Four Nations Tournament vs All Star Weekend (Seriously)
In this episode of Overtime Hockey Talk, we delve into the upcoming Four Nations Tournament and explore how it stacks up against the NHL All-Star Weekend. We discuss the current state of the NHL as it enters its official break, analyzing teams like the Detroit Red Wings and their playoff prospects under coach Todd McClellan.
We also touch on the Eastern Conference playoff race, the potential impact of midseason trades, and the injury struggles of teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs. Additionally, we preview the Four Nations rosters, focusing on the Canada and USA squads, and debate whether this tournament can provide the same excitement as the traditional All-Star festivities.
01:23 Red Wings' Performance and Playoff Hopes
04:02 Metropolitan Division Insights
06:40 Injury Impact on Teams
13:16 Trade Deadline Speculations
21:04 Four Nations Tournament Preview
41:58 Playoff Hopes and Challenges
47:06 Final Thoughts and Sign-Off
Transcript
Hello and welcome to Overtime Hockey Talk, we will be jumping into everything
Speaker:four nations We're gonna compare four nations to an all star weekend The
Speaker:results might surprise you as to, maybe some of our opinions about, both these
Speaker:tournaments now, it is hard to say the four nations tournament has not happened
Speaker:yet, but going into it, how are we feeling in comparison to an all star weekend?
Speaker:Let's chat about it.
Speaker:Cause I think it's a worthy conversation, as well.
Speaker:the NHL has now taken its official break, there are no more games and
Speaker:now we are going to dive into some of just looking back, this is a
Speaker:typical, it would be what would be an all star weekend, we're about 55.
Speaker:Ish games into the season.
Speaker:We've now gotten a pretty good look at what all these teams are.
Speaker:I think we've got a really good idea, barring maybe a couple.
Speaker:I think we can toss Justin's Detroit Red Wings in there because
Speaker:we've had a small sample size.
Speaker:Now, Todd McClellan has done a phenomenal job with the Red Wings,
Speaker:but a small sample size, nonetheless.
Speaker:The pressure's on now, right?
Speaker:there's a lot of teams that can play really well when their teams
Speaker:are just, they're so far out of it that it almost doesn't matter.
Speaker:So, here they come running in playing Lucy goose hockey and they get a new coach.
Speaker:So everything feels good.
Speaker:And they're starting to pull themselves out of the weeds.
Speaker:Now at this four nations break, of course they sit, 55 games, 61 points.
Speaker:They are in that last wildcard spot.
Speaker:And I think for Red Wings fans, Forget the rest of the season.
Speaker:If you told me if I'm a Red Wings fan, you tell me, Hey, at the all star
Speaker:break at the four nations break, you are going to be in a playoff spot.
Speaker:I'm a Red Wings fan.
Speaker:I don't even care what playoff spot I'm in.
Speaker:I don't care how narrow the.
Speaker:The edges to being out of the playoffs.
Speaker:I'm in the playoffs.
Speaker:I'm pumped up because you've got a legitimate chance.
Speaker:You have to think that Eisenman is looking at this going, we're
Speaker:going to have to make some moves.
Speaker:We're going to have to do some things at the deadline that we can't let this be.
Speaker:A let's just walk in here with the team that we have type of deadline.
Speaker:It's time to spend some of the assets that you've acquired.
Speaker:Nope.
Speaker:Does that mean that you're going to go out and spend your first round pick?
Speaker:Not necessarily, but I think you reward this team for what they've
Speaker:been able to do since bringing in Todd McClellan and Aizerman's got
Speaker:to be feeling pretty good too.
Speaker:Hey, your coaching situation didn't work out, but you bring in Todd McClellan.
Speaker:He's maybe more of the type of guy that you wanted to get anyways.
Speaker:And things are Going swimmingly right now, they do enter the break, losing
Speaker:one, but there's seven, two, and one in their last 10 playing fantastic.
Speaker:And at least Patty Kane got back on the board in that final game.
Speaker:He hadn't scored in several games and he had some injuries.
Speaker:So I think he's one of those guys you want to get going because.
Speaker:During some of those streaks, he was really important, for the Red Wings.
Speaker:Let's take a look at the rest of the Eastern conference while we
Speaker:wait for Justin, once Justin runs in here, we will also talk about the
Speaker:four nations coming up until then.
Speaker:I want to look at the other playoff race happening in the metropolitan division,
Speaker:because you've got the Washington capitals that we're just running away with it.
Speaker:the six, six, one, and three in their last 10, a 56 gold dip plus gold differential,
Speaker:which if you remember from last year.
Speaker:They were a minus goal differential and snuck into the playoffs.
Speaker:So quite the turnaround this year, getting that from goaltending and
Speaker:scoring from other places, younger players playing much better.
Speaker:and Pierre Luc Dubois has been a revelation for this team.
Speaker:I think there's been a lot less drama.
Speaker:Surprisingly, you bring in Pierre Luc Dubois and you get less drama.
Speaker:Go figure.
Speaker:but not having to deal with anything with Nicholas Backstrom.
Speaker:I think that's helpful.
Speaker:Just not that he was drama, but you're just trying to, you're trying to piece
Speaker:together this team and they came in a much more solid knowing who was playing
Speaker:where, and of course the goaltending has been fantastic for them as well.
Speaker:now you talk about that race.
Speaker:It really is coming down to Carolina, New Jersey, and between
Speaker:those two teams, I don't think anybody's going to catch Washington.
Speaker:Sure doesn't look like it, 10 and 12 points back, but can anybody catch them?
Speaker:60 points is the next Metropolitan team, and it's funny because back
Speaker:when we did our Season previews.
Speaker:I think we both had five teams from the Atlanta Atlantic making the playoffs.
Speaker:we'll have to fact check ourselves on that, but I think that's
Speaker:where we had things landing.
Speaker:And right now it's proven to be true.
Speaker:the Ottawa Senators and the Detroit Red Wings holding up
Speaker:those two wild card spots.
Speaker:Granted, Columbus has gone on a little bit of a dip.
Speaker:Ottawa hasn't been as great lately.
Speaker:Lost their last three.
Speaker:They're only five and five over their last 10.
Speaker:And the Boston Bruins have the bottoms falling out.
Speaker:The Rangers aren't really getting any better, although they did bring in JT
Speaker:Miller, and I think they'll be excited to see, what can he do in the final 20?
Speaker:What, 27 games left in the season.
Speaker:Can they pull themselves back in it?
Speaker:There are only three points out.
Speaker:They certainly could find their way into the playoffs.
Speaker:but it doesn't seem like anyone's going to catch the hurricanes or the devils,
Speaker:those two teams are just going to be battling it out for home ice advantage.
Speaker:It's almost, it feels Toronto and Boston, Toronto, Tampa.
Speaker:It's like those years where it was.
Speaker:Almost a foregone conclusion.
Speaker:Like now they're going to play each other.
Speaker:We already know it.
Speaker:We've known it since January and that's the way that this feels.
Speaker:So you've got to go into that Atlantic division where, man, it's much tighter.
Speaker:Florida's at 71 points, the leafs at 68.
Speaker:Tampa at 66 and then the senators at 62 Red Wings at 61.
Speaker:So only 10 points separates first to fifth, which is a far different
Speaker:scenario in the metropolitan where, there's just, no, one's even
Speaker:close to the capitals right now.
Speaker:What is it?
Speaker:22 points separate first and fifth.
Speaker:So I was just alerted that Justin will be hopping on here in a minute.
Speaker:So we'll dive into four nations, but I just, I'm not sure what to think
Speaker:here about what's happening with the Leafs because they, they had actually
Speaker:a pretty decent little lead, a four point lead over the Florida Panthers.
Speaker:That lead has evaporated.
Speaker:And now they're three points back of them, not granted two games in hand,
Speaker:that could turnaround only a plus 13.
Speaker:They are in terms of goal differential, The only team in their top part of
Speaker:their division outside of the Minnesota wild, who are only a plus four
Speaker:that, in, in that goal differential.
Speaker:And that's, it's been killer with their goaltending.
Speaker:They've lost so many man games to injury.
Speaker:And you look at, this is actually only through January 31st, because
Speaker:it's tracked at the end of each month.
Speaker:using the site I use, which is NHL injury vid.
Speaker:blogspot.
Speaker:com.
Speaker:If you can believe it or not, yes, that still exists.
Speaker:Blogspot, the Leafs right now have lost 29 man games to injury
Speaker:at the goaltending position.
Speaker:There's only a few teams with more, the Chicago Blackhawks have lost 28.
Speaker:The Vancouver Canucks, of course, 29 with Demco being out.
Speaker:And that's, Those are the only two other teams that are really
Speaker:within significant range.
Speaker:And it's not like Chicago, it almost doesn't matter.
Speaker:Utah 22 and then San Jose 23.
Speaker:So this is relatively close, but as far as really good teams, Toronto's
Speaker:looking at this going, we're getting killed in net and goaltending was
Speaker:not necessarily their strength.
Speaker:So that absolutely hurts.
Speaker:you have some guys that are solid goaltenders.
Speaker:I'd say like B level goaltenders, maybe not.
Speaker:they're not in the top 10, but they could get the job done given a certain scenario.
Speaker:Still, ours is look pretty decent when he's been in there.
Speaker:really nice stats wall, I think is a guy who needs some time spent in.
Speaker:He needs to get comfortable and he just Can't seem to find that.
Speaker:And that was the worry when they signed that contract was, what if he gets hurt
Speaker:again, and he's not able to find that groove, he's a definitely a groove type
Speaker:of goaltender and it's, that's been iffy.
Speaker:So if they can stay healthy and maybe this break, this four nations
Speaker:break is going to be good for them.
Speaker:but if they can stay healthy, then.
Speaker:Yeah, perhaps some things start to turn around for them, but that goaltending
Speaker:position has definitely hurt them.
Speaker:But on top of that, my goodness, I think they're the only team now,
Speaker:Colorado has lost 171 man games to injury do at the forward position alone.
Speaker:the San Jose sharks at 131 with Toronto at 139 is good for second,
Speaker:first, and obviously in the Eastern conference and some of those injuries
Speaker:have been significant, Austin Matthews, Mitch Marner, like we're
Speaker:not talking about fourth line players.
Speaker:Being out, we're talking about John Tavares, talking about their best players.
Speaker:And I think it's like William Nylander, Morgan Riley are probably the two guys
Speaker:who you would look to and go, yes, they are some of our main contributors
Speaker:who have actually played every game.
Speaker:So it has been an injury riddled season for the least.
Speaker:Some of that could be, they're getting up there in age.
Speaker:I know nobody wants to say it because it feels like Austin Matthews is still
Speaker:young, but no, he's actually not.
Speaker:He's almost been in the league for, this is like year 10.
Speaker:You believe it's year 10.
Speaker:That makes me feel old.
Speaker:These man games lost injury can, it can sometimes be a little bit of
Speaker:a sneaky stat because you can have somebody who's been out since the
Speaker:beginning of the year anyways, and maybe they wouldn't contribute that
Speaker:much, but, they count towards it.
Speaker:But for the least, there really isn't that type of player.
Speaker:They have been absolutely swamped with injuries and that has been
Speaker:hurtful, but I think it looks like they're going to come back into
Speaker:out of the break from four nations.
Speaker:Pretty healthy.
Speaker:And that is important.
Speaker:I look to them as a team who's going, none of this really matters.
Speaker:Like we have to get in.
Speaker:And of course, is there always a danger that you won't get in?
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:I think it's pretty, pretty glued in there.
Speaker:they're going to make the playoffs.
Speaker:Things could go really wrong.
Speaker:It's not like you can just take every night off.
Speaker:but I picked, I think a Tampa Bay, there was a few of the years where the
Speaker:Tampa Bay lightning was just like, they were uninterested in the regular season
Speaker:and That has really come out in some of these games because the Leafs just
Speaker:aren't scoring the way that they used to.
Speaker:I think they are playing a more defensive game and I think Craig Berube
Speaker:is, Not worried the fact that they're maybe not scoring in every game.
Speaker:I think he's more worried about how they're playing.
Speaker:And there were some of those playoff games where it was like, they're just getting
Speaker:trucked and they were down by so much.
Speaker:There was no chance of them coming back or they're having to come back
Speaker:down three, nothing for nothing.
Speaker:And it just wasn't happening.
Speaker:And I think he's going, I'd rather put us in this situation where we can play and
Speaker:dig, and even if we lose in the regular season, it doesn't matter, it's going
Speaker:to pay off come playoff time, because I think that is likely what he's doing.
Speaker:Now, I will say that it looked like the Leafs were, they were
Speaker:going to take this division.
Speaker:Now, it's definitely unsure.
Speaker:The florida panthers have been on a roll seven and three in their last 10.
Speaker:The Tampa Bay lightning have won their last four games going into the four
Speaker:nations break and they look fantastic.
Speaker:They may be the best team in the Atlantic right now and 66 points, only two, two
Speaker:points back of the Leafs and they're a plus 44 in the gold differential.
Speaker:So definitely the way they're winning looks a lot better, right?
Speaker:But Toronto has an opportunity here to still grab this division.
Speaker:And I think it's really what they need to do.
Speaker:there's got to be a year where this team isn't in the two or three spot.
Speaker:They win this division, they go and they take on a wildcard team.
Speaker:They chug through, get this wildcard team out in five games.
Speaker:And we get to see, second round matchup against maybe the other wildcard team.
Speaker:Or it just, it feels like there, there needs to be that year if
Speaker:they're going to get through.
Speaker:Where they need to have an easier first round.
Speaker:and that's been the case.
Speaker:you want to see a team with these first round areas.
Speaker:Yo.
Speaker:I started, I just couldn't keep myself from shutting up.
Speaker:So I already started the show.
Speaker:It's fine.
Speaker:It was just, I was just talking about, some, looking at the standings.
Speaker:and some races right now, but
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:before, before we jump into something else, I was talking a little bit about
Speaker:the Red Wings and, they've been a focal point for some of our shows the last few
Speaker:weeks, but now that we're settled in, we're going into the four nations break,
Speaker:barring the start of the regular season, with that other coach, yeah.
Speaker:We don't even, Talk about them.
Speaker:how are you feeling going into the break?
Speaker:feel pretty good actually.
Speaker:there are a couple, spots I think of concerned, obviously the wings, you know,
Speaker:when you look at, I guess what happened against Tampa, The, the other night,
Speaker:That was a little bit of a concern.
Speaker:I think this break is going to be welcomed.
Speaker:there's still, some lack of, depth scoring that I'd like to see a little bit more of.
Speaker:the Red Wings have been phenomenal on the power play, just maybe
Speaker:a little lacking five on five.
Speaker:it's obviously better than what we had with Derek Lalonde, but, wouldn't
Speaker:mind a little uptick in that little category there and, Albert Johnson,
Speaker:has been a nice little treat on that second line with Simone Edmondson.
Speaker:But, I do worry long term right over the course of the next couple
Speaker:months, what you're going to get out of these two, 20 year old
Speaker:defensemen on your second bearing.
Speaker:So
Speaker:What do you think they're going to do at the deadline?
Speaker:Because that's, I mentioned that, it just doesn't seem like Eisermann
Speaker:can just shoot blanks this time.
Speaker:no.
Speaker:And so that's the thing.
Speaker:if you're even close, I think the wings were last year, we're going into, last
Speaker:couple of weeks, they were only a few points out, or even if they're still
Speaker:in the wild card, I think regardless, you have to do something, even if
Speaker:you really think, yeah, we get in the playoffs, we're going to, we're probably
Speaker:going to bomb out, maybe we take it six, seven games, whoever we play.
Speaker:whether that's Washington or maybe Florida, Toronto.
Speaker:But, I think you still have to do something because you have to tell the
Speaker:fans that one, I believe in this group and two, you have to let the actual
Speaker:players themselves know, Hey, this is a reward for what you guys did, right?
Speaker:You guys got us here.
Speaker:You got us close to the playoffs.
Speaker:let me go out and get something for you to help just ease those last few weeks
Speaker:and just so that, Again, when you're, making that stretch run down those, again,
Speaker:those last few weeks, you're not really sitting there worried or tired, exhausted.
Speaker:You have some fresh blood in there and it just gives them a little pep, right?
Speaker:a little bit something.
Speaker:It's it's like taking a little energy drink sometimes for some of these
Speaker:teams, when they get a nice little pickup at the, at the deadline,
Speaker:Agreed.
Speaker:sorry, my light went out.
Speaker:I saw that was nice.
Speaker:had it plugged in, but the plug to the plug wasn't plugged in.
Speaker:that's a problem.
Speaker:That's a problem.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I got a few plugs down here in the basement.
Speaker:there's not, there's not many outlets on the walls, so I got
Speaker:to run some extension cords.
Speaker:Um, I, and I was looking at it, trying to figure out who would be a good fit.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:Man, I just can't, I can't get away from Brock Besser.
Speaker:Ooh, yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:you need a guy, you can't go out.
Speaker:if you're going to spend any resources, You're not going out and getting who
Speaker:cares if you can go get, I don't know.
Speaker:I guess Jay, like Jason Zucker's having a nice year for the Sabres,
Speaker:but I don't think he's the answer.
Speaker:I don't think going and getting a Ryan Donato is going to.
Speaker:It's going to be enough of a shakeup.
Speaker:Yeah, sure.
Speaker:Would those be nice little pieces to add to depth scoring?
Speaker:Absolutely.
Speaker:I want to see them go out and grab somebody of significance, like somebody
Speaker:that we know could make a difference in the playoffs, like Jason Zucker.
Speaker:There's been a few times when he was traded at the deadline and things just,
Speaker:he's not really much of a playoff guy.
Speaker:He's, he.
Speaker:look what he's doing right now.
Speaker:He plays for a garbage team and he's having a good year.
Speaker:Ryan Donato plays for a garbage team.
Speaker:He's having a good year.
Speaker:I don't know if it's always that you want to have those type of
Speaker:guys coming at the deadline.
Speaker:Like it's been so long since either one of those guys played
Speaker:in a real desperate type of game.
Speaker:I just.
Speaker:And when they did in the past, when, at least when Zucker did, I, like for
Speaker:the penguins, he was just useless.
Speaker:want to see them go in and get somebody legit.
Speaker:go get me Brad Marshand.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I've heard his name on the block a little bit, but, for me, if I'm the
Speaker:wings, I want a second line center.
Speaker:I think that's where this team needs it more than anything else.
Speaker:Because if you move Andrew cop and JT confer in that third line and
Speaker:you put them with, maybe a Patrick Kane or even a Vladdy Tarasenko.
Speaker:I think you got enough firepower in that third line to really, to
Speaker:really do some damage to other teams as third lines, right?
Speaker:But, and then, of course, they're still responsible defensively enough
Speaker:to where I feel confident of them going out playing against the Sidney
Speaker:Crosby's and McDavid's of the world.
Speaker:But, that second line, when I see them roll out, I don't know, just seeing
Speaker:Andrew Compton centering a line of Patrick Kane and, Alex to bring it.
Speaker:I love to bring it.
Speaker:I think Patrick King's better suited on a third line where he doesn't
Speaker:have to worry about a lot of five on five play and he can take his, his
Speaker:PP1 minutes and really capitalize.
Speaker:But, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker:Second line center is where I want, but unfortunately there's
Speaker:just not a lot of options.
Speaker:I know Casey Middlestat's name has been thrown out there recently
Speaker:and we've heard Dylan Cousins.
Speaker:maybe
Speaker:a Brock Nelson.
Speaker:A Brock Nelson wouldn't be like, he can play center.
Speaker:He could, but do I, I think if the wings are going to take a swing for
Speaker:a guy who plays second line center, let's think long term here, right?
Speaker:Let's not go after.
Speaker:That's why, you hear Dylan Cousins name thrown around.
Speaker:would I take him at seven, plus mil?
Speaker:No, maybe five and a half, six.
Speaker:I would consider that.
Speaker:yeah, I just think they need to make a splash.
Speaker:that's where I'm at with them.
Speaker:we'll see let's see how they play coming out of this four nations because it's
Speaker:going to calm everybody down, right?
Speaker:Like we're taking what, 10 days off or something like that.
Speaker:It's going to guys are going to come back a little more healthy.
Speaker:At least the ones who aren't playing in the tournament, people
Speaker:are going to come back more rested.
Speaker:And I think, maybe some of the teams that haven't been playing
Speaker:well, that should be, may be able to turn the corner a little bit.
Speaker:I want to see, are the Red Wings for real?
Speaker:was this just a nice bump?
Speaker:Cause they got a new coach and now we take this little break
Speaker:and is it going to be the same?
Speaker:or is this a little bit like, are they going to come back down to earth?
Speaker:and now I think.
Speaker:I said it when, when I, earlier in the show, I said, I think that if
Speaker:you had started the season and you said, Hey, the Red Wings are going
Speaker:to be, 61 points, they're going to be like six games above 500.
Speaker:There'll be one point into the playoffs at the four nations.
Speaker:I think you'd go.
Speaker:Great.
Speaker:that's about where I saw them.
Speaker:they're tracking right where they should be now.
Speaker:It took them a little while to get there.
Speaker:It took some events to put them there, but they eventually got to that spot.
Speaker:So they're really tracking where I think they should be.
Speaker:However, I just I don't know that they can continue this pace that they've been,
Speaker:that they've been on, so for the final 27 games, I'm looking for 15 wins, which
Speaker:would be another 30 points and then, maybe you'll lose a few of those in overtime
Speaker:that puts you at 94, 95 points, maybe.
Speaker:And I think that's probably good enough to get in.
Speaker:last year it was 91 points is what got in.
Speaker:The Red Wings had 91 points last year.
Speaker:it would only be a slight improvement.
Speaker:It's funny because really they're tracking almost exactly the
Speaker:same as they were last year.
Speaker:Right around 91.
Speaker:is that unfair?
Speaker:Last 27 games you win about 15 of them.
Speaker:It's not out of the realm of possibilities, right?
Speaker:And I think, ideally, I think I would like to see the wings
Speaker:go 6, 3 1 over the next 10.
Speaker:And then again, repeat that kind of, so yeah,
Speaker:I'm sure you won't,
Speaker:yeah, right about
Speaker:don't we all,
Speaker:so yeah.
Speaker:if they can continue, they're obviously not going to continue the pace
Speaker:they have, but if they can continue some sort of pace close to, six,
Speaker:three and one, or, maybe even five, three and two, something like that.
Speaker:I think, they've got a good shot of getting in.
Speaker:do I have a lot of faith in, Ottawa, Columbus, or the Bruins?
Speaker:I have more faith in Ottawa than any of those teams.
Speaker:I think, Columbus has been a great story.
Speaker:Don't get me wrong, but I think that, how long can they sustain such success
Speaker:with guys like, Sean Monahan and, you know, we've seen half their team get
Speaker:injured at this point in the year.
Speaker:dealing with those injuries and the goal tending that they have, I
Speaker:just don't see them, they'll make a little push, but I just don't
Speaker:see them there at the finish line.
Speaker:And same with Boston.
Speaker:I just, I don't have a lot of faith down the middle for this team and
Speaker:their goal tending has been bad.
Speaker:So, to me, the one team I do worry about, especially with the new infusion
Speaker:of talent is the New York Rangers.
Speaker:I think they're going to be the team pushing auto in
Speaker:Detroit for one of those spots.
Speaker:we are on the same page.
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:He wasn't even here.
Speaker:And yeah, I said, man, if the, if I'm looking at the senators and the red
Speaker:wings, I see the Rangers on their tails.
Speaker:It's going to be tough for both those teams to get in.
Speaker:but in general, that Atlantic division is just a, it's.
Speaker:Tight competition.
Speaker:You're not kidding.
Speaker:I wish there was a little more, it was a little tighter in the Metro.
Speaker:Like the Metro is just like a foregone conclusion.
Speaker:It's like, all right, who's going to, who's going to have whole
Speaker:mice, Carolina or New Jersey.
Speaker:And then it's the capitals.
Speaker:this is a, it's over like it's almost like it was with remember when it
Speaker:was like Toronto and Tampa and it was middle of December and we're like, Sure.
Speaker:It looks like they're going to play each other.
Speaker:And then they did, it was like that the whole time, neither one of them
Speaker:switched out and they flip flopped every now and then, but, it almost
Speaker:looks like that may be the case again.
Speaker:We will see.
Speaker:okay.
Speaker:I think we should get into some four nations.
Speaker:let's do
Speaker:Because it is upon us, Sidney Crosby has officially entered the chat for Canada.
Speaker:He will not be a, he will not be replaced.
Speaker:And, we passed the 5 o'clock, it's about 527 now.
Speaker:the rosters are set.
Speaker:Is there anybody that you saw that was out any replacements?
Speaker:Drew Dowdy came in, right?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:He came in for drip for Petrangelo.
Speaker:And I think that's a fine replacement.
Speaker:you got to grab somebody.
Speaker:Why not be a two cup, two time cup winner, two time gold,
Speaker:gold medal winner for Canada,
Speaker:right.
Speaker:what a luxury.
Speaker:Ah, dang it.
Speaker:We have to have drew dowdy on our team.
Speaker:Shoot.
Speaker:Terrible.
Speaker:let's be honest.
Speaker:No one else is playing really besides Cale McCarr.
Speaker:he'll be out there 30 minutes a night.
Speaker:the power play, they were talking to Seth Jarvis cause
Speaker:he's playing on the penalty kill.
Speaker:So of course in practice, he's playing against the power play,
Speaker:which was McDavid, Crosby, Reinhardt, McCarr, and, Oh my gosh.
Speaker:who am I missing here?
Speaker:McDavid,
Speaker:Reinhardt, McKinnon.
Speaker:Sorry, Nate.
Speaker:Sorry, Nate.
Speaker:It's just ridiculous.
Speaker:You only need those four.
Speaker:Imagine those four guys on the ice.
Speaker:And then you
Speaker:add in Nathan McKinnon, being touted as the greatest line to play together since
Speaker:Lemieux, Gretzky and Howard Chuck in 87.
Speaker:Oh,
Speaker:I think it's fair.
Speaker:I think it's a fair
Speaker:it is.
Speaker:I'm actually quite surprised because, and maybe they have thought
Speaker:about this, but I'm surprised.
Speaker:We don't see.
Speaker:Crosby, McKinnon and McDavid on the same line.
Speaker:Just let those guys, cause they have a bevy of centers to play with, right?
Speaker:you've got Braden points, Sorelli, Sam Bennett.
Speaker:You can even throw Sam Reinhardt in at center.
Speaker:If you wanted to, or Brandon Hagel, those guys have played center before.
Speaker:So why not let the three best fricking players on our team just go out
Speaker:there and literally just, I, they would have their way with any line.
Speaker:I feel
Speaker:I think what they're doing with Crosby and Stone.
Speaker:So they've got basically the two guys who are getting, who can go out there
Speaker:and grind everything up, but are the most, they are the best grinders.
Speaker:There are both guys can play great defense.
Speaker:Like no, no one's scoring on that line ever.
Speaker:and then you've got McKinnon who the Crosby McKinnon connection is like
Speaker:those two guys might as well be married.
Speaker:and then I've, you have to have Marner play with somebody like
Speaker:Marner is a pretty, he's a guy who plays with high level talent.
Speaker:He's obviously an elite player himself, but he plays phenomenally
Speaker:with high level talent.
Speaker:So you drop him in there with McDavid.
Speaker:And I think maybe that speed.
Speaker:Like you're spreading out your speed a little bit with that
Speaker:because Crosby, he's not slow, but he's also, he's not McKinnon.
Speaker:He's not McDavid.
Speaker:He's not McKinnon.
Speaker:you're not watching Crosby split the D anymore.
Speaker:that's not his game.
Speaker:It hasn't been for a long time.
Speaker:doesn't need to.
Speaker:and then, the rest of the lines are, point Marshawn Jarvis, connect knees
Speaker:out with this, with an illness.
Speaker:he will maybe draw in if he's better by game one, a couple of days.
Speaker:And then, we've got the Sorelli Hagel connection.
Speaker:Down there with Bennett.
Speaker:We've got the Florida line, so we'll see how that goes.
Speaker:And
Speaker:Normally,
Speaker:going to be ridiculous, but so are us.
Speaker:It's not as if there's not incredible talent on the other ones.
Speaker:this tournament is okay.
Speaker:This is what I wanted to get into with you.
Speaker:Normally this would be the all star weekend, right?
Speaker:Normally we'd be, normally we'd be sitting back and watching anything else, but,
Speaker:or if it would be like very much on in the background, like, I, I don't know,
Speaker:I love the hardest shot when I was a kid and it was like Al McInnes, some,
Speaker:something about it now, just not as.
Speaker:they try too hard.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Maybe that's what it is.
Speaker:Take
Speaker:themselves too seriously.
Speaker:I
Speaker:I
Speaker:missed the draft when they did the three on three draft.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And Phil Kessel was last and all that.
Speaker:I was trying to think, what, how does this tournament compare in
Speaker:my heart to an all star weekend?
Speaker:An all star weekend.
Speaker:I'm still like, Oh, that's the all star game.
Speaker:Like I'll put it on, I guess I'll watch it.
Speaker:I'm trying to think if I feel much different about this tournament.
Speaker:In comparison to an all star game.
Speaker:Like how deeply is this going to affect me in this tournament?
Speaker:I just don't think I know how to feel about it.
Speaker:And I am leaning towards this is basically an all star game.
Speaker:And I know the players are saying it's not, but I guess
Speaker:I need to be proven otherwise.
Speaker:I'm not leaning that way because one, I think there's a
Speaker:certain level of pride, right?
Speaker:When you put on that Jersey with your country's name on the front, right?
Speaker:there's that little bit of pride
Speaker:But what are you actually playing for?
Speaker:The Russians aren't here, Leon Dreisaitl isn't playing,
Speaker:listen, I would love it if the Russians were here or if they had just call
Speaker:it Eastern European team, right?
Speaker:just give me like, yeah, the world.
Speaker:Remember, do you
Speaker:remember when they did the all star game?
Speaker:they would do North America and the world.
Speaker:That was, Did they do that more than once?
Speaker:They did that a couple times.
Speaker:I
Speaker:think in Olympic years, there were times when they would do it.
Speaker:I know for sure in 2000 and maybe it was 98, 98 might've been the world
Speaker:and the North American all stars.
Speaker:Now I'm see those are the all star games.
Speaker:I actually remember.
Speaker:yeah, but see the difference with this though, then the all star game
Speaker:is I actually know that going in these guys are actually going to give
Speaker:like a full NHL like level effort.
Speaker:Each game.
Speaker:They're going to check.
Speaker:They're going to go out there.
Speaker:They're going to grind.
Speaker:They're going to rip.
Speaker:I don't think it's going to be one of those all star
Speaker:games where they go out like.
Speaker:And yeah, like McDavid's going to try to make a little
Speaker:fancy dangle between the legs.
Speaker:And then, normally in real life, he'd probably get side swiped and checked by
Speaker:Kachuk right in the face and wrecked.
Speaker:Whereas in the all star game, they don't do that.
Speaker:They just let the guy like make his move.
Speaker:And then, Roberto Luongo is going to have fun and stack the pads and,
Speaker:do a little spinorama or whatever.
Speaker:But here I get the sense that they're going to give legit efforts.
Speaker:There's going to be, there's going to be hard hitting, there's
Speaker:going to be checking, there's going to be actual back checking.
Speaker:Um, it's gonna feel like an actual playoff, it's gonna
Speaker:have that playoff atmosphere
Speaker:feel like a real game.
Speaker:I
Speaker:know it'll feel like a real game.
Speaker:I'm not worried about that portion.
Speaker:I just, even if they give it their all, what comes of winning this?
Speaker:it's bragging
Speaker:yeah, I know.
Speaker:I think
Speaker:if you're, Matthew Kachuk, you can go down to Florida, you can go back after this
Speaker:game and kind of rub it in Sam Bennett and Reinhardt's face and be like, ah, see
Speaker:this little first place trophy here, just,
Speaker:way, I was right.
Speaker:1998 North America versus the world.
Speaker:They also did it in until 2002, they did it 98 to 2002.
Speaker:So they did it five times.
Speaker:I didn't think it was that
Speaker:And the world won twice, North America won three times, so
Speaker:I thought it would have been more lopsided, but okay.
Speaker:yeah, it was, then those were the only years that they did it,
Speaker:yeah, for whatever reason, they went back to the other ones, but
Speaker:there you go, I really want the, I want it to be great, I hope that it is,
Speaker:it feels like the hype behind it just hasn't been the
Speaker:same, maybe at, I don't know.
Speaker:When I was a kid, I remember the, I don't, obviously I was one
Speaker:years old when one year old, when the 1987 Canada cup happened.
Speaker:So I obviously don't remember that other than the highlights that I've seen.
Speaker:But I remember the 96 world cup of hockey very vividly.
Speaker:It was probably right when I was old enough, I'm 10 years old.
Speaker:It's like the glory time for watching sports when you're about 10 years
Speaker:old and you're like, these guys are.
Speaker:The greatest ever, everyone I'm
Speaker:watching is our superheroes.
Speaker:And, yeah, I remember watching that and that was, Canada one.
Speaker:And I think the first game in overtime or maybe, yeah, I think it was that
Speaker:was the order, or maybe it was the American, the Americans won the first
Speaker:game in overtime, Canada took game two and then Americans took game three.
Speaker:I think that's my, maybe how it went
Speaker:somewhere.
Speaker:Somewhere out there is a VHS recording of that, that I recorded it over some
Speaker:home videos to record that series.
Speaker:And I'm sure I could find it.
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:Canada, four, three in overtime, then us.
Speaker:5 2 and U. S. 5 2.
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:It was disappointing, but,
Speaker:For you.
Speaker:yes, for me.
Speaker:That was Mike Richter.
Speaker:That was,
Speaker:That was Richter.
Speaker:he was on fire.
Speaker:but I vividly remember that.
Speaker:And I remember how exciting it was.
Speaker:I don't remember any of the prelim games, like any of the lead up to it.
Speaker:I just remember it was like, this is Canada us.
Speaker:I'm sure I watched them, but I. That was a lot of fun.
Speaker:Maybe once, once we get into it and it starts, I'll start to feel it.
Speaker:I just, I'm not feeling anything right now.
Speaker:Wow, okay.
Speaker:you know what, if we get into Game 1 and like the players, you
Speaker:see a lackluster effort, right?
Speaker:I always picture, when I say, you're just lacking effort.
Speaker:I don't know if you remember in the Super Bowl when Cam Newton had that
Speaker:one play where he fumbled the ball right in front of him and instead
Speaker:of diving after, he bent down and then just immediately went back up.
Speaker:So if I see a little bit of that from some of these players where it's just yeah,
Speaker:you could have maybe dove to make that poke check or, you could have went through
Speaker:with the body and made that hit then that
Speaker:I don't think it's going to be like that
Speaker:because there are going to be way too many guys who will give you.
Speaker:All the crap in the world.
Speaker:If you do that,
Speaker:Yeah, and I agree with you and
Speaker:going to be competitive.
Speaker:yeah, and I think for a lot of these players, right?
Speaker:They're probably on the radar for the Olympics.
Speaker:And so I think this is like a pre Olympics kind of practice or audition.
Speaker:for a lot of these guys, they may not have an opportunity to play
Speaker:another international game again, too, Maybe a Drew Dowdy, for
Speaker:this may be it for Crosby.
Speaker:Or Crosby.
Speaker:this is probably it for him.
Speaker:he's, he's won his gold medals.
Speaker:He's got all those things, but it's probably it for Crosby.
Speaker:This is likely the one time that we get to see.
Speaker:Crosby and McDavid play together.
Speaker:Crosby and McKinnon play together.
Speaker:Remember McKinnon, wait a minute, what, 2016?
Speaker:McKinnon was on the bubble to make Team Canada.
Speaker:I don't think he made Team Canada.
Speaker:No, that was when he was putting up like 60 points.
Speaker:was, he had struggled in the beginning and yeah, so that would have been his
Speaker:only shot and he would have been really young and that was a Babcock team.
Speaker:He probably would have destroyed him would have looked at his phone or something.
Speaker:anyways,
Speaker:yeah, sorry to go there.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Give me your, before we, move on to something else, I just want,
Speaker:who do you think is going to win?
Speaker:ultimately I, it's a toss up between us and Canada, but because it is a toss
Speaker:up, I always have to go goaltending when I'm stuck and Connor Holabuck, right?
Speaker:yes, playoff, recent playoff history has shown us that he is
Speaker:not good at these pressure games, but I don't think there will be.
Speaker:As much pressure for a guy like him to, for this sort of tournament.
Speaker:I think he's going to rise to the occasion and plus, always in the back
Speaker:of his head, there is, all that chatter.
Speaker:I think, if he goes out and has a mediocre game, people
Speaker:start chattering a little bit.
Speaker:I think for me, I think it's going to come down, us Canada, but I think it'll be, I
Speaker:want to say it'll be an overtime winner, at the championship game for the U S.
Speaker:Kind of similar how Crosby still haunts my dreams with against Ryan
Speaker:Miller, but we won't talk about that.
Speaker:So
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:That was a great moment.
Speaker:Huh?
Speaker:I think.
Speaker:I think it's fair to say, if we were ranking these teams 1 4, we're
Speaker:going 4 is Finland, easy, like,
Speaker:all day
Speaker:all day, and, but here's the crazy thing.
Speaker:They could still find their way into a championship game, because
Speaker:it is a very short tournament.
Speaker:And one slip up, they just have to play really tight hockey and they
Speaker:could find their way in there.
Speaker:I think it's we aren't looking at, and you think about I think it was John Cooper.
Speaker:He, they asked him about the 87 team I was treating earlier.
Speaker:And he was like, the difference between now and then, Crosby McDavid.
Speaker:McKinnon playing together.
Speaker:Unbelievable line.
Speaker:And yes, maybe best line since Lemieux, Gretzky, Howard, Chuck.
Speaker:But it's like the difference between McDavid and Brayden point is not
Speaker:as drastic as it once was where like, the 12th forward on that team
Speaker:was an actual third line player.
Speaker:Like now, Every player on that team is a top player on their own squad,
Speaker:barring maybe some of those, like a Seth Jarvis, who is definitely more of
Speaker:a defensive specialist type of player.
Speaker:Like you have a couple of those, but they're still very good players.
Speaker:And that's the difference I think in this is that even the worst
Speaker:player on team Finland is still a pretty darn good hockey player.
Speaker:We're not throwing out guys who are borderline NHL players.
Speaker:yeah and finland traditionally plays a game where they clog the middle they
Speaker:trap you and they keep it low scoring so
Speaker:And I heard team Usulani is going to come out.
Speaker:Ooh,
Speaker:No, he's not.
Speaker:What
Speaker:okay.
Speaker:and played?
Speaker:What if
Speaker:I thought you meant come out as far as just come in, just be like an ambassador,
Speaker:may be, I would love that,
Speaker:yeah, for sure.
Speaker:But yeah.
Speaker:And UC Soros, he can catch fire at any time.
Speaker:he's not having the greatest of year, but right.
Speaker:He could turn it on.
Speaker:And
Speaker:neither is Nashville.
Speaker:And so I, I don't know if his bad year is because of him or if it's just, it's
Speaker:he's got a bad team in front of him.
Speaker:And now he's a little exposed.
Speaker:There's not a goalie in the NHL be amazing on a bad team.
Speaker:There's none.
Speaker:no, no one's visit winning the Vesna trophy on the worst team in the league.
Speaker:Can't do it.
Speaker:It's impossible.
Speaker:yeah, if they can keep scores, scores low and keep games tight,
Speaker:they could easily, like you said, in a short tournament like this, they
Speaker:could easily, surprise some people.
Speaker:But yeah, I think when you're just looking at things on paper, that
Speaker:defense alone just says, okay, that's the fourth place team right there.
Speaker:And I think it's likely, we've got Sweden is probably your third and then
Speaker:coin flip between the U S and Canada.
Speaker:I think a lot of people have, I think more people have the U S over Canada.
Speaker:and a lot of that is because of the goaltending of Canada is probably
Speaker:the weakest in the tournament.
Speaker:yeah,
Speaker:but their forward group is just
Speaker:the strongest.
Speaker:and, their defense is phenomenal too.
Speaker:So it'll be, it's going to be good.
Speaker:I. I'm really torn as to who to cheer for it now, like the last time I really cared
Speaker:2016, I actually just became an American.
Speaker:So I was like, ah, cheer for Canada.
Speaker:That's my team.
Speaker:But now 10 years in, I'm like, I don't really have anything.
Speaker:I don't have any Canadian, like diehard left in me.
Speaker:Like I'm American.
Speaker:I'm, I don't know who to cheer for though.
Speaker:So I'll just cheer for both teams against Finland and Sweden, which
Speaker:is probably what I would do anyways.
Speaker:And then we'll, it'd be hard not to cheer for Matthews a little bit, to be honest.
Speaker:I'm going to cheer harder for Matthews because he committed
Speaker:to us for five more years.
Speaker:I knew that was gonna
Speaker:Marner is, he's, I, here's what I'm worried about.
Speaker:Marner's going to go, Oh, I could go play with one of these guys.
Speaker:Or mcdavid's going to be like, Ooh, maybe that's the conspiracy.
Speaker:Marner and mcdavid are playing together.
Speaker:John actually, John Cooper would be like, Oh, son of a bitch.
Speaker:no, don't bring them into the division.
Speaker:Oh shit.
Speaker:Can you imagine?
Speaker:There we go.
Speaker:We'll just replace Tavaris with mcdavid.
Speaker:There we go.
Speaker:Tavaris can play fourth line center.
Speaker:okay.
Speaker:Anything you want to hit on
Speaker:Oh, I know we've already talked about the red wings.
Speaker:We've talked about four nations.
Speaker:The only other thing really that was on my mind, I know we talked about a
Speaker:little bit in our last show, but I guess.
Speaker:Eight or nine games into it now at this point.
Speaker:How are you feeling about, Miko Rantanen and Caroline?
Speaker:Are you worried at all?
Speaker:Cause I've also heard, and again, I'm not saying where I heard this
Speaker:or how valid it actually is, but that Caroline is actually given
Speaker:consideration to flipping Miko Rantanen.
Speaker:a wow.
Speaker:If they did that would be insane.
Speaker:right,
Speaker:I, I figure sometimes you got to give somebody a little longer than 10 games.
Speaker:Like he's never played anywhere.
Speaker:He also would like now that all the info has come out about that trade.
Speaker:He had no idea he was going to get traded.
Speaker:figured they could work something out and then they just dealt them.
Speaker:I got to think that's there's a lot of people that are probably pissed off and I
Speaker:can't blame them for going into Carolina and being a little shell shocked now.
Speaker:Yeah, he's not putting up points.
Speaker:I wouldn't say that he's played horribly.
Speaker:He just doesn't, he just isn't playing like the guy that we're used to.
Speaker:But going into a new system, you're playing for a much more hard ass of
Speaker:a coach from Bednar to Brindamore.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It sounds like a good book title for Bednar to Brindamore.
Speaker:It sounds like a Harry Potter book.
Speaker:yes, but I don't think they'll deal him again.
Speaker:I don't see that happening.
Speaker:that would be a very strange, like your culture can't handle bringing in
Speaker:a really good player at this point, you need to be like, that guy should be.
Speaker:Pampered and an assistant, not in like a girly way, but just like he needs
Speaker:to be taken care of because his world just got flipped upside down and you
Speaker:expect the first six games that the guy plays for you, that he's just
Speaker:going to be like, Oh, that's cool.
Speaker:I'll just go balls to the walls for you.
Speaker:Like he was going all out for the team that he loved and
Speaker:like the players he loved.
Speaker:And now he's on a team of guys that he doesn't really probably know.
Speaker:so I don't blame him.
Speaker:I, you have to have some ability to step back and go, this is just
Speaker:let's just let him figure this out.
Speaker:Let's give him all the rope when he needs and maybe he's getting that.
Speaker:Maybe he's not, I don't, I have no idea what's actually happening in
Speaker:the locker room, but it's, this can't be easy for someone who was, he was
Speaker:ready to sign a, an eight year deal there and then they flipped them.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:I, that, that was weird.
Speaker:Like when I saw he got dealt, I remember we talked about it and it was like,
Speaker:okay, he, he obviously wants more money than they're willing to give them.
Speaker:So they dealt them.
Speaker:And then it comes out that like they're in the middle of negotiations and
Speaker:he's willing to take a solid pay cut.
Speaker:Which like, what'd you expect them to, do you expect them to sign
Speaker:for and he even said he would take less than McKinnon, didn't he?
Speaker:I don't know if he said that,
Speaker:No, he just wanted the same percentage that, that Panarin got,
Speaker:yeah, I heard something like that.
Speaker:pretty darn reasonable.
Speaker:but they obviously didn't feel that way.
Speaker:And they dealt and he also said, I'm willing to take a pay cut to stay
Speaker:here, which to me says he was probably willing to take less than what Panarin
Speaker:the percentage that's been there.
Speaker:And I don't know, it seems funny to me that they, did it.
Speaker:And may, maybe it works out,
Speaker:maybe it doesn't.
Speaker:it seems like they didn't even try to negotiate, right?
Speaker:They just pulled the trigger just prematurely.
Speaker:A
Speaker:It seemed a little spazzy,
Speaker:little bit.
Speaker:so I'm willing to give him a benefit of the doubt.
Speaker:And, we'll see, I think this four nations break will be a good opportunity for
Speaker:everyone involved to just take a breath.
Speaker:He
Speaker:he's on a line with Sebastian Auer right now,
Speaker:is indeed.
Speaker:And that is cool.
Speaker:Like maybe that'll be their ability to, to bond here, over country and then go
Speaker:back and go, okay, we, I have a friend, like there is something, even at the level
Speaker:that I've played at hockey wise, There's just something about playing with people
Speaker:that you like, when you're with people, you don't know, like I've been on lots of
Speaker:teams where like you get invited out and you go play and it's okay, that was fine.
Speaker:But then when you're playing with people, you like, and you're friends
Speaker:with, it's just so much more fun.
Speaker:So I got to imagine you're on a team for 10 years and everybody,
Speaker:not only all the people on the team, all the staff, all the, everyone
Speaker:that you pass every day and you
Speaker:say hi to, and you build relationships with, and then when you're You don't
Speaker:want to leave and poof, you're gone.
Speaker:And not only Hey, I'm going from the Rangers to the Islanders or something.
Speaker:you went from Colorado all the way to Carolina.
Speaker:Now you're playing all different teams too, on a regular basis.
Speaker:you're playing in a lot of different spots.
Speaker:I, no one can blame him.
Speaker:all right.
Speaker:And I, and anyone who's making a rumor that they're looking to trade him again,
Speaker:if the Carolina hurricanes trade him again, their organization's a joke.
Speaker:And I don't think that their organization's a joke.
Speaker:So I don't think they'll trade him.
Speaker:No,
Speaker:think even if you were considering trading him, you're not getting anything
Speaker:close to that value back anyway.
Speaker:yeah, if you're like, oh, actually we changed our mind people are
Speaker:gonna be like what happened down there Is he did he tear something?
Speaker:are you yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:and then there's a JT Miller trade, of course,
Speaker:oh, yeah,
Speaker:and Where do you think that trades actually gonna take the Rangers Like now
Speaker:that we're
Speaker:to get in the playoffs.
Speaker:him play there a little bit,
Speaker:Yeah, I love the intensity he brings right now.
Speaker:I think it's Sparked a little something because of Benajad because we know
Speaker:he's been struggling, pre trade, right?
Speaker:he just, really felt like he wasn't having the best of seasons and you know
Speaker:Maybe it's maybe it'll be enough to save Peter Laviolet's job at the year because
Speaker:I don't think they were gonna fire him midseason, but You would have scratched
Speaker:your head if they missed the playoffs after winning the president's trophy
Speaker:and you would have looked back and said maybe that seats a little warmer than
Speaker:we thought I do think Miller is going to be enough to get them in the playoffs.
Speaker:Shuster can still, obviously one of the best goaltenders in the world.
Speaker:So I think just that alone, I think it's going to do them well.
Speaker:And once they get into playoffs, look, we saw what he did when he was in
Speaker:Vancouver, when they got in, he's intense and he brings it every single night.
Speaker:And I think that's something that the Rangers, I don't want
Speaker:to say missed, but I, no team would say let's have less of that,
Speaker:I would say they missed.
Speaker:I think also you could afford to bring him in after losing Truba.
Speaker:Truba was probably more that guy in the locker room and you have a hole
Speaker:and you got to fill it with somebody.
Speaker:And I, he's a great guy to fill that with.
Speaker:Now I will say JT Miller is somebody who.
Speaker:if I'm cheering for team USA, like I think he has a possibility
Speaker:to be a sneaky good, wow.
Speaker:At the end of the tournament, he actually led the whole team in points.
Speaker:I could see it happening
Speaker:Listen, that line he's playing on with Brady Kachuk and Matt Boldy right now,
Speaker:they're going to cause some terror.
Speaker:They're going to go out there and be sandpaper all night,
Speaker:so that'll be fun to watch.
Speaker:and he, those two guys, I'm borderline worried.
Speaker:please just don't hurt anybody significant.
Speaker:Only people on team Finland.
Speaker:No,
Speaker:only a fourth line.
Speaker:Maybe any, anybody on Tampa, Florida, or Ottawa,
Speaker:Hey, if you asked me right now, I would pick, I would still pick
Speaker:Toronto like I did preseason and finish first in this division, so
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:if they, they've got a couple of games in hand, I really, I think this
Speaker:tournament is going to be good for them because got some players who are
Speaker:absolutely in it and very important.
Speaker:Pieces of their team.
Speaker:I think it's going to be really fun for them.
Speaker:And I hope it gives them that push.
Speaker:I was looking at them and I'm thinking of them the 2019 20 Tampa
Speaker:Bay lightning, where they were just let's just get into the playoffs.
Speaker:Like we know what we are now.
Speaker:The Leafs aren't, haven't exactly been superstars in the playoffs terms
Speaker:of winning rounds, but the Leafs know, like we're a playoff team.
Speaker:We're going to get in the playoffs.
Speaker:So we don't need.
Speaker:We don't care who we play.
Speaker:let's just get in and let's go.
Speaker:The problem is I think they really need to get into that first spot.
Speaker:Like that, getting that first spot in that division is maybe the most
Speaker:important thing, because the difference between playing, let's say, Ottawa
Speaker:or Detroit compared to playing Tampa.
Speaker:I'm well,
Speaker:you got to play the Rangers first round, right?
Speaker:that's true.
Speaker:You could have to play the Rangers the first round.
Speaker:that's entirely possible.
Speaker:but I think the least would do really well against the Rangers is they're slow.
Speaker:yeah, J. T. Miller's got some wheels, but yeah, super.
Speaker:he's not super fleet of foot, so I don't know.
Speaker:don't know, everyone can win, anyone can beat anyone.
Speaker:And that's the scary thing, right?
Speaker:but I think I'm looking at, I'm not scared of Detroit.
Speaker:I'm not scared of Ottawa.
Speaker:There's definitely pieces on Tampa.
Speaker:Like Vasilevsky terrifies me.
Speaker:And if he doesn't terrify you, then you haven't been watching the last
Speaker:seven years, eight years of his career.
Speaker:Uh, I don't want to play Florida at all.
Speaker:No one wants to play.
Speaker:I think you're shot at getting out of that division is to win that division
Speaker:and hope that the wildcard team could beat the other top teams so that
Speaker:you can, squeeze in there, Oh no.
Speaker:They,
Speaker:no, I,
Speaker:it's just all
Speaker:and Tampa to beat each other up is what you want.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:So it's, in some ways it doesn't matter, but I think, what's the one
Speaker:thing they haven't been able to do?
Speaker:it's that go win the division and push through that way.
Speaker:that's probably what they have to do.
Speaker:We'll see if they can.
Speaker:I was saying they've lost more man games than almost any team in the league.
Speaker:I think it's like their third San Jose is the top one.
Speaker:Colorado's lost a ton
Speaker:and then it's the Leafs
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Wow.
Speaker:and the Leafs have lost more man games to goaltender loss than any team, but
Speaker:Chicago, which Chicago doesn't care.
Speaker:Chicago's thrilled about it.
Speaker:Actually.
Speaker:They would love to finish last again and have a top five pick and
Speaker:continue building that so they don't care neither to San Jose on the injury front.
Speaker:So really, it's Colorado and Toronto have both had this like
Speaker:a very injury filled season.
Speaker:Granted, Colorado, you're Nechushkin is included in that list, so yeah,
Speaker:he misses a bunch of games, but.
Speaker:You knew that going in and it wasn't really to injury.
Speaker:It's not like their plans were ruined because of it.
Speaker:You knew he was going to be out at the start of the season.
Speaker:yeah.
Speaker:any final thoughts, anything left?
Speaker:Oh, just a simple yes or no question.
Speaker:are the Toronto Maple Leafs going to add, like, when I say a big piece, easily
Speaker:could play in that top six, like we're talking you know, 5 million plus player.
Speaker:Do they add somebody like that at the deadline?
Speaker:there's, like I said before, a Brock Besser is a player to me that.
Speaker:Is the type of player that you'd love to bring in.
Speaker:it would be fun.
Speaker:It would be mind numbing.
Speaker:If they went out and said, let's go get Brad Marshan.
Speaker:Like we, we can't beat this guy.
Speaker:Let's just see what happens if he's on our team.
Speaker:Honestly,
Speaker:Oh, that could happen.
Speaker:I don't know that they would ever make that move.
Speaker:It would be, it'd be
Speaker:interesting.
Speaker:you've got Marner playing on a team with them right now.
Speaker:And maybe he goes to him and he's bro, like we could use a guy like
Speaker:you and Berube would love him.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:So I feel like he would be a good fit for their current iteration of this team.
Speaker:what kind of guy do they need?
Speaker:They could use a Brad Marshad.
Speaker:I don't think you co of those guys in the play gonna be a top six guy?
Speaker:P be a third line winger.
Speaker:M
Speaker:Yeah, but he could play up there.
Speaker:He could, when you have injuries, it's not like you're going out, darn it.
Speaker:We have to have March on, on our second line
Speaker:to who, what's.
Speaker:like Nick Robertson and s there.
Speaker:Yeah,
Speaker:rumor block for the last two years.
Speaker:So yeah, be about time.
Speaker:I'm trying to think who else would really tickle me if the Leafs got them.
Speaker:Uh,
Speaker:I would say if the Red Wings had been out of it, that like a Patrick Kane
Speaker:would be really interesting to Toronto.
Speaker:I know that.
Speaker:It had been floated there as a possibility when he got traded to the Rangers.
Speaker:there was that Matthews connection.
Speaker:And, I think that would be interesting.
Speaker:Brock Nelson, I think would be also another good fit for Toronto.
Speaker:he could come in there and provide a little bit of sandpaper plays that good
Speaker:defensive style game that Berube likes.
Speaker:and those are the UFA guys that I see that, that would be interesting to bring
Speaker:in, I sure would love to go out and grab a superstar player for nothing or go grab,
Speaker:like an Ivan Proverov or something from Columbus if they decide to not go forward.
Speaker:I think as you can see some obvious holes in the Leafs forward group,
Speaker:like they could go out and the Leafs could add someone like Donato.
Speaker:And he would help to stabilize the bottom six a little bit.
Speaker:They could go out and grab a Nelson and he would stabilize the bottom six a
Speaker:little bit, but who do you really need?
Speaker:You probably need a top four defense
Speaker:to go
Speaker:barstool sports.
Speaker:I thought
Speaker:Riley there possibly getting moved because he just he hasn't looked
Speaker:like he's fitted in the best, right?
Speaker:I, and I wonder if that's a brew Bay thing.
Speaker:But I don't know.
Speaker:I, and maybe they move them now, but you would have to go out, move him,
Speaker:bring in another high end defenseman.
Speaker:And then you're still, you still need to go out and get another heightened defense.
Speaker:that's a lot of maneuvering.
Speaker:And maybe you just have to look at this.
Speaker:not every year is easy.
Speaker:he maybe needs a little bit more time under brew beta to find his place.
Speaker:He just signed a long term deal.
Speaker:Not going to be easy to move them right now.
Speaker:Like you're selling incredibly low.
Speaker:And I think you gotta be able to, you gotta be able to let them figure it out.
Speaker:I know 50 games feels like a lot, but it's only been 50 games out of, compared
Speaker:to the, what, 500 that he played under Sheldon Keefe, 400 something.
Speaker:I think you can go, we can put up with this right now.
Speaker:And as, Hey, as long as we come to playoff time and he's there, if he plays
Speaker:like he did last year in the playoffs, especially the year before in the
Speaker:playoffs, like against the, Tampa Bay lightning that year, he was fantastic.
Speaker:So
Speaker:you probably got to ride what you have there and add rather than subtract.
Speaker:Maybe if you add, you can change defense partners.
Speaker:That could also be a solution.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:I like it
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:okay, that's, I'm really, I'm excited to watch this tournament, but I'm like,
Speaker:I'm really trying to keep myself like, this isn't going to be good so that if
Speaker:it is good, I'll be like, Oh, that was way better than I thought, but if it's
Speaker:not, I can be like, see, I knew it.
Speaker:So it's the skeptic in me.
Speaker:But I will try, I'm sure that once I sit down and actually watch the 10
Speaker:year old will come out in me again, that was watching the 96 World Cup.
Speaker:You still got that Canadian Crosby jersey put that bad boy on.
Speaker:I do.
Speaker:No, no, I don't have a Crosby one.
Speaker:I've actually have a Naginla one.
Speaker:Oh, okay.
Speaker:it's my dad that has a Crosby one.
Speaker:I have, I actually have the jersey from the 98 Olympics.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Okay
Speaker:T it doesn't have a player on the back.
Speaker:It's just a, a blank Jersey.
Speaker:I have that one.
Speaker:And then I have an again, LA Canada one.
Speaker:So I'll be flipping between those two.
Speaker:I also have, I've got my Matthews Leafs Jersey.
Speaker:I'll put that one on and I'm trying to.
Speaker:I don't think I have any other I've got no, I've got Siddine.
Speaker:I've got a Lemieux Jersey and a few others, but
Speaker:I'm gonna throw my mighty ducks jersey on and call it
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:You can always put on a Mighty Ducks jersey.
Speaker:Is it the Mighty Ducks of, is it like an Anaheim one or is
Speaker:Yeah, it's the old purple and teal one.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Nice.
Speaker:I didn't know if it was like the movie one,
Speaker:Oh God,
Speaker:movie Mighty Ducks, the all green.
Speaker:Oh, the D5.
Speaker:Oh, that was horrible.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:all right, that's our show.
Speaker:follow or subscribe to the show wherever it is that you're listening to this.
Speaker:And, if you're watching on YouTube, give us a like subscribe, all the good
Speaker:things, and we will talk to you after the four, during the four nations
Speaker:tournament, we'll give a little check in and see how things are going.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:Talk to you soon.
