughters and I have a mutual love for hockey to begin with and the Sabers, especially my oldest daughter, which was one year old, I sat her on a table and the player signed her from the O-15 or Jersey. And she's still got that jersey, but she's been holding on to it, hoping and praying that someday the Sabers would be good again. And my wife absolutely hated hockey until two years ago and we took her to her first game. And even through all these crummy games that we've seen over the last 14 years, my daughters have wanted to go at every single game. And then we went to, as they started getting good in the arena, started filling up and it started feeling like old-time hockey. They were so amazed by the feeling and the atmosphere and the noise.

22:56And they both worked full-time jobs, but they want to buy tickets and take me to the game with my wife because they just want to be at the game. And it's amazing to feel because I've been a fan since 1970 when they were in, brought into the league and it's great that they're finally coming back into that kind of play. Yeah. Well said. Thank you, Jim. Maybe I'll see you in there, one of these games. I mentioned my daughter. My wife with the Sabers is a big part of how I remember the good times. I think of her more than anyone else because I don't think she had really been a big hockey fan, but we got in after the canceled season and it was cheap. And then we built our ticket group into, I mean, I had 30 people at my house one year with how many tickets we had accrued. So it became like a really important thing in our lives.

23:57And what not to say she hasn't had her own journey, if you will, but what my indifference to it meant that we didn't share in that at all anymore. Other than the random game or two over the course of the year, we're almost felt like an obligation because we had the tickets and, you know, does my son want to go? Not really. Does my daughter want to go? Not really. Like, it's just so different. But now I'm turning the game on as soon as I get home last night, for example. And she sits down and watches it too. And she wants to know who everybody is. She wants to relearn the Sabers. I mean, she has a Palm andville jersey and a Gostad jersey. And I said last night, maybe you got to whip that out. We have a couple of games coming up still to go this year. Maybe you wear, wear the old jersey like, I don't know. It's probably, I don't know. But it's wonderful for me personally to have her on this ride too, as you say about

25:00your family, like that has been really cool. And it's just getting better now. I mean, the playoffs are such a different level. But you can watch, let's hope anyway, you can watch these 20 games that are left and feel like their chances are really good. And that's just so great that they might even get so hot here that it's going to be more of a formality that they make it, not to jinx anything. But they came out of the Olympic break. What do we say before the Olympic break? And we said it prematurely, oh, what a terrible time for the Olympic break for them, because they're just winning all the time. They did lose a couple right before. And you know, so it wasn't really right to say that as early as we did. But still, I mean, they were on such a roll that come back from the Olympics and it's five straight wins in Jersey, in Florida, in Tampa, like easily.

26:01The next night, by the way, back to back on the road, easy game, the Vegas game, and then in Pittsburgh, five, one, like we're going to be asking each other the rest of the way here, how real this is, you know, I mean, goal tending is a lot to do with it. And that can swing like speaking of a lack of experience. Here are two goalies where what are you expecting from them as we get into the playoffs or even close to it? Do we trust it? I mean, there's going to be, there are going to be many conversations of that sort. And I welcome it. I think it'll be just so much fun to have them back on this kind of level where like I was ready today to break down plays, you know, like that, that Malinstein hit where he only gets the two. I mentioned this earlier, like I was at only two minutes, Norris on that rebound with don't in front of the net, just certain plays from this game, tux deflection, that's

27:04so back for me. And I hope for you because for a long time, we just sort of dropped all of that. And now we're watching games with that kind of level of interest. Again, I should say myself, because this doesn't have to apply to you, but I know it applies to many people like because that's how it goes. When they get hot, we go with them, we're here for it. Back to the bills after the update, Sal Capaccio joins me will analyze the different moves they made today, few guys out the door, EJ Radik, NHL network, expecting a call for me, Jay coming up at six. This is Mike Schoep, bulldog is hopefully back with me on Monday. You're listening to WGR. I'm done carrying around bulky drinks. And I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out of my pockets. So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow five hour energy shots. These little guys are as pocket sized as any candy.

28:05But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero sugar caffeine boost. Candy can't even compare at this point. fruity rainbow five hour energy shots treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor. With a tasty caffeine kick. That's right. Caffeine just got a flavor upgrade and it's not just one flavor, five hour energy shots bring you tasty caffeine and 17 flavors, 17. So if you're craving that candy flavored chaos, but actually want energy that works, grab fruity rainbow five hour energy shots, pocket sized zero sugar, big flavor, available now at fivehourenergy.com or on Amazon. This is attorney Amida Zari from Zari Law. If you've been injured in an accident and feel like no one is fighting for you, it's time to fight back. Paul Zari Law at 888-828-3rd, that's what one call you can put a proven legal team on your side. Zari Law has been serving the DMV for over 15 years, proudly fighting for our local community.

29:09I was born and raised right here in the DMV and my team is made up of experienced, reputable local attorneys dedicated to fighting for injury victims just like you. Follow us on all social platforms at Zari.law. That's a-z-a-r-i dot L-A-W. Don't wait, don't settle. Fight back with Zari Law. With offices in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, my team and I are ready to stand up for you. Paul, 888-828-3rd, that's 888-828-3rd, and let us fight back for you. Get more out of every mile when you share the ride to work. With carpooling, you'll have time to relax, save money, and pick up new friends. Commuter connections can help you find carpool partners who live and work near you. Even if you're commuting just a few days a week, it's a free service. Carpooling, every dollar saved, every friend made. Mr. for free, carpool partner ride matching at commuterconnections.org, or call 800-745-RIDE.

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