Hour Three- Sal Capaccio on Bills moves today and Sabres playoff chances

0:00The NFL offseason is here, but the action never stops. The draft is right around the corner and he'd the call NFL podcast with Dan Hanzas and Mark Cessler is your pro football destination, prospects, team needs and pick by pick coverage of Draft Weekend. He'd the call covers all things NFL and we have fun. No fake hot takes or boring data dumps here. Just entertaining football talk from your favorite buds at the bar. So come hang out with the He'd the call heroes for football news, analysis, and mirth all the and listen to the He'd the call NFL podcast wherever you get your podcasts. I just sent an email pointing out a mistake to one of my guys in a fantasy thing and just

1:04as I was sending the email, he sends a new email that says, Hey guys, here's the update. There's not a mistake anymore. He's going to think I just am dumb because I missed the new file just a victim of timing here and I'm going to have to wait 25 minutes to correct it back to correct it. What's wrong with Mike? Here's Sel Kapaccio with us on the Western hotline. Sel, first question. What a hockey game. I'll hang up and listen. You were there last night, right? I think I saw a video that you shot. I was. I was there with Max. It was great. I mean, this is what we've been waiting for, man. I've been just building it up to and that's the other part about it. Like we've been talking about this and I've been saying to him how amazing it's going to be when we're in that position and we can go to a game like that and then we knew this game was going to be that game. We had tickets and it didn't disappoint, right? That was the best part. You got there to just didn't disappoint. It was unbelievable. What a freaking hockey game. I mean, I'm driving home last night, listen to Brian's, you know, post game and Brian said, maybe it's the best regular season game ever in this arena and I'm like, ah, maybe

2:09that's hyperbolic. And then I thought about it and said, yeah, that might actually be right. It might be the best regular season game ever in that arena. It was just awesome. I love it. I love the feeling of the crowd. I love what was happening out in the hallways and then after the game, it was just great. I mean, how do you measure such a thing? Events. I mean, I'm sure there was some amazing game where Dominic Aschik stopped 43 shots in the Sabers 1, 2, 1 on 15 shots, you know, it was probably great at the time. But if you measure by actual events, it's this game and that auto a game for regular season. I mean, if a goal and a fight or an event, you had like 30 events last night, just a right pass, pass when the game was even over. It kept going. So I don't know how you beat it unless you can find a game or stuff. I mean, even the little things like I thought that the presentation was so on point last night, right? So, for example, I don't know if you guys were there or saw this. I think there was video of it if you didn't, but there were all these, there's like five guys in each penalty box. Yeah. I saw this person.

3:09Yeah, it's funny. You came a person on the big board showed the lightning penalty box and then panned over to the Sabers and then went back and all of a sudden the crowd starts boo, then Sabers. Yeah. Boo. Yeah. He's a WWE character or something and he like did it like a, he like flex his muscles. It was great. Like the crowd got into it. It was just so cool. Yeah. You know, I love this for you and your, your son, like, you know, how much hockey means to my family and my old, our oldest son Owen, but, you know, he's 24 and this is the first time we are watching a Saber team that he can actually really get emotionally invested in. And he was too little even, you know, he's, you know, he's born in 02. So the, the O506, so it's just not old enough for that. And you know, when they were in the 11, like, nobody really believed in it, whatever. It's the first time he and I are watching these games and like laughing and high-fiving

4:10and just, you know, like sports fans, like mostly he's watched games with me in that living room for just, you know, just hanging out, we like hockey. And this is just a whole different thing now. Yeah. And not only that, but how about all this stuff after the game? It's like a bills game where the bills have this incredible game and you want to go home and just watch all the highlights of it. You want to relive it because like for me, I do this all the time because part of my job to go back and rewatch it, but it's also because I don't get to hear like what it's sounded like on TV and relive the broadcast. I hear it in my ears and Chris Brown sounds great, but it's live. And I don't get those, the replays and all that. So as soon as we got home last night, I could not wait to turn on NHL on the fly last night. And that's what I did last night. We sat there and we said, let's watch this and it was great. And then this morning, first thing, sports center, NHL network, I'm watching it all, just consuming it all. And there's so much more to consume. I love the call you guys got earlier by the person saying they're just savoring this right now. And like they don't want the playoffs even rushed to get here. They'll get here and then you get intense, but you're just enjoying it. I love that call because we're all kind of feeling that I think in a lot of ways right

5:13now. And we said to him, a lot of the pressure has come off just incredibly by the last two weeks where we were looking forward to a tight race to get in. And now it's even different, quite different than that. All right, so I'll show you. Can I ask real quick? I said this in the morning show guys, I'll ask you, would it be too jinxy at this point to actually do like a playoff pool, like a baby pool, like what day they actually clinch? I don't believe in jinxes. So go for it. Okay, answer. All right. If we, if we were slaves to superstition, we'd never say a word about anything, right? That's right. That's right. So I can't, I can't do it. Sal, departures today from the bills, Reggie Gilliam to New England, we really didn't talk too much about him leading up to free agency, Mitch Trubisky to Tennessee, David Edwards to New Orleans. Maybe that was a given he would be leaving, although McGovern stays from the weekend. Think these news items bills related from today, if you would.

6:15I think Reggie Gilliam is number one. He didn't get the money, David Edwards did. That was a really nice deal, good for David Edwards, I'll get to him in a minute, but that was expected. Like I've been telling you guys, I mean, I thought McGovern would leave, he didn't, but I mean, you know, you couldn't keep both of them and they didn't keep David Edwards, he leaves. The number one, like I think thing that's going to, I wouldn't say maybe Edwards would hurt that more, he's a regular player and of course, he's really good and they're still an unknown in Alec Anderson. But guys, I mean, Reggie Gilliam, what he's done for this run game, even on the field only, you know, 20% of the time, what he's done is a core special teamer, a guy that's just been here understands how it works inside that locker room and I know there's a new head coach and all of that, but I think that's a significant loss, but it's doubled because he went to a division rival and he went to a division rival that likes to use the fullback in Josh McDaniel system, but didn't really have that ability as much last year. So, you know, you lose him and you lose him to a division rival. That hurts both your core special teams unit and it hurts your run game where you have the leagues leading Russia now, say though, the bills might be set up a lot better than they had in years past to kind of absorb that number one.

7:17They do have Jackson Haas obviously as a blocking tight end and you never know. Maybe they can put him in that role if they need him. But the other thing is I do wonder if Joe Brady wants to have a bit of a departure from having a fullback in the field, you know, one of every five snaps on average. I mean, maybe because of Joe Brady and this talk about wide receivers and vertical, maybe they want more 11 personnel. So maybe this is an indication of that as well. There is a report of a bill signing just in DeAndre D. Alford, a cornerback from Atlanta. He started 23 games over four seasons, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports. It's a three year deal worth up to $21 million with about half of that guaranteed. So not a full time starter for the Falcons. This is a fifth year player out of Tusculum Bulldog. Okay. Yeah. Tusculum here. Falcons corner. I don't, I mean, you're good, but anybody ready to go to go on D. Alford sale, I'm going

8:20to, I'll send you some Venmo if you're ready to go on D. Alford. How about signing a corner, right? Very high three interceptions and passes defense last year. So a guy that seems like he's an ascending player, but I wonder what this means to me. I go to, what does this mean for Trudevius White? This is a player that you bring in now where you still bring back Trudevius White, but you have Max Harrison obviously to start opposite Christian Benford, you know, was the plan just, hey, we just need some backups to fill in. This is $7 million, right? That's the kind of money you gave Trudevius White last year to be on the roster. So it feels like this is a guy where, hey, you know, we're going to, some Max Harrison is going to start, but with the entries last year, you never know, maybe this is a guy that could compete there if they need to, if they need a player opposite Christian Benford. Former Winnipeg Bluebomber to Alford. Do you think back to the guys that have left today, do you think the, the bills got caught here on Gilliam or do you think maybe because Joe Brady's in charge now that maybe they

9:20don't feel like they needed the role as much or do you think it's just somebody wanted to give him some guaranteed money and he's been mostly year to year here. And so just let him fly before he we're not going to meet the price. Yeah. I think it's the third more than anything to me the way I read it. It reminds me of Mac Holland's last year, you know, Mac Holland's went to New England and did a really good job for him. You know, the bills didn't want to give two years, $10 million. You know, they could have gone to one year, $4 million, but two years, $10 million, $5 million a year just wasn't something they were willing to do. So Mac Holland's went to the New England Patriots. The Patriots have an ability to spend more money right now. They have much more cap room. They have a really good quarterback on a rookie deal. I think this came down to value for me. It could also, like I said, be an indication maybe the value is baked into maybe Joe Brady feels, hey, I want to run a little bit less of, you know, how full back on the field, but I know they do love Reggie Gilliam and he did mean a lot to them in special teams as well. I'm sure they'd love to keep Reggie Gilliam. I don't think it's a case of, you know, we're just going to move on from the guy and

10:21them deciding that. I mean, I never know, but I think it's more so of that's just a price that we can't meet for this player. Yeah. And you said it already, maybe they have a reason to think cause can serve in dual roles and, you know, that's a player on a rookie contract and still get the benefit of having the blocking that they're looking for out of that player, just maybe expand his role a little bit. Yeah. So, so we'll see. And again, this is when you go to a division rival, I think it hurts more, you go to the New England Patriots, it's a little bit more than if you had signed with, you know, Tennessee, who seems like they're signing, you know, 50 guys today, right? So he goes back and going back to Brian Dable or something like that. And then David Edwards, I mean, good for him. I just think it's interesting. Now, David Edwards is a really, he's a good player. He did well with the bills. Remember, he came here. He was more of a six extra offensive lineman for the first part of when he came to Buffalo. And then he went into that starting left guard role. And you know, he parlayed that into $15 million a year, really, essentially.

11:21The bills, if Alec Anderson starts at guard, they'll have a $3 million starter. Now Alec Anderson may be a fantastic player or you may be getting a guy where you wish that you had, you know, hey, this is John Rothstein, the host of Inside College Basketball now, part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network reminding you that our show is going ramp up over the next two months. That's because we're counting down a selection Sunday and March madness. We will be coming to you each and every week with multiple episodes, featuring exclusive interviews with the biggest and best names in the sport. It's the all you can eat buffet for college basketball junkies everywhere. Follow and listen to Inside College Basketball now on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. Oh, David Edwards or somebody else back there. There's there's some unknown. We don't know that, but I do think it's quite interesting. The difference between what David Edwards got in the open market and what the bills seem like right now, at least, what they're penciled in starting left guard is going to make. You know, I, I, I'm Anderson. I'm thinking of, um, oh gosh, who was the, is a lineman that ended up going to, is

12:24an Ike butker, someone who was so valuable for his versatility, right? Yes. Anderson played tackle this year, didn't he in that game where the, the Pittsburgh game, when everybody was hurt, Doc has been Spencer Brown, he, we, we know he played center in the Denver playoff game because there were a few snaps there that, uh, McGovern had to leave for, um, now we're talking about him as a guard. I wondered about him today, whether like his versatility would keep him from becoming their left guard. Um, I asked basically Joe Brady this question, like exactly like you are, you know, what, because remember, we used to ask Sean McDermott about this too, like, and, and McDermott's response is always like, look, guys, they would love to play, but, you know, you have to always balance that, which is what's, you know, what you need with the team and, um, you know, you could be so good at being so versatile that it just hurts your chances to start and make money. Joe Brady's answer was, and I think this is the same answer, essentially, he said this time a year, you just want everybody who wants to start and wants to compete, like you want guys who want starting jobs. And that tells me, I think that Alcanderson wants to be the starter.

13:27And I'm sure that he would, to me, this is why Bulldog, he signs a $3 million deal. The bills could have given him a $3.5 million tender. He actually signs for less than that $3 million. Now it could be because maybe they want him in the more versatile role. And then people ask me, well, why did they, you know, why did they give him only that money? Well, or why would he only sign for that? He could have waited it out. And my answer is, maybe he said, look, I'm going to start, and I'm going to parlay that one year deal, one year, $3 million, and I'm going to go out and give me the next $15 million player. Look what happened to David Edwards. Right? I mean, if Alcanderson is a really good year on that offensive line, which has four other starters around and blocking for Josh Allen, Alcanderson's unrestricted free agent next year. So it makes sense for him too to kind of want to be in that position. Were you surprised they got McGovern done? I was. I was. I mean, I came on here with you guys many times and said, I just didn't think it would happen. And it's really interesting. He winds up getting $13 million a year. And then today Tyler Lindumbom just blows everything out of the water at the center market. And he's getting, what is he getting? $27 million a year.

14:28I mean, that's unbelievable when you think about it. The only thing about McGovern though that puts a bit of a damper, but it doesn't have to be that much is because his original deals void year kicked in, like it happened in February, the void year, the date, bam, it's contract is void. We now have to take on the dead cap hit and he's going to be a free agent. That's $4.8 million. You can't go back and undo that now. So the bills are still responsible for $4.8 million of a dead cap hit for a player who actually is on their team on a current contract, basically counting twice. It's wanted to slip in a question real quick because you brought up Mac Hollens earlier. Do you think the bills regretted not signing him? I mean, regret some interesting word. I think the bills would have loved to have had Mac Hollens on the team last year. I still think I don't know if they would have, if they regret not giving him that money mic, but I think as the year went on, it was proven how valuable, not for the pay, like the Patriots side of it is, is separate here. I just think he would have been valuable to what the bills needed last year because they

15:29needed a guy who did everything he did. They talked so much about how valuable that position, they mean, look, that was supposed to be maybe a Keon or a Gabe Davis when they brought him from the practice squad. He winds up getting hurt. Tyrell Schavers did a nice job, but then what happened? He gets hurt too. But yeah, I think they would have liked to have had Mac Hollens because he meant so much to all the different ways that they would use him. Real quick, just to fill out a little more on this D-Alford signing, the Falcons Corner that we just talked about, Sneaky Joe's already got snap breakdowns in his career, and slot corner is by a lot where he is mostly lined up for Atlanta. So maybe a Tarrin Johnson replacement, again, not highlighted as expected to be as much a part, a key part of the defense, but still someone you want to have on the team, and maybe there's your answer. Yeah, for sure. When the name first came across, I didn't realize he played the slot that much for Atlanta last year, so obviously, this feels like to me, and obviously the Tarrin Johnson thing was weird, right, because he was going to get released, and then he gets traded overnight

16:33last night. And that's just because the bills were able to get a bump up from a seventh rounder to a sixth rounder. But this tells me that what we talked about earlier, guys, which is with Tarrin Johnson, it wasn't about the player itself. It's about the position and how much it might change. The bills still need that position, but they were paying Tarrin Johnson a lot of money, and they could save a little money by releasing them. So they get younger, they still spend, you know, seven million a year, but let's see what the deal is. Right. It's not going to be seven million this year. Right. No way. 100%. Right. So they're going to probably have them have a player that can play that role at a much lower salary, but also because he's not going to be on the field as much as Tarrin was. Allford, by the way, had a sack and a pick against the bills in that one day night game. One of his three picks on the year. He had an interception right before the half. One deep for Shakir picked off by D. Allford was challenged, and the play was upheld. And then he had a sack in this game too. So how many of those how many of those two corners get in their career, a pick and a sack

17:33in the same game, it came against the bills. And maybe that has something to do with. He didn't play for Carolina, but he did perform against the bills and freshen someone's mind, perhaps looks like a bill's possible target is off the board. And Alex Singleton is resigning with the Broncos according to Jordan Schultz. It's a guy that we talked quite a bit about him, Leo Chanel, John Franklin Myers. He's also gone. He's gone to the Titans. So Leo Chanel is still out there, but the other guys we talked about here a few of them are still are now being signed. There's nothing I'm going to assume surprising about the bills being as quiet as they're being on this first day. Right, Sal? We sort of were bracing and expecting this, right? Yeah. I mean, at this point, I would have thought maybe we hear more trade especially, right? If they didn't make the DJ more trade, maybe they're in play for receivers, something but they did. So that's out. Yeah. I thought we'd hear something before 5, 19 PM, right? When we were sitting here talking about it, I thought something would come down a little earlier, but never expected them to necessarily be one of the first teams on the board with

18:36a big name signing, especially considering some of the money that's going on. Look what Alex Pierce got right back to go to Indy Crazy, a lot of money right there. Wow. Mike Evans, actually, that was a good deal. That's a nice, you know, that's not a ton more money than, you know, I think most people would be willing to give him that, but that felt more like that's just where he wanted to go. They worked it out in, you know, Kyle Sheenham's offense. It's 20 million year basically average. He goes there. The only thing a little surprising to me so far as we still don't know what's going on with Dawson Knox, haven't heard anything on him, a restructure, a release, you know, the bills have till Wednesday at 4 PM to be kept compliant and just so everybody's aware on how this works. So the bills cannot trade for DJ more officially until Wednesday at 4 PM and when they do, they're going to have to have enough money on his current contract as is to fit him under the cap, which is over 23 million on that. So they got to have room to actually fit that 23 million in at that time. Then once they do that, they can basically, with a couple of swipes to the pen, lower that cap hit to $6 million and giving them $17 million of cap relief after. So like within the first few minutes, they can do that.

19:36So there's a lot of financial gymnastics at play here when it comes to doing all this. What do you think of Malik Willis? You know, player that we talked a lot about, I said, I thought I saw him going to Miami because of the connection with the coach and that's what's happening here. I was a big Malik Willis fan coming out of college. I really like Malik Willis. I think that Malik Willis can be, you know, a nice player in this league, but he's going to a place where they just are kind of going to be really bereft of talent next year. They're resetting it. They're not going to be, they're not going to be a very good football team overall and that puts a lot more, you know, against Malik Willis. It's going to be tough for him to kind of, you know, go out there and show people why they signed them. And, you know, from that standpoint, hey, good for him, but I don't think it moves the needle for them as an organization because they're just not going to be that good around them. All right. Ken Walker to the chief's cell. Is this going to be a running back? Have we moved into a different, if you will, era when it comes to running back value,

20:37given how some pretty big signings have gone the last two years, even James Cook, if you want. I mean, he wasn't, he didn't get to free agency, but he did well financially and then went on to lead the league and rushing. I mean, a lot to his team Walker, the Super Bowl MVP, goes to the chiefs. Do you think that that changes the chiefs in a significant way? It helps them. They needed, they needed a running back to take a little load off. They have not been able to run the ball, you know, all that well. And I think Kenneth Walker is, he can be a home run hitter. We've seen, he's versatile. He can do a lot of different things, but he's also had moments where he kind of disappears for stretches at a time, right? But this, this is a good player, I think, that put it in their offense, coach by Andy Reed. I think this is a nice player for them. It's interesting. His deal, by the way, the overall numbers are basically the exact same, very close to it, as James Cook, the difference is James Cook got another year. So really, it's divided by four for James Cook, it's divided by three for Kenneth Walker. That's what happens, you know, on it, you know, the next year comes up, so someone gets a little bit more money, you know, but Cook, it's pushed down quite a bit here for some of the running back deals that have been made here.

21:38The thing that I actually do like, now, I think that they make some much better on the ground, right, than what they've been. But the thing I like is, I think that takes them out of the Jeremiah Loss, we've stakes in the draft. I thought maybe that was a guy that they could wind up either taking it nine or trading up to get. One, we'll watch to see if Cook starts tweeting about being underpaid. We'll have to be monitoring that. Two, I don't, I would bet that love goes before nine. Yep. Everybody seems to think, like, Tennessee at four is realistic for him. So he might even top genty for draft capital. Yeah. I think Tennessee makes a lot of sense. They've made some moves today. They've spent some money, though, you know, they signed Belinger, a tight end. That was a spot we thought maybe Knox could go to if he were released, you know, could Brian Dable and he's fine, but they gave Belinger, yeah, they give the Belinger some money there. Then one day, Robinson as well, who else they signed? Oh, yeah, John Franklin Myers, they signed, they've done some work today, Tennessee. So, you know, they're trying to really build off what they have in their second year quarterback.

22:39Now going into a third year quarterback and can't warrant it, that's a spot I could definitely see love. One thing I know you want to do is a franchise. Just load up all your money, all your eggs in the basket and rate the New York Giants closet. Extra. That's what you want to do. That's what you want to do. It's not neighbors. That's what you want to do. I don't know. One day, Robinson is like 110 catches for 600 yards. Like that's, there's value, but that seems somebody tweeted and isn't this so right? All the receivers in free agency pass like the top guys. Does that ever work out where you're spending like top of market? Maybe isn't right, but just massive financial investment on receivers who aren't elite. I'll give my guy, Jacob Sanderson, a hat tip, Colts fan, ADP chasing, he's predicted the whole time. They would keep Pearson, move pitman and I didn't hear anybody else expecting that from the Colts. So he was right. What do you think about that pitman deal, especially considering the DJ more deal and

23:40can that context much better for the buyer Pittsburgh did much better than the bills did, I think. You're going to have to like the players equally. I think I like pitman more anyway, but that's debatable. What about you? Yeah, I hear that. I still don't love giving up the second rounder, you know, I mean, that feels like man for pitman, you know, but I will say though, they had to give pitman a new deal. DJ more was already under contract, right? I think that was part of it. Well, you're getting a pitman cost control player, but you're going to redo his contract. I believe pitman was under contract yet a year left, but one year. Yeah, that the extension is kind of a given once, once you do that, right? I wonder, like, remember when the DJ more trade was reported, it was mid-round pick that Adam Schaefter used, and I don't know if there was some sort of mistake in the dissemination of the message or what, but I might have been like, okay, sure, that makes sense, like this, but it wasn't, and that is the big problem with it. I think like you said, so just then, okay, good, good talking hockey with you and some

24:41of these moves. Thanks for your time. You got it, guys. Should be a busy week. That's our salcopaccio on the West her hotline. His appearances are brought to you by New York's only outlet liquor when you need to stock up. It's the place to buy a case. What's your outlet? Bill's reportedly make a signing in the secondary. We'll talk about that some more, but also, wow, the Sabers, 803-050, were you there? Was it as good as it had to be? Like best ever kind of level? How about this team? Mike Schopen, the Bulldog here, lines open for you. This is WGR. On the host of the Jill on Money Podcast, with the New Year upon us, there's no better time to take control of your financial life, and the Jill on Money Podcast is here to help. It's your questions that make it possible for me to provide unconventional, and I hope entertaining insights on your money more importantly on your life.

25:43Follow and listen to Jill on Money wherever you get your podcasts. This is why I play hockey. This is the best part. It's just finally. Finally, we're here and we're doing good things, so I don't take this for granted at all. I'm so fired up. I'm so happy. I'm so happy for Buffalo as a city for all the fans, too, and this means it's the world. Rasmus Dalyne wad a night for him and them. Mike Schopen, the Bulldog here, that's been the main topic of our day here is just taking this all in, and last night was so amazing, memories of 20 years ago or even 15. One thing that has come up a couple of times is, and this was referenced when we just talked to Sal, how they really don't have as much pressure to make it, as we all would have loved, we would have taken it. Every one of us would have taken it, but some percent go back whenever the appropriate

26:46time is. Every one of us would have taken a number of percent chance to make the playoffs. Just get meaningful games in March. We're moving metal. We're playing meaningful hockey in March. We're doing that. We want to get there. April would be incredible if we could just be alive in April, whatever the alliteration I need there is. You tell me, but now I'm thinking of it. Anyway, we would have taken a much more modest result than we have to this point. They've done since the Olympics is simply go 7 and 0, seven regulation wins, two against the lightning, by the way, and moved all the way to the top of the division, two points off the top of the Eastern Conference, third most regulation wins in the league. I mean, they should make, if they don't make the playoffs now, it'll be a catastrophe, just to say like I'm not, it's not 100 percent, but it might be 98 at this point. It would be incredible if they missed it. Incredible. And I felt that way for four a while, but even with that said, to come out of the break

27:47and pile up 14 points already and be on top of the division, like we were saying it, you know, when the break came, wherever they were, maybe they, I think they were in wild card one at the break, because they skidded in a little bit, right? They lost maybe three out of four or one in overtime or something. So you know, they were still in good shape, but to come out and yeah, the looking behind you, at least at the teams that could displace you, like knock you out of a playoffs bot, I'm done with that, that is over. Now I'm like, okay, can I hold off, second place is, you know, third place is like my worst case scenario. Second would be wonderful. Coming out of the break, I thought first place, okay, I'm this close to Tampa, I've got three games with them, but what, I'm going to sweep them well, they already did the hardest part the last Saturday, they won in Tampa easily, then this slugfest last night here, and they're

28:48here again, right, early April, April 6th, okay, with a chance to win all three of those games, and they're already ahead of Tampa. Now there's two games in hand, you know, and that can cut both ways, everybody's going to be so busy playing a lot of hockey here, Tampa, you know, they've only got the same amount of days till the season ends, they got to play two more games than Buffalo does. So yeah, they have a chance to gain points while you're idle, but that also means they're going to be busier at a time of the year when you're everyone's busy. So they got more games jammed in here at the end, that could end up being to your benefit. That's just the best, it is so 2006 with the tough start ever, Dahlene going to Europe as the sabers were struggling and his wife was struggling as well, and he left the sabers, that was around November 6th, they played the blues on November 6th, he may or may not have

29:49played that night, he comes back nine days later, they lost every game in regulation without four straight St. Louis, Carolina, Utah, Colorado, he met them in Detroit, remember that? And they won in Detroit, they entered that game five and 12, five eight and four, and now they are 39 and 25, carry the one, 34 and 12, and it didn't get hot right away. I mean, that's, it's the Edmonton game that's the signpost, right? The game in Edmonton, before the GM change is made, that's December 9th, it's just so cool. I don't know, what is that? Wow, are you in broadcasting? Well, it just is, it's a lot, we've said this a couple of times today, and I was talking about it early last week, it's a lot to take in, like the adjustment to your relationship

30:51with them, you know, it, it, it's not hard to fall right back into, you know, the way you used to do it 20 years ago, but it was 20 years ago, I mean, it's been, it's been a minute since maybe you have felt anywhere near this level of emotion about them and it, and even that, like, like you just said, they would have had our attention. If, right now, if they were, I mean, who, who's, who's the best, who's closest that's not in it? Columbus? Or Ottawa? Or Ottawa? Like if you're one of Columbus's two points ahead on it, well, anyway, you're one of those two teams, you're five points back of the wild card, be like, okay, well, there's a race. I got a race, okay, just get hot, win a couple games. That would have our attention, but not like this, like, they're not even the Bruins, like they're in first place. Well, that's blue past everyone. That's what I'm thinking about too. This is like, it's so long ago, and so many years in between then and now, we're closer

31:56to irrelevant. And we didn't have any conversation, what was last year, like, what do we, do we talk about the playoffs much at all? No. Post deadline or how do we talk about them at the deadline? Like it was kind of a non-event, 2006 and seven, those two seasons, the playoffs are not in doubt. It was more, maybe like this in how's it going to go? I mean, are they good enough, not a lot of experience in a couple cases, how's it going to go? But almost, even those years, like 2011, if I remember right, I don't think of 10 this way either because they won their division in 10 and like everybody was 10, they maybe led the division from the middle of October right through the end of the year. It wasn't really close. Right. Right. And 11 was close, but it also came out of nowhere just very late, like most of that season was frustration and then there was the sale and it just sort of happened. It's just to say, for what it's worth, there aren't any seasons in like 20 years where

33:02you're sort of right in it and you make it. The year after the president's trophy was like they were right there with a week to go. Yeah. It's just, you at least, as we all have said, and no, you at least want that. You want the excitement to, you want the season to matter when you get to this point. And other than for about a, I don't know, a quarter of the league, it still does. I mean, auto was playing for real though. Yeah. There, there's still alive Columbus, as you said, but this is just like now, now we can talk about this without that particular anxiety that with the sabers, I know for me and it's more so even for you, can consume you. It's the first thing you think about it in the morning is, oh, I need to beat San Jose. You maybe don't need to beat San Jose, you know, the way this is all dressed, fired. And I'm going to enjoy that. That was really a big part of the callers point at around four o'clock is we don't even

34:06really necessarily have to sweat it. And I like when I don't have to sweat it. Yes. Right. And I get to be in. That's right. That all, maybe you could have been still sweating. They weren't, they didn't have it made coming out of the break. I was very confident. I thought then it would be stunning if they missed with the way they had been playing because they just think the signs are there that they're playing like a good team plays. You know, like they just, they, when they, when they buckle down and don't want to give up anything, they don't give up a lot. And then, you know, you got a night like last night where it's just, it's insane. And everything's going in the net on you, but still you find your way to come, come out of the break and just put the hammer down and pretty much erase any doubt about ending the drought. And shift you right to, who can I run with in this conference? Am I up to it? Can I do, can I do this with anyone I might have to play?

35:06And your answer should be yes. The two teams. Because Tampa's the only, you know, Tampa's in your division there in your hair. They're one of those teams. Caroline is the other one. You only see them twice. This year, last time you saw him, you played great against them and lost, but there's nobody that's outclassing you. Like that is, it is not just me, I, because I want it to be true, listen to people who watch games, follow the league and all 32 teams. The sabers are at contender level already. No, they're not Colorado. No, they don't have a 15 million a year superstar or or a polyfame bound goalie, but they are every bit a great team in this season. And to have it happen that you went from, I just hope they're competitive and the drought. Oh, well, maybe, oh, looks like they're, they got a good shot to end the drought to, they could make noise in the conference is, it's just amazing that it all happens so

36:08fast. You said it, I was trying to jump in and I'm glad I wasn't able to. Tampa, the, the last three games, the whole, what's the whole season series? Sabers and Lightning have met three times recently. There's one more still to come. You have an overtime loss that you led with a minute to go, right? You have a kind of a blowout win and you have last night. And they want, they did beat Carolina in November, by the way. Okay. Here. And then the game there was like the goalie was awesome for Carolina. So if it's not those teams who is it in the Eastern Conference, who is it? Does nobody that is head and shoulders better than you in the conference at all? Get along the other teams that are aside from Tampa and Carolina. They would be an underdog against Tampa if that were the series, like if that were to start now and it can't be by the current standings. I think same against Carolina, they start that series on the road besides, I don't think anybody else. I mean, really, you don't need to stretch it out that far because it can only be, I mean, if they finish checking in the East, it's third place team. They'll be favored at home in a seven game or against any of those teams unless they

37:11have big injuries. But I think they would be 803 05 50 Mike show up in the bulldog. This is WGR. Hey, everyone. I'm Josh Radner and I am so excited to tell you about how we made your mother a rewatch podcast looking back at how I met your mother. And I'm here with Craig Thomas, who co-created the show along with Carter Bayes. Hi, Craig. Hey, Josh, somehow it has been 20 years since the show premiered. That's, I'm going to check the math on that 10 years since it went off the air. And we thought that made this a perfect time to look back. See what the hell we did and why the show still seems to resonate with fans around the world today. Follow and listen to how we made your mother wherever you get your podcasts.