Hour One- Sabres vibe check and getting ready for March Madness

0:00My 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 stuck it's too fire. I'm going to set up the speaker and I'm going to listen to it. 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. That was my review of Mike Shope and the Bulldog. I didn't need a spritzer, it wasn't fire enough, no spritzer, no spritzer. The snow looks so pretty, it just floats down out of the sky, it lands on everything,

1:10makes 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, alright 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, I'm like, it's only March, 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 a little, it takes a little getting used to. Ah, you're soft, yeah, whatever, I don't know, I've had enough, I love winter, I like the snow, I'm just ready for it to be gone now. I'm like Zach mentioned, I'm watching Golf on TV and there are people in shorts drinking cocktails with some of them having brothers in them, I'm craving that, I've had enough of this, although I shouldn't be complaining, the sun is actually coming out here in

2:13Amherst, so 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, 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 and like it just, it just spontaneously rains because there's just so much moisture in the air, yeah, 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 Pani out of itch, we'll join us for insight on the coming NCAA basketball tournament and maybe some baseball futures

3:16and our Lindy Ruff coach of the year bet, that's coming up at 330 at 4 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 knee to knee job from one of the filthiest hockey players, can I say ever in the league? I don't know, certainly currently, Rackogudas is absolutely someone who hunts players to hit them hard and that often results in injury and we'll see, we've gone to 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 in the NHL at 430, Sal, the Bills, CJ Gardner Johnson

4:18signed a safety yesterday, so we're going to want to get Sal's 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 buzzkill and the first person through in my mentions is like our expectations so high that we have to refer to the first loss in eight games or nine games as a buzzkill, 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

5:18their 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 game 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,

6:19but 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, for 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,

7:24the 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 restarts 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 and 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 Sabers, before the season long lockout, bankruptcy, league ownership,

8:37there were people working over there worried about whether they were going to get paid on time, 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 got 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

9:37and 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's going to swoop in and take the team away, I guess if the attendance had continued to be what it was, if they'd 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 are appreciating the most, like what is your favorite part of this Sabers Resurgence, right, is 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 too young to 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

10:41with 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, 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, even later than that, so you know that'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

11:44things 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, 803-0550 is the number, always time for calls 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 803-0550, I just think 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 can't all be the best, right, I mean, games like Sunday night against Tampa are gonna be rare, where I mean it's just off the charts with excitement and just everything you could possibly want in the sporting event, last night 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

12:48first period, they were, they were, their 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 played by Malinstein, he, I 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, you know, 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 that they didn't win that game because the play that Malinstein makes for the one goal that they did score 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,

13:53I mean, is that Leon Drysidle? Who am I watching? Malinstein with a behind-the-back no-look pass across the goal mouth to Carrick for a tap-in. It's back Malinstein, oh, and I were like, roaring in the living room, like roaring laughing, he could not believe 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, he's, he's had other ones, even one against Washington earlier this year where he kind of recreated the Pomenville goal against Ottawa in game five, the series winner, he's, he's had these moments, but last time it was just, it was just hilarious to me that he's uncorking that pass to Carrick, and it's just like, what can't this team do? That's back Malinstein. 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

14:57Allen threw to Stefan Diggs in the corner of the end zone in Arizona in 2020. You know, the play I'm talking about, 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 under Hopkins and Arizona wins the game, and this great throw, and 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 really mattering that much? Yeah, that's one. And I feel like Malinstein 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,

16:01I couldn't really hear the crowd on last days 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 net, 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 wondering what in the actual app is going on in the living room because we were just hysterical. It's one after the other, after the other, after the other. I left off and after the other there. I have to think 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,

17:04like such an incredible moment to have. And, you know, as it turns out, they don't score there, and they end up losing 2-1. And just like this Malinstein play to score their only goal, it's kind of like 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, or really any game for that matter. But I know I cannot recall, so I'm gonna rephrase because I, you know, never seen this 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 spot, as 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

18:07get teed up four times as quickly, and ultimately it was five, there was one more like after the power plan. Did I think 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 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 looked to be laughing about 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. You know, within it, when I squeezed this in, because Owen made this observation, and I have been a lot of you did too, and I wholeheartedly agree with it, as cool as it was, watching Thompson hammer one time, or after one time, or after one time, or after one time,

19:10or after one time, or after one time, or there, I said them all. 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 time, or from Tage Thompson. But it's pretty predictable. I mean, it's been a part of the Saber's 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 Tage Thompson, because the puck was going back there,

20:13it seemed no matter what. We're going to, we're going to, we're going to, we're going to, we're going to make this work. And somewhere within that, there is a criticism to be made against the Saber's 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. Can we, can we find another thing, can we find one other thing to do? Maybe two or three would be helpful instead of just doing this over and over and over again. But that said, the criticism takes a backseat. The, the fun of it was just awesome to watch unfolding as he's just hammering those shots at the net. But again, ultimately, the score and a late defensive breakdown 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, 10 game win streak tomorrow.

21:18But a chance to get back on the right side of things with the Leaf coming into town. 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 Luke Shen. And I, I look, I appreciate the Sabers place in the standings. I appreciate that they've got new parts that they want to try out. I'm not eager to see Logan Stanley and Luke Shen on the ice together again, never. 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 Conor Timmons. We'll see how that goes. I get them wanting to like get both of these guys out there and see what we got. Let Shen get acclimated. But there were some misplays. Obviously, the first goal was a misplay from Shen to Stanley. And there were a couple of other times where

22:22they kind of had a tough time in their own zone. So let's pump the brakes on that. 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. But Shen really is the one that I'm watching last night going, let's not do this again. Again, if we have to, we have to. If we're comfortable with our position in the sandings and you want to get some guys some time off, okay, that's reasonable. But I don't think I need to see that pair again. It did not go real well. So those are some thoughts on last night's game, but mostly it's vibes, Chuck is what I'm after. Let's squeeze. Oh, I can't work the, can you punch rich up here real quick for the break? Thank you, Zach. Rich, sorry about that.

23:25You're on the air here on WGR. Bulldog, 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 with the power play. It's more predictable than the WWE give it to take. Give it to take. You can't do it. You get to move it around. You got to get these guys moving around and everybody that we play against knows if around the power play is going to be, oh, you're just a one-timer. No, if you get to move it around, you got to make these teams know that who's going to get the pop? Who's going to get the pop? Yesterday's game was very disappointing. I'm a little worried about the western trip. 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 and the west,

24:25if we can get at least two, then I'll be more confident about how far we're going to go. Okay, I'm not, to me, they've passed every test already. I don't feel like it's a test. We've talked some already this week about great Saber's teams that had very bad stretches at the end of season 0506. That team lost eight of nine. I'm not looking at anything like, oh, I got to get this. I got to get that. I got, they're good. I'm trusting that they'll figure it out. Last night was a blip. The power play for sure. The thing that's weird and thank you, Rich, for the compliment. 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,

25:30they're kind of stagnant. That just does not really add up to me. It's a weird piece of all this that is never really added up to me. Anyway, thanks for the call. Let's hit up a timeout. Sam Panney 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. 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 they 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 curious about whether maybe Brandon Bean could pull

26:35that 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 Moore from the Bears. Glad to have you with us here on a Friday afternoon. Mike is away today. I am the bulldog joining us now on the Western hotline is our good friend Sam Panney out of it. 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 of weeks for us. 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 bet 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. The room. You guys made the room

27:36somewhat notorious on your previous incarnation. I'm sure the room has continued to be the subject of derision on the chicken dinner podcast as well. This is a time of the year where the room really shows up. Is it not college because what do most people do with college basketball? I'm sure there are, of course, fans who watch it 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 on? I like this team. Time to wager. That's probably not the best way to do it. It's not, but it's okay. You never want to be that person that gets late to the party. 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 made and they have all their dots connected because they've watched four days of college basketball

28:41and they have all the answers. There's a game tonight. It's in the ACC, Virginia, is a top 10 team in the country. But if you look at the market, Bulldog, most of the bats, like seven of every 10 bats are on Virginia. The line opened four and a half. The line is now 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, did we bet Miami? Yes. 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 on ranked. 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 sweat and grind college football and the NFL. They do it from the end of August through

29:47the 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 up 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. This is the playing games. But Thursday, Friday, the traditional, you know, start of the tournament. And 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 pick final four teams already? Can I like, 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. And 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

30:52Michigan 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 two hundred. And they're like, I want more. And I'm like, that's me. 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 can find like a plus two or five right now on the cougars. I think they are bound to make the final four. All right. I am, I am filing that away. I will do what I can do there. What is going to happen to Miami, Ohio after they lost for the first time? Are they not going to get in? They should get in the bubble so soft this year. I, I don't have a hot take for you.

31:54And you didn't prep me on this question. I think if you go 31 and oh, you should make the tournament now. I do agree to. I mean, like, can you imagine a 31 and one team not making the tournament? I mean, like, how dumb does that sound on the service? Now, now, where do you see them? Look, he's, I think what they're going to do. I think they might put him 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. My answer, I think, should be, they have to be in. So I just know that I saw some, you know, I go, oh, no, they may not make it. So I hope you're right. We'll see where it all goes. Sam Panty out of its chicken dinner sports wagering podcast host co-host on the western hotline with me here on WGR. So it was another week where our buddy Greg Waschinski

32:56with ESPN.com, their senior hockey writer. He's been posting, I don't know if he's doing it monthly or buy 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 I think it's a different group that votes for coach of the year than 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 Ruff 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 Ruff 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 Savory V-Tam, brother for three days. I'm still trying today. Yeah, you're still trying to like, oh, I should probably shower again after watching that shootout. I don't, I don't understand how, and we've, you and I

34:01have talked about this before. Tampa 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 don't know. Like I understand, you know, the rankings and the columns and all that. But the betting odds still have Lindy favored. And we have, what do we have seven to one on Lindy right now? Yeah. That's what I believe. 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 in so little time. Yeah. Well, like you, Mike, and I have, we have a bet on Lindy. And I, I remember I was, I was standing outside of bar and 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 have a good bet. I just, the Buffalo Sabers could be one of the best teams in the East. And I came out of nowhere. How does that guy not win the award?

35:04I don't know. It's, there's a sentiment around NHL circles that John Cooper, the Tampa coach, 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 one coach of 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 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 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 a direct 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

36:11every 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 think what Lindy has done. And again, I'm an adopted Buffalo diehard hockey fan here. I don't know how Tampa's story is better than Buffalo's story. Big picture. Yeah, I agree. I think 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 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 close like plus money. And maybe Seattle is like minus 105. But everybody else, you know, all the other divisions,

37:12even 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. 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 batsman on the Cincinnati Reds to win the NL Central. Now the two teams that everybody talks about are the Cubs and the Brewers. And then Paul Schien's helps the pirate flavor. But there have been some

38:13sharp 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 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, well, 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 bet over the Red Sox win total. All right. Sounds good. Sam, appreciate it very much. Love you making time when you're back home in Chicago. Anything we need to know like how often is the chicken dinner showing up and I just want to make sure we're doing

39:16our best to hold up our end of our relationship here. Sure. Yeah. We got a Sunday selection Sunday spaces coming up this weekend. 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 you. It's everybody. Sam panty out of it. Chicken dinner. You find that on social media sites. Great intel into the wadering world from Sam and his partner, Joe Estrowski. They've been very generous with their time and helpful to us. All right. Hit up a time out here. Got time for a couple of calls. If you're out there, 803 05 50. Enjoying this Sabers joyride. We'll get into tomorrow's game. That's right. We're at previewing the next game stage of fandom here on the show. Luke Fox from SportsNet in Toronto. Gonna be our guys

40:21talk 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.