- 9 hours ago
Jeremy White and Joe DiBiase discuss the Bills defensive issues, and debate whether the team will be able to overcome the lack of functional play on that side of the ball with a nuclear offense. They start by laying out just how bad the defensive issues really are, and why this bad of a defense could be too much to outscore. They also discuss how much better they think the defense can get from here, and explain why they can’t see the unit becoming anything more than average.
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00:00Paul Hamilton joining us on the Western Hotline.
00:02It is, of course, a football Friday and a pizza Friday.
00:06But quick recap of the Sabres game last night.
00:08They lost to the Dallas Stars 4-0 in a game where, well, nothing went well.
00:14Yeah, it was a tough one.
00:15It was a tough one.
00:16Power play is now 0-4-1 on the season, Joe?
00:20I think it's 13.
00:22I apologize because the number that I looked up was that they're 0-4-0.
00:25They're last 35 going back to last regular season.
00:27And the NHL record is 51 consecutive regular season power plays without a goal.
00:32They're at 35.
00:33To be fair to them, that's not counting the playoffs.
00:35But the regular season record is 51.
00:37So if they went 0-4-0 for the next 17, I think they'd have the record.
00:40There was also a time in the playoffs where they were 0-4-0 for a double-digit number in
00:44a row, too.
00:45I think so.
00:45Right, the Boston series?
00:46Was it the Boston series where it got bad?
00:48Yeah, because they scored a couple in Montreal.
00:50Okay.
00:50Anyway, Paul, hey, how are you?
00:53I'm well.
00:53How are you?
00:54I'm all right, Paul.
00:55You know, I'm one of these people that's not all the way to freaking out, but just concerned
00:59because some of the things that we might have been concerned about through four games are kind of here,
01:05whether it's shaky goaltending or a power play that, despite a 60-page report, is kind of, you know, the
01:10same as it was.
01:12They lost to Dallas last night, and, you know, it was a little bit of a thud in the arena,
01:16I thought.
01:18Yeah, yeah, and, yeah, they didn't score any goals, but, you know, the thing is, you know, this is the
01:28one where you say,
01:29well, wait a minute, I mean, right off the bat, yeah, it's a two-on-one.
01:33I get it.
01:34And I also get it's Robertson, who is a 45-goal scorer taking the shot.
01:41But, you know, two-on-ones are pretty simple.
01:43I mean, it's, you know, the defenseman makes sure that the layup doesn't come across.
01:50So, and the goaltender is the shooter.
01:54As simple as that.
01:55And Samuelson did his thing.
01:57He made sure that Robertson didn't have a pass to Rattenton across and took that away.
02:03Goaltender's got to make the save there.
02:05I mean, he's got the shooter, and I understand it's the best shooter they've got.
02:13But you've got to make the save there.
02:16And then, you know, the second goal is just it's not screened.
02:20It's from the point.
02:21He missed it.
02:22It went right through his legs.
02:25And, you know, he absolutely got to stop that one.
02:30And so, you know, the first two wind up going in.
02:34The next one comes off the back wall.
02:36That's not his.
02:37I mean, Crevier lets the guy go.
02:40He came out, came in from the corner, lets him go right free lane to the net.
02:45There's no coverage.
02:46So that one's not on him.
02:48But even the fourth one, I mean, it's a power play in front.
02:53It's a bang-bang play.
02:54But that one, I wouldn't say you want that back.
02:58But I also would say you also probably want a big save there, you know, if you can get it.
03:05You know, a good goaltender will make a big save for you there, just like Jake Ottinger did.
03:10The Sabres had probably three or four chances just like that fourth goal.
03:16And they left with nothing.
03:19So it wasn't his night.
03:22I mean, I've said it all along I haven't had a problem with the goals that have gone in on
03:26them until this game.
03:28But this one, it's a tough one.
03:30And he didn't hide from it.
03:32You know, he said after the game, he goes, I can't be giving up four goals a game.
03:36I can't.
03:37He goes, and in this game, I gave up four before the second period was over.
03:42He said it doesn't matter if they're my fault, if they aren't my fault or whatever.
03:47He goes, I can't be giving up four goals a game.
03:49He goes, you just can't.
03:51He goes, and he goes, I got to get this fixed.
03:55And so he realizes that.
04:00And, you know, so now we'll never know if Lindy Ruff was going to go back to alternating goaltenders.
04:09Because, you know, there's a pretty good chance Ellis will wind up in goal on Saturday.
04:12Or if he hadn't planned on doing that, but, you know, has changed his plan and decided, you know what,
04:19Ellis had a good game.
04:20Let's put him in.
04:21And so we won't know one way or the other because then he does play the ones that one of
04:28the games after that because they're back to back.
04:30Right.
04:30Real quick.
04:31Sorry, Joe.
04:32I want to ask something that you bring up a lot, Joe.
04:34So, Paul, do you think over the course of Lucanen's career they've been, I don't know, a little bit –
04:40they seem to show a lot of belief in him.
04:43And last year was a good year for him, right?
04:44And he had the previous stretch where he got the contract extension.
04:47But do you feel like it's a little too much faith in a guy that continue to go back to
04:53him and continue to think, like, this is going to be a plan?
04:56And they might even have faith, like, through these trying moments right here where the start of the season has
05:00not been very good.
05:01No, he deserved to have faith in him last year.
05:05You know, his numbers for a long time were some of the best in the NHL, as were Lions.
05:11I mean, they both – remember, Lion almost set an NHL record.
05:14I think he was one win away from consecutive wins on the road, the record there, if I'm not mistaken.
05:21I mean, it was one or two wins from that.
05:25So, you know, he deserved that from last year.
05:32As a group, their save percentage was third in the league, and, you know, he did very well.
05:38I mean, even in the playoffs, it was very up and down in the playoffs.
05:42But they don't win game six if he doesn't stand on his head in Montreal.
05:46I mean, he absolutely stood on his head to allow a game seven to happen.
05:51And I thought he played not quite as well, but had a good game seven also.
05:58But, you know, the playoffs were more up and down than the regular season was for him and Lion.
06:06So, you know, it's – yeah, but no, I think they deserved to have faith in him after the season
06:12he had last year.
06:12Do you think that faith, Paul, goes far enough that if Lion comes back in the next few days or
06:20week
06:20that they'll keep giving Lucanen chances here?
06:24Or could it become – like if Ellis were to get Saturday and Lion says,
06:28as I'm ready to go on Monday, that they wouldn't go to Lion instead of Lucanen?
06:34That I don't know.
06:36I, you know, I don't know.
06:39I don't know how they feel about Lion right now.
06:41You know, I would be – I would feel good about him off his season from last year.
06:47He did not have a good preseason where Lucanen and Ellis both did.
06:53Lion struggled in the preseason.
06:55Now, it's the preseason.
06:57You're trying to get yourself ready.
07:00So, you take that with a grain of salt, I suppose.
07:04But – and Ellis, you know, on the other side of the coin, he played all four games in the
07:10preseason
07:10and I thought played very well.
07:12And then had one regular season start and also played very well.
07:16You know, so – but the thing is, the team did not play well in any of Lucanen's three games.
07:25In front of him and played extremely well in front of Ellis.
07:30Ellis has not – did not face any of the chances that Lucanen faces in his starts.
07:36But Lucanen, as I said, he – we start – we were talking about this the other day.
07:41You know, I was saying, yeah, I can go back and, you know, maybe you can say in Columbus there's
07:46a goal you want to get a big save on.
07:49But at some point you do have to bottom line it.
07:52And I was saying that before we even saw this game that, you know, he had let in, you know,
08:00too many, whether they're his fault or not.
08:02And he said the same thing last night.
08:04He goes, it doesn't matter if they're four breakaways.
08:10He goes, I can't – he goes, I can't be letting in four goals in two periods.
08:13Well, are they – Paul, do you think they're allowing too many good quality chances?
08:18Because the volume's not there.
08:19Like, they've allowed less than 20 shots per game in three of the four.
08:23And the other one is 23 shots.
08:25Like, they're holding teams down from shooting the puck.
08:29But do you feel like their blue line without Byram and the changes is giving up too many, like, grade
08:35A chances?
08:36Or do you feel like they're doing okay?
08:38I mean, they're standing in front of the net with wide-open tippins.
08:42They had given up one outnumbered in the first period last night, and it's in their net.
08:48But it was a two-on-one with their two best goal scorers coming down.
08:54And, you know, the – so that one was.
08:58But, yeah, I mean, there were – the Chicago game was ridiculous.
09:03The Blackhawks looked like the Harlem Globetrotters out there.
09:06It was like – they could have chosen which one of the three guys were in front of the net.
09:11Which one do you want to score the goal?
09:13Because any one of them met a layup.
09:15I mean, it was – that was just ridiculous, the goals, the chances they were given up there
09:21as far as the quality of them.
09:24And it was the same thing with Columbus.
09:26I mean, Columbus has guys standing in front of the net all by themselves, tipping pucks and the whole thing.
09:31And – but, as I said, this one, the second one's from the blue line.
09:35It's just a long shot that, as I said, it did not appear to me to be screened.
09:40And it almost looked like he was surprised the shot came.
09:43And it just went right through his legs.
09:46As I said, a two-on-one.
09:48Goaltender's got to have the shooter.
09:49But that was the only two-on-one of the period.
09:52I mean, I think, what, did they have eight shots maybe in the first period?
09:57So, you know, and then the one off the back wall.
10:00I mean, if Crevier's got his guy, we're not talking about a goal there.
10:05I mean, again, that's a lucky bounce for Dallas.
10:11But you've got to have your guy.
10:13You can't just let him go and have him stand in there.
10:15I mean, so, you know, there's another one where – but still, you know, this one, he had a really
10:25bad game.
10:26I wouldn't say the first two that he was – that's – you know, I kept saying, and it doesn't
10:35matter what he does.
10:36He's through in this town.
10:37I mean, people, no matter what, every goal is his fault.
10:43It's just – he's done.
10:44I mean, it's as simple as that.
10:47And I just didn't think it was fair in the first two games.
10:50This one, nah, yeah.
10:53But at the end of the day, Buffalo also didn't score any goals.
10:57And he could have sat there and stood on his head, and the best he could have done is gotten
11:01him to overtime at 0-0.
11:04So, you know, this was a good – this was a team effort.
11:08They didn't score any goals.
11:09The power play was horrendous.
11:12You know, he did not have a good game.
11:16It was not good from top to bottom.
11:18Paul, one more before we let you go, and we'll get back to our Football Friday conversations here for Bill's
11:22Rams.
11:23But the power play, I heard you on the postgame show, and it's a point you make a lot that
11:27it's – you know, this is not Seth Apert's power play.
11:29It's Lindy Ruff's power play, and it's been bad for a while here.
11:33The question I really want to ask you is, do they have enough good players for a power play?
11:38Should they have been adding – is that why Patrick Kane would have been an idea this offseason?
11:42Because the players they have, they have players that are good at five-on-five, but when picking spots or
11:48beating goalies,
11:49like I've got, what, Tage and Jack Quinn, and I've got some good defensemen, but do they – I guess
11:54are they missing the appropriate pieces
11:56for a good power play, in your opinion?
11:59I am at a loss to understand how a power play run by Rasmus Dahlin is so bad.
12:06I don't get it because he's a good offensive player.
12:10Five-on-five, he's a very good offensive player.
12:13How can Rasmus Dahlin run a power play that is this bad?
12:19You know, it doesn't make sense to me.
12:22Noah Auslin does not turn the puck over five-on-five.
12:25I mean, we know how good he is on the power play.
12:28All he does is turn the puck over.
12:30And I sit there and scratch my head going, why?
12:34Are you uptight when you're on the power play?
12:37Or, you know, I don't get it.
12:41You know, Josh Norris, he came here to be a scorer.
12:45He's not – you know, he's in a really bad slump right now, not playing well.
12:50He was on the ice for all four goals last night.
12:53And why is he not on your number one power play?
12:56I mean, that's what he's here for, is to be an offensive-type player.
13:02You know, that doesn't make any sense to me either.
13:06I could say the same thing about Kulik.
13:08Why is he not on either one of your power plays?
13:11You know, he's really starting to come on as a player.
13:14And he is a power play-type player.
13:18That's what he is.
13:19He's not on either unit.
13:21Why?
13:22I mean, they have no answers for that.
13:24It's just like, well, we have these guys on the unit,
13:26and we have changed things up, and this and that.
13:29And, you know, Lindy Ruff, you look at the four years in Dallas
13:32and the four years in New Jersey and the two years here back,
13:37his teams are not good on the – the one year in Dallas, they were fourth.
13:41Other than that, his power plays were not good in those times.
13:47And even here in Buffalo, they're around – if you put the two years combined,
13:51they're around 20th.
13:53I have it written down here somewhere, but it's in that area.
13:57And it's just – you know, it just – his ideas for the power play just don't seem to be
14:05working.
14:06And as I said, there are three teams we can look at, the Dallas Stars, the New Jersey Devils, and
14:11this one.
14:12And for the most part, he does not put out good power plays.
14:16Yeah.
14:17I almost want to feel like at this point, it's so bad, Paul, that it's got to be both.
14:22Like, I would totally see everything you just said.
14:25And then, like, is – maybe Darlene wouldn't be the one.
14:27I'm wondering about Tage, though.
14:29Like, how long does Tage have to really not score power play goals?
14:32It's been four years now.
14:34Like, he's seventh in the NHL in even strength goals in four years.
14:38He is 67th in power play goals.
14:41That he's just – you know, he's going to score a million goals at five on five,
14:46but he's not Ovechkin in the face-off circle.
14:49They dearly miss Zucker.
14:50I mean, he is their best power play scorer and in front of the net and the whole thing.
14:57But, yeah, I mean, there was one year Tage had a lot of power play goals.
15:01That was the Granado year where they almost made it.
15:03Yeah, the one year.
15:04But it just seems like teams find him.
15:08It's like they take him away.
15:11And if they take him away, Darlene feels like he's got nothing going.
15:17You know, it's like, all right, where am I going with this?
15:19You know, Jack Quinn with the shot he has and he should – of all the guys on the power
15:26play so far this year,
15:28he probably has had the most chances and the best opportunities to score for them.
15:34So, I don't want to jump on him too badly because of everybody,
15:38he seems to be the one who does get some scoring chances on it so far.
15:43But, you know, you would think with the kind of shot he has and the kind of shot Norris has,
15:49I'm talking about both units here, that, you know, they – and Thompson –
15:55that they would be able to score goals.
15:57And, as I said, they do miss Zucker, but they shouldn't be O for the season,
16:00whether he's in the lineup or not.
16:03Really quickly, can I squeeze in here that Norris has been pretty brutal through four games, right?
16:08Like, would you say brutal or would you – like, how would you qualify it?
16:11Yeah, no, again, it's not all his fault on all the goals, but, you know, he's on for all four.
16:20He's really struggling, and Lindy Ruff acknowledged that.
16:23He goes, he's searching for his game right now, and the game's not there.
16:29And, you know, McLeod's another one.
16:31McLeod's had two games where he's on the ice.
16:34He was on the ice for all the goals against Chicago.
16:36He was on the ice for three of them yesterday, three of the four.
16:39I mean, as far as I'm concerned, put him in the stands.
16:45I just – he is not – for two years now, he has just not been even close to what
16:50he was the first year here in Buffalo.
16:53And, you know, Lindy Ruff finally, you know, put him on the energy line at the end of the playoffs
16:59because it wasn't working out.
17:01He's supposed to be your best two-way forward.
17:05Your best two-way forward is not letting in three against the Blackhawks and three against the Stars
17:09or not being going to be on the ice for that.
17:12And he's spinning his wheels.
17:14He's another one that's on the power play.
17:16But, yes, he's a very good puck transporter, and he transports the puck into the net and won't shoot it,
17:21gives it away, makes a bad play, or whatever it might be.
17:26And it's to the point now where, I mean, if you're going to put him on the energy line, put
17:33Kozak on the energy line or whatever.
17:35And, you know, you've got to do something with him because he's not helping you.
17:39To me, Auslin's already taken his job.
17:42Auslin's a much better two-way forward than McLeod is.
17:45Because when McLeod's on his game, he isn't necessarily, but he hasn't been on his game for a while.
17:50Paul Hamilton, his appearance brought to you by Ralex.
17:53Ralex, we got this.
17:54Thanks, Paul.
17:55Yep.
17:55Enjoy the weekend.
17:56Two games on the weekend.
17:59It's not a – I mean, they've got – what's Monday?
18:02Columbus Day?
18:02You're counting Monday afternoon as weekend?
18:04Yeah, sure.
18:05It's fine.
18:05There's a 1 o'clock hockey game.
18:07Yeah, and it's a holiday.
18:08And the Bills play – when the Bills play is when the weekend ends, even though it's a Monday.
18:12So that's how I'm rolling.
18:13That's my plan.
18:15And, you know, kids off school.
18:19Anyway, 803-0550, our number.
18:22Paul's appearance brought to you by Ralex.
18:23Sound of Ralex, we got this.
18:24Got to pick up the mood here.
18:25Got to pick up the – you know.
18:29Bills lost their last game.
18:31Sabres lost their last game.
18:34They're both going to win their next games, maybe.
18:36Yeah, that'd be good.
18:38Give me three wins by Monday night, and everybody will feel great.
18:41That'd be great.
18:42I'll take two.
18:44Would I take two?
18:45Yeah, I'd take two.
18:46Bills win.
18:47Sabres win one.
18:48I would take that.
18:50All right.
18:51Sure, I'll take it.
18:54Sabres and Rams.
18:55Bills and Rams.
18:55Sabres and Rams would be weird.
18:57Who'd win that?
18:59Depends on the sport, I guess.
19:01Uh-huh.
19:02Could the Sabres score a power play goal on – no, I'll leave it there.
19:04I mean, this is life when both teams are supposed to be good, right?
19:07They lose one game, and it's –
19:09There's more stress when you're supposed to be good.
19:11Yeah, right.
19:12That's right.
19:12Because neither – I mean, the Bills are 3-1, and the Sabres – the Sabres are 2-2.
19:16They're not 0-4.
19:17No, but 2-2 is 22nd in the NHL.
19:20Right.
19:20Because there are, you know, overtime points, you know, blah, blah, blah.
19:23But, you know, it could be worse.
19:24You could be Philly right now.
19:26Right.
19:26They look like the worst hockey team in the league.
19:30You could be Detroit.
19:31Yep.
19:32You could be waking up –
19:32Best player wants to leave.
19:33You could be waking up a Dallas fan and realizing, look, I've been high in Dallas all year.
19:37Their defense is so bad, there's just no chance.
19:39And their stadium employees that are yelling at Dak Prescott out of the way to the locker room.
19:44I did see that.
19:45Dak walking to the locker room and an employee says, embarrassing.
19:49And Dak is like, what?
19:52Stone cold stare right at the dude.
19:54Yeah.
19:56Well, because, man, that's –
19:57That's hard.
20:00And we're sure, because he wasn't on the video, right?
20:03We just heard it.
20:03Yeah.
20:04That it was a Cowboys employee.
20:06Yeah.
20:06Well, somebody that works at the stadium, at least.
20:08Said embarrassing.
20:09Yeah.
20:10It was an embarrassing loss.
20:12It was.
20:12To the Bucs at home, to the Bucs and a backup quarterback for the Bucs at home.
20:17And it was not really ever close.
20:20Like, the Bucs got out early and took care of business.
20:22Yeah.
20:23So, that's tough for the Cowboys.
20:26Oh, okay.
20:27He also – I'm seeing a different angle of the clip now with it, like, transcribed.
20:31The guy also, after he said embarrassing and Dak stared at him for five seconds, went,
20:37he heard me.
20:41That's bold.
20:42That guy's going to have a show on ESPN next week.
20:45He'll be on first take this morning.
20:46You're calling out Dak Prescott to his face?
20:48Get him on ESPN.
20:50I mean, is that Dak's fault that they can't stop a third-string quarterback?
20:55That division, I just couldn't imagine any of the four doing anything if they make the
21:02playoffs.
21:03Right?
21:04Mm-hmm.
21:06The Giants are in first.
21:07I mean, I want to believe in the Cowboys, but the defense is so bad.
21:11Which –
21:11It's so bad.
21:12Yeah, it's worse than the Bills' defense.
21:13Yeah.
21:14Right?
21:15Yeah.
21:15It's only four games, but the Bills at least have had one good game on defense.
21:19I'm not sure the Cowboys have had a single good game on defense, and they've played five
21:23games.
21:25So, you know, we might be splitting hairs also between, like, the 32nd defense and maybe
21:29the Bills are, like, 27th or something.
21:31But that's a worse defense in Dallas.
21:34Josh Allen at practice yesterday appeared to shake his hand after banging it, and people
21:40are wondering if he has a hand injury that he's just dealing with.
21:45A right thumb or a right hand injury.
21:47There's a clip going around where he banged it and looks like it might be, you know, sensitive
21:52or something.
21:52So, anyway.
21:54DJ Moore did not practice.
21:56Christian Benford did.
21:57That's good news.
21:58Yep.
21:58Getting him back against the Rams would be big.
22:00We'll get to the talk of the tables when we return to talk about Bills' Rams.
22:05Let's hear from you.
22:06How do you feel about it?
22:07Are they going to win this game Monday?
22:10It's an NFC game.
22:11You might say not that big a deal, but they could be in second place in the AFC East by
22:16the end of the game.
22:17If the Patriots win and the Bills lose, then we are living the same life as last year where
22:22it's week five, week six, and you're in second.
22:26So, we'll talk about it with you.
22:27803-0550 here on WGR.