Basu breaks down where Habs have taken advantage of Sabres

0:00 All right, welcome back.

0:01 It's Monday.

0:02 That means we chat with Arp and Bbasu,

0:04 fresh off an eventful night at the Bell Center.

0:06 Good morning.

0:08 Morning, guys.

0:09 Uh, boy oh boy, what a weekend from the Canadians.

0:12 Uh, just your thoughts on what you just saw.

0:18 Hey, they um they're ready to go, you know,

0:21 first uh first consecutive wins in these playoffs.

0:25 And you know, I think the eagerness

0:30 with which they were uh looking to face Buffalo,

0:34 not because they're an easy team, not because they're vastly better than them,

0:39 but just because there was going to be room

0:40 on the ice after like just a suffocating seven games against Tampa.

0:45 Um you could sense it.

0:47 And what we've seen the last couple of G games is

0:51 the Canadians taking full advantage of the space that's out there.

0:56 Um, I would anticipate Buffalo's going to have to rethink things a little

1:01 bit here and maybe try and get to a little tighter game here,

1:05 but it's it's it's evident that the open nature of these games so far

1:11 has definitely been an advantage uh for the Canadians and and I think the Sabres

1:17 would be smart and I'm sure they will look to tighten things up

1:21 and and and get back to more of a playoff style game because right Now,

1:26 if they're going to try and run and gun with the Canadians,

1:28 I don't think they're going to last very long in this series.

1:30 It's It really It's Isn't it a remarkable

1:32 contrast to that series against the Lightning, though?

1:35 Just the the general feel of these of these games.

1:38 I mean, it's it's I I said earlier it's not apples and oranges.

1:42 It's like apples and apples and avocados.

1:46 Yeah.

1:46 Well, like apples and steak,

1:49 I guess.

1:50 Which way?

1:50 Which one's steak?

1:53 I think this is steak.

1:54 I love the series against Tampa, but it's um

1:58 you know, this is this is kind of the this is how we want hockey to be played

2:02 and and and the Tampa series was just like classic playoff hockey.

2:06 I found it very entertaining, but I mean for I guess the more casual fan,

2:12 uh this is a more entertaining brand of hockey and and you know,

2:15 the Canadians are built to play this way.

2:17 I mean, they c they can play the other way

2:18 the way we clearly because they got out of that series.

2:22 Um but that was one bounce, one mistake away from from getting away from them

2:27 and and that's how that's how thin the margin was there.

2:31 Um they've you know they've managed to build themselves

2:34 a lot of margin for error in these last

2:36 two games because you know the power play's clicking

2:40 even though you know even if the if they're

2:42 not scoring I mean they scored a lot last

2:44 night but I thought the power play was clicking

2:45 the night before or the game before and all

2:49 these rush opportunities all these oddman situations that they're trading.

2:54 Um, credit to the Canadians for for converting

2:57 on them and credit to the goalie who's again,

3:01 you know, just writing himself quite a story here.

3:06 Jakob Dobish has been, you know, um,

3:09 a heavily talked about subject and I'm curious now that he's,

3:12 you know, he started 10 consecutive games here.

3:14 He's six and four in in the playoff tournament.

3:17 Can you talk to me about how unique of a personality

3:20 he is before or after games compared to other goalenders?

3:24 You know, you've had conversations and and covered over the course of, you know,

3:28 your time um on this Canadians beat.

3:33 I mean, yeah, he is for sure.

3:35 I I don't know if he's, you know,

3:38 in the subset of goalenders how strange he is or or weird,

3:44 but it's he's definitely his own guy.

3:47 And what I find somewhat unique and and and interesting about him is

3:56 just the extent to which everyone on the team finds him extremely weird.

4:00 like it's it's that's what's endearing about him is

4:03 that and he embraces it and he owns it.

4:05 You know, he he he himself said, "I'm a goofy goalie last night." And no

4:12 one on the team would disagree with that.

4:14 And I was, you know, before the playoffs and just after they started,

4:21 I was trying to get a beat on his game day routine and no one

4:25 would reveal anything about it other than

4:27 the fact that it's some weird stuff going on.

4:29 whatever he's doing is stuff that none of his teammates have ever seen.

4:34 you know, he works with um you know,

4:37 sort of a mental coach who who works on visualization

4:40 with him and and he does uh a lot of things,

4:44 you know, if you watch him and this was

4:46 what was so unusual after Beck Menstein, you know,

4:51 completely ran him over last night and why I

4:54 thought he was actually pretty hurt is that he

4:57 went to the bench and you never see Yakob Dovish go to the bench at any point

5:03 during a game other than the end of a period and it's he is once he's in his net

5:10 he is in his net and he remains in that bubble and and works on his preparation

5:18 throughout the game TV timeouts he will not go

5:20 to the bench he works visualizing works on movements

5:25 looks like he's doing the robot sometimes like

5:27 between between you know while there are commercials going

5:31 on television So unique cat but super endearing

5:36 and I think he's very much liked by his teammates

5:38 even if they make a lot of fun of him and and laugh at him a lot.

5:42 Um I think I think these guys are are

5:46 very appreciative of the guy they have in depth.

5:48 It's Yeah.

5:49 I mean and and it's amazing just how much

5:52 he seems to be growing into this series, isn't it?

5:55 Like the the reactions and you mentioned that mo moment with Malenstein.

5:58 Here's what he said about it afterwards.

6:00 No, I was focusing on the puck and um then u I was on the ground.

6:04 Uh then I I I was trying to stand

6:07 up as fast as possible so the spotters, you know,

6:10 don't take me off the game, drink uh drank some water,

6:15 and I was good to go for uh for the next shift.

6:18 So yeah, I don't know if I've ever if I remember ever

6:21 hearing a guy talk about trying to I don't know, trying to fool the spotters,

6:24 but just trying to make sure the spotters don't have

6:27 trying to not tempt the spotters.

6:28 Yeah.

6:28 Yeah.

6:29 It's just the the level of honesty is is every every time is I just find kind

6:33 I mean that's the reason why I mean remember like this guy

6:35 was on media lockdown for like a week right like I

6:38 mean it's just the level of honesty has gotten him in trouble

6:40 a lot this year uh because you can't really he can't

6:45 really lie and at one point the organization gave him a timeout

6:50 gave him a media timeout so you can't talk to reporters

6:53 for a while because you have to put some sort of filter

6:56 on um there's been multiple occasions where his just honesty um has

7:04 resulted in him putting his foot in his mouth and so

7:08 um but that's you know I hope that doesn't change and I

7:11 don't think it will it's it's an interesting part like that's

7:14 what makes him so interesting um but you know that's that's just

7:20 a part of of who he is but that that struck me

7:24 like if I were a spotter who knew his routine the fact

7:27 he went to bench would have been a huge red flag

7:29 for me because uh he never goes to the bench during a game.

7:34 Like that's how locked in he is to being in that headsp space of I'm in my net.

7:42 It's it's net time and and the fact he went to the bench,

7:45 had a little chat with uh with Jim Ramsey.

7:48 Um, Jacob Fowl was sitting right there,

7:50 but I you don't see Yakob Dovish go to the bench uh

7:54 during it during play or in the middle of a period ever.

7:58 Like it just doesn't happen.

7:59 And he and he makes a point of it.

8:01 So, you know, that spotter if if he was really he or he

8:05 or she were really doing their job and really knew their stuff,

8:08 probably that would have been the red flag

8:10 right there to to pull him from the game.

8:12 Um, you know, it's it's interesting.

8:14 Sean does something similar during commercial breaks here on the morning show.

8:17 and he just he stares at the wall.

8:19 He gets really close and just slaps himself in the face four times.

8:22 I do jaw exercises.

8:24 Yeah.

8:24 Visualizations of the next segment.

8:25 The tongue, you know, working the tongue.

8:28 Not nearly as successful, but I still try.

8:30 Snake.

8:30 That's right.

8:30 Uh, what did you think of the way the Canadians responded?

8:33 Um, I mean, you could focus specifically on Buluk.

8:37 There's the power play goal afterwards.

8:39 There's the fact that I I'm I'm very impressed Arin with the way they seem able

8:43 to sort of not let their emotions get the best of them and have things spiral.

8:48 Um I'm curious for your thoughts on the response

8:52 after Malenstein did that to to Dobish.

8:56 Uh yeah, I think I think going back to the Tampa series,

8:59 I mean, you know, the Tampa series,

9:04 the the Lightning began that series like intent on pushing

9:07 the Canadians around and with the belief that this young team,

9:11 the youngest team in the playoffs,

9:13 they're they're going to they're going to push them off their game.

9:16 And it's clear, you know, especially as that game was getting away from them,

9:21 that Buffalo was trying to get in Dobish's head,

9:25 they're trying to get in the Canadian's head.

9:26 I mean, like, it it's it's just not going to work.

9:29 Like, and and I think the first series made that evident.

9:32 this series has made that evident because, you know, not only, you know,

9:39 I'm curious to see if anything comes down for Josh Norris after

9:43 a little sucker punch last night.

9:44 But um you know this is this is not a team that's going to be

9:48 intimidated and and that was a big

9:50 question mark right heading into the playoffs.

9:52 But you know sort of the the pack

9:55 mentality that that Martinez Louise has been trying

9:57 to preach uh to this group that they need to have is is clearly in place.

10:03 And the other side of it, I think, you know,

10:07 Kaden Goully revealed during the Tampa series that prior to it,

10:12 Marte Sal said sometimes something this that's not a direct quote,

10:16 but he told the group according to Ghouie

10:18 that sometimes you're more tough like it it

10:20 takes more toughness to take a punch and not

10:24 punch back and just take the power play.

10:27 So, I think there's an element of that, too.

10:29 And that comes from their captain.

10:31 Nick Suzuki is the master at frustrating opponents

10:39 enough and being important enough to his team

10:42 success that teams are going to target him and he is he will never respond.

10:49 he will never show them that they're getting to him or and and and I

10:54 think the team takes some of their lead from that too is that yeah,

10:58 you got to push back sometimes,

11:00 but sometimes you just got to take the power play and go score.

11:03 And both both methods are um as effective in terms of being a deterrent.

11:11 Two games, not even two games in, four

11:13 periods into that series against Tampa, Tampa just stopped.

11:17 Like it was stark how quickly the post- whistle stuff stopped.

11:23 And I think last night, if Buffalo's smart,

11:26 they're going to stop that stuff because

11:27 it's not it's not affecting the opponent,

11:29 it's affecting them.

11:31 It's hampering their ability to win these games.

11:34 And that's what the Canadians have shown so far in these playoffs

11:36 that if you try and push them around and intimidate them,

11:39 uh you're probably going to lose games as a result.

11:43 Your level of confidence though that a team

11:45 with such little experience when you contrast it to Tampa

11:48 Bay and how they pivoted in real time to make it um a deep to the distance

11:52 series that they came out short in that Buffalo

11:54 can kind of do that successfully especially considering

11:57 through games now the the top line for Lindy

12:00 Ruff's team has been has had no impact whatsoever.

12:04 Um, what about that angle about that lack of experience and making such

12:08 a s what would be a significant course correction to get back into this series?

12:13 I mean, they can I mean, it's they're only down a game.

12:16 They just have to win the next game and it's tied

12:18 and then it's best of three and Buffalo is home ice.

12:21 It's not, you know, it might look like the Canadians have

12:26 a massive amount of momentum and this is what's beautiful about the playoffs.

12:29 Yes, they've won, what's the combined score, 11-3 in two games.

12:33 And so, you can feel like Montreal is dominating the series,

12:37 but really they've just won two games and it's 2-1

12:41 and Buffalo just has to win the next game and it's tied.

12:44 Like, it's not this is not an aggregate score series.

12:48 Like, it's it's it it goes they keep score by games and so one game away

12:53 from tying this up and they have been since

12:55 December the best team in the National Hockey League.

12:57 like it's it's really not um outside the realm of possibility that they're

13:03 going to make this into a series in the very next game.

13:07 Like it's they're not out of it by any stretch.

13:09 And you know, very similar to the Canadians like their top guys have not put it,

13:15 you know, put their stamp on let alone not just this series but these playoffs.

13:20 And you know, it's great that Cole Cfield and your Slavowski

13:24 scored last night on the power play and and that's got

13:26 to be that's they were very happy about that, but neither

13:29 of them has scored a five on five goal throughout these playoffs.

13:33 Um the Canadians top guys have not put their stamp on these this series either.

13:37 And I would venture to guess that the first of the two sort of big lines

13:44 to really um figure it out five on five

13:48 and start putting start putting goals in the net.

13:51 Um the first one to do that is that team's probably going to win this series.

13:55 And it's still it's still in that unknown phase.

13:58 It's only a two-1 lead.

14:01 I don't care how dominant the Canadians have looked over the last two games.

14:04 It's a 2-1 lead.

14:05 And I think Buffalo's going to come out on fire in game

14:10 four because if it goes to 3-1 now we're talking about

14:13 a real mountain for Buffalo to climb and their season will be

14:16 on the line and the Canadians will be in the driver's seat.

14:19 So I think game four is going to be just an incredible game.

14:23 It's going to be an awesome game to watch.

14:26 Uh beyond the goal though from Caulfield,

14:28 are you seeing encouraging signs when it comes to letting go of shots?

14:33 Yeah, he's shooting the puck and he's putting himself in position to shoot pucks

14:36 and and even those shots are coming primarily on the power play, but

14:41 you know, when you watch Cole Cfield get have

14:44 two shot attempts like he did in game one,

14:47 um or every game other than game six against Tampa where he's got two,

14:51 four, three, like it's just not normal, you know?

14:56 like this guy had 15 shot attempts in the final game of the regular season

14:59 as he was trying to sort of hunt

15:01 down Nathan McKinnon for the Rocker Rashard trophy.

15:04 Uh 10 of them hit the net.

15:07 Uh you know, it's it's it's not normal to see him uncork two shots in a game.

15:14 And so to me, like aside from the goal,

15:18 six shot attempts last night, six shot attempts the game before in game two.

15:23 And that was really to me the biggest sign,

15:26 the clearest sign that he was starting to come around is that he's he's he's

15:30 letting go of shots and sort of admitted

15:33 last night that when he's not getting shots,

15:35 he means he's not getting to the interior.

15:37 He's not getting to the spots he needs to get to.

15:39 He's not working hard enough to produce that offense.

15:42 I think that was he didn't say that, but I

15:44 think that was basically what he was saying.

15:45 And so the work has has gotten back to the level that we're used to from him.

15:50 And I think he's trying to, you know, hopefully for him that goal is just going

15:55 to allow him to get out of his own head,

15:57 which is pretty evident that that's what's going on.

16:00 Um, and so if that's the case, I mean,

16:05 the way I've looked at it for the Canadians this whole time is like

16:09 everything they're doing is being done without a five on five goal from Cole.

16:14 Cole Cfield scored 40 even strength goals this year.

16:17 40.

16:18 one every two games roughly.

16:21 Um to have none, you know,

16:24 10 games into this these playoffs and for the Canadians to have done

16:27 what they've done despite that is a hugely encouraging sign because at some

16:31 point this dam's going to break and he's going to start scoring goals

16:34 of even strength and the Canadians will be that much better for it.

16:37 Um how important is it with on the heels of Lane Hudson who obviously wasn't

16:41 a Norris Trophy finalist but is one

16:43 of the best defenseman in the National Hockey League.

16:45 How important do you think it is for him

16:47 to one day maybe be a Norris Trophy finalist?

16:52 How important is it that he's performing the way

16:54 he is on the stage that he's on right now?

16:58 How um well, I mean, well, it's super important.

17:03 I mean, he's he's he's like a you know, I think when the voting comes out,

17:08 like I think he's probably he I would imagine that he

17:12 he's going to finish top five in Norse trophy voting.

17:15 Um, I would be stunned if he didn't.

17:17 It's he is objectively one of the best defenseman in the NHL.

17:21 And it's not even it's not just the points.

17:24 It's there's a whole lack of metrics like I you

17:28 know he he his defensive metrics are in the regular season.

17:37 I haven't seen them in the playoffs,

17:38 but you can just the eye test suffices to show that, you know,

17:42 his ability to defend, his competitive nature works at both ends of the ice.

17:47 It's it's really um you know,

17:51 he is in many ways the engine that makes the Canadians go.

17:55 um his ability to create turnovers,

17:58 but not just create turnovers, but off those turnovers,

18:01 take the puck and turn it instantly into offense or at least

18:04 have the puck be in the offensive zone and him carry it there.

18:10 Um it's a big reason for a lot of those metrics, you know,

18:13 and a lot of those metrics are the result

18:15 of just him spending a lot of time in the offensive

18:17 zone and and the Canadian spending a lot of time

18:19 in the offensive zone when he's on the ice.

18:22 And I'm convinced he he will win an ORS at some point.

18:26 I'm I have no doubt in my mind, you know, when this guy's 25 or 26,

18:34 like he's I I don't even know what he's going to be like.

18:38 Like it's it's really hard to see what the ceiling is

18:40 on him because from last year to this year, like last year,

18:46 I don't think he was a defensive liability

18:49 to the extent that everyone said he was,

18:50 but he definitely wasn't a strong defender.

18:53 Like he wasn't someone who was a plus defender.

18:57 Just a year later in his second NHL season, he's fixed that already.

19:03 You know, like his problem solving ability is elite.

19:06 And I I'm just curious to know like what is the next problem he's going

19:11 to solve and as he continues solving

19:14 problems with each passing year just how much

19:17 more dominant he might get because I I I don't I think we're just we're

19:22 just scratching the surface of of what Lane Hudson can do on an NHL ice sheet.

19:27 Like he's he's still not satisfied with his own

19:29 game and he'll never be satisfied with his own game.

19:32 He's just an intense intense competitor who

19:36 only thinks about hockey all the time.

19:39 If anything, you know, I I I wouldn't mind him getting a hobby of some sort.

19:44 Just sort of take his mind off the game

19:46 because he doesn't really think about anything else.

19:49 He is the most single-mindedly focused player in that room.

19:53 Um, and so I think we haven't even come close

19:57 to seeing the best version of Lane Hudson in Montreal.

20:00 So everything we're seeing now, like how important is it?

20:04 It's it's it's it's immensely important.

20:07 Like the Canadians chances of winning Stanley Cup are

20:09 vastly improved because they have this guy in the organization.

20:13 Maybe he should spend the offseason at least a couple of weeks

20:15 on the uh the Pigford family farm out in uh out in Alberta.

20:19 They got no equipment there.

20:21 He could beef up, you know, there'd be an unconventional idea for him.

20:24 I think you should take him chess.

20:26 Yeah, it's an idea.

20:27 Yes.

20:29 part cheesy part cheesey

20:31 something whatever just some sort of some sort of distraction like he needs to

20:37 you know the one thing I'll just the other

20:38 thing about it is like the Canadians have

20:41 a few of these guys Cole Caulfield used to be

20:45 very much like this I think now he's found

20:46 a bit more balance in his life but the two

20:49 guys who are like this and are extreme extremely

20:52 similar like everything I just said about Lane Hudson

20:54 all of it applies to Ivon Deitov like these guys.

20:59 These guys are the same.

21:00 They're built the same.

21:01 They're wired the same.

21:03 They do competition the same.

21:05 They They want to win as badly.

21:08 Like the Canadians have drafted like the American

21:12 and the Russian version of the same person.

21:15 It's It's really wild.

21:16 Both of their dads intensely involved in their hockey

21:20 careers built this passion in their sons.

21:23 Um it's not forced from their son's part.

21:26 They they just want it so badly and and all

21:30 they think about all day every day hockey and you know

21:34 the Canadians I'm starting to wonder if this is just

21:37 a trait they look for in players but you know it's it's

21:40 it's it's clear that these two guys as great as every

21:45 like you know as great as Nick is and Cole

21:47 and Slowski and everything but the Canadians will be like

21:51 a a perennial annual Stanley Cup contender where when these guys reach,

21:58 you know, 24 years old, let's say 23 years old, maybe.

22:01 I mean, it's when Dito and Hudson are in their prime,

22:05 I I I think there's very little question

22:08 the Canadians will be one of the top teams

22:11 in the NHL and we'll be talking about them being

22:14 in the running for a Stanley Cup year after year.

22:17 Heard anything on the Reinbacher situation there?

22:20 Any rumors?

22:21 I have not.

22:21 No, I haven't really dug to be honest.

22:23 I'm just trying to keep my head above water.

22:26 Understandable.

22:26 Understandable.

22:27 Uh thank you, Arpin.

22:28 H enjoy a little bit of time at home before you're back in Buffalo

22:33 a couple of days from now and we'll talk to you again soon.

22:36 All right.

22:36 See you guys.

22:37 That's Arp and Bassu,

22:38 a senior columnist at the Athletic covering the Montreal Canadiens who

22:44 are up 2-1 in their second round series against the Buffalo Sabres.

22:49 Have the Sabres um did it happen, Sean?

22:51 M remember how how long this how how much time have I spent this year?

22:55 How many times have I brought this up this year?

22:57 The Buffalo Sabres going to turn back into the Buffalo Sabres.

23:00 When is it going to happen?

23:02 Has it happened?

23:03 Did we just watch it happen this weekend?

23:06 You know, not yet.

23:07 Not yet.

23:08 No.

23:08 And I know maybe in retrospect we'll look back on this weekend and be like,

23:11 "Oh yeah, that's when it happened." I get it.

23:13 You know, and Arpin, you know, tells it like it is in his perspective.

23:17 They're one win away.

23:18 You know, again, this is not European Champions League.

23:20 It's not an aggregate series, but I stand by that.

23:23 I mean, this is, you know, like the Canadians,

23:25 we talk about experience and the lack of it.

23:28 Like he basically saying they have to make a massive course correction.

23:32 A lot of things have to go right.

23:34 They got to, you know, can they not play North South Hockey?

23:36 Can they not stay out of the box?

23:38 Can they do those things?

23:39 Like I I believe the Lightning, when we had that conversation,

23:42 I believe very much the Lightning could do that.

23:45 But this is what this is how they play.

23:46 This is what got them to the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

23:49 Yeah.

23:50 You know, that's the regular season.