2024 NHL Playoff Preview - Eastern Conference
In this episode of Overtime Hockey Talk, hosts Mark Paul and Justin Baker dive deep into the NHL playoffs, sharing their analysis and predictions. We kick off by talking about the heartbreak of missing the playoffs for an eighth straight year for the Detroit Red Wings. We dissect all the Eastern Conference playoff match-ups with in-depth analysis on the Rangers vs. Capitals, Carolina vs. Islanders, Panthers vs. Lightning, and the heavily anticipated Bruins vs. Leafs.
The conversation takes a turn to the Western Conference, predicting the Jets vs. Avalanche as a highlight series. Throughout the episode, we discuss key players, team dynamics, and the importance of goaltending, concluding with their predictions for the matchups.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to Overtime Hockey Talk.
Speaker:My name is Mark Paul.
Speaker:My co host Justin Baker joining me as usual justin, how are you this evening?
Speaker:Mark, I am doing just, I'm terrible, let's just put it that way.
Speaker:I'm sure last night, the Red Wings,
Speaker:I mean, John Tortorella eliminated you from the playoffs.
Speaker:How do you feel about that?
Speaker:did.
Speaker:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker:He did.
Speaker:yeah, I feel like John Cooper's, John Cooper's Tampa Bay Lightning
Speaker:when he was in Columbus there.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:little bit.
Speaker:Yeah, it was, I mean, it was a matter of like maybe two and a half
Speaker:minutes, I think, of a difference.
Speaker:So I could see how maybe that doesn't, I don't know.
Speaker:It's weird.
Speaker:It was weird.
Speaker:It's a weird thing now to pull back and go, the Red Wings
Speaker:didn't make the playoffs because.
Speaker:Tortorella pulled the goalie, pulled the goalie and they got scored on
Speaker:within 10 seconds of pulling the goalie.
Speaker:I don't even know if they, they shot the puck in, pulled their goalie,
Speaker:shot the puck in, and lost possession immediately and Oshie scored.
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:It was so anticlimactic.
Speaker:Especially with Perron scoring that goal with 3 seconds left.
Speaker:dude, I think so.
Speaker:Here's the other thing too.
Speaker:I, I wasn't watching the Flyers game.
Speaker:I was just following it on my phone on the NHL.
Speaker:com is like that, they were live updating and at one point they showed
Speaker:the empty net, but they had nine skaters, like little circles with
Speaker:the numbers on the ice for Philly.
Speaker:I'm like, how is that even possible?
Speaker:That they have nine skaters right now.
Speaker:yeah, but I mean, other than that, I'm fantastic.
Speaker:Mark, how are you?
Speaker:that's good.
Speaker:my Leafs are headed to the playoffs, for the, I believe the
Speaker:same amount of time that the Red Wings have missed the playoffs,
Speaker:the Leafs have made the playoffs.
Speaker:Because the last time the Wings made it was 2016, right?
Speaker:It's been eight years.
Speaker:And the last time the Leafs missed the playoffs was 2016.
Speaker:We can't seem to align.
Speaker:Maybe next year.
Speaker:At least one of us gets to have fun.
Speaker:Although, what is funny is that, the Red Wings have not made the
Speaker:playoffs since we started this show.
Speaker:Oh, I didn't even think about that.
Speaker:So when they do, it is going to be a great celebration.
Speaker:It'll be great.
Speaker:but yeah, that, I mean, just the fact that there was so much drama in that
Speaker:Red Wings game, which to be fair, their time goal should never have happened.
Speaker:Because it wasn't an icing.
Speaker:100 percent wasn't an icing, but hey, you only, good on Goss's beard,
Speaker:his feet are going It's not moving.
Speaker:I got to think that ref was just like, whatever, just let's, if
Speaker:they can score here, then cool.
Speaker:He didn't care,
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And it was, it was a dramatic little moment there.
Speaker:I'm, they scored, I actually had both games on at the same time and they scored.
Speaker:I was like, no way, this is amazing.
Speaker:And then all of a sudden I see the flyers pull their goalie and I go, what are.
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:Nobody told them.
Speaker:Nobody told them if they're done, but you know what?
Speaker:I wonder, even if he knew, maybe Torts pulls the goalie anyways.
Speaker:Oh yeah, he absolutely would
Speaker:I don't think he really cared.
Speaker:He didn't care about the Red Wings.
Speaker:exactly.
Speaker:You're only thinking about the Flyers at that point.
Speaker:So we can get in.
Speaker:But Derek Malone should jump the bench next year to hop in there with Torts.
Speaker:Or maybe charge the locker room and pull a Torts something.
Speaker:Something, just, I mean, to be honest, just show me something here from Malone.
Speaker:give me a reason to believe in ya.
Speaker:Because at this point, I see a very lackluster coach, who, It doesn't seem
Speaker:to have a whole lot of passion from, and not saying that he doesn't, but
Speaker:just the outside viewpoint of him is kind of this he's a ho hum coach and,
Speaker:he's just out there doing his thing and it just, you want to see somebody
Speaker:in that moment care deeply, outwardly.
Speaker:I know he cares inwardly, but I want to see it.
Speaker:And I don't care if that's the kind of guy he is or not.
Speaker:You got to pick your spots as a coach and show you give a damn at some point.
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:I wonder if he's going to be bad.
Speaker:I mean, I know Iserman's typically a patient GM and yes, he probably will.
Speaker:But you know, you often wonder Iserman gives out a contract to Justin Hall for
Speaker:three years and LaLonde never played him.
Speaker:Like how aligned were these two guys or were they just butting heads?
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:But, If they're not aligned, I can tell you what, LeLand will be gone
Speaker:before, the playoffs are over.
Speaker:yeah, I know there was a little bit of, I think a little frustration
Speaker:at how much Alex line was played.
Speaker:And I think there was some differences of opinion.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:It, I, to me, it looks bad on Eisenman.
Speaker:If he fires him already after two seasons.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:with you.
Speaker:I
Speaker:in your guy is supposed to be your guy and now you're figuring out that
Speaker:you don't agree with him on very much.
Speaker:so to me, I think you got to go back to the drawing board and say,
Speaker:look, let's get on the same page.
Speaker:What Let's get a better goal or who so might be back But we got
Speaker:to figure out maybe a little bit better of a goalie tandem here
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:don't know if you can trust who so or not I mean just unless he can prove to me that
Speaker:he's can stay healthy for any length of time He's nothing more than a good backup.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's the concern, right?
Speaker:I mean, obviously, they, I think it was, what, their total goals against was about
Speaker:five goals less than the year before, so they didn't really improve in that
Speaker:area, and you went out and get guys like Jeff Petry, Justin Hall, And you think
Speaker:that maybe, a healthy who, so would help with that maybe, but I don't know.
Speaker:I don't know if he's enough.
Speaker:yeah, if you don't play the Justin Hall that you go and
Speaker:acquire Healthy scratch bunch.
Speaker:I mean, that's not necessarily always on the coach.
Speaker:I mean, if he sees something and he goes, I can't play this guy over
Speaker:the other guys who earned it, that's fair, but, gotta be frustrating to go.
Speaker:I mean, I tried to give you pieces and you won't even play them.
Speaker:That, that would be frustrating as well.
Speaker:all right, let's, let's just take a moment here because.
Speaker:Tonight, it is April 17th at about 530 and in just a few hours, the Arizona
Speaker:Coyotes will face off in Arizona one final time before they move on to,
Speaker:Utah, which is, it's going to happen.
Speaker:They're going to announce it, I think, what tomorrow, or maybe, maybe Friday,
Speaker:but it's going to be, An emotional night, I think for a lot of people, for
Speaker:a lot of players, staff, who would have thought that, me, we, we definitely
Speaker:thought that this could happen.
Speaker:It is crazy when it actually happens, right?
Speaker:Like we've seen this a few times in our adult life.
Speaker:Where a team actually goes and moves.
Speaker:I mean, we've seen Atlanta go, we've seen, again, we've seen
Speaker:Winnipeg get another team and,
Speaker:I mean, really that's it as far as our adult life goes, I Atlanta, I
Speaker:mean, I know it was, I think I was 10 years old when Winnipeg went to feet,
Speaker:went to Phoenix in the beginning.
Speaker:And, other than that.
Speaker:I don't really have, I have no memory of the Minnesota to Dallas.
Speaker:I was two.
Speaker:I was only, I think that was 93, right?
Speaker:93.
Speaker:So I was two.
Speaker:Yeah, I was only seven.
Speaker:I didn't have, it didn't matter to me.
Speaker:A seven year old living in Toronto didn't matter, Yeah.
Speaker:So that, I mean, that means that even as a 10 year old, what that's three
Speaker:times that a team has gotten has moved.
Speaker:And it's been the same one in some place.
Speaker:So one of those teams has been involved.
Speaker:Winnipeg's been involved twice and now Arizona involved twice.
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:Get, what are your thoughts on tonight?
Speaker:the problem is there's a couple of ownership changes, And it
Speaker:seems every time we've had that, we were thinking, okay, Cool.
Speaker:Arizona's gone.
Speaker:but overall tonight for me with, the Yotes finally move and I'm
Speaker:just like, it's about damn time.
Speaker:That's really my opinion.
Speaker:I'm going to tip my cap to them.
Speaker:I gotta hand it to Bettman for trying to stick it out.
Speaker:He's been very adamant about making it work in the desert.
Speaker:And,
Speaker:they're coming back.
Speaker:yeah, that's the thing.
Speaker:They're coming back.
Speaker:hopefully they can, they can have that arena.
Speaker:They can come back and actually be, be everything that I think
Speaker:that the NHL wants them to be.
Speaker:but what I'm curious about, and I know the players are obviously going
Speaker:to have to move, but like when you bring a new team in, would Phoenix
Speaker:get all their players back again?
Speaker:can you just say Hey, give us back our guys.
Speaker:I mean, I know that's not going to happen, but.
Speaker:there'll be an expansion team.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:No, absolutely.
Speaker:I understand.
Speaker:So now do they have to pay that, that 1 billion fee, right?
Speaker:And can they even afford to pay something like that?
Speaker:Yeah, and here's the beauty, I guess, of, of the situation for Alex Morello
Speaker:and the ownership is that it's a billion dollars that they'll have to pay.
Speaker:But by that time, I think there's going to be two, at least another
Speaker:expansion team at the same time.
Speaker:Like it's likely going to be like a Houston or another shot at Atlanta.
Speaker:And that team is probably going to be paying 1.
Speaker:5 billion.
Speaker:Maybe two, like who knows what the price will be at that point.
Speaker:And he's going to be locked into that one.
Speaker:So that, I mean, that's a good situation for him.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, let's, and let's face it too.
Speaker:It wouldn't shock me if we get, I mean, in the next 10 years, get up to 36 teams.
Speaker:Cause you really think about it from a playoff format, right?
Speaker:17 and 17 on each side, you don't have equal divisions, equal
Speaker:number of teams in each division.
Speaker:So I mean, I don't know.
Speaker:Baseball did it for a little while where there was the one
Speaker:division with the extra team.
Speaker:But yeah, I mean, yeah.
Speaker:how many teams can you have?
Speaker:I guess it's, you think about it and you go, there's.
Speaker:there's football.
Speaker:Football has 32 teams, but also football has eight teams.
Speaker:people on their roster.
Speaker:That doesn't even include practice guys.
Speaker:right.
Speaker:I mean, that's thousands of players.
Speaker:It's 2400 players just on rosters.
Speaker:I think that when you're talking about hockey and you're talking like there's
Speaker:18 skaters per team, there's only there's only 64 goaltending jobs in the NHL
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:and maybe a few extras because of a few teams carrying three.
Speaker:So let's say 70 goalie jobs.
Speaker:are there not 80 great goalies out?
Speaker:Like 80 goalies good enough to be in the NHL?
Speaker:Probably.
Speaker:So I don't think that you're diluting too much at this point because, maybe similar
Speaker:to basketball, like there's enough guys out there who could play wouldn't dilute
Speaker:the league too much, but still, 36 teams.
Speaker:Is that's a lot of teams.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:But here's the thing though.
Speaker:If, I mean, if owners are willing to pay, that 1.
Speaker:5 billion, if you're the NHL, why the frick wouldn't you want that?
Speaker:at least at that point, you'd have to have 20 teams make the playoffs.
Speaker:have to go 10 and 10 and have
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:I still would probably keep it to 16.
Speaker:I don't
Speaker:would make the regular
Speaker:gotta have
Speaker:competitive.
Speaker:in round.
Speaker:It's common as I mean, how old is Gary Bettman?
Speaker:71 something like that.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:He's old.
Speaker:All
Speaker:Gary Bettman.
Speaker:He's 1952.
Speaker:So he's 72 years old on June the second.
Speaker:maybe he's got another Three, let's say he goes Lamarillo there's eight years.
Speaker:I guarantee you, whoever the next commissioner is, his first stamp in
Speaker:the league is going to be adding a play in round guarantee it too much money
Speaker:left on the table and those regular season games that mean absolutely
Speaker:nothing the last 20 games of the season for some of these teams, even more.
Speaker:Suddenly that opens up the possibility of still making the playoffs.
Speaker:And going on a run.
Speaker:I think it's a, and you're, I mean, if you only have four, 14, yeah,
Speaker:four teams in each conference with the play in game or like a play in
Speaker:round, that's a couple games that you're playing against each other.
Speaker:I mean, that's just more money for the league.
Speaker:It's all about money.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:we have spent some, some time talking about the coyotes.
Speaker:We, of course wish all their players and staff and, everybody that.
Speaker:That is connected to the organization, the best of luck as they move to Utah.
Speaker:And, we're sorry to their fans, but we also, at the same time, we, we will soon
Speaker:be welcoming in new fans to, to the show.
Speaker:I mean, that's really the important thing over to the show.
Speaker:maybe, you know what, let's just start today.
Speaker:We are starting the Utah youths podcast, overtime, Utah overtime, hockey.
Speaker:Utah overtime, Utah talk.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:we'll work that out, but we'll just be the first to market
Speaker:I like it.
Speaker:and we get to talk about the same old coyotes team.
Speaker:that features Nick Buick's dad, Alexander Kerfoot and Lawson Krauss,
Speaker:which they'll be back next year.
Speaker:they all have contracts in the next year.
Speaker:okay.
Speaker:we, what do we have come here to do?
Speaker:Officially is the Eastern conference playoff preview.
Speaker:As the Eastern conference is set.
Speaker:We know exactly who's going to play who, as opposed to the Western conference
Speaker:where everything is still muddy.
Speaker:I think there's the only two teams that are a guaranteed to
Speaker:play each other are the Winnipeg jets and the Colorado avalanche,
Speaker:everything else is up in the air.
Speaker:The Canucks can jump the stars.
Speaker:The, Kings can jump the golden Knights and.
Speaker:That essentially throws every other matchup into a turmoil.
Speaker:So we'll focus on the Eastern conference.
Speaker:We'll talk a little bit about the possibilities in the West and we'll,
Speaker:Playoffs are going to start Monday.
Speaker:I can't believe it.
Speaker:Another playoff, another year without the Red Wings in the playoffs.
Speaker:You had to go there.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I spent, a long time watching the Red Wings win multiple Stanley cups
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I'll
Speaker:while my team was missing the playoffs every year.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:In fairness, it took 20 years for my team to win a round.
Speaker:So, okay, let's, let's jump in to the top team in the Eastern conference,
Speaker:that's the New York Rangers.
Speaker:They're going to take on the backpedaling minus 37 gold
Speaker:differential, Washington capitals.
Speaker:It's only happened, I think two other times where it's been worse
Speaker:in terms of gold differential.
Speaker:The Hartford Whalers did it and the Vancouver Canucks did it.
Speaker:Way back in the day.
Speaker:So in the nineties, so it's very much a team that, pretty much dominated
Speaker:all year against team that, truly backed their way into a playoff spot
Speaker:and actually made the playoffs because someone pulled their goalie and went.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:Put it in there.
Speaker:Oh, what a way to get
Speaker:you need.
Speaker:I can't wait.
Speaker:I can't wait 20 years.
Speaker:There's going to be a TikTok video or whatever the social media thing and
Speaker:people are gonna be like, did you know that there was a year where this team
Speaker:was tied and they just went, let's pull our goalie and let them score.
Speaker:So that the other team made the playoffs and they're going to connect
Speaker:all these dots to like, bring it back around to why it was necessary.
Speaker:What's going to be the, like the crazy guy with the, all the little
Speaker:string and the tax all over it's
Speaker:Oh
Speaker:but let's talk Rangers and capitals because this one seems like the
Speaker:biggest, behemoth versus like truly David and Goliath type of matchup.
Speaker:what are your impressions when you look at this one?
Speaker:I'll just tell you right now I mean the rangers have been my pick for
Speaker:the last couple years and they may be the pick again this year I'm not
Speaker:gonna officially announce that I don't know if we're making predictions yet.
Speaker:But yeah, we'll leave that We'll leave that till, I don't know, later
Speaker:in the show, whatever you want to do.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:But initial impressions, right?
Speaker:we've got the, we've got the bulldozer, the powerhouse that is
Speaker:the New York Rangers right there.
Speaker:They're stacked from top to bottom.
Speaker:We've got, Lafreniere just rolling this year.
Speaker:the surestirken, machine and that it's going to be a challenge, right?
Speaker:I mean, obviously from Washington's perspective, right there, they
Speaker:lose their top two centers, no backstrom, no koozie this year.
Speaker:obviously Kuznetsov's with Carolina and backstrom out for, injury purposes.
Speaker:but really this year for Washington, it wasn't so much about making the playoffs.
Speaker:It was about transitioning younger guys in and really just finding
Speaker:ways to get OV some goals, right?
Speaker:That was.
Speaker:Really, I think the focus going in for Washington fans
Speaker:Oh, they, and going in past the trade deadline, I mean, it was pretty obvious
Speaker:that they were, Taking a step back.
Speaker:I mean, they traded Mantha, they traded Joel Edmondson and they traded Kuznetsov
Speaker:who in fairness, hadn't played for them all year, but still was a move to go.
Speaker:All right, everybody get out of here.
Speaker:We got to try and maybe make some quick adjustments here on the fly
Speaker:in the off season, but we are.
Speaker:They made the playoffs.
Speaker:they bring in young guys.
Speaker:And not to say that they overachieved, but they played well enough.
Speaker:And they, again, we've got a new head coach in here.
Speaker:That's kind of installed a defensive type system because they know they're not fast.
Speaker:They know they're not going to outscore you every game.
Speaker:Like they were five, six years ago.
Speaker:And so this team, I mean, look, Charlie Lingren, he's tied for the league,
Speaker:league and shutouts for a reason.
Speaker:I mean, they play a very tight defensive system.
Speaker:And I watched that game against the Bruins a couple of nights ago, where
Speaker:they only had like through two periods, eight shots, I know Boston didn't really
Speaker:show up for that one, but it's clear to me that, this team is focused on
Speaker:defense and the Rangers, man, they're, they're focused on scoring goals and,
Speaker:they can shut you down defensively too.
Speaker:So I'm not overly optimistic if I'm a, if I'm a Capitals fan, I'm
Speaker:just happy to be in right now.
Speaker:If you want to be
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:I mean, you get to watch your team for four more games
Speaker:you probably, I mean,
Speaker:for me, maybe we, they squeak out one, but based on, I mean, yes,
Speaker:Charlie Lindgren has been really good.
Speaker:I don't know that over the course of a seven game series that
Speaker:Charlie Lindgren can be a, can pull off a Yaroslav Halak kind of.
Speaker:Or like a Jaeger kind of playoffs here, because that's what it's going to take.
Speaker:got Darcy Kepper back there, right?
Speaker:I mean, he's not a bad goaltender either.
Speaker:oh, yeah, I mean, yeah, I guess, I guess if they go and they decide to play both
Speaker:of them, that would be an interesting vibe, but I got to think that Charlie
Speaker:Lindgren, I mean, after he started 50 games, I got to think that he's the one
Speaker:who's going to get the nod in game one.
Speaker:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker:I mean, he's going to get the nod, but what I'm saying is if they get backed up,
Speaker:three games to one, then you're putting in Darcy Kemper and he's a guy who could
Speaker:potentially steal a game or two, right?
Speaker:He's, he is that good.
Speaker:He was that good.
Speaker:he wasn't that good this year,
Speaker:I don't know what it was.
Speaker:but I mean, that's not out of the realm of possibility.
Speaker:See, it wouldn't surprise me if he came out of nowhere and stole a game.
Speaker:Dude,
Speaker:yeah, they may have a game where they're able to stifle everything and it just is
Speaker:so bogged down and they get the fortunate couple goals and they win a game.
Speaker:I don't see anything more than that.
Speaker:Rangers are just too good.
Speaker:They've got, I know that's just Durkin hasn't been at his best
Speaker:all year, but I think that he's.
Speaker:Come around and I think he's as good of a spot as you could hope coming into
Speaker:the playoffs for, a top tier goaltender.
Speaker:And I mean, their power play is clicking.
Speaker:Their defense is far superior outside of John Carlson on the capitals.
Speaker:And, I, our Tammy Panarin has just been unbelievable all year long.
Speaker:I'm so bummed he didn't get to 50 goals, but,
Speaker:I know sitting at 49, and I hope that same thing doesn't happen to Matthews.
Speaker:And it's funny cause he had 29 the year before.
Speaker:So you just can't seem to get that extra.
Speaker:And it's, isn't it funny that we see it as like a disappointment, like
Speaker:love, you could have just gotten a 50 bro, but 49 is it's 51 is as good
Speaker:as is like the same as 50, but 49, you might as well have had six goals.
Speaker:When you're talking about getting a 50, it's just, it's somehow you're
Speaker:not in the, I mean, yeah, you didn't get 50, but you still got 49 goals.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:So I'm going to call Rangers in five games.
Speaker:I think that's probably a fair assessment of that series.
Speaker:It's just capitals are fortunate to be here.
Speaker:They'll get a little extra money for this one.
Speaker:okay.
Speaker:Yeah, I'm gonna go four games on this one.
Speaker:I think it's a clean sweep.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Rangers are hungry after losing to, the Devils.
Speaker:They want to end it quick.
Speaker:They want to, I mean, they want to prove that they're for real this year, right?
Speaker:You don't want to come in and, losing to the devils in the
Speaker:fashion they did last year.
Speaker:I think they want to show people that we're for real this year.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:I just don't know, it is hard to sweep sweeps are difficult to do.
Speaker:And I think Washington has that, like they just stick around and can
Speaker:make the game feel really muddy and.
Speaker:You get a team that, maybe game one, they underestimate the capitals a little bit.
Speaker:The capitals snag game one and then four straight to just junk them out.
Speaker:But yeah, I don't see the capitals going anywhere.
Speaker:And I honestly, that's not even one of those here's a scenario where
Speaker:the capitals could beat the Rangers.
Speaker:Nah, I don't think so.
Speaker:I think this is as done of a deal as you could possibly get.
Speaker:All right, let's stay in the Metro then let's go Carolina and the Islanders.
Speaker:This'll be the second year in a row, Carolina and NYI.
Speaker:And, it didn't go very well for the Islanders in round one last year.
Speaker:Will it be any different here in round one in 2024?
Speaker:no, unfortunately, I don't think it's going to go much different now.
Speaker:I will say, I do think the Islanders have a chance to
Speaker:push this a little bit further.
Speaker:I think, they could scare Carolina.
Speaker:I could absolutely see that.
Speaker:But to me, I'm just, I'm looking at a Carolina team now that.
Speaker:They have a lot more depth up front than they did last year.
Speaker:So they've got Cousy at that second line center spot.
Speaker:We've got Jake Gensel here.
Speaker:We've, I mean, they've got all the pieces that I think are going to be
Speaker:far too dangerous for, depth wise, for the Islanders to keep up with.
Speaker:Cause I think the Islanders, Beau Horvath, Barzell, they're going to
Speaker:go out there and do their thing.
Speaker:And I think Kyle Palm, Paul Mary and Brock Nelson are going to chip in.
Speaker:But, Ken Varlamoff hold off.
Speaker:I mean, I think he's probably going to get the nod, I mean, he's.
Speaker:He's been playing great to finish off the season compared to just
Speaker:to Sorokin and, he, he used to be, Roy's guy in Colorado too.
Speaker:So for a short time, so I don't know if, they'll be able to
Speaker:handle that kind of firepower.
Speaker:I think that Carolina is going to, go with up front and not to mention the fact
Speaker:that they suffocate teams defensively too.
Speaker:any kind of offense, I think that, the Islanders have is it's going to be tough.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:I could see the series going six, seven games, but it all being like two
Speaker:to one, one to nothing kind of games.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:Islanders, they went to overtime or a shootout.
Speaker:they went to overtime every, 26 times this year, 26, and they won
Speaker:10 of those games, lost 16 of them.
Speaker:whether that be an overtime or a shootout, they lost five games in a shootout and
Speaker:11 games in, in the overtime frame.
Speaker:This team is technically When you look just pure win loss, they are 38 and 43.
Speaker:They are not a good team.
Speaker:They, yes, they, now all that to be said, eight, one and one in their last 10, they
Speaker:did pick the best time of year to get hot.
Speaker:They are the hottest team entering into the playoffs at this point at eight,
Speaker:one and one, they just out match the stars who were eight and two, who,
Speaker:which they could, win here tonight.
Speaker:And that, that would change that, but eight, one and one best team in the
Speaker:Eastern conference going to the playoffs.
Speaker:So maybe you're looking, what have you done for me lately?
Speaker:At the same time, I'm looking at it going, I mean, you guys only.
Speaker:You only won 38 games, there are 28 games in regulation.
Speaker:That is the least amount out of any team that made the playoffs.
Speaker:So
Speaker:here's a stat that I think Carolina is going to eat up too, because,
Speaker:we look at special teams, right?
Speaker:Carolina is second in the NHL in power play at 26.
Speaker:9%.
Speaker:Guess who's dead last in the league?
Speaker:New York
Speaker:New York Islanders,
Speaker:at 72.
Speaker:2%.
Speaker:if there's, I mean, if there's an area that I think Carolina is going to eat
Speaker:them up with, especially like I mentioned with Gensel on the addition of Kuzi
Speaker:there, it's going to be, it's going to be tough for them on special teams.
Speaker:right?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:A big exposure there.
Speaker:and that at the same time, the Islanders are they're 21st in the
Speaker:league in, on the power play as well.
Speaker:So yeah, this isn't a team that's played well from the special team
Speaker:standpoint, really good five on five.
Speaker:They don't take too many penalties.
Speaker:So that, I mean, that's a positive, but I think it's going to be really tough for
Speaker:the Islanders because it's a guarantee that Carolina is going to have probably
Speaker:at least one game here where they score a boatload of goals in a game and the
Speaker:Islanders aren't going to touch that.
Speaker:So that's that's a win for Carolina in one of those games that opens up.
Speaker:The Islanders are not going to be able to play with them.
Speaker:And that to me is the biggest difference, especially with a healthy
Speaker:Shvetsnikov and a Jake Gensel.
Speaker:Carolina is a better team this year than they were last year.
Speaker:And they are clearly hungry.
Speaker:this is a team that's been poised to do big things.
Speaker:It's a team that's won playoff rounds.
Speaker:They've been to the conference finals.
Speaker:I think this team's ready.
Speaker:I think.
Speaker:if things go their way, I think this is a win round one.
Speaker:I think if the Carolina Hurricanes win, can beat the Rangers in round
Speaker:two, I think there's a good chance that they beat whoever is in the Atlantic
Speaker:division and go on to the finals.
Speaker:Like I, I think this is a very important year for the Carolina Hurricanes because
Speaker:I think it's ripe for the taking.
Speaker:Yeah, I have to agree with you on that one just because I think when you look
Speaker:up the matchups, like you talked about in the other division there, It's going
Speaker:to be tough to get out of all of those series, first round, second round.
Speaker:And so they're going to be a lot of dog fights, a lot of hard hitting games.
Speaker:so yeah, they're going to come out bruised.
Speaker:Whoever gets out of that division, into the conference finals.
Speaker:And so Carolina could take advantage of that pretty easily.
Speaker:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker:speaking of that, let's head on over to the, oh, you want to get, you
Speaker:want to give a prediction Carolina
Speaker:go Carolina and six.
Speaker:in six.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:yeah, it's, I mean, Sorokin is going to do something here, whether or Sorokin or
Speaker:Varlamov, one of the two, I think Varlamov might be the guy who gets the nod.
Speaker:In game one, the way he's laid down the stretch.
Speaker:but if he falters in any way, much like we talked about the capitals having Kemper as
Speaker:a potential, Hey, we need a little boost.
Speaker:Let's see what happens when we throw you in.
Speaker:I mean, remember what happened with the Florida Panthers?
Speaker:Alex line was their man all year.
Speaker:They started them first two games and things didn't go well.
Speaker:And they went back to Bobrovsky and the rest is history.
Speaker:That team almost won a Stanley cup because of that.
Speaker:And I would put Sorokin, maybe not in terms of the amount of hardware,
Speaker:because Bobrovsky you've been around for a lot longer, but I would put him
Speaker:in the same conversation as a Bobrovsky where, we're talking about him being
Speaker:a top eight goalie in the league.
Speaker:And I, if he could find himself in the playoffs, the new season, if he does need
Speaker:to come in, that's not the worst thing in the world for the Islanders either.
Speaker:Although if he comes in, it means they probably lost a couple of games.
Speaker:So that's a tough spot too.
Speaker:okay.
Speaker:Let's go to
Speaker:how many games for you though?
Speaker:how many games?
Speaker:the Islanders have been scrappy.
Speaker:They're coming in hot.
Speaker:I think they could push this one to, to six games, but I
Speaker:don't see any further than that.
Speaker:So I'll land same spot as you do.
Speaker:Carolina in six.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Florida Panthers are taking on the Tampa Bay lightning.
Speaker:And I think that it was just, this is a wonderful fit.
Speaker:I think that the Boston Bruins, the way that the Boston Bruins played the
Speaker:last couple of games, you were like, you guys don't look like you want to.
Speaker:you want to play these, do you want to play the Leafs in round one?
Speaker:Is that how this is going?
Speaker:You're like, did somebody tell you were supposed to play the Leafs round one?
Speaker:That's the way it looks.
Speaker:but yes, the Florida Panthers, I mean, as far as travel goes, I don't know if
Speaker:you, you looked at a map of at all, or like thought about how the distance of
Speaker:travel, but because the Panthers and the lightning are playing each other,
Speaker:it's like everybody that is playing each other in the Eastern conference
Speaker:is like a less than a two hour flight.
Speaker:or even closer.
Speaker:So there, there's some really nice travel for these teams.
Speaker:I mean, Washington to New York is like a 45 minute flight at best.
Speaker:it's only 45 minutes because you have to take off and land about it.
Speaker:so yes, the Panthers played lightning.
Speaker:They'll play each other for now.
Speaker:The, I guess they didn't play each other last year as the Leafs beat the
Speaker:lightning around one, but they played each other the year prior and 21, 22 in the.
Speaker:In the second round in Tampa Bay beat Florida.
Speaker:And I know that the Florida Panthers have been itching to try and
Speaker:beat this team in the playoffs.
Speaker:Like I'm, I gotta think that they love that they get to play the lightning
Speaker:and like truly match themselves up against the other Florida team.
Speaker:Oh yeah, why wouldn't you, right?
Speaker:I mean, but I gotta agree with you though.
Speaker:If, if I'm Boston, I'm just looking at it from, again, just
Speaker:a pure matchup perspective.
Speaker:I think you're happier to play the Leaves, I think, than you are,
Speaker:the two time Stanley Cup champs,
Speaker:really?
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:that You think the Leafs are an easier out than Tampa right now?
Speaker:I do.
Speaker:I really do.
Speaker:I think, As far as the way they match up, because again, I think psychologically
Speaker:speaking, we know Boston hasn't lost to Toronto in a playoffs since
Speaker:1955, maybe something like, yeah,
Speaker:59.
Speaker:so they got their number there.
Speaker:But then also, I mean, again, the lightning have won it.
Speaker:They know what it takes to.
Speaker:they got their rest and they've been rolling lately these
Speaker:last couple of months here.
Speaker:And the scariest part of all is Vassie looks so dangerous right now in NEP.
Speaker:He looks like the old Vassie.
Speaker:not like top three goalie Vassie, but he looks good.
Speaker:And that's the one thing I don't want to, face in the playoffs is a hot
Speaker:goaltender, more than anything else.
Speaker:And so for me, I think, again, Do I trust Toronto's goaltending
Speaker:as much as I would Tampa's?
Speaker:No, but you know, again, that's why I think maybe, yeah, but maybe
Speaker:that's why Boston did what they did.
Speaker:Who knows?
Speaker:Or maybe they were just like, you know what, screw it.
Speaker:We're in who cares.
Speaker:but when it comes to Florida and Tampa, I think, again, there's just,
Speaker:you want to be the guy you want to be the king of the castle, right?
Speaker:You want to be the top dog and in the state and just, say
Speaker:we're better than these guys.
Speaker:And I think Florida.
Speaker:psychologically hasn't won a cup yet.
Speaker:So maybe they just don't have that edge mentally yet.
Speaker:over, over Tampa and maybe beating them right in, in round one would be enough
Speaker:to help propel them the rest of the way.
Speaker:but personally, I don't think they have anything to prove.
Speaker:We know how good Tampa is or how good, Florida is when
Speaker:Barkoff and Kachuk are rolling.
Speaker:Bobrovsky has looked good all year long, so I'm not worried about their
Speaker:goaltending, maybe like I was last year.
Speaker:so for me, really it's just gonna come down to whose bottom six forward
Speaker:group really and depth defensemen are gonna outperform the other one.
Speaker:Really.
Speaker:and right now I think I would probably give that edge to Florida.
Speaker:Florida definitely has the depth.
Speaker:that's, I mean, that has been the ongoing story or the lightning, even
Speaker:the year that the lightning went to the Stanley cup finals and lost.
Speaker:That was the, to the avalanche.
Speaker:That was kind of the this team's not quite as deep and every year, it seems as
Speaker:though someone else has left and they've lost a little more depth each time.
Speaker:it shows you, it honestly shows you how good they are at the top.
Speaker:Kucherov should be in the heart conversation because.
Speaker:Imagine where the lightning are without Nikita Kucherov right now.
Speaker:I highly doubt they're in the playoffs.
Speaker:I would think that they're, hovering somewhere around
Speaker:where the flyers maybe are at.
Speaker:and I mean, I don't know what that means come playoff time.
Speaker:it, it is a difficult thing to not have depth and win in the
Speaker:playoffs because teams are so laser focused on your best guys that.
Speaker:over the course of seven games, you can shut someone down.
Speaker:And if there's not somebody else to take the reins, it can be, it can
Speaker:get away from you really quickly.
Speaker:So I, I would be worried about that for the lightning.
Speaker:I guess the silver lining is that they are, goaltending wise, they're
Speaker:kind of back and we've seen where a Goldie can steal a series.
Speaker:And if there's a guy who can do it, it's Vasilevsky, like the Tampa Bay
Speaker:lightning are truly one of those teams that you just have to say.
Speaker:I can't count.
Speaker:I can't count them out.
Speaker:I'd
Speaker:Surro Chef's supposed to be back too.
Speaker:and that would be a huge boost.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:Is he supposed to be back for the start of the series?
Speaker:Yeah, he's skating.
Speaker:He's in a non contact right now, but they say he should be good to go for
Speaker:round one, from what I'm hearing.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:that changes everything.
Speaker:I mean, that's like getting a top defenseman back.
Speaker:who doesn't want that?
Speaker:so yeah, Tampa Bay pulling the Tampa Bay, pulling a Vegas, pulling a Tampa
Speaker:Bay, as any, anyone who can do it is going to do, gonna, keep these guys.
Speaker:Unhealthy until the playoffs start, which in Sergachev's
Speaker:case, I think it's pretty legit.
Speaker:You're not playing Sergachev tonight in this game.
Speaker:I've heard some of the, Oh, if a guy's going to be on going to come off LTIR
Speaker:for game one of the playoffs, like he should have to play in game 82
Speaker:of the regular season or something.
Speaker:I know because you wouldn't do that anyways.
Speaker:if a guy has a, if a guy right now, if anyone's a little bumped up,
Speaker:you're just going, don't play them.
Speaker:if you have the salary capability.
Speaker:you move, you shift things around, you call guys up, you rest, anybody that needs
Speaker:it, excuse me, but yeah, that's a, it's kind of a, I understand why people don't
Speaker:like the LTIR stuff in the playoffs, but.
Speaker:It just kind of is what it is.
Speaker:And with circuit, you have, it was a pretty legit injury.
Speaker:what scenario needs to happen for the lightning to beat the Panthers?
Speaker:so Vassie's gotta be on his game, right?
Speaker:I think that's A number one.
Speaker:if you're gonna beat the Panthers, Vassie's gotta
Speaker:steal a couple games for ya.
Speaker:Now, I know, I'm not worried about Tampa's top six.
Speaker:I'm not worried about Hedman.
Speaker:I'm not worried about, Cernak or maybe even Sergeyev when he comes back.
Speaker:I think you're going to limit his minutes those first few games.
Speaker:But, ultimately, I think he's still going to be an effective defenseman,
Speaker:especially Dumba in there, right?
Speaker:Getting a little bit Playoff hockey tastes now too.
Speaker:and, being a big part of that leadership team and on that backend, I think it's
Speaker:going to be great to have in the playoffs, but for me, it comes down to Vassie, he's
Speaker:going to have to be, nine 20 or better kind of goaltender, in order for them
Speaker:to have a shot at this series for sure.
Speaker:Oh yeah.
Speaker:Not, I feel like nine 20 is like a basic requirement for the playoffs.
Speaker:If you want to win the series, you have to have some pretty
Speaker:spectacular say percentage, unless you're just in an all out shootout.
Speaker:yeah, I mean, When you look at the way these two teams played each other,
Speaker:Tampa, took the most recent game.
Speaker:Florida took the previous game.
Speaker:Florida won one of those games, nine to two, absolutely wiped
Speaker:the floor with the lightning.
Speaker:But it's all, it's so hard to say because you catch a team on a backup,
Speaker:on a back to back night, you catch them in the middle of a losing streak.
Speaker:That there's not a lot that if we were talking about a team, back when
Speaker:teams would play each other six times.
Speaker:Then you get a pretty good look at how they're going to play
Speaker:against each other, but three times spread throughout the schedule.
Speaker:I don't know that I weigh into that all that much other than the
Speaker:fact that of course, these two teams are familiar with each other.
Speaker:They played a couple of years ago in the playoffs, the lightning did
Speaker:beat them, but I would say that this lightning team is, the lightning light.
Speaker:Compared to what they once were.
Speaker:And I think the Florida Panthers are able to ultimately win this series.
Speaker:And I'd say we're looking at a six game series and I don't really care who's
Speaker:at home because this is a, this is just like a neutral site for both games.
Speaker:That's the way that it feels when these two teams face off
Speaker:All right, so you're calling Florida and six, huh?
Speaker:in San Florida and six.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:I'm calling an upset here and going Tampa and seven
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yep, I think they're gonna be riding because we don't know what's happening
Speaker:with Stamkos after this year, right?
Speaker:He doesn't he hasn't signed that contract.
Speaker:So I think he'll be back but maybe in the back of his mind He's already thinking
Speaker:about somewhere else and so he wants one last ride into the sunset, right?
Speaker:you could also say maybe Tampa Bay is looking at this, can Stamkos
Speaker:help us win a series anymore?
Speaker:And if he has a great playoff, it could go a long way to kind of going.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:We like almost reminding everybody like, yeah, this is, he still has it.
Speaker:He's still our guy.
Speaker:And he can help us to win another cup.
Speaker:that's what Tampa Bay thinks different than a lot of teams.
Speaker:A lot of teams would just go, I mean, he's been here forever,
Speaker:so we got to bring him back.
Speaker:But Tampa Bay can he win us a cup?
Speaker:And we forget this guy scored 40 goals this year.
Speaker:So he's going to be effective, but you know how much, Cause when
Speaker:Kachuk lays the body on him and
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:But, and the other question you have to ask is, the lightning, because of their
Speaker:lack of depth, there is a lot more.
Speaker:On some of these guys shoulders, like a Kucherov, like Stamkos, like Hedman
Speaker:there, there's just more on their shoulders than maybe a team where you
Speaker:can roll all four lines and, you don't have to worry about it the same way.
Speaker:So that, that is where I think some of this could come into play.
Speaker:I mean, when you look at the ice time, Kucherov playing almost 22
Speaker:minutes a game, Braden points over 20 minutes a game, Stamkos only at 18.
Speaker:That's because he doesn't play on the, he doesn't play PK or anything.
Speaker:And I think my guess is they're trying to limit his minutes a little
Speaker:more because he's a little older.
Speaker:but yeah, that's where you have to ask.
Speaker:Even if, even without the ice time, just the pressure of knowing, like I'm the guy.
Speaker:There's no one else below us.
Speaker:We have to, I need to be the guy that makes the difference here or else.
Speaker:I mean, you go points for Kucherov and 89 for Brayden point 76, 73, for 76
Speaker:for Hedman, 73 for Hagel, and then it drops off the 45 to Anthony Cerelli.
Speaker:just watch out for Anthony Duclair though, I'll just say that right now,
Speaker:little revenge against the former team.
Speaker:Hey, there you go.
Speaker:I like it.
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:You love those little, little side stories.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:I think we've got one more series and it is, it's the marquee matchup.
Speaker:As, as far as I'm concerned, I don't care who you are.
Speaker:I don't care what team you cheer for.
Speaker:I don't think that there's, there is a more marquee matchup in the first
Speaker:round than Boston, Toronto, like two original six teams going at it.
Speaker:It's going to be a great series.
Speaker:Yeah, I love it.
Speaker:And I'll be honest with you.
Speaker:if I had my choice, Matthews for me would probably be the heart trophy winner.
Speaker:just in my opinion, I think what he does without the puck is much more valuable
Speaker:than I think the other guys we've talked about, like Kucherov, McKinnon and
Speaker:McDavid to me, Matthews is got it all.
Speaker:So he's going to be the guy that obviously everybody's going to be watching, right?
Speaker:But why, the reason I say that is because to me, this series comes down
Speaker:to the depth at center for the Boston Bruins or they're the lack of right
Speaker:and how it matches up against Toronto.
Speaker:that's going to be the X factor or the keys to the game, whatever you want to
Speaker:call it for this entire series, I think is how these centermen match up and how
Speaker:well guys like, Charlie Coyle and Zacha play against, Tavares and Matthews.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I mean, obviously.
Speaker:Advantage Leafs from the center position from top to bottom.
Speaker:I think this is advantage Leafs.
Speaker:Uh, and honestly, almost everywhere else, I would say it's defenses where the Bruins
Speaker:have the advantage big time on defense.
Speaker:I mean, they are just a better team from the defensive
Speaker:position and come playoff time.
Speaker:That may be what you look at and you go, that's, To me, that's more important.
Speaker:Is it offensive position?
Speaker:And, that's that I think is what probably worries the Leafs the most is, are we
Speaker:actually going to be able to create the offense that we need to create?
Speaker:Because with McAvoy and Lynn Holman, Brandon Carlo grizzly, like their top
Speaker:four is far better than the Leafs.
Speaker:But I think with the Joel Edmondson getting healthy.
Speaker:That's a huge boost for the Leafs defense and just overall the vibe that
Speaker:the Leafs have had once they brought in Labushkin, they brought in Edmondson
Speaker:and they've been playing a little bit more of a tough brand of hockey.
Speaker:They haven't been pushed over in the.
Speaker:Not this last game that they played yesterday against the Panthers, but
Speaker:the one before it, that I would say meant more like second to last game
Speaker:of the season where it means nothing.
Speaker:and other than getting Matthews, his 70th goal, like that was that whole
Speaker:game was just like, let's feed them.
Speaker:Let's see if he can get it.
Speaker:And he couldn't get it.
Speaker:and I think the Panthers really wanted to play the lightning.
Speaker:So I think that was their incentive, but the game that mattered.
Speaker:Which was played a few weeks ago, the Leafs physically dominated the
Speaker:Panthers, which is something I did not think that I would ever say this year.
Speaker:I think that is going to be the key to their success.
Speaker:Can they be the team?
Speaker:Can they be a bigger asshole than Brad Marchand as a team?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I think that's where Bertuzzi and Domi are coming in.
Speaker:That's why they brought them in.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:they need to be those guys.
Speaker:Absolutely need to be those guys, in order for them to win.
Speaker:And we can't have any controversy in net for the Leafs.
Speaker:And that's the biggest thing for them.
Speaker:I would say, the Bruins are obviously are solid in net.
Speaker:The only controversy is, maybe who's going to be back next year.
Speaker:Will Linus Olmark be back?
Speaker:But I think whichever guy they decide to go with.
Speaker:Or they switch around because that's what they've done.
Speaker:I think that it'll be fine.
Speaker:It'll be fun to see James Van Riemstek against the Leafs in
Speaker:the playoffs because that's,
Speaker:a name you haven't heard in a while.
Speaker:form relief there.
Speaker:But honestly, you still, when you look at this team on paper, you look at the
Speaker:Bruins on paper, you go, I mean, they don't, other than, of course, Pasternak is
Speaker:just, I mean, he's probably in that five, six kind of area for heart trophy voting.
Speaker:I think is where he'll come out somewhere in the top eight.
Speaker:Like he's been fantastic and everything's running through him.
Speaker:Brad Marshand is pretty much a picture of consistency.
Speaker:he's been good all year.
Speaker:he's, he is who he is.
Speaker:We know who he is and come playoff time.
Speaker:We know exactly who he's going to be.
Speaker:And, but outside that top line, you look at it and you go, what is there
Speaker:to be afraid of really nothing.
Speaker:And that's where, if Toronto.
Speaker:Is going to win this series.
Speaker:They're going to have to win that battle.
Speaker:Matthews, Pasternak, they're going to get their goals or
Speaker:they're going to get their points.
Speaker:It's going to be all everyone else.
Speaker:What's going to happen.
Speaker:Nylander has been pretty damn good in the playoffs.
Speaker:He's he's probably been their best point producer in the
Speaker:playoffs in the last five years.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:He shows up, you get it.
Speaker:I think ultimately if everyone shows up here for the Leafs, they absolutely
Speaker:have the depth to beat the Bruins.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And that's the thing I think, for me, again, I go back to Domi and Bertuzzi.
Speaker:I think they need to be the X factors in the series because you
Speaker:don't bring in a guy like that.
Speaker:especially both of these guys on one year deals because, they're out there.
Speaker:They want to prove, right?
Speaker:I deserve that long term contract.
Speaker:I'm a big game guy, right?
Speaker:Bertuzzi maybe had a slow start with Toronto, but he's lit it up and the
Speaker:He's figured it out.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:So for me, I don't think he's going to be that guy that he was in
Speaker:Boston as far as point production.
Speaker:But I don't need that, right?
Speaker:You've got other guys on this team that can go out there and put up the points.
Speaker:For me, I want Pertuzzi to just be a rat.
Speaker:I want him to just be in the face of Brad Marchand all the time and just
Speaker:really just take their game back to them.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:and you look at, can Matthews continue to score at this clip, like in the playoffs,
Speaker:is he going to go in a seven game series?
Speaker:Is he in a score six times?
Speaker:Cause that's basically what he's done.
Speaker:And I don't know that you can, that you're going to get that in the playoffs.
Speaker:I mean, it's even scoring five goals in a playoff round is pretty crazy.
Speaker:Unbelievable.
Speaker:Which Matthews did it last?
Speaker:he did it once.
Speaker:Matthews did it in 1819, which I believe was against the Bruins,
Speaker:or was that against Tampa?
Speaker:18, 19?
Speaker:I have to remember.
Speaker:But anyways, yeah, I would think it was the Bruins, but yes.
Speaker:So let's find out.
Speaker:Toronto.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:It was the Bruins lost in seven, but Matthews had five goals that in that
Speaker:playoffs, which five goals in Round is.
Speaker:Is crazy.
Speaker:in 21 22 when the Leafs lost to Tampa Bay, had nine points,
Speaker:four goals in seven games.
Speaker:He's been fantastic.
Speaker:I mean, he 11 points in 11 games last year.
Speaker:I mean, like I said, they're going to get their points.
Speaker:You're not going to shut him down, but can he score goals, which are the premium.
Speaker:can he make that happen?
Speaker:And I think yes, Bertuzzi, Domi, important pieces, but you've got to go
Speaker:down the lineup and you need guys like camp and Dewar guys that are deep into
Speaker:your lineup that you go, that guy didn't put up big points during the year.
Speaker:can Nick Robertson score a big goal in the playoffs?
Speaker:And really all you're asking is they score like.
Speaker:A goal, it's, it sometimes does make that big of a difference when
Speaker:you're fourth line scores, one goal or two goals in a series, that
Speaker:could be the series right there.
Speaker:Cause that can be the difference of winning a game or not.
Speaker:and that has been really the least issue all year, but also it's been
Speaker:the Bruins issue all year is are they going to get anything outside
Speaker:of what their top line can produce?
Speaker:So now
Speaker:be fun.
Speaker:Now, who are you starting?
Speaker:If you're Toronto,
Speaker:I think that Samsonov won you a playoff series last year.
Speaker:I think you gotta go to him.
Speaker:I don't think that Wahl has, he played really well earlier in the season.
Speaker:I don't think that he's been good enough, down the stretch here.
Speaker:I don't.
Speaker:Also in those wins, his team put up five goals in both games and all
Speaker:the other games, it was the, the other team kind of blowing them out.
Speaker:So I look at that and I go, I don't know that you can trust him yet with the
Speaker:playoff series us to get game one start.
Speaker:Samsonov has been there.
Speaker:He started in game one.
Speaker:Not just for the Leafs, also for the Capitals.
Speaker:this is a guy who knows what the pressure feels like and he can handle it.
Speaker:yep.
Speaker:Yeah, I've liked his game better since he's come up.
Speaker:And, had that mental reset, whatever you want to call it.
Speaker:He's looked a lot better than,
Speaker:out and that's, I mean, yeah, you can't, I mean, he's what he's wanted, he won his
Speaker:last three games of the regular season or no, sorry, he's actually, he's lost the
Speaker:last two, but he won three in a row there.
Speaker:he lost to New Jersey and lost to Detroit,
Speaker:but he's been good though.
Speaker:but he's been,
Speaker:Yeah, he's been good.
Speaker:he's been good and he's, even when he has led in goals, he's been good.
Speaker:He's at least kept them around, I mean, some games, you're just
Speaker:going to let in five goals, but can you not let in the sixth goal?
Speaker:Can you not let it rattle you enough to maybe give your team the chance to
Speaker:score six before the other one does.
Speaker:So I think this is going to be, a six or seven gamer, no doubt.
Speaker:It's going to be a tough matchup, but I think that the Leafs have the
Speaker:ability to score that the Bruins don't.
Speaker:And I think that's going to come into play here.
Speaker:And ultimately the Leafs win this one in six in Toronto,
Speaker:Six in Toronto, okay.
Speaker:Toronto,
Speaker:Yeah, I, for me, I'm with you.
Speaker:I think the Leafs will win.
Speaker:We'll pull the series out and finally put the Bruin Demon behind them,
Speaker:similar to Washington and in Pittsburgh.
Speaker:I think, they're finally going to get that playoff series win
Speaker:against their nemesis here.
Speaker:But for me, it really comes down to that center depth and
Speaker:or lack thereof for Boston.
Speaker:I know they're going to be, they're going to have to play a tough defensive game and
Speaker:keep this low scoring, but I just, I don't know if they have enough depth wise at the
Speaker:forward position to really shut down the.
Speaker:the high caliber offense that the Leafs have.
Speaker:And so for me, I'm going even sooner.
Speaker:I think they're going to wrap this one up in five.
Speaker:five games.
Speaker:I just think that the Bruins are too good.
Speaker:They're too deep that they'll manage to win.
Speaker:Although, one thing the Leafs have been fantastic on the road, which the
Speaker:Bruins, Bruins have been good at home and on the road, but the Leafs have 24
Speaker:and 10 on, So that's just something, something to consider something to
Speaker:kind of go, how much is the home ice going to matter in this series?
Speaker:Leafs have to put a stamp on this one.
Speaker:In my opinion, they've got to come out and just really lay down the hammer.
Speaker:Game one.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Or like just get a big win in game one.
Speaker:May it could be an overtime, but yeah, getting a, getting that first win, winning
Speaker:back home ice, I think we'll just do something for the psyche of that team.
Speaker:And, and.
Speaker:After beating Tampa last year and doing it in pretty convincing fashion where
Speaker:they didn't roll over, they didn't lose that game six to force the seventh game.
Speaker:I think they learned a lot about how they need to play when the other
Speaker:team's back is up against the wall.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I don't want to say Sheldon Keefe's job depends on it, but if they, if.
Speaker:job
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:A little bit.
Speaker:I'd say, yeah.
Speaker:how could you, if they were to go in and lose, how could you bring him back?
Speaker:You couldn't.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You couldn't bring him back.
Speaker:no.
Speaker:and I might go as far to say that, okay, let's say you get into round two and you
Speaker:play the Panthers again, you need to, if you lose, it's probably gotta be in like
Speaker:in seven games in overtime kind of thing, like where it's just a total coin flip.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Because I, I don't think you can slide backwards.
Speaker:Like you can't go into that and also get dominated again by the
Speaker:Panthers in round two, there's gotta be some movement forward.
Speaker:I mean, you've got, frankly, you've got one of the best players of his generation.
Speaker:You gotta be able to.
Speaker:To use him in the playoffs properly.
Speaker:and I will say the construction of this team, there's some,
Speaker:there's definite holes.
Speaker:They get to the conference finals against Carolina.
Speaker:I'm probably putting my money on Carolina, unless there's some big injuries.
Speaker:I'm probably putting my money on the New York Rangers too.
Speaker:Because I just think there's fewer holes there.
Speaker:if you can get past the Panthers, I mean, that's probably going to
Speaker:be the big one in this division.
Speaker:And I think that's probably as far as anyone is going in this division.
Speaker:I don't know that they're going to beat the Metro.
Speaker:I think the Metro is probably the representative in the finals.
Speaker:Ooh, okay.
Speaker:we'll give maybe some Stanley cup predictions.
Speaker:Once we know the West.
Speaker:and what's going to happen over there, which it's such a mess.
Speaker:I mean, we do know that Colorado is going to play the Winnipeg jets and
Speaker:the Winnipeg jets have won seven in a row to, almost close out the year.
Speaker:They've got one more game, but after struggling for a little while, they've
Speaker:managed to kind of pull things together.
Speaker:How do you feel about that series?
Speaker:Colorado Winnipeg.
Speaker:I actually am, I'm excited for this one just because I think for me,
Speaker:Winnipeg is just such an interesting story this year, considering, when
Speaker:you looked at, they could potentially lose Shifley and Holabuck and
Speaker:all the pieces like, PLD is gone.
Speaker:Um, there was this potential of a team essentially almost having to like face
Speaker:the mirror and say, do we need to restart?
Speaker:Do we need to retool and, just start selling off pieces, but then
Speaker:they get these guys reassigned and now they bring in Sean Monahan,
Speaker:in the middle of the season.
Speaker:And he just, he brings a boost to that second line center position.
Speaker:I think that they, we're lacking at the beginning of the year.
Speaker:I'm just excited to see this team perform.
Speaker:And I think, it's going to be a very good test for them in Colorado, who I think
Speaker:to me, I'm just not sold on as far as when you're talking about depth, right?
Speaker:We know.
Speaker:We know McKinnon.
Speaker:We know, Rantanen.
Speaker:Those guys are going to be great.
Speaker:But look, Gorgiev has not played very well this year.
Speaker:I mean, he leads the league and wins just because he's being played a lot
Speaker:and his team is good in front of him.
Speaker:I don't know if I trust him in the playoffs, right?
Speaker:he's, his numbers are kind of shaky and I'm not sure if he can, he could
Speaker:steal you a game or two right now.
Speaker:If you get into a, if you get into a shootout battle with a team like Winnipeg,
Speaker:who has a high powered offense and is playing, I, gosh, I can't remember
Speaker:what it was, but it was some 20 some games in a row where Winnipeg was
Speaker:letting in three or less goals a game.
Speaker:they're stingy defensively too.
Speaker:So not only can they shoot and, put the puck in the back of the net, but they can
Speaker:shut you down defensively, which when you have a goaltender like Hollibuck, it's
Speaker:going to be just, it's going to be tricky.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Connor Hellebuck has 32 goals saved above expected.
Speaker:The next highest is Thatcher Demko with 21.
Speaker:he's, about 30 percent better in terms of goals saved above expected
Speaker:than the next guy, which is crazy.
Speaker:yeah, I said that.
Speaker:The Leafs and the Bruins was the marquee matchup, which I absolutely think is true.
Speaker:I think the most people will watch that game.
Speaker:It's the East coast game.
Speaker:it's the East time zone game to watch.
Speaker:I think maybe the best series of the first round might be Winnipeg, Colorado.
Speaker:Ooh.
Speaker:There's some beauties in the, like some potentials, if it's Vegas Edmonton
Speaker:in round one, that's just ridiculous.
Speaker:I feel bad for Edmonton that's gotta be their first round matchup
Speaker:is with the Stanley cup champions.
Speaker:and I mean, even, yeah, I think those are the possibilities.
Speaker:or it's, maybe LA jumps and suddenly the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights
Speaker:have to face off in the first round.
Speaker:That's a possibility too, which nobody, I'm sure the stars are
Speaker:like, please don't do that to us.
Speaker:go in, go and win your last game.
Speaker:But I think this Winnipeg, Colorado series.
Speaker:Is going to be a beauty.
Speaker:It's going to be intense.
Speaker:There's going to be so much speed, a lot of physicality, and it's going to be
Speaker:fun to see if Conor Hellebuck can push the avalanche out and win this year.
Speaker:It's no doubt about it.
Speaker:This series is about Connor Hellebuyck everything else aside
Speaker:there's good players on both sides.
Speaker:There's a lot of depth at most positions not necessarily in the center position
Speaker:is You know Casey Middleton coming in and helped to kind of secure that for
Speaker:the avalanche But there's good players all throughout the lineup on both those
Speaker:teams, but nobody has a Connor Hellebuyck Nobody like nobody in the league.
Speaker:So I want to see how far he can take this Jets team
Speaker:Yeah, and he's only ever played more than eight games, once in the playoffs.
Speaker:So
Speaker:Only went to the,
Speaker:now's the time.
Speaker:to the second round that one time.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:yes, it'll be, that'll be a fantastic series.
Speaker:The rest of them are not determined, the Canucks, I guess we should give
Speaker:our predictions on that one, right?
Speaker:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker:That's Avalanche.
Speaker:I have a really, Jets Avalanche.
Speaker:I said jets
Speaker:Oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker:I thought you said I picked the avalanche.
Speaker:Honestly, the Avalanche, it's tough to pick against them for me.
Speaker:but the Jets have been so good, but the Avalanche are just so dang good at home.
Speaker:They're only going to get three possible games at home.
Speaker:I, I haven't thought about this one that much yet because I was so focused
Speaker:on the Eastern Conference, but I'm going to let you go first and I'm going
Speaker:to think a little deeper about it.
Speaker:who do you think is going to take this series?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:For me, I'm taking Winnipeg.
Speaker:I just, when you look at the lineups, obviously we've, we know about the
Speaker:top dogs in Colorado, but, I think when you get into the nitty gritty,
Speaker:when it starts, Being a little bit more of a grind when you get into
Speaker:games four, five and six, right?
Speaker:Where you're getting into those tougher matchups where you might only, put up
Speaker:a two spot against Connor Hollibuck.
Speaker:do you have enough depth offensively to, to keep up with Winnipeg, right?
Speaker:I mean, we know what Winnipeg has.
Speaker:Adam Lowry is fantastic on that third line center spot.
Speaker:They've got Alex Iafallo on the fourth line.
Speaker:obviously we know their top six is phenomenal with Tyler
Speaker:Tufoli's fit in there like a glove as well with Sean Monaghan.
Speaker:to me, it's got to be Winnipeg.
Speaker:I just don't think Colorado has enough offensive depth to
Speaker:really keep up with this team.
Speaker:Now, Kael McCarr is going to make up for a lot of that, right?
Speaker:But I think, Brendan Dillon, Neil Pionk, these guys have been so good defensively.
Speaker:Logan Stanley, their bottom four have been so good defensively.
Speaker:I think that, you're going to look at a team like Colorado and maybe
Speaker:say, man, maybe we should have held on to, to, to Bowen Byram.
Speaker:Or
Speaker:but they needed that.
Speaker:They
Speaker:no, I absolutely agree with you, but you know, was Casey Middlestat the answer?
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:And so here's the time to prove it right.
Speaker:Here's the time to get my money to prove that I was worth that trade
Speaker:because, Holabuck's going to steal a game or two, I think from this Colorado
Speaker:team, whether he has to or not, he's just going to take it on his own.
Speaker:So for me, I think Winnipeg's ending this one in six games.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Now.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I, I was wondering about Landis cog, but apparently he's not close.
Speaker:My guess is that, maybe he could come back for the conference finals or the
Speaker:Stanley Cup finals or something like that, which at that point, do you
Speaker:want somebody coming back for that?
Speaker:Or do you
Speaker:Oh, look at what Stamkos did in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Speaker:One minute shift, scores a goal, and they win.
Speaker:that's true.
Speaker:That's true.
Speaker:But he had played in
Speaker:shift, I don't care.
Speaker:he had played in the playoffs
Speaker:Yeah, that's true.
Speaker:That's true.
Speaker:But
Speaker:I'll say this.
Speaker:I think the one thing that Colorado has that Winnipeg does not is Nathan McKinnon.
Speaker:And I think Nathan McKinnon is probably winning MVP of the league this year.
Speaker:He's been phenomenal.
Speaker:Everything runs through him and they've got other superstars.
Speaker:to back them up to and Rantan and Makar, I, the one thing they have on them,
Speaker:they've won Winnipeg's just has never won.
Speaker:And there isn't a, really a guy on that team where you go, Oh yeah, he's
Speaker:not only is he a difference maker, but he's won there really isn't
Speaker:that guy anywhere in that lineup.
Speaker:And I think that's the reason I got to go Colorado.
Speaker:I think that Colorado is going to find a way to do this.
Speaker:And I think it'll take them seven games, but I think they'll
Speaker:get to, they'll make it happen.
Speaker:Seven games.
Speaker:That's fair.
Speaker:I could definitely see the series going seven games.
Speaker:I think, again, like you mentioned, McKinnon could steal a game just as
Speaker:easily as Halibut can steal a game.
Speaker:So
Speaker:in this, like Winnipeg might be the team I root for the hardest in the
Speaker:Western conference because of where they were like them and Vancouver, both.
Speaker:some of the factor of I just want to see a dang Canadian team have a shot at the cup.
Speaker:like I think it's as good for the game.
Speaker:If a fricking Canadian team has a shot at the cup at some point, That, but just
Speaker:like both those teams where they were last year compared to where they sit now is an
Speaker:unbelievable story for both franchises.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:I think that it would be a really fun thing to maybe eventually see
Speaker:those two teams play in, in the conference finals possibility.
Speaker:It's a possibility.
Speaker:There is a decent chance that one Canadian teams in the conference
Speaker:finals, in the Western conference in the East, it's going to be tough.
Speaker:Only one shot, one out of seven, but all let's, we'll get out of here and.
Speaker:we'll, early next week, I know playoffs are supposed to start Monday, but we'll
Speaker:do some more Western conference preview things as we find out what's going on.
Speaker:And, when Utah officially announces all their things, we'll look forward to
Speaker:that, we'll talk about that, until then enjoy the final games of the regular
Speaker:season, Matthews for 70, we do it.
Speaker:I think so.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:I like, all this has been overtime hockey talk.
Speaker:You can find us on Twitter and Instagram at OT hockey talk, and, we'll enjoy
Speaker:the rest of the regular season.
Speaker:We'll talk to you for playoffs.
