Ethan Podolsky
Appearances
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Spliff Notes (feat. JuJu Gotti)
Ja, er hat es nur geöffnet.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Spliff Notes (feat. JuJu Gotti)
Tony, glaubst du, dass er seine Freundschaften interessiert? Ich glaube nicht, dass er seine Freundschaften interessiert. Ich glaube, dass Billy seine eigene Show macht, weil er sagt, dass er Baseball mag. But I don't want to call the game. I'm not Mr. Here. Oh, what an inside strike there with a two-seed fastball. I'm calling it as I see it. He wants to talk about Picasso. He's not Alex Solana.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Spliff Notes (feat. JuJu Gotti)
Let's just be honest. Alex is going to talk to you about the 12-6 curve. Okay, breaking the batter up. High cheese. What? I love how he's trying to do baseball terms.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Spliff Notes (feat. JuJu Gotti)
Okay. 12-6 Kerbball. Ich bin stolz auf ihn.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Spliff Notes (feat. JuJu Gotti)
12-2-6 Kerbball. 12-6 ist alles, was er hatte und er hat es verloren. Was meinst du? 12-6 Kerbball. 12-6 Kerbball. 12-6 Kerbball.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Spliff Notes (feat. JuJu Gotti)
I like Ethan's better, I think.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Spliff Notes (feat. JuJu Gotti)
Dude, there's so many times where I've been reading like, oh, Marlon started P's and C's and it's Greg Cody's face. And I'm like, nice.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Spliff Notes (feat. JuJu Gotti)
I think you came in too late.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Yeah, the two of you, you're anti-New York bias showing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
You kind of led me perfectly into what I wanted to ask you about, because you mentioned like Leonard, you know, with B.C., with the Capitals, Perot, also B.C. with the Rangers. You've got Jack Devine at Denver. You know, Panther fans are always asking about him. What do you think of this crop of talent? Who do you think would be the most pro ready if they were to make that decision?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Mark Johnson, 1980.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Two goals in that Russia game, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
What did you think of what happened, was it last night, Roy, in Minnesota? When Ovi called basically the entire Caps team back onto the ice to honor another legend who's retiring after the season, Marc-Andre Fleury. I thought... I don't know why I was surprised by that. I guess maybe because Ovechkin doesn't, he's not in the spotlight for more than his goals record a lot right now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
But I mean, just for the kind of guy he is, that was just so cool to see. Something that we probably, you know, I mean, when do you see those kind of like generational type guys come together like that? I thought that was just spectacular.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I'm still caught up on snot bubbles, and then he became Rudy for a minute. We're going to go inside. We're going to go outside. I'm just like, I'm sitting there like, I'm a player on that team like, Is Robin Hood walking in? What's happening? I don't know.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Were they in the playoffs last year?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
No. It's all for you, Roy. No, no, no. These teams know how much you love the, what is it, black and yellow, right? That's Pittsburgh black and yellow.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
So they know how much you love that. So I feel like you should just smile and say thank you for this extra access to this generational player that everybody seems to love but me.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
This is going to make Dave happy. In the month of March, fellas, six wins in eight games, three shutouts, 1.50 goals against, and a 9.35 save percentage. This guy is ready for the playoffs.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
So weird to say, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Utah, they they're basically like, what are they, 10 points out of a playoff spot right now with 10 games to go? Like they have zero margin for error. They basically have to win out and then hope to get some help. I know that after the game last night in Tampa, a couple of guys were talking about like, we really have to like check ourselves if we want to talk about the playoffs.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Like, guys, the playoffs are like passing you by. It's that time is basically passed for the Utah Hockey Club. So we'll see what what kind of effort they have is having their season end basically with an eight nothing loss in Tampa. They probably killed them.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
That was surprising, right? Coming from Sheldon Keefe?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
monty's having a great year for them too another former panthers goalie out there uh to talk about but uh it's been fun they've really responded to marty st louis remember when he took over a couple years ago at that was like toward the end of the season we're like yeah actually played pretty well under him well i mean look what's happening now so it'll be fun to see if if we can get another canadian team into the playoffs right i know we talked about it last week but uh anytime you get the canadian teams in the playoffs you know it gets rowdy up there especially in montreal
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
That was a little bit surprising. I haven't seen him rip a player like that in the media. Maybe I'm not remembering that something happened in Toronto, but...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
It's going to be so weird seeing him in a Panther jersey tonight. Yeah. Even if we're watching this after it happened, it's still weird for you. I can't wait. It's going to be an adjustment period for sure. I cannot wait.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
There's clearly something deeper there. Maybe this is like getting into the Torts Cam York territory. We'll get to that at some point. But, I mean, that seemed like there was something there. Like, that did not feel good.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Doesn't that always happen, though? Isn't that always the case?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Everybody plays hard for the new guy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Well, he seems miserable because of his interactions with the media and because the negative ones get overplayed so much. I don't know if it's fair because he looks like supposedly I've never met him in person. But, you know, people say he's a great, great guy. He's a great hockey guy. So I don't think it's fair to just judge him on that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
But man, it sounds like there was some incident that he had with one of his players because Cam York was benched. He dressed. He didn't play any of that win over Montreal, was it, the other night? And Michkov, by the way, what did he hit the post on a empty net for a hat trick? it's been a rough year in Philly.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Hopefully they get some stability moving forward because they do have some really good pieces there. But yeah, it's been a rough time.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Yeah, let's be clear. I'm not the one on vacation, by the way. My wife is on vacation. I'm on dad duty.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I'm going to tell you why I think it was. I don't know if we have the angle. But there's an angle from behind the goalie where you can see as the shot's coming. And what we just saw right there for those watching on YouTube, that was in super slow motion.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
When this was happening in real time, when the contact between Palmieri and Merzlikens happened, the puck was being released at the point, at that exact moment. So even though in slow motion, it looked like Merzlikens, like, look, here's the replay. Right here is where the defenseman, I'm not sure who it is, is shooting the puck. So the puck's traveling, traveling, traveling, traveling.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
By the time Merzlikens has a chance to reset himself, the puck's already halfway to the net. So I understand why that shouldn't have counted. It just doesn't look good in the moment. And good on Roy because it's bad for the Islanders.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
My win of the week. We don't have to go too far away from South Florida to get there. Just a little bit up the coast to Tampa. It's Nikita Kucherov, who is a dark horse for the Hart Trophy this year. I don't know if he's going to get a lot of votes, but he's having an amazing season.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I am not on vacation. No, you got two kids. I'm working double duty right now. I'm still working, and I'm doing all the dad stuff as well. So let's just, you know. Okay. Does it look like I'm on vacation? I mean, I'm surrounded by toys, but this is my home.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
The other night against Pittsburgh, he got checked into Alex Nedeljkovic headfirst, lost the tooth on the goalie mass, which I don't know if I've seen that happen before. That's pretty interesting. But then what does he do? He comes back. He goes out into the ice where they're scraping, you know, the commercial break thing. And he's like looking with his stick. He's looking for his tooth.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
That's such a sad thing when you're trying to find your own tooth in the ice. It doesn't look like he ever finds it. But what he does find about five minutes later was the back of the net when he scored a power play goal. And I think what was like a 6-1 victory or something over the Penguins as Tampa's rolling right now. But I just thought that was a cool thing all around.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
He gets his tooth knocked out by the goalie helmet, goes looking for it because of course he did. And then he scores the goal because he's Nikita Kucherov. Win of the week by far. Good on Nikita.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
The ice crew definitely got it in its pocket right now. That tooth is on eBay for sure.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
My fail of the week comes from the Hughes Bowl on Monday between New Jersey and Vancouver. Jacob Markstrom, former Panthers goalie, had one of the most real reactions. He's talking about realness, Ethan. After giving up what was the game-winning goal in the shootout to Jonathan Lekermacki, Markstrom popped up
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
He took his baseball, his hockey stick like he was Babe Ruth with a baseball baseball bat and just cracked it against the post. It was awesome to see to the point where they were making fun of it on the NHL on TNT broadcast. They got Darren Payne, who's famously a former NHL goalie, but he's shorter than me. He's like five, seven.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
They brought him like a little miniature goalie helmet, goalie stick to crack on the on the post. There we go.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Oh, my God. So credit to Markstrom for being real. Credit to Panger for getting razzed on it. Just a lot of fun all around.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
You ever been in a goalie fight? Have I been in a goalie fight once? It didn't go well for me. But whatever, you get caught up in the moment. I got in a lot of goalie skirmishes. I was a little hothead on the ice. I was an asshole. I knew that everybody had my back as the goalie. But, yeah, didn't go good.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Well, Mike Vernon. Remember, Mike Vernon is a short guy. And he went out and he went toe-to-toe with Patrick Waugh and did okay. So I really have no excuse.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I was about to say Malice at the Palace, but that was the Pistons Pacers.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Exploded his whole face. Such a cheap shot.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
How do they not put these guys behind a thing of glass? First of all, how does this not happen more often? I know they get pucked sometimes.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Yeah, we don't talk about that. No, we don't talk about that. No, no, no. Fatou, I want to ask you a question. You mentioned the Four Nations. In the wake of the Four Nations, something I've heard a lot is, you know, we need to make the game more accessible. We need to make it more affordable at the youth levels to really get people interested. So what do you see as the biggest barriers here?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
for hockey, for not just, you know, not just kids that, you know, the typical kid that wants to play, but women and black women in particular?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
All I know is this is the greatest F-bomb I think I've ever heard.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
All right, you keep bringing up the Capitals, so I'll ask you about them. I'll be the guy. What do the Capitals have to do to avoid an embarrassing exit in the playoffs this year? Because if they finish this regular season as strong as they've been all year, if they don't get to at least the Eastern Conference Finals, it's going to be looked upon as that was a fraudulent year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
So what do the Caps have to do to avoid that title this year?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
So before the year, I think you would be looking at it and saying, wow, you know, we're the top team in the East and we have a chance to, you know, win a playoff series. That's great. But at this point, with the way the year has gone, like what is realistic for you guys and what are fans going to say if you guys lose in the second round? Are fans going to be saying, oh, that was a waste of a year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
We really screwed that one up. Are they going to be saying, well, you know, we kind of came out of nowhere. We had a great year. Like it might be something to build on at the end of Ovi's tenure here.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
As a Panther fan, I want to go on the record. I want to go on the record. I do not want Ovi to break any playoff records because that means the Panthers probably don't make the Stanley cup final. So I just want to put that out there. No, I hope he breaks the record in the regular season. I think it'll be great. But let's save the record-breaking for the regular season.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Let's keep that in the regular season. And then he'll just toast.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
No, don't get these folks started on going to Canada. Don't get these folks started on having to go to Canada. They'll complain and sound spoiled.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
No, you don't. No, you don't. You don't want that smoke. You don't want that smoke. You don't want that smoke. No, you don't.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
The Caps do not want that smoke. That's all I know.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
You can't do that. You can't allow a goal to Matt Rempe.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Let's be honest. What does Jimmy Fallon know about Puck, dude?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
It's pretty awesome to see, sorry, Florida Panther, like you guys mentioned, as the face of U.S. hockey on a media tour. I mean, he was on with the Kelsey brothers. I don't know if you guys heard that. It was a great interview. Totally recommend it. Both brothers. Also, Brandon Clark. Brady Kachuk was on Spittin' Chicklets talking about it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
These guys have quickly, in nine seconds, become the faces of American hockey, and they're going to be the guys that are going to grow the sport in this country. It's really, really cool to see.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Yeah. The Islanders in general are having a rough year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
So here's my issue with what happened is the announcement in the arena was. He entered the crease on his own, is what the ref said. Yeah, that's not what happened. That's not what happened. Not even close to what happened. So I was at the game, and I saw the replay on the board, and I said to my friend that I was there with, I said, I think this one might be coming back.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Because let's be clear, let's be real. It took too long for them to review. Rodriguez, once he gets pushed in, right, like... You could argue that he affects the court's ability to get over and make the save because of his positioning, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
But Rodriguez tried to exit in a hurry when it let him. So here's the issue. The explanation of why it was goaltender interference was not sufficient. That was not a good explanation. He did not enter...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
the crease on his own he was pushed into the crease and then he tried to exit look can you say agree with the call but not the explanation okay no no no i'm just saying based off the explanation the call was wrong like it was all wrong i i know i wouldn't have called it i'm not a referee biased um God damn it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Yeah. So going forward, the rest of the game, like, you know, I don't want to spend too much time on goalie interference, but the rest of the game, that took the Panthers the win out of their sails completely.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
The momentum was building, and that totally – No, that actually gave them the lead. That was a 2-1 game.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
After that, they were terrible.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Well, I mean, considering how it's gone with Paul Maurice. Yeah. Pretty good decision by Bill Zito.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
I do have a hot take. I went to watch the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers last night.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
He did have a great in the game last night, E2. He was great last night. Yeah, he almost scored.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Just one thing on Sordif. I thought it wasn't just that he scored. He was Sordif. Sordif. Is he from France?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
He was great, not just the goal, but I thought he was really good defensively. He made some nice plays tracking back, and he can fly. So I think he could be a player that, you know, put him on the fourth line.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Take on the team they knocked out in the Stanley Cup final, the Edmonton Oilers. And the Edmonton Oilers are 3-6-1 in their last 10. They've lost five in a row. I got a hot take, boys. They're going nowhere this year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Do you hate the Penguins more than you like the Panthers?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
It was an interesting night for Bob. I actually thought he was pretty good. He made some big saves. He lit up...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
two tough ones one was kind of greasy the other one was really bad the brett kulak one dry sidle makes a great play like that's just a world-class hockey play where you have gustav forsling absolutely all over you shove a guy off basically lift it with one hand you know roof it it was a really really unbelievable play like just left me you know mouth a jar like unbelievable but
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
I thought the Panthers, they had good and bad spells last night. They dominated the game. I mean, they outshot them 36-27. So to say they were bad last night would be rough. They're giving up too much in transition still. Two of their goals were in transition, right? So you don't like that, but Verhege's goal was awesome.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
They had a rough start to the year, and you kind of knew, okay, this isn't who Edmonton is. They're a lot better than this. They'll get hot. But all of a sudden, and listen, there's ups and downs for every team. They've played a lot of hockey. McDavid looks tired. Everybody that's come back from the Four Nations looks exhausted.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
I would have liked a little more juice in the building for a Stanley Cup final rematch last night. I didn't feel like there was a whole lot of energy. I know it's a Thursday, but still, you could tell that game meant something. There was a fight early, and walking out of that building, you were like, okay, this win feels great. So it was a fun night.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
I think Dylan Larkin got in trouble with Todd McClellan, the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, yesterday. He had some comments about it. Knobloch had some comments after last night's game. I just don't think this team is going anywhere. I think there are too many good teams in the West. Dallas, Winnipeg, Colorado is still really dangerous in my eyes, even without Rantanen.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
What I saw from them last night, if you take McDavid out of the game, which the Panthers kind of did... They're relying on a lot of Brett Kulak's and Arvidson's and Skinner's and Hyman's. Hyman's a great player, but I'm just talking about all of a sudden. And for what it's worth, these guys killed the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final last year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Vogel's gone. Holloway's gone. Who's the other? Broberg is gone. You know, went to St. Louis. McLeod is gone. So it's like they lost a lot of these guys. Look, they can always make a big move at the deadline and make a big play and get back into this thing. But I just don't see them as a real threat to win the Stanley Cup right now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Yeah, I was very surprised. Sorry, David. To see how many guys... My buddies asked me in a group chat, how many guys do you think sit out the first game back from the four nations between U.S. and Canada? I said 44 or 46 or however many guys were on those rosters. I legitimately thought...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
everybody would get a rest day you know there would be a select few but the goalie to see right to see how many guys came back reinhardt and bennett were right back in the lineup crosby dealing with an injury was right back in the lineup like i would have given these guys a couple days to kind of get back you know take a vacation hell go to go to cabo for all i care like sorry but you know what i'm saying like i just think that settle down there rob ray i just think that uh he's scrappy
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
You made me lose my train of thought. I just think these guys could have benefited from a couple days of rest to really get them back for the stretch run.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
What's one or two games in February?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
Who's a better skater, Roy, you or Claire?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
I was watching this game live and I kind of missed what happened right away, but I saw like the reaction to it and I was watching it with my dad and I could tell based on the faces he was making, the places he was holding. I said to my dad, I'm like, oh, he's got the stomach ache right now, but like I know what's going on right here.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: The Bingo Button
What's this? What's all this kids talk about?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
You got one more tomorrow.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
You feel good about the road trip.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Didn't that happen to Huberto a few years ago?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Where are we on the all-star format?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Which Canadian teams would the Toronto Maple Leaf fan root for to bring the Cup back to Canada?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Like, what was it like in the Stanley Cup final last year?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Yeah, it was a horrendous first period. And maybe if after that first period they're only down 1-0, they're down 2-0. And, you know, you're in the game, but then you get to a place in that third period, you can't give up the next goal. They do. They lose 3-1.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
I think it's going to be a blessing, actually, him missing all this time. Yeah, he's going to come back a month off. And we know what he's looked like, especially after they lost in the Stanley Cup Finals. He was super banged up. And now you're talking about another run into mid-June. And then you want Ekblad to play again the entire season.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
I mean, if this could happen to one guy who needs a little bit of rest here, I think it's going to wind up being a blessing in disguise for this team.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Well, and they don't have to be forthcoming in that league.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
It connects to your shoulder. So where it starts at the upper body. But, man, they don't have to say anything. Yeah, we think he'll be back before the end of the year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
He was fine last night. No, they like him. Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
The same Goldies.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Yeah, maybe. Maybe. Yeah, that was a great game. Sometimes you get the 0-0 games. This is kind of a shitty game. There were a ton of chances, a ton of posts, especially Columbus. But the goaltending for Columbus was fantastic. I mean, Bobrovsky had to make some saves, too. But he had a goal disallowed. Easy call. The puck was clearly kicked in.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
You're a little bit nervous, though, because you get the goal during the third period. It's like, wow, this is where we're going to lose it. But Barkov in overtime, which felt like really his only good chance of the game. He had two shots on goal.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Yeah, the four on three in overtime.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
get pucks on net tomorrow's huge because you win tomorrow you're talking and not only is it a win against the capitals but it's it's back-to-back wins you come home and and the schedule softens up significantly yeah at the end of this month like you're talking at home against pittsburgh utah montreal you you could hit a little run here if you win tomorrow
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
How many goals in the game?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
I mean, you have to score seven goals. I imagine it would be bad news for the Panthers.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Cats or your boys? The Caps or the Cats?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
The Cats are obviously my boys. I mean, come on now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Oh, we did not play well that series against Washington in the playoffs.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
And then talking about Toronto, you know, Toronto and Florida are tied atop the Atlantic Division right now. And you mentioned the season that Austin Matthews is having, obviously not anywhere near the year that he had last year. What's like the tenor in Toronto surrounding Austin Matthews?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
David, I've got to take.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
I'll tell you what's a weird thing to me. Let's say Ovechkin comes one or two goals short at the end of the season of Gretzky's record. And then we're watching the Capitals in the first round. And he scores a goal. I'm supposed to pretend that he doesn't have more goals now than Gretzky?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
well like it's weird you could add all of his previous playoff goals and he's blown past Gretzky already I mean obviously you could say the same thing oh well Gretzky's playoff goals too but still like if we're doing this whole chase for Gretzky and he's one short and then I watch him score two more goals like that didn't happen I'm pretending that he doesn't have more goals now
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
It's weird though, like in the National Football League, they count Belichick's career playoff wins to catch Shula. Like, why don't we do that with this?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
You know, you remember this past, you know, when we're in the Four Nations, you know, you can look at his performance there as well. Like, how are they feeling about him right now?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
John DeZaslo, thank you. Yeah, thanks for having me, guys. I like being able to talk some hockey, you know, rather than just by myself. I got other guys to talk about it with.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Do we know yet when Gretzky is going to start following the Capitals? I think he started. I think it was five goals to go.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
I don't know if Gretzky wants to be spending two, three weeks on the road with the Capitals.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
That is disrespectful to claim that his birds have bird flu.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Yeah. That's bad.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Oh, my God.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
I mean, Trocek was tripped. Everybody knows that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
Everybody knows that, except for the referee. Everybody knows that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
He's clearly not wearing it properly that it's falling out like that. Like, I used to do that when I was 10 years old and we wanted to be super lazy in Little League where you wouldn't wear the entire jock strap and you just wear the cup. You stick the cup in your underwear. It's very dangerous.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talk Dirty To Me About John Tavares
It doesn't look terribly organized. Everyone loves a good goalie fight.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
of that corner they won that battle and uh team usa let it out and you saw what happened and you know tough night for austin matthews he couldn't bury that chance and then he was kind of the guy that gets caught napping on the goal didn't score a goal in this tournament hasn't scored in like eight straight games including his leafs duty um it was a tough tournament for him but
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
One last thing I kind of want to touch on here is, David, is there anybody that raised their stock in the NHL more than Jacob Slavin in this tournament?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Yeah, I think so David because I was there right and having experienced that like people I saw people that were home tweeting about you know Barkov limped off in one of the games and it's like I Oh my God, Panther fans, this is the worst possible case scenario. And then Chucky gets hurt. This is the worst case scenario.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
For me, it's not going to take away any of what happened over the last week and a half in terms of how awesome this tournament was. Guys know what they signed up for. They know what they're getting into. They asked for this. We have to remember the players asked for this in the last CBA discussions. They want this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
And yes, it sucks that the Panthers probably aren't going to have Matthew Kachuk for at least seemingly the next couple of weeks or so. But let's be honest. First of all, here's your chance, Panthers. This could be your LTIR season.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
If you think this could be something really long-term, you could put Matthew Kachuk on LTIR, kind of take advantage of that loophole, go out and do something at the trade deadline to bring in some big-time salary and really reinforce your team. Or... Matthew Kachuk is out for the next few weeks, and he just kind of rests up.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
And look, the Panthers, they want to win the division, obviously, because they want home ice. But the regular season is not what matters to the Panthers. What matters to the Panthers is the playoffs. And so as long as Matthew Kachuk is good to go for the playoffs, nobody's going to remember that maybe he got a little bit hurt in the Four Nations faceoff.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Hey, Sarah, was this maybe the most little brother moment USA Hockey has had with Canada, where you win the game on Saturday in Montreal and everybody's really fired up about it? You have the three fights in nine seconds, all the drama with the group chats and the political stuff. And then you come out, you go to Boston.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
It feels like you talk a whole lot just to lose the game that actually matters again. Could this have been more of a little brother moment for USA Hockey?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Was this also a missed opportunity for the USA? Isn't Canada only going to be stronger one more year? USA is still going to have the goaltending advantage, but obviously everybody's looking forward to Milan now next year at the Olympics. Do you feel like this might have been USA's best shot to get Canada in one of these best on best tournaments?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
I love this take. I'm going to tell you why. Not because I think Sweden and Finland should be thrown out, but because I think in the years that it's not the Olympics or the World Cup of Hockey, the All-Star break should be a three-game showcase, best two out of three between the United States and Canada. Could you imagine? It's 1-1 right now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Sarah, I want to look ahead now. The second half of the season starts tomorrow, right? So let's look ahead to it. One of the big storylines going into the second half of the season is going to be what the Carolina Hurricanes do with Miko Rantanen. After they just traded for him, it feels like two weeks ago, there were some rumors flying around yesterday that
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
He doesn't seem all that excited about being in Carolina, about extending with Carolina, and that could lead to them trading him here within the next couple weeks when the deadline is on March 7th. So I want to ask you, because the only reason I've heard for why he would stay in Carolina is people really like Rod Brindamore and the power of friendship with Sebastian Ajo.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Could you imagine the anticipation for a third game three days from now? What that would be like after what we saw in game one? A great game in game two, which we'll get into. Obviously, we don't love the result here, but that was a fantastic hockey game. Super well played on both sides.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
So why should I believe that after he was going to test free agency with the team he's been with for 10 years, he's not going to just test free agency with Carolina, a team he was just traded to?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
I thought Barky, I mean, he's Barky. You know, he does what he does, right? He's awesome. I thought Lundell had a really nice tournament. I actually was listening to a podcast and they were talking specifically about Lundell and how he's kind of one of those younger guys that's coming up that kind of got some shine in this tournament that could really take advantage of the stage and did well.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Meeksy had a tough tournament. Loosty did what Loosty does. But I really thought Lundell, if you're talking about guys that maybe surprised us a little bit, was one of those guys that had a really good tournament.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
I should say that I kind of said he didn't have a great tournament. That was a terrible spot for Mikse after the defensive injuries. He was their number one defenseman, basically. He's not a number one defenseman. He's a good player. And he did handle it well. But when you're forced into that spot, you're going to have a tough time.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
All right, so we're done.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
That's all I got.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
He was the star of the tournament for me, Roy. You talk about Slavin for NHL fans raised his game, his status more than anybody. But as a casual observer, for casual observers for hockey, I'm not sure anybody had more of a star return than Matthew Kachuk. Obviously, he's already a star in this league.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
But I think casuals now, people that don't really watch hockey, are going to know who Matthew Kachuk is because of what he did on Saturday and how he was kind of the face of the team. I understand he was an assistant captain. He really should have been the captain, if we're being honest. He was the face of the league. David, do you have to board right now? Do you have to leave?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Like, was that last call? Are you boarding? No, no. That's not my flight.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Never too early to start drinking in airports. It's 5 o'clock somewhere. There's no time to start drinking.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Please. Reinhardt, tough games offensively, really good defensively, though. And then obviously Bennett, you know, huge goal, big moment fighting Brady Kachuk. I thought he had an awesome tournament. Got put into the lineup in game two, never left it. Awesome tournament for Sam Bennett.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
David was there. David, what were your thoughts on the anthem last night?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
One thing we need to do more in America is what Canada did in Montreal on Saturday night, which is, Just let the crowd take over. So you have somebody kind of lead it. I think the Blackhawks do this sometimes. They have like their.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
They cheer the entire time. Right. Right. So I think what America needs to do is, look, most people know the national anthem. Just a few lines, you know, say, can you see by the dawn's early light? And then put the mic in the air and just let the crowd take over because. Being in that arena on Saturday night and hearing the O Canada, like, that was goosebumps. Like, I started singing along.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Yeah, that happens in everything. It was amazing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
That got me fired up.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Yeah, that was a long anthem. And I hate a long anthem, to be honest with you, because I just want the game to start. But last night, that got me fired up. I want to hear from David about the atmosphere, because I think I spoke a little bit about what Montreal was like, although we didn't speak about USA Canada. Rosie has a point, though.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Twerky, I wanted to ask you about the atmosphere last night, buddy, because I can only imagine what it was like being in that arena. And Boston is a great city to host this kind of event. So tell us a little bit about it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Yeah, you did 55-35. That was bad, David.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Montreal?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Yeah, I think the story of the game last night was, and kind of the story of this tournament, right, was everybody said coming into this, this is finally the year. The U.S. finally has the better roster. And that's probably true, right? The U.S. has the better goaltending. I thought their blue line was better, and they're probably deeper up front. The problem is...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Those guys have McKinnon, McCarr, McDavid, Crosby, Reinhardt. Power play. That's their entire power play. They have the two best players in the world, the best defenseman in the world, the best player of his generation, and I'm not going to get you started, Roy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Thank you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
The best player of his generation who is still playing at a very high level. And I just think you saw McKinnon. Look, you can do the whole, oh, playoff hellebuck thing. He got scored. The three goals were that shot by McKinnon that we just saw, which basically impossible to stop. He's getting screened. He's coming back the other way. McKinnon, perfect shot in the upper 90.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Then Bennett gets in, point blank, goes top shelf where Mrs. Muller keeps the peanut butter. Wide open on that. Wide open, right in front of the net. I mean, this is a point blank chance that Sam Bennett has right here that you're going to see. And then the third goal is, again, another perfect shot by McDavid.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
So, you know, you can do the Connor Hellebuck thing, but really it was just Canada's top-end talent, namely McKinnon, and then McDavid here on the winner, beat the United States last night. And, you know, the U.S. has some great, great players, and they were certainly missing Quinn Hughes because Quinn Hughes all of a sudden makes it pretty even on the blue line.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
He's basically the American version of Makar. But their guys came through when they needed them most last night, and especially McDavid. And it was very poetic that back in 2010, nobody wants to revisit it, but Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal in the Olympics. I thought you were saying he wasn't going to give you a ride up. Exactly.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Remember, the United States beat Canada in the preliminary rounds in those 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Canada comes back and wins the gold. U.S. beats... Canada, here in Montreal, in the preliminary rounds, and then in the final, Canada comes out. And this time, it's McDavid.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
And I think this is basically like a passing of the torch here, where Crosby scored in 2010, 15 years later, which, God, that's 15 years ago already. McDavid scores to win this tournament. And I think it's poetic in a way, David, that you as a hockey fan and a guy that can... And Roy, too, that can appreciate that kind of greatness that... it happened that way. It almost felt fitting.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Go ahead, Ray. Go ahead.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
Yeah, he made the save on Matthews, which this is the chance right here that just has to be buried. I mean, it's a great blocker save, but if you're Matthews, that's point blank. You're a 69-goal scorer last season. That just has to go in. And then he made another one on Brady Kachok that was just like... Maybe that's just Jordan Binnington's building. He won Game 7 in 2019 there.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
He made 32 of 33, stopped 32 of 33 or something like that. And then last night he was absolutely fantastic when they needed him. By the way, that shot I saw of McDavid wide open in the high slot.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: I Don't Know Hockey, I Just Know Barky
is the alternate universe of game seven panthers oilers where the puck is pinned up the boards and somebody somehow some way dry sidle or somebody fishes it out of there and gets it to mcdavid because if you watch back the replay of game seven mcdavid's sitting there wide open just waiting for the puck to him and you know uh i guess you can say then that the panthers are a better defensive team than team usa because the panthers didn't let it out
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Yeah, okay, fine.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
I just come here, bro.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
I love the shirt he's got on because it looks like a 1990s era shirt, but it's quite obviously a brand new shirt.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
It's crazy. He's been doing it since the 90s. He's coming up on 2,000 games now. And he's only in his 50s. Is he, what, 57 or whatever it is? It's crazy. He could do this for another 15, 20 years if he wants to. I don't know if he would.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
This Panthers team's not going anywhere for a little while.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
You knew it was thrive. Okay. English lessons with Rosie. I like it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And then I want to talk to you a little bit about the New York Rangers because I just don't know what the hell is going on with the New York Rangers.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Something is amiss at Madison Square Garden, and we don't really kind of smack me in the face this morning. As I looked at the standings, they are 14 points behind the New Jersey Devils. Yeah. And it's December 20th. What the hell is going on with the Rangers? Because I've been hanging my hat on Shesterkin, it's okay, Kreider, Zibanejad. But I don't know.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Let's start on our hot takes there. Dave, go ahead. Okay. So my first hot take is the Rangers turnaround is starting. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. And the reason why is the coaches are now playing. With the players. Oh. So yesterday, or Thursday, as we record this, the Rangers are in Dallas. They held a practice at the Stars facility there. Peter Laviolette, head coach of the Rangers.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Like, are they are is this going to be like the biggest disappointment Ranger season we've seen in decades? This is bad, dude, that they can't get their shit together.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Michael Pekka, assistant coach of the Rangers, decided they're going to show the players how to do it in the shootout drills. I don't know how particularly well it goes, but I'm seeing this as a good sign that everybody is happy. The good vibes are back around the Rangers. The coaches are farting around and having fun. And yeah, the turnaround is coming. Do I believe what I'm saying? No.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Yeah, I'm pretty high. I think Blackwood is a sneaky good goaltender that has not gotten a good run, whether it was on some not great Devils teams. I mean, the Sharks are the Sharks. They're better than they've been, but they're not a grid team. I'm pretty bullish. I think Colorado might be my new Western favorite right now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
No, I don't. But... Let's put the positivity out there. So go get them, Rangers. You're only like 14 points or whatever out of first place, but you can do it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
How do you go from back-to-back shutouts to 12 goals in two games against two of the best teams in the conference? Very carefully. I don't know.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Yeah, you know, just get rid of key guys. You're good. You're good.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Yeah, Barkov missed the Edmonton game, then Sam Bennett missed the Minnesota game, and you couldn't tell that they were missing one of their key centers for either of those games. Well, maybe the Edmonton game. Maybe having Barkov there. Yeah, I know you can tell, Rose. Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
That was a lot.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
They did score first. It was a 1-0, 2-1. Yes. 5-4, 5-5. 6-5.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
No, not to... Yeah, you did not travel, so... Watching this game, I don't know about you, Roy's... Rose? Roy's. Yeah, if I'm going to refer to both of you, I'm going to say Roy's. I don't know about you guys, but when I was watching that, I was definitely having a little PTSD.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And then he ends up in the corner. I've never seen Sam Reinhardt look as fast as he did on that play. Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
That's disrespectful.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Yeah, he loves pissing off goalies.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Yeah, except that... I think there was a little intent there. He'll never admit it, and that's just my opinion, but he knew what he was doing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Four goals a game during that stretch while two shutouts in the middle of it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Oh, yeah, Savannah from the infield.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Hold on. She specifically wanted me to give you this sticker. If we can... It's a big heart with the name Crosby in the middle. So here you go, Roy, just for you. Crosby, you see this?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
No, you guys are dumb. People are dumb. We live in South Florida. It's the communal dumbness down here.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
You've got to take care of it. Yeah, that's all you. First thing I thought of, who's taking care of the dog? It's not me.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
My family's already got enough. Can we just have Willow be the hockey show dog? Willow is just the meadowlark dog. Well, because Willow is awesome and Willow is here and Willow has a loving home already.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
They'll open it and then close it? No, no. I think it'll depend on the day. They're praying for a good weather day, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
That would be very appropriate.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
But how crazy is it, though? This is what's just kind of been sinking in over the last week or so since we first found out about this. The Panthers are hosting.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
The Panthers are hosting an outdoor game. That's nuts. And yes, I know it's a quote-unquote outdoor game, and if it's cool enough on the day that it happens, they'll open the roof up. I'd say I'd probably take the bet that the roof will be closed and open, if we're talking odds. But who cares? This is awesome. You remember when we were just happy when they got an All-Star game?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
I remember when it was like the playoff chase was what we look forward to every March. Like, oh man, they're only five points out with two games at hand. Let's go.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Yeah, with the Capitals, I think.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
That one hurt. Losing to the Flyers in game 81. I remember going to like Bo Campers or something to watch that. Yeah. Ah, it's life as good as a Panther fan. Well, now it is.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Wins of the week. Okay, so my win of the week is Goalie Root. Gotta love it. Young man named Zachary Dietz, the e-bug in Ottawa, got called into action very late earlier this week.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
So Anton Forsberg hurt himself during his pre-game warm-up routine. So this guy, Zachary Dietz, gets called at like a quarter to six.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
And traffic in Ottawa, anybody that's been to a Senators game knows, like, it is nuts because there's only one road in and one road out. So he basically said, bleep it, I gotta get to the stadium. And as we're watching the video here, he picked up his bags, his gear, and he's running as all these cars are sitting in traffic trying to get in. He's guys running to the arena.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
He gets there, suits up. He's on the bench for the game. This is an NHL goaltender right there, folks. And he is running with his own gear to the stadium. I thought that was so awesome. I would absolutely do the exact same thing if I was him. I would, whatever it takes, get me in that NHL bench. I'm going to sign a contract. That was so awesome.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Something that he's going to have for the rest of his life with that video and the experience. Just completely, completely cool. All encompassing my win of the week.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Is that tweet from like 10 years ago and it just like got caught up in his drafts and just now got sent out? Because I'm pretty sure we've known for a little while that those guys are all going to be first ballot Hall of Famers.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
I mean, maybe Chris Letang. I don't know if Chris Letang necessarily is a first ballot Hall of Famer. He's talking about trios. Yeah, well, certainly, you know, the 2.0 of Lemieux and Yager.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
That felt like he was trolling me. That would be great. And Commodore took the bait. Yes, absolutely.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Rose is just checking off all these.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
This is what happens when we get Roy talking about the Penguins.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Right. Fail of the week. Yes. Segway from the Penguins to my fail of the week. My fail of the week is Zach Hyman's face. That poor man took an Evan Bouchard slap shot right off the kisser.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
It was still coming in hot. Yeah. And, you know, credit to him. He's a hockey player. He came back in the game with the fishbowl on his head. He's not going to miss any time because that's hockey. But so the next day, I think it was Mark Spector took a picture of him in the locker room. And we have it to pop up there. I think we do. His face was like, it was like a mean. Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
He looked like a mean, like a much paler, a mean. His nose ballooned. Yeah. His whole face looked like somebody put like a, you know, what you pump up the ball with, an air pump thing. Yeah, air pump, yeah. And just stuck it in his ear. But the point at the end of the day is that he will never miss a game because of this. How many people take a slap shot off the face?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
You're not going to see me for a month. Yeah. But yes, there it is. He looks like he just went 10 rounds with Rocky Marciano or something. That's crazy. So yeah, Zach Hyman's face.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
No, I mean, that's good on Shusterkin. Making six saves in three seconds is pretty awesome.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
That's what the Panthers goalies need for their save percentage is being so bad. They need to make six saves in, like, five seconds to pump it up there. But, yeah, that's bad. Like, how do you let a guy stand at the foot of your crease for more than a second with a puck right, like, whack, whack, whack, whack?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
Like 1980s Russia style.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Paul Maurice Stories With Adnan Virk
I'm sorry I'm laughing, but the audience doesn't know the countdown drama that we just had trying to get the show started.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
There's been an increase in the demand for more Rose content.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
So go back to 2017. That's eight years ago, right? Yeah. That's when Pittsburgh said Marc-Andre Fleury was getting too old. Yeah. He's still in the league kicking fairly decent amounts of ass. And Pittsburgh has been meandering around a good goaltender for a while since. Just curious, what would things have been like in Pittsburgh had they kept their franchise goaltender? Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
We don't have to get into it. I just want to put it out into the universe. Roy, this should make you happy that they made such a poor decision.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
I think this is just common sense in this case, but let's get to my goaltending bias now. So, Adnan, there's two goalies I want to bring up. One in the East and one in the West. Out West, you got Mackenzie Blackwood in Colorado, who I said when the trade happened, he was going to take them to the final. I feel like I'm looking pretty smart right now in that regard.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
And then in the East, Jacob Dobis in Montreal. He's now 4-0. He's kicking... The East's butt right now. And I think it's a little early, but I think this is the next great Montreal goaltender. I think he's going to be the next big one, the next Carey Price, the next Patrick. I don't know if he's going to play up to that level, but I'm just saying in terms of a great goalie in a great hockey town.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
So I wanted to get your take on these two goalies who I'm very much focused on right now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
So both those guys, great stories. Quick thought on Colorado before Ethan jumps in. They're also probably possibly going to be getting back Gabriel Landeskog at some point in the next month or so. So look out for the ass.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Dave, hot take, please. All right. My hot take is look out for the Columbus Blue Jackets. They are a team on a mission right now. Right now, as we record this on Friday morning, they're holding the first wildcard spot in the East. Excuse me. They're 22-17-6. Ethan, what did you say that they were since, was it 10-2-1?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
I remember my parents dragging me out of Bill and Ted Part 2 as a kid. And that's the only time I can ever remember leaving a movie theater early.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
We already invested time. What if the end of the movie is like a resounding comeback and it makes everything... You got to give it a chance. That's why we watch games when our teams are down 5-0 because you never know how it's going to end.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Well, they've got the emotional element going with the whole, you know, they're playing for Johnny Goudreau and, you know, the season dedicated to him. They've got Zach Wierenski playing on another planet right now, possibly a Norris Trophy winner. Here's my question to you guys, though, before we move on. Can you name three non-Wierenski Blue Jackets?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
It took us so long to get to this point. And then you just are like, all right, let's talk Panthers. Go.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Because this is a team that has so little star power, it's kind of crazy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
That was one of those games where it's just so frustrating because you feel like you played better. The Panthers were definitely the better team on the whole that afternoon. The overtime was just the penalty that cost them at the end because they were dominating the overtime session too.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
I thought that was going to be a good way to go into their week considering they had those back-to-back road games. I just don't like the idea of giving Boston that little bit of joy. They've been such a downtrodden team. You want to keep them down. You don't want to give them that little burst of energy like, oh, we just beat the Stanley Cup champs in their own house.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
They played Philly really well for two and a half periods.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Both by Sam Reinhardt. Two third-period leads. Yeah. Very un-Panthers-like loss. You don't see the Panthers. I think it had been since November 23 or 22 or some ridiculous amount since they had last lost the game where they were leading after two periods. Yeah. This is the time of the year that you want to go through this, though. Like in the January, February. The dog days.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Like this is where you want to be learning these lessons and getting this. Because remember, a lot of people look at this Panthers team like, oh, they've been to the finals two years in a row. No, this Panthers team hasn't done any of that. Last year's Panthers team won the Stanley Cup. A third of that team is gone. This is a brand new Panthers team. They've got plenty of good players.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
My point is they're doing this with so little big names and everything, and they're still playing well, and they're doing it the right way, and it's just a fun, great story. I'm really enjoying it, and I hope that they can continue this season because who doesn't love a sentimental... The best part is that Johnny Hockey's best friend, Sean Monaghan, is having a great year. Oh, yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
They've got talent to get there, but they're still learning how to win together. It's a process. Every year it's a process. That's why teams just aren't good year after year after year after year. So this is when I want to see them going through that. Now, if we're talking about these same issues in March and April, bigger issue. But right now, earn your lumps.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
What are you doing?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
And he was off to such a scorching hot start with the goals this year, too.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Rose is preparing for whatever she's got going on for What the Puck today, so stay tuned for that on social media.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
I have a question for you, Roy, as we go through this. Why can't the Panthers get both of their goaltenders playing good at the same time? It just doesn't happen. Bob was on a really good run. Now Knight is playing lights out and Bob has fallen off the side of a mountain. And back to my previous point, you'd rather have it happening now than when you get to the playoffs.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
And it's great to see Spencer Knight starting to build some momentum. That's one of my favorite things right now. But yeah, I'd like to see some consistency from their starting goalie.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Two offensive zone penalties in that game, which is a big no-no. But yeah, I get it that it wasn't, you know, there was the fletched goals and Paul Maurice came out and he said, look, that was a game where I just, you know, he wanted to protect his goalie from a rough night. But still, no matter how you draw it up, it's not a good look.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
He's second in the team in scoring, or no, he's third, excuse me, he's behind Marchenko and the ridiculous Zach Rensi, who's actually leading Columbus in scoring, as we said today, from the blue line. This guy's probably going to win the Norris Trophy if he keeps it up.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
I had that thought, but as I went down that little rabbit hole, I was thinking, do you want to send that message to Bob? Like, they've got pretty defined roles right now, and you want Bob to get back into his Bob groove. And I think doing that might maybe stray off that path.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Not that necessarily would be a bad thing, because what if Knight gets hot and takes off and he becomes the goalie, which is fine. But that's just kind of where my thought process went when I had that same idea that you had.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
That 1-3-1 power play they're running is so scary. Somebody's going to have to figure that thing out.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
I don't think so. No, none of the past week. He didn't make that road trip. I think he may have played the Boston game. Yeah, he may have played the Boston game and stayed home. Because he was out like a game or two before that, played, and then they kept him home for the road trip. So either way, hopefully he'll be back, what's today, Friday?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
He'll be back tomorrow when they host the Anaheim Ducks before heading out on yet another long road trip.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Well, they're meandering around 500, which is fine.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Sorry to keep you all here five minutes longer than Rose thinks we should have.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Yeah, that's true. You always say the number change.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
That was the wrong call. If you watch the replay, the long shot, after Kachuk hit Heischer, neither ref put his arm up. Correct. The whole scrum started. Both arms were down. So I call BS a little bit.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
My other problem with the league right now is that clean hits are being met like they're, you know, two hands sticks to the mouth. It's ridiculous. Like we're kind of watering down hockey a little bit by having these crazy reactions to big hits. It's very frustrating.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
No, that's the referees basically saying it's okay to have that kind of a reaction. to a legal big hit. It's okay. We're not going to call a penalty if you want to go ahead and react like that and be a baby.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
A karaoke battle? Like in the skills competition?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Really? You don't want to see Sidney Crosby up there singing? No, I don't want to see Sidney Crosby.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Sing an endless love. I would enjoy that, yeah. My love.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
David, who's your winner of the week? Okay, my winner of the week is a young man named Cameron First. The Minnesota Wild signed this nine-year-old to a one-day contract. He is a make-a-wish kid. He's a young goaltender. And the Minnesota Wild signed him. He took part in a practice with the team. He got one-on-one lessons from Marc-Andre Fleury. He had the time of his life.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
It was just an awesome, awesome story. I loved seeing the footage from the wild practice. There's footage right now playing of Flower giving him some tips there. And now he's robbing a bunch of wild players in the crease making kick saves. Just such an awesome story. It made me smile for hours after I saw it. I just love it. I wanted to share this with anybody who hadn't seen it already.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Just really cool all around.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Shut up.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
I don't know if I've seen the dog backpack before, actually. I'm trying to remember. It looks like a common thing, the way that they're all reacting to it. But I don't know if I've seen that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
What happens if the dog goes to the bathroom while you're carrying him in the backpack? Uh-uh.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
How do you know that?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
That's the sales pitch right there. No, you're good. Dogs are smart. Just don't worry about it. You're fine.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Now here's the question. What if during that little situation, that dog did shit down Alex Ovechkin's back and then he went out and scored a hat trick? Then it would be the fail.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
What are we going to be playing?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Great.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Maybe I'll be the Islanders just so I can stomp Rose with Matthew Barzell. Okay, you do that. I don't know. Dave, what's your fail of the week? My fail of the week goes out to the Carolina Hurricanes for two reasons. Number one, the Carolina Hurricanes somehow gave up a goal to the Buffalo Sabres without giving up a shot on goal, which is pretty impressive and unique in and of itself.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
And it was an empty net situation, obviously, but that goes into the second part of my fail for Carolina. You lost to Buffalo. your net was empty against Buffalo. That's not fair because Florida lost to Buffalo. And you know what? If Florida had lost to Buffalo and given up a goal without giving up a shot, I'd be poop emoji-ing on them too.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
But right now, it's the Carolina Hurricanes who are in the doghouse as we get back to the Ovi thing because that was a double whammy against a team that has yet to pull itself out of being made fun of
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
in that realm buffalo has yet to not become the laughingstock of the league they're working on it they got a nice little run going right now but so do a lot of teams outside of the playoffs in the east and it's still january and buffalo notoriously has had one good stretch of play most seasons usually it's at the out of the gate usually they start off really good and then fall off a cliff maybe this year they're doing it in the middle of the season or maybe they're good i don't know but until they prove that they're not they're my doghouse team and carolina
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
You can't do that, man. What are you thinking?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
No, it wasn't a breakaway. It was like a zone. They had the puck in the zone. I think he was in the right faceoff circle going towards the net at the time. Nobody in front of him. No, no, it was like they were in the zone, like passing it, trying to get a shot at the empty net, or maybe they had just rushed in over the line. I just remember it wasn't like a breakaway situation.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
He had guys in between, and he just got taken down, no call. Puck turns around, down the ice, and... And the refs...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
I don't know, man. In that era, when they were in the league, you also had Dominic Hachette playing. Yeah, okay. I'm just saying, he might not have the same amount of cups as those two guys, but I feel like they're all in the same conversation.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Yeah, the Fred Flintstone bowling sound. That's rough. Credit to Sider, though, because you can see he's kind of fallen backwards. He decided to completely lean into what was happening, and he kicks his legs up. Lucky nobody was around. Yeah, that would have been tragic. I just don't understand, like, is that embellishment? Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Is Nathan MacKinnon Better Than Connor McDavid?
Embellishment's basically like a... Maybe he figured, he's like, I'm about to eat it right now. Maybe I can try to make it look like I got taken down.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Long week, man. Long week. I don't know why it felt so long.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Please pick Florida. I'm begging you to pick Florida.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
How insane is that? Not only that, an arch rival. It's amazing to see an arch rival who has been knocked out twice in a row by this team have so much respect for them looking at his career and say, that's where I want to go right now. It's pretty crazy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Perfect. The segue master, Emily Kaplan, right here, because I was going to ask you about the Carolina Hurricanes. I found this situation fascinating throughout the month and a half that it unfolded from the trade from Colorado to the trade to Dallas.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
How do we, now that the dust has kind of settled, we know, okay, they, you know, the assessment seems to be they did okay getting stank COVID and two firsts and we'll see what they do with the two firsts. But everything that's happened and then Tulsky coming out and saying, you know, we had more planned, but we didn't get to do it because we kind of ran out of time.
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The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Like, how do you assess everything that happened over the last month and a half with the Carolina Hurricanes and kind of say, did they come out good on the other end of this? Or should they maybe have just held on and gone for it with Rantanen?
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The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
And then, yeah, we're hearing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
So this was the worst part for me was I had to go get a haircut at 3.30 that day. You got to groom yourself. And my haircut place is in Aventura. So it's about 30 minutes from my house. So I had to leave at 3 o'clock. So I'm watching NHL Network. The clock strikes 3 and nothing happens. I'm like, okay, whatever.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
The Kings are ahead of them in the standings right now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
I get in my car and I get a text message with Frege's tweet that Brad Marchand is going to Florida. And then an hour and a half unfolds where I don't know what the return is. And one of my friends had sent me a tweet that said Anton Lundell was going to Boston. And so I'm losing my mind. Losing my mind, freaking out, thinking, oh my God, we just traded for an injured Brad Marchand.
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The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
What a nightmare it would be for Vancouver.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
I'd rather see Quinn Hughes. Sorry, guys.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
I love watching Cornelius play hockey.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
And we traded, or excuse me, the Panthers traded for an injured Brad Marchand. And they traded Anton Lundell for him. What the hell is going on? Then as it took longer and longer for the return to get out, I'm like... No way they traded Anton Lundell.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Yeah, I was at that game, and it was, first of all, awesome to hear fans already latching on to Vanacek and chanting, just shows how far hockey fans have come in Florida, that they're so knowledgeable that they know. Back then, you wouldn't have even known that we just picked up this goalie. Nobody would have known who he was.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
So it was really cool to see them latch on to a guy right away and really know what was going on. And then he was awesome. I mean, the Panthers defensively were stymieing. They didn't allow anything defensively. And they've been on fire defensively since the Four Nations break.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Yes. It never once felt like Buffalo had any chance in that game. Never once.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Yeah, when the Panthers blow a two-goal lead in the third period, you know something's up defensively. And I'm looking around, I'm kind of saying, oh, right, that Ekblad guy is pretty important, eh? Like, they really need him. They miss him. Yeah, I don't know why I do that. Ever since I got back from Canada. And it's not like I even went to French Canada. Anyway.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Yeah, at the weekend. Anyway, yeah, the Panthers, it was amazing to me how horrible that loss felt because it's so rare over the last three years for them to blow a two-goal lead. I don't even know what the numbers are. But for it to be that rare just shows how this isn't really concerning. It's just a blip.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
When they have Aaron Amplad in the playoffs, which is when it actually matters, they should be okay. They shouldn't do this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Absolutely not. And it was also very funny to see how badly Boston wanted to win that game simply because their captain wanted to come to Florida so badly. That was very, very funny.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
And I hope they raise a banner for winning a meaningless game. And raise a banner for that fight.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
No penalties for time this week because Rosie is in here. Milkshakes for breakfast for everybody. But enough with the Celtics talk. We don't talk about basketball around here.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Yeah. So my friend that sent me the text is a Tampa fan. He saw a text that said that somebody on TSN reported that it was Lundell on a first. And he was like, it better be Lundell or else this is just highway robbery. And then the details came out and I started taunting him with the fact that it was a conditional second rounder three years from now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Yeah, so in this video, you're going to see the goal first. You're going to see Rhino between the legs to Bennett for a great finish. But watch this play by Seth Jones to keep it in. This ultimately leads to the goal. So he hooks the puck back in while he's on his belly. Watch it again here. This is absolutely an incredible play. And the Panthers were able to keep it in the zone.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
The power play was running down. They keep it in, work it around. Mackey down to Rhino to Benny for the goal.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
And don't forget, that pass from Rhino here between the legs to Bennett, that was the vintage Florida Panthers play on the power play. Usually it's Matthew Kachuk to Sam Reinhart. This time it was Sam Reinhart to Sam Bennett. It was awesome to see.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Two more against Toronto, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
It's great memories in Central Bell. Let me tell you a voice. But no, the rest of the road trip is really important as well. Like that was such a big win for the Panthers last night. One, because it created a four point gap to the Maple Leafs, which assures that even if they win their game in hand, the Panthers would still have a two point lead on them.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Right. And the standings could have been tied. They could have been even on points had the Leafs won that game. But then you look at the rest of the road trip. Montreal is no slouch right now. The Islanders, we all know how the Islanders are playing. And then the Blue Jays.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
jackets the blue jackets and the Capitals cap off the road trip this is a very difficult road trip for the Panthers had they lost last night all of a sudden you're looking at an even more difficult road trip trying to get off two tough losses especially after they had a 3-1 lead again in the third period
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
And he was not very happy as a Lightning fan, I can tell you that much.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Could have been a brutal loss, but that was absolutely huge for the Panthers to shut that game down and win because they need to get some more points the rest of this road trip.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Gino is also back there. Nobody puts Gino in the corner. What's going on? The better Fuentes.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
It doesn't take me 90 minutes to get a haircut. It's just from the drive to the haircut to the shampoo, the haircut. And you have to go all the way down. And afterwards, still all the way, like after the haircut's over, I still don't know what the trade is. It took like an hour and a half, two hours to have it fully confirmed.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
I've been going to the same guy my entire life. He literally gave me my first haircut and he is in Aventura. I feel like we're learning a lot about Ethan right now. Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
You can already tell, first of all, how much of an impact he's going to have because, like David mentioned, I think he played like 26, 28 minutes, something like that last night.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Yeah, he's been awesome, and at the same time, the Panthers really miss Aaron Eckblad. You saw what happened in Boston the other night, and then last night against Toronto, they gave up a goal, the first goal, that is just something the Panthers never do. It's a cross-ice pass through a wide-open lane to a wide-open shooter.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
When the Panthers are blowing a two-goal lead in the third period and they're giving up wide-open passes like that, you know something's up. They're going to miss Aaron Ekblad. The good news is it's only going to be two games in the playoffs. But you better not fall behind 2-0.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
This is why I send it as my fail of the week initially because he lost the fight. You can't Superman punch and then lose the fight. If you're going to get off the ice and Superman punch, you've got to win the fight.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
Yeah, exactly. Ethan. Nathan McKinnon, 102 points on the season. Boys, my win of the week goes to Linus Olmark. Did you guys see this save he made last night? Yeah, it's the best save of the season. Ottawa Senators, who are red hot right now, four in a row, maybe five in a row, playing the Boston Bruins. Look at this save.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
My dad and I... My dad and I were watching NHL Network last night, and they showed this replay. And he thought it was a sick goal because the pass and then the shot by Lorai. Look at this save. And he goes head over, or heels overhead, whatever you want to call it there. Oh, my goodness. Just a beautiful, sprawling save like that. That, to me, I haven't seen a better save this year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
You think? No kidding. That felt like a shot at his front office when he said, we probably should have known that. And I think a lot of people are giving Carolina credit here for how they handled this, how they got Stankoven and two first-round picks. I don't think they deserve it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
I think they botched this situation completely, and I still would have kept Miko Rantanen for a Stanley Cup run because you're not a better team today than you were, and you already weren't Stanley Cup good. Now you're definitely not Stanley Cup good. Yeah, he's a renter at that point.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
You can't fight Sharky, man.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
My fellow week goes to Stuart Skinner and really just the Edmonton Oilers in general. They're 3-7-0 in their last 10. And they didn't go out and get a goalie at the deadline, even though everybody said they should have. Watch how he ends up here on this Tage Thompson goal. First of all, great. Great goal by T.H. Thompson. Nasty move. But you're going to see him here.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
There's a great picture going around of it where he just face plants, totally flops, and he just looks silly. T.H. Thompson, by the way, having a great year. I think he's got 34, 35 goals, something like that. Makes Stuart Skinner look silly there. You can't end up flopping around, especially when your job is under fire. The way Stuart Skinner's is, looked silly right there.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
That's my fail of the week.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Brad Marchand is a Florida Panther
It's almost like Edmonton should have gone out and gotten more goaltending. And Stuart Skinner, he got him as close as he could.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
Yeah. I mean, it kind of reminds me now that I'm in foreign nations mode, it kind of reminds me of the game we watched last night, right? Where the Kachuks just kind of took over the show. And, uh, the Panthers have been doing this a lot recently where they just out shoot opponents like crazy. They kind of fall behind early and then they take control of the game in the second and third period.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
And we know what they do with a lead in the third period. They put that bow constrictor on them. So, uh, it was a good way to go into the break. Like the Panthers are rolling, going into the break, which is something that they needed to be doing because they hadn't been playing very good hockey from like December to January.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
And I think I mentioned this last week, but again, it just goes to show, you know, how important Aaron Eckblad is to this team because his return to the lineup pretty much lines up exactly with when the Panthers got hot and when they started looking like the Stanley cup champion, Florida Panthers again. So yeah,
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
It was good to see them go into the break with a big win against Ottawa and just get that momentum rolling there in first place in the division. And now, you know, we can watch these guys here at this awesome tournament and they can the other guys can rest up at home and get ready for the stretch run.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
I did not see both games. I saw we were at USA Finland last night. I watched Sweden-Canada. I didn't get up here until yesterday afternoon, that being Thursday afternoon. Sweden-Canada was amazing, but USA Finland was a really cool atmosphere being in the building. It's an interesting rooting experience.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
You guys obviously know where I stand politically, so you know how I feel about the, you know, rooting for the United States right now. But obviously, being in that building and hearing, you know, the Canadian anthem being booed or the U.S. anthem being booed by the Canadian fans, it makes you feel some kind of way, to be honest with you, and it gets you fired up.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
Yeah, yeah. There's a lot of dudes in this VRBO right now. That was my buddy College Mike. He's a good dude. We love College Mike. He's a friend of the show.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
Yeah, College Mike is basically my child this weekend. We're basically taking care of him like that. Take control of your kids, dude.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
We're trying to be professional here, and you've got guys crawling in the room. Did you see how I just powered right through that, David, though? You've got to love that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
So Forsling also made a play in overtime that could have ended the game like his pass to Kempe could have ended the game. So I thought Forsling had a good game. I thought that game in general was pretty amazing. My my problem was where was Sam Reinhardt in overtime? John Cooper didn't put him out there for a shift in overtime, which I find absolutely ridiculous.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
Like you've got a Selkie Award winner and a guy that's going to score 50 goals in back to back seasons. And he didn't take a single shift in overtime. That's crazy to me. But you're throwing Anthony Sorelli and Brandon Hagel out there together. Like, that's absolutely insane. I don't know what John Cooper is doing. They ended up winning the game.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
So I don't think he's going to get questioned for it. Right. But if they don't end up winning that game, don't you think some people are going, hey, where's that guy that scored 50, you know, 57 goals last year and is going to score 50 goals again this year? Like that was an interesting decision from John Cooper.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
Well, Roy, we were having this discussion, actually. I was talking to Chris about this, and I was questioning Mike Sullivan's decision-making because he didn't start the Kachuks together. He didn't start Zach Wierenski on power play one, right? And then once Wierenski went to power play one, the U.S. scored two power play goals.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
Once Kachuk and Kachuk were on the same line with Jack Eichel, the U.S. absolutely took over the game. So initially you're like, well, that's bad coaching. But it's also good coaching to in a short tournament where you're only promised three games, make that decision on the fly like that two periods in to just be like, no, this is clearly not working. I need to change something.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
And he dumped Adam Fox from PP1. He put Zach Wierenski up there and look what happened in the third period. You know, from what I saw, like in the building, you could feel like Finland played a really good first two periods, right? And then what happened in the third period was the United States skill just took over.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
And I think the biggest part of that skill taking over was Kachuk, Eichel, and Kachuk being out there together and just dominating the game completely. Um, Really specifically those two, like Eichel was a bit of a guy that I was just kind of like, where is he on the ice right now? But the Kachuks absolutely dominated the game.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
You know, you see that shot from Matthew and then that move from Brady was absolutely filthy. That was awesome. And you mentioned Walt. Every time his kids scored, they showed Walt on the board in the arena, which I thought was a really nice touch. Put him in the Hall of Fame, please.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
What do you mean we? I'm going to be watching the Four Nations, Rosie. I'm going to be in the building for both games Saturday. Let me tell you, I'm so pumped. Guys, you have no idea what Saturday night's going to be like. Saturday night's going to be unbelievable. I cannot wait for Saturday night. The energy in this city.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
College Mike. All of us are absolutely buzzing right now, fired up for Saturday night. We were all talking about Bell Center is a really, really cool arena. The energy inside it last night was amazing. And you could just get the sense that everybody's just anticipating USA Canada just from walking around the city, talking to people.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
Everybody is going to USA Canada on Saturday night, and it's going to be an unreal atmosphere. You heard the boos during the anthem. I can't imagine what it's going to sound like on Saturday night. It's going to be something really special. Like I already told people last night was one of the coolest sporting events I've ever been to. I can already tell that barring the U.S.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
getting absolutely thrashed and me being miserable in Central Bell on Saturday night, this is going to be like a top five sporting event.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
Oh, here we go again with the complaining about being on the ice after the Stanley Cup final.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy's 4 Nations Theory
Are you flipping kidding me? High stick me in the flipping face, you flipping dummy. You're a flipping joke. He doesn't swear, eh? I thought I heard that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Of course, he gets his ass whooped in a fight like he always does because he's not actually a good fighter. He's just big. Look at this. Extends the arm, comes in right to the chin. I mean, he's prepping to throw this elbow. At the bottom of the face-off dot, basically, already. At the goal line, he's got his elbow out there right to the chin.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
I have no idea how this wasn't a suspension in the first place. Then you take his history into account. It's getting ridiculous. I'm getting into, like, throw this guy out of the league territory. It is crazy how he continually does shit like this every single time he's on the ice, seemingly.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
He's just a big dude. He literally just skates around throwing his giant body into people and injuring people and throwing dangerous hits like this. This was almost going to be my hot take to throw him out of the league, but I had something else for trade deadline day. Look, it's crazy that this is still persisting. He needs to figure his shit out and stop trying to hurt people.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
It's the best. Hug watch. I love it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Two points back after the Panthers won on Thursday.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
It's like a balk in baseball. It's like a balk in baseball. I have no idea what's going on.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
No, I don't. I'm 26 years old. I have no idea what a balk is. I'm also 26, and I have no idea what goalie interference is.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Nick, you mentioned Mikko Rantanen and the possibility that the Florida Panthers were looking into him. Doesn't seem like that's really going anywhere, but it does seem like Mikko is going to be on the move again. Where would this rank in terms of all-time bad trades if the Carolina Hurricanes end up without Mikko Rantanen for the rest of the season?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Do you think that you mentioned the Gensel trade. Do you think that maybe that scared Carolina because all they were able to get was a seventh round pick when they moved into the lightning right before? Like, do you think maybe they went too far in being scared?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
And instead of making a run at it with Miko Rantanen and this great team you have, they got a little scared and were like, oh, my God, we have to trade him.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
On the ice? No. You could tell that he didn't necessarily want to. He was just kind of waving at the crowd from the bench. And then Mackenzie Wieger waved him out. And when he took his lap, I mean, I was there for the Montour one. The Montour one was loud. I was also there for the Lomberg one. It didn't even compare. And then late in that game, the Panthers were dominating.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
You got some we want Lomberg or we miss Lomberg chants or whatever it was. He will forever be a fan favorite in Florida. It was an awesome moment for him.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
That was one of my... I thought I left that game and I said that was the Panthers' best performance of the year. They absolutely dominated Flames. Bobrovsky was amazing. Chances galore. If Vidar or whatever his name is didn't play out of his mind... one of the craziest performances I've ever seen by a backup goaltender. That 3-0 scoreline was very flattering. No, it should have been 6-0.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Yeah, as was a game later in the week.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
That was a huge win for the Panthers because the Panthers could have been, like, the Lightning could have basically caught the Panthers if they had won that game. They would be within a point right now. Yeah. That was a huge win for the Cats. That was a great performance. The third period was terrifying.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Being down in that end, I was at that game because we got thank you to the Panthers for the tickets. It was terrifying.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
because uh Dan Dan of course banged the drum that night so we got some tickets and it was great um but anyway the point being I'm down in that end and two shots go right off the post we both everybody thought we're in on both of those shots if either of those cross the line the Panthers or if both of those cross the line the Panthers lose that game so Bobrovsky was great the Panthers were great but they also kind of got away with one that night
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Been shooting it recently. It wasn't just that game. It was the game last night. Like, he's shooting the puck more aggressively.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Really early. Panthers outshot them 36-16.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
And I've got a hot take for you from the deadline. Yeah, you did.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Yeah. My favorite thing about that game was seeing Reinhardt back on the score sheet. It had been eight games, 12 if you include the Four Nations. Hadn't scored in a long time. Got back on the score sheet immediately. Had two assists in this game as well. Really great. Another great performance by the Panthers. Like could put it right up there with some of their best performances of the year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
And it's good because, you know, we'll take a look at this in a second. They've got a big stretch coming up. Six game road trip after this game against Buffalo on Saturday. They've got three road trips left this season. And it's Toronto is in here, Montreal is in here, the Islanders, Columbus, Washington. A lot of important games coming up for the Panthers. A current affair.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Oh, I've been thinking about it all morning. In the shower. All morning. I wanted to play the sounder, but I don't have control over that. We let Rose have control over the sounds for some reason. I don't know why we did that. Anyway, boys, my hot take is...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
And in six games since the Four Nations break, They've allowed one goal or less in four of them. They lost to the Kraken 2-1, and they let up three to Edmonton. Every other game, they've allowed one goal or less.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
has to do with the deadline, obviously, and it's that this Miko Rantanen situation, this trade by the Carolina Hurricanes, is going to go down as one of the worst trades, not only in recent memory, possibly, but maybe in the history of the National Hockey League.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Let's stick with in recent memory. Let's go with in recent memory, and I'm going to tell you why. Because Carolina...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
is a legitimate everybody believes is a legitimate contender to make a run I don't know that they're a Stanley Cup contender realistically we've seen what they do in the playoffs but everybody seems to think that they're one of these teams that they're there every year so yes they're a factor in the Stanley Cup race
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
They go out, they make this big move for Rantanen, and it seemed at the time like this was going to be them finally getting that star player that they've been missing. They've never had a 100-point player in franchise history. They give up a whole lot to do it. Natchez is a really good player, and he's been awesome since going to Colorado.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
And it's made them look really bad with how good he's been since he's been on a line with Nathan McKinnon. It's almost like that helps, right? Rantanen, obviously, six points since the trade, and everything that's gone on around it. Now we don't know if they're going to move him before the deadline. And if they do, it depends on what they get back.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
There's been rumors about we don't know exactly what they would get back. But either way, if they move him and they end up not even making a run at the Stanley Cup, they have him on their team for about two weeks, it feels like, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Yeah, it's a fireable offense by Eric Tolsky to make this move because... It seems like they kind of got scared of what happened with Jake Gensel last year. You can't do that. You have to make a run at the Stanley Cup with Mikko Rantanen. So to only have him on your team for, what is it, 12 games or something like that? 13 games, something like that?
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The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
it's just it would go down as an absolute disaster if i'm them keep them on my team and make a run if it doesn't work out in the offseason whatever at least i took a shot at it but to trade them away it's it's it's almost cowardly i just think this will go down as one of the worst trades that we have seen recently that's hot that's a hot take right there rosie
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Yeah, I just want to say I'm so happy for Spencer Knight. And I wish nothing but the best for him. I hope he has all the success in the world in Chicago. All right, my win of the week. More young guys, rookies around the NHL. First one, Matvei Michkov. Did you guys see what he did to Connor Hellebuck? How silly he makes Connor Hellebuck look in the shootout right here.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Kid's a legitimate Calder Trophy candidate. There are some really serious Calder Trophy candidates this year. Him, Macklin Celebrini. I think Dustin Wolf in Calgary deserves some shout, too. He's been awesome. But look, this is the best goaltender in the world. This isn't any schlub. This is Connor Hellebuck. that he just absolutely crossed up right there and made it look silly.
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The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Mitch Koff is absolutely filthy.
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The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
I believe it was in a shootout, but still, absolutely filthy. And then my other winner, the San Jose Sharks. How much fun are the San Jose Sharks, right? They're having fun. We have a text here from Tyler Toffoli to his wife, which says, I got to have a sleepover with Will Smith and Mack, Macklin Celebrini, tonight. His wife is like, what are you talking about?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Will said on the bus last night, if all three of us score, I have to sleep over with them. This was against the Buffalo Sabres, before their game against the Buffalo Sabres. Sure as hell, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Tyler Toffoli all score in this game. And what happens? Let's see this Instagram post here. I love the text. Follow through. All three of them have a sleepover.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
They rolled a cot. I mean, they got... This is more than a cot. This is a full-on pull-away bed here they've got for Tyler Toffoli. But Tyler Toffoli posts on his Instagram, reporting for duty. Will Smith comments, a bed is a bed. I love this stuff. This is great team camaraderie here. And the Sharks are just... They're bad. They're really, really bad. But they're really, really fun.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
But they're really, really fun. And these guys are having a great time. So the San Jose Sharks... I love these young kids we've got coming up in the NHL right now. And Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Matt Veymichkov are three of the best. What are they wearing, pajamas? You know they were up giggling all night. Just laughing like idiots. They said they were up until 2 o'clock in the morning.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
I can't even stay up that late now. No, you can't do that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Just in the studio. Co-ed sleepover? Just the four of us. I'll take a couch. Somebody can take the table in here.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
Under where Willow usually sits.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: It's Deadline Day!
He'll never be the head of a major corporation. That header was good enough to make Olivier Giroud blush. That was a great header. My fail of the week, this guy. I'm so tired of this guy. Matt Rempe. He is too tall. It's ridiculous already. It's enough. This is a nasty hit. I have no idea how he got suspended for it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
You should have to use your stick. Yeah, it's not soccer. You should have to use your stick to push the puck. I'm not saying you should try to, but I'm saying it shouldn't be illegal.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Here's my question. In soccer, if you score an own goal, you get credited for a goal. Why don't they do that in hockey?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
No, no. This year it's over. Billy, I want to go back to the Four Nations for a second. You're around the team. I feel like I've seen a lot of...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
writers and people kind of poo-pooing the four nations oh it's a made-up tournament it doesn't really matter but i get the sense that these players are really jacked up what's the sense that you get from being around the panthers and being around the league as well in terms of how fired up these guys are to play in a tournament like this because remember this was an nhlpa ask they wanted best on best hockey so what are your sense about you know how just how fired guy fired up guys are
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
No, but on the stat column, it comes up like Carter Verhage in one of the Rangers games last year. He shot the puck and it went in off a stick. He got credited for the goal. That's not how it should be. Carter Verhage should not get credit for that goal. The defender should be credited for an own goal. That's not how it works, though. In soccer, it works that way.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Good strategy. Billy, I want to take you back a little bit. You were an original Panther. So obviously this moment, June 24th, 2024, meant a lot to you. And that came out in your call of the cup final when the time was expiring. We haven't had you on the show to ask you about this yet. So I want to ask you about it. Walk us through that emotion where it just all pours out.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
We can hear you and Doug Plagan hugging, literally hugging. We hear you talking from his chest. where you guys are hugging. I thought it was beautiful. I just want to know what your emotion was in that moment.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Yeah. The visor is right there, too. That's so dangerous.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Thank you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
It could get sliced even worse.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Ethan, you got anything? Can you share awards in the NHL?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Okay. But you can't, like, my hot take is Barkov and Reinhardt should share the selfie. Oh, boy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
If they tie, what happens? It's a first-place tiebreaker.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
I feel like I should know the answer. I guess my take here is that Reinhardt should really win the Selkie, but he's not going to because Barkov is on his line, and Barkov is just going to win the Selkie.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Definitely, but he only missed really like a week or two at the beginning of the season. I just think the work that Reinhardt does defensively goes so far under the radar because he plays next to the guy that everybody agrees is the best defensive forward in the league right now. And now that Patrice Bergeron is out of the league, Barkov can finally start winning the Selkie every year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
But I just think my hot take would be both those guys give it to him.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
The play he made on the game-winning goal last night where he's just got a guy up against the boards and just shoves him off and gets the puck right into the middle for Reinhardt to set up.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Give me more hockey, guys. Ethan. Porter Martone is 18 years old. My win of the week goes to Sam Bennett. This was awesome last night. I was absolutely jacked up. He finally got someone to fight him. Sam Bennett, for those who don't know, delivered a big hit to Jake Neighbors the last time the Panthers played. It was close to being a hit to the head.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
And I guess the Blues decided we were going to send Jake Neighbors after him. And these two went at it off the opening draw right away. Put both of them in the center circle. And look at Bennett. Just whooped his ass. Bennett also almost got credited with the goal. Mackie Samosevich ended up getting the credit for that goal, but did have an assist.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
So he came up a goal shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick. And that fight was awesome. I think we should pay a pet adoption fee just based off that fight. You know how Bennett is paying a pet adoption fee?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
That should count.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Hats off to both Jake Navers and Sam Bennett. That was a great fight.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Where's Manu Ginobili when you need him?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
You know what was even worse is in their next game, they played Columbus, and Columbus sent out Matthew Olivier, and Matthew Olivier fought a defenseman for the Sabres, whose name is escaping me right now. Dennis Gilbert? Is that ringing a bell? Anyway, they fought off the draw, and it was like, is this them being like, yeah, we're tough. We're going to fight the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
That was lame.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
There you go.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
That should count against Drew Doughty. That goal should be Drew Doughty's goal. Yeah. His own goal, not whoever shot it for the Canadiens.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
I want to give a shout out to you. You're going back to college. Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
good friend of mine from uh my time at nbc uh this summer when i worked the olympics julia um she goes to northeastern now she's one of our interns and she sent me this jersey and i appreciate it so much and uh she wanted me to shout out the women's team who won the beanpot this year and i think their win was like the biggest win biggest margin of victory in beanpot history something like that they absolutely destroyed i can't i think it was bc maybe
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
Now BC, of course, went on and ran the men's beanpot and Northeastern got run out of the tournament over there. So I guess that could be my fail of the week is for the men's, Northeastern men.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
But anyway, I just wanted to give a shout out. Appreciate it. And also a little bit of Stu Gatz and everybody. If anybody wants me to wear a hockey jersey on the show, send it my way.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
As long as it's not Arrival of the Gators or the Panthers. Send it my way and I'll wear it on the show.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
We got a minute left, boys, in this segment. Who do you guys have in Four Nations? Oh, boy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Four Nations Preview (feat. Billy Lindsay)
really don't know like who in terms of a favorite like it's hard not to go to Team Finland Team Finland to me is like Team Japan in baseball tournaments where there might not be the most talented but they're so fundamentally sound and they're gonna play such good hockey and they're gonna have such a cohesive unit I find it hard not to believe that Finland could easily end up in the final of this tournament
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
You're just reading off amazing stats about Sidney Crosby. You have quote unquote one of the great players of all time. He's top five in everything.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
I hate that stat.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Sidney Crosby has won a faceoff against 757 different NHL players.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Obscurity statistics aside. Paul the Rocket Rashard.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Ned Gretzky.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
I know exactly what you're going to say here, Roy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
They retired Patrice Bergeron.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
They killed them last year. They basically got their coach fired this year, and then they traded for Brad Marchand, which really put them in the shit.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Now, this was a tough look for the NHL because I think it was either the same day or the day after. Nico Mikula got fined $5,000 for doing a slap shot down the ice at the end of the Montreal Canadiens game. And then nothing happens to Chatfield here. Now, I remember last postseason when Trouba threw that hit. I can't remember who it was on in the Carolina series.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
There was a lot of talk about intent, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
He left his feet. Nietzsche's? Yeah, I think it was Marty Nietzsche's maybe. Shouldn't there be a stipulation where it looks like there's intent to injure? Because even though he doesn't get injured here and he escaped without being concussed or, you know, God forbid, something worse. Like, shouldn't there be some kind of discipline where it says if there seems to be deliberate intent?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Like, that's not in the rule book. Isn't there something there for that? Absolutely. I agree 100%.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Didn't Washington get in like that? Sorry to cut you off.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
I was just going to say, who does Lou Lamorello think he is? The Yankees dropped their...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Beards rule this offseason he got the idea from Steinbrenner I think they were like friends or something back in the day and that's where he got the idea it makes sense but it's just like the Yankees dropped that rule and I know that it was later than the season started whatever but if the Yankees can drop that rule who are you the New York Islanders like seriously no seriously Lou had that since he was the GM of the Devils he took that with him to all the other stops that he made so this has been going on for a good 30 years now this stupid ass rule you know what it's 2025 Roy
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Thank you. Thank you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
And I know you're not defending it there. I'm not. Obviously, you're not defending it there. It's ridiculous at this point. If the Yankees can drop it, so can the New York Islanders. It's ridiculous. And it just never felt like a fit for Duclair. I mean, they made him cut his hair right away. And he looked so happy in Florida. He looked so happy in Tampa.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
I saw a picture of him on Twitter the other day where he's just celebrating. He's got this big smile. And now he's got 11 points in 44 games. It's a bummer.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Yeah, they beat Tampa in their last meeting. Yeah, it was that game where there was that crazy finish at the end.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Yeah. Look, it can still happen. There's seven games left. The Panthers are four points down. All it takes is the Leafs dropping two and the Panthers winning two and you're tied on points. So this can absolutely happen. This same exact thing happened where the Panthers were kind of limping. They were resting some guys because they remembered what happened to them the year before.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Look, it's not the team right now. They're missing Barkov, their best player. They're missing Kachuk, their second best player. They're missing two of their top four defensemen. And they're missing their fourth line center. It's just they're having to stay afloat. The injury bug has bitten them in a bad way at the end of the year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
But coaching criticisms are nothing new, right? We've seen coaches throw players under the bus. We've seen them criticize people for years. And if DeClaire's not playing up to a standard that the Islanders expect from him, you know, that's something in itself. I understand he's been hurt this year, but, you know, we pointed out, look, it's been a tough year for DeClaire.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
And sometimes guys need wake-up calls. This obviously wasn't probably the right way to go around it, and now he's taking a leave of absence. And I wouldn't be surprised if he's played his last game for the New York Islanders.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
It feels like he's been in the league for a long, long time.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
That's what I was going to say. He has value. You ask, would a team trade for him? Any team would want his speed, his playing style, and when he can put the puck in the net. He played for two Stanley Cup contenders the last two years before going to the Islanders. He's a valuable player that people would want. The Lightning gave up stuff for him at the deadline last year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
He is a valuable player, and I'm sure there would be a market for him if the Islanders put him out there.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
It's a big day, boys. Big weekend. Big weekend. I'll get to it. I'll explain it all.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
I mean, I know that I don't think I've ever seen. I saw the movie when I was a kid. I haven't seen the movie in a long time. Now you have some homework. Yeah, you're going to have to watch.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Are they just going to do the same thing that they did in 2019? They've won 11 in a row now. They are red, smoking hot. Maybe. And they have moved into the first wild card spot in the West. They're 91 points. Minnesota's on 89. And then the rest of the pack is behind them. It's starting at 84 with Calgary. Dude. They are on fire. Nice job, Jim Montgomery.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
I can't believe I just said that, but maybe all he had to do was get out of the stink of Boston, and then he became a good coach again all of a sudden.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
My win of the week goes to the Penn State Nittany Lions. They are headed to their first Frozen Four in school history. They took down UConn in a classic game, and it was an amazing call on ESPN on the game winner, and I want to play it for you guys.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Oh, there's a paw. There's a paw. My cousin went to Penn State, so I love my Penn State Nittany Lions.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
And that call was incredible. I'm really excited for the Frozen Four coming up next week. And obviously, I've got my squad. And the Gators are in the Final Four as well, so it's a good time to be a Badowski.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
All right, my fellow week comes from the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild game that Roy talked about earlier. Alexis Lafreniere, former number one pick, signed a extension in the offseason worth $7.45 million. He's only got like 45 points this year, and this is not a great look. Gabe Perreault, their new signing from Boston College just came in.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
Laffey clearly didn't watch a lot of Boston College hockey this year because he was not expecting that beautiful pass. Oof.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Roy Campaigns for Sidney Crosby (feat. Arda Öcal)
He also fell on his ass like an idiot. Not the greatest moment for your $7.45 million player who only has like 45 points this year.