Maybe This Is Just The Beginning | Sabres Live Overtime | Buffalo Sabres

Maybe This Is Just The Beginning | Sabres Live Overtime | Buffalo Sabres

Sabers live is presented by senica Resorts and casinos nothing else comes close we are going to [Laughter] [Applause] overtime far be it from me to quote Steven Wilson Jr but maybe just maybe we ain’t finished maybe this is just the beginning who had the bigger win this weekend Marty sabes and

Or bills I’m going to say the bills that’s why I got my bill stuff on not true they could have not won this weekend and still yes see yeah but I mean winning the division winning the the second in the conference like yeah that’s big but again maybe we ain’t

Finished right it was six and six and all of a sudden they went five in a row and I’m like okay like getting on a little bit of a streak at the right time going streaking at the right time is so important so Sab haven’t gone streaking

Yet this year well maybe maybe it’s time to get her done now yes and when you look at the opponent that is next the one that starts this six-game home stand Seattle actually bottomed out at six games below 500 before going on their 10 game point streak the seers never sunk

To those depths this year and here they are trying to build their own streak and honestly maybe this is the perfect matchup to start the home stand like you’re literally taking on one of the hottest teams in the NHL one that you’ve never beaten before and uh and one that

You could probably learn a thing or two from despite their relative infancy still in today’s NHL one that is getting great goal tending by somebody you wouldn’t expect him to be Joey dord right is getting them exactly what they need now we could see what happens the

Sabers got great goal tending by Levi in Montreal by UPL uh that’s what you want right that that’s the kind of performances that you need from your go Enders but it’s not just about go ending it’s about how you you you’re able to come through at the right times and and

You know two Power Play Goals against the Canadians the power play hasn’t been working all year but you needed big Power Play Goals big video review calls three of them in two games like that’s huge obviously almost unheard of right like we’ve not experienced that in our time together where we’ve had

Back-to-back games multiple challenges that go positively that has not happened in the time you and I have worked together so much as somebody asked me on social media what’s the record for most successful wins like video review wins and I’m like I don’t know I would think

That two in a game has happened many times I don’t know that three or more have happened like not even Sabers wise I’m thinking like League wise um but two I think that’s happened but it should be a more circulated active streak within the game notes like there are League

Websites that keep track of coaches challenges but I think it it should be pronounced more in the game notes I I mean when you think of all the stuff that we actually talk about compared to the actual stuff that is gamechanging and relevant yeah like this kind of

Stuff flips a game on its ear in a very very small window of time I would have said ears if it’s just me because I would have add a nest on that one it flipped the game on its ears uh but yeah no it changes the D the dynamic of a

Game being down one nothing to Montreal maybe you don’t overcome that maybe you lose you know the next that game and the next one and all of a sudden you’re three- game losing streak with Ottawa and then you’re like what is going on right so um yeah it definitely changed

Things and and again big home stand here for the Buffalo Sabers six games at home over the next two weeks they are right now as it stands six points away from a playoff spot the New Jersey Devils there’s games at in hands and all of that there’s many te teams between the

Sabers and the devils in the second wild card spot but but that’s not what you got to worry about what you got to worry about is duplicating what you did against Montreal what you get did against Pittsburgh and putting it on the ice against Seattle and then again you

Know as you continue your home stand um with Ottawa Vancouver is going to be a tough out like there’s going to be some really tough games Chicago just had a big win yesterday so it’s next week but still like it’s there’s a lot of good teams coming into Buffalo over the next

Two weeks well for sure and when when you now look at where the Sabres are at you mentioned the six point gap there are seven teams in that uh window between the Devils or including the devils and the Sabers there so I think what I realized uh or was reminded of uh

Over the last couple of days was if you just look at what it is and don’t give any thought to how you got to this point I think it looks far less daunting it’s six points over more than half a season like honestly big whoop yeah but

Because of the Meandering path and that might be a positive word that they’ve taken to get to this point too many people can’t let go of some of the tough games right just look at what it is it’s six point points it’s not that much it’s

Not that much in the big picture if we were six points out of a playoff spots with eight games to play would say we still have a chance like six points can be made which is probably pretty close to what they were last year in early March when people started saying the

Season was over and then they lost only two in regulation in the last 12 yeah exactly it just flipped around and then you’re there but you do have you know 30 uh no 42 games now right that’s what it is so 40 2 games left and yeah making up

Six points now especially when you think of the way that the first 40 games went only twice did you have consecutive wins in the first 40 games like come on now like I would I would venture a guess that the Sabers will be able to do that

More than twice in the next 42 so even if you do it one more time that’s two points more than you did in the first half so you’re four points away right and I know yeah that it hasn’t been good for a lot of teams ah had of the Sabers

You know like Pittsburgh Tampa you know Detroit there’s been some up and down but I feel like the Sabers have had more Downs than UPS so if they can flip that and have more ups and down then you’re you’re in a much different place when we

Talk about March 1 let’s see let’s just look at the next month and a half and say where could you be at March 1 right because if we look at the end of the season it’s still a long ways away but how do you set yourself up in the next

Five to six weeks to be in March 1st and be in a better position yeah like do you literally cut that Gap in half and it’s three points when March do like how different is that nobody’s nobody’s panicking on March 1 well maybe some but

If there three points out on March 1 I think people generally sign up for that right it’s like the golfer that says I’m 72nd right now but I’m three points I’m three Strokes off the lead all he’s thinking about is I got to make up three

Strokes sa you do you exactly you worry about yourself right and if the guys in front of you go on a tear and all of a sudden you can’t catch them because they were that good so what you can’t now you’re going to blame the first half of

The season and say we were not good in the first half but that’s unlikely to happen the teams that are in front of you and I get right the Devils should be starting to ramp up a little bit which they have uh you know the the capital

Somehow still win a little bit but Tampa Pittsburgh they’re struggling there’s some struggles happening and you can definitely make your way up okay rapid fire on some of the reasons why the sabes may be going in the right direction here goal tending what’s your view right now of the uh well I was

Going to say one word to describe the current state of Buffalo’s goal tending competition I think that’s that’s really good like they’re going to be an internal competition two young guys that want to play more that want to push each other but I do feel that it’s better to

Have two that push each other than three where you don’t know where you are are you even going to dress are you even going to play what’s your next opportunity to play so two is the number and the competition part is Big okay both obviously are coming off of first

Star performances as they head into this uh home stand uh for UPL we can say with a certain degree of certainty that for three times now in his career he’s had 40 plus saves in a game uh this was the first time however where he did so while

Only allowing one goal so arguably the best game of uko peka Lucan in career those things can be debated the fact of the matter is it was a w Levi has never played Seattle obviously the expectation would be he would get the Kraken and the home stand would continue from there

What else which may be the best part to go because the sers have never beat the Seattle Kraken also might be a silver lining yes I like the way we’re going here now the de pairs were different it’s a very very very small sample size

With only the two games to speak of of which both were wins what is your take away from the current restructuring of this group of six which has seen Ryan Johnson not play the last two okay so first of all the biggest thing is Owen

Power being on what is a third pair with Eric Johnson so but let’s park that we’ll address it in just a little bit but that’s the first thing right you can’t look at your defense pairing and not see Owen power is not in your top four which was always look at the top

Four Dalene Samuelson power who knows who else is in there is it Clifton is it Yoki aru I think Henry’s played fantastic with Rasmus Dalene and then to me like I really have liked seeing Henry Yoki aru with Del in the last couple of games and maybe the results uh speak

More to the positive because of uh of the two wins but I I feel like since train camp we we sensed that Henry had a a confidence about him and an edge about him and and played well now it was a numbers game and he’s missed sometime and healthy scratch sometimes but I

Think he’s really good and Clifton which it was well documented that played the left side with Eric Johnson at the start of the Season it wasn’t a good start the season by Conor Clifton and then when Eric Johnson suggested let’s switch right let’s put Clifton to his natural

Right side it got better and now he’s playing the right side with Matia Samuelson which has helped him to play in a different role in a top four role but from the right side he’s more comfortable and that allows every deep pair to have Lefty righty left right

Left right left right all the way down which I think is a is a plus like I know some coaches are going to say it doesn’t really matter they interchange but I think it’s a plus when you think about breakouts when you think about joining the rush when you think about plays at

The blue lines I think it has been a plus for the Sabers in last two games well so you wanted to focus on power let me just say this the the season numbers for Dalene and Yoki Haru are interesting the underlying you know shot attempts expected goals for are very good but the

Actual reality is is they’ve been on for way more goals against than they have goals four which might surprise you the opposite is true for the small sample size 62 total minutes that they played together this year Samuelson and Clifton they’re only at about 39% as far as you

Know um scoring chances for but they’ve scored five and they’ve only allowed three yes and then of course you get to Owen power who’s playing with Eric Johnson and I think that’s not a pairing anybody would have anticipated almost at any time when the season began but now

We’re and obviously the numbers are so small with the two of them here it’s less about the two but more about the one which is Owen power who last year was 20th in the league in time on Ice in his rookie year that’s a very very very

High number this year he’s 50th in time on ice and we have just w witnessed the first three-game stretch of his career where he’s been below 20 each night in fact he’s been below 19 in all three of the last three so what does one make about that given that we have had

Documented discussions on the ups and downs for power this year he also has only four points in the last 18 games but I have a feeling you’re going to say there’s more ways to measure Owen power right now and maybe this is maybe this this is just a bridge back to where they

Need them to be how do you view all this well I I’m looking at it a little bit different I don’t think it’s a bridge back to where he needs to be I think it’s a bridge back to the Sabers having a top six that they can utilize a little

Bit more number one Owen power’s not had a good season with the it test like the numbers May tell you it’s not super bad five on five right because last year Owen power five on five was on the ice for 88 goals four and 71 goals against

That’s a plus 17 that’s a big number but that’s a plus 17 this year the 88 was the 88 the most on the team I don’t know that off hand it be pretty close as we talked about Owen tends to be highend in both in both but anytime you’re to the

Good I mean it seems to me like it’s something you should live with right and and look as expected expected goals were supposed to be a minus three so it’s not bad it’s about 50% right but they overproduce they they outproduce their expectations so 88 to 71 plus 17 this

Year in half the games right 79 games last year 40 games this year he’s a plus nine 40 to 31 I’m thinking the numbers all make sense because I’m like he’s not he’s nowhere near where he was last year to my ey test but he’s on Pace to be

Plus 18 at the end of the year right he was plus 17 last year and he had a great season so that’s one thing that the it test and the numbers don’t really match up but often you get Al look at the numbers and say hey this is not as bad

As it can or should be let’s just be patient so number one he’s playing less time can really kind of focus on his game number two I think playing with Eric Johnson is gonna be really really huge for Owen power because Eric Johnson’s a former number one overall

Pick a guy that has to had to have battled where he was going to be in his career like a number one overall pick is is you look over the years it’s it’s Conor McDavid it’s awesome Matthews it’s you know even Rasmus Dalene to a certain extent Po’s got to compare himself to

Dalene you’re not Rasmus Dalene you’re different right play a different type of game play what’s best for you um so playing with Eric Johnson I think is g to help that but most importantly power has had some some tough games this year we go back to the Columbus game where he

Was on the ice for five goals against at even strength we go back to um the Pittsburgh game no the Philly game earlier in the year where he was on for five goals against at even strength but how do you respond from that now people would may maybe would not know that but

In the last seven games actually in the last six games no seven sorry my bad I’ve got to make my math in the last seven games the since the Columbus game he’s only been on the ice one goal against at five on five only once right

So you’re looking at say well it’s not been great for power so so many turnovers you know there’s times where you wonder where are you going on the ice but look it’s the process he’s going to work through that but he’s only been on the ice for one goal against that

Five on five since the five that he was on against Columbus could this be the working towards a new commercial the Sabers Owen power and his Johnson and I say this because it might not be power and Eric Johnson it might be power and Ryan Johnson and a rotation of Johnson’s with

Power as this season moves forward we don’t know how much Eric is going to play they have drawn him back a couple of times and the underlying numbers in more minutes played this year when power has played with Ryan are pretty good so I don’t think there’s a fear like if you

If you’re working to get Ryan back in at some point and you’re loving the other two pairs I don’t think you have to be concerned with Owen playing with Ryan I I am not concerned with Owen playing with Ryan I think but again if Owen is

Playing with Ryan or if Owen is playing with Eric um these two are Johnson’s um then it it means that you’re playing lesser minutes you’re playing more in a role situated and that’s fine Owen power’s in his second full NHL season okay then I who is the and I I know this

Guy was a second overall pick but I always look at look at Victor headman as a barometer of a guy that was drafted second overall bying John tares but it took a few years right for Victor hman to get going Tampa it took a few years

For them to get going it didn’t take until year five for um Victor Henman to have a positive shot uh attempt percentage in his career a positive you know a a a big difference between goals against and goals for like in year five

He was a plus eight in year six he was a plus 17 in the year seven he was a plus 23 like it took him four years to really get himself going before he achieved where you thought he was going to be in year five Owen power may be that guy

Right now that’s gonna take a little longer to get to that point but once he gets there you’re gonna have that consistent player the guy that can do it all some offense some defense some special team some physicality like let’s I I get I’m the first one some s that I

Look at Owen power and say man what are you doing out there the it test will tell you this but it’s all part of the process and the the the growing right make some mistakes so you can learn from them right now he’s making mistakes hopefully he’s learning from them this D

Or the other which deare are you using to preserve a game in the late minutes at this moment um I would have to say daring and and Yoki are you but I want to lean into Samuel and Clifton a little bit more of late but I think I’m still going with

Daling right now okay how about this one who needs a hug are there Sabers right now that you really want to wrap your arms around yes one JJ PKA I would put my hands around JJ and say it’s GNA be all right man I know that Germany had a

Tough time at the world juniors and they had a big win and then didn’t follow through but they didn’t get relegated they didn’t get relegated and it’s not about you know the Juniors anymore it’s about you you’ve had chances you you’ve not been able to finish but I’m going to

Put my arms around you and give you a hug because it’s going to happen yes yeah who else who do you want to give a hug to um probably Zack Benson yeah but that’s probably because I’m older than his father you know so it’s an even more

Natural thing to do um but no I just I just want to make sure and I don’t have any actual worries about this um but it would be ridiculous not to ever think about it in a player’s first season but I don’t want him to be deterred by the

Lack of actual goals and assists right now I think again if this is just the beginning here with the Sab stringing together a couple of wins in a row I have no doubt that it will be a community effort throughout that roster yeah to start piling up more and more

Wins so would you have been disappointed with 35 points by Zack Benson over the full length of the Season you mean like the pace that he was technically on yeah or he’s on now he’s got 14 points in 30 right like I mean if he gets to 35

Points this year 30 points this year I’m like good like it’s an 18y old it’s it’s free money right now it’s one of those things though that either you take it now without knowing how you got here or you analyze a lot of what you have

Already seen and in that sense I would say that Benson’s numbers could be even higher because he’s done such amazing things sometimes in game you’re like oh can’t believe he didn’t score there right so anyway I think Zach’s fine um but uh but yeah um it’s hey you know who

Else I need to give a hug to right now is the video coaches well video coaches yes but the NHL schedule makers that are giving the Sabres this six game home stand after you know going two and 0 at the start of 2024 so I’m looking at this

Is look I don’t know about you Duffer I know we talk about the two for one for the rest of the season to be able to get to 94 points right you got to win two for your every one loss along the way we call that two out of three two out of

Three yeah okay that’s that’s the better way to put it yes thank you um and I’m looking at look at minimum over the next six games it’s four- two four- two over the next six home game right and if you do that that’s that’s basically a six

And two start to the month of January right if you go four and two if you go four and one four1 and one you’re looking at a 61 and one start to January that’s that’s good that’s that’s the direction you got to go but having those

Two weeks at home a little bit more practice time a healthier lineup couple of sickness in the locker room but still healthier lineup I think this this could be the the the jump start right the next six games to say hey this is make or break it for your season right here

Because you you can really set yourself up well thank you for stealing the fill-in the blank that I was about to offer you as per the Ste stuff all the number of games that they need to win on this home stand when you’re serious about the game bet on Buffalo with the

Only Sports books in Western New York senica Resorts and casinos betting counters they are open daily of course self-serviced betting kiosk available 24/7 at all three locations at Sena Niagara alany or Buffalo Creek the Sports Lounge features the latest lines multiple screens so you never miss a

Play the sports book at senica Resorts and casinos where the Love of the Game meets the Thrill of the win all right sorry I didn’t cheat I didn’t look at your sheet I can’t I have no way of knowing what you wrote down we just think alike often so what am I thinking

Now um you’re thinking who starts a net against the Seattle Kraken we talked about that how many how do you continue the split between the goal tenders for the six talked about that I think we’re fine you continue the split of course you do yeah I I always think that maybe

You got to go sometimes when when you want to use both goalies can go two two and then one1 right like maybe you go one one two and two like just give somebody a chance to to play two in a row maybe at some point yeah um I

Actually don’t have very much else saber related so uh unless there’s something that was really maddeningly annoying that you need to get off your chest uh we can either we can either dance around the NHL for a second or we can bid a do until our regular appearance daily on

MSG and wgr quickly dancing around the the NHL for a second um I saw that Trevor zis at a couple of goals on Sunday which brought his total up to four I believe for the season so I’m like oh my goodness four goals that’s

Like so low but I yeah I get it’s not been a great season for Anaheim and the um and Trevor Zas also out west a team we’re going to see twice before the end of the month San Jose Shark Duffer started the season 0 10 and one then

Went on a 97 and2 run and now are 0 and 11 in the last 11 games like that’s three like different seasons all put into one right now what about your boy Martin Jones with a near perfect sweep for the Leafs of California again that’s the Unicorn he played on back to back

Games he played all of them over there just who says that you can’t do it right who says that like Martin Jones is like play me I’m ready to go um I think that should be um more the norm around the league but yeah I mean the Leafs are the

Leavs they they won in California a sign neander um you know they’re doing leaves things right now they’re winning with their third goal tender and they are signed yet another player to 11 plus million dollars for eight years which uh will put them in a tough spot nah the

Cap’s going up they’ll be fine isip L the virus after a year so yeah is Winnipeg Canada’s best option for hoisting the Stanley Cup I don’t want to talk about the Jets anymore because I usually jinx them and uh but yes the Jets have now gone 29 games without

Giving up more than three goals in a game um they win with you know defense and then that turns into offense they went into Arizona and they kept it close and all of a sudden it opens up the floodgates which I hope you have a Winnipeg Jets floodgates bracelet because buffalo

Baby but yeah no they uh yeah they’re the best uh best chance Canada’s Got I think right now I would like to see Vancouver but I think when Peg is is better rounded you’re forgetting Edmonton who’s on the longest Canadian win streak right now yes um and zackman is on Fuego boy

Great great great great projection uh almost foreshadowing on your point because we were talking in game the last two nights about that netfront presence being parked right in the crease and you know a couple years ago and consistently but like marshan and Crosby find themselves there but you were like no

Well not no but you were like zackman zackman that and then like you you watch him go off and you watch how they’re set up and you just like kind of the excuse me goals that he gets sometimes it is pretty amazing how how good I don’t I’m

Not surprised I know you didn’t you didn’t love it when Edmonton um signed him to the extent that I loved him I thought it would be a perfect fit and it I think it has been so it has been it has worked but uh you know it’s one of

Those things where you say Austin Matthews Nikita COV or Timmy panan now I jumped over Sam rard because he’s having an unbelievable year but we know he has that scoring ability and then it’s Zack hman you’re like one doesn’t fit the M like Zack hman is is not the goal

Scorers that the other four are right but he’s putting a puck in the back of the net because he is a perfect fit for what McDavid or dry side will want him to be on the power play and five on five too it’s not just the power play okay

I’ll give you the Edmonton oers I think that uh you know what happened at the start of the season their go ending woes they defensive deficiencies let just put it this way they flipped it they they Chris noblock came in and basically said let’s just score let’s just score goals

Right let’s not put pressure on our goalie Skinner’s been obviously a lot he’s been good but I think there’s less pressure on him because the games are not 22 1-1 and then he needs to make a big save it’s like they scored they he knows that he’s going to get offensive

Support from uh from the players yeah I think he always had it he never played many low-scoring games earlier he just gave up six goals instead of giving up there were a lot of them it just dawned on me that perhaps a future Stanley Cup this year could be Winnipeg versus

Florida can you imagine the Paul Maurice return and what if he didn’t win and the Jets hoisted the cup in front of him and in consecutive years he loses in the final that would be something but I’m telling you this only because I think Florida is back and then some from where

They were a year ago I think they are incredibly deep and they may emerge as the best team in the East are they the best team right now winning seven in a row I know that the oers have won seven in a row but um I look at Florida and

And like what’s Samurai AR doing Chuck’s just getting warmed up man and they’ve won seven in a row exactly like it’s just look you know um barov is Rodriguez like I feel like barov had a little bit of a Down Like year last year maybe a

Little bit and the impact that he can bring to the game um obviously that team performed performed well down their stretching in the playoffs but I’m seeing that barkov that is like hey I can produce offensively as well like it’s not just about the being a good defensive Ford and and yeah Florida’s

Really rolling and um different different leaders in in the Sunshine State Florida’s rolling and Tampa is going the other direction right now a little bit they have challenges for sure all right thank you uh here’s to a an at least 5 in one home stand to come we’ll see you soon

Duffer & Marty are back to recap a big Buffalo sports weekend and preview a big upcoming homestand for the Sabres. They talked successful coaches challenges and what it will take for the Sabres to move into a playoff spot. Plus one word on the current state of the Sabres goaltending, and many words on the Sabres current defense pairs. Along with some news and notes from around the NHL.

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