Episode 765 "FEELING THE EXCITEMENT" with JR

episode 765 my my boys what's up man how you doing guys it's been a while how

you know I'm sorry I've trapped in travel like a crazy person I've

actually let going on I leave again tomorrow so I'm glad we get to to at least

get here and you know I was on my one of my travels and I was in I was in

Chicago believe it or not and I was at an arena and a guy came up to me and

goes hey I'm from Buffalo we love we we love you with after the whistle you

know where are you hug me I've been back it was crazy come on really yeah

swear to God oh yeah absolutely it happens more than you guys probably

would think but I just had to tell you that so anyway well

appreciate that are we excited what a different feeling sitting here today

then we have for the last 14 years it's one of the best stories and sports

in a lot of different senses right because a you have probably one of the

best hockey markets that is that is alive again right and you guys you guys

lived and died this right so for me I feel so hasn't been easy JR trust me I

know I've been on this everywhere almost every Wednesday listening to you

and watching and listening and feeling the pain and yeah and and just the

and I've thought about you guys actually a lot over the last three months

because it's it's amazing to me this goes to why people listen to us okay why

people listen to the guys that were in the locker rooms that understand why

teams win and why teams don't win right because we've talked about this team

for years now and and this team last year which was just

very similarly the same team with the same

top leadership okay you look at the team and be like how did they start to

season at three and 14 and we're going after them again in the beginning of

this year going after them well PD PD did

well lost a shit after game three you know listen when you go stop

with your living in the past crack yeah when you go three when you go three

and 14 to start to season you think here we go again right

but we talk about and we have talked about so many times

how teams win how teams that aren't as talented sometimes win more than

teams that are talented and it's not just because of the personnel obviously

personnel has a lot to do with it yes but it's how you decide you want to

play as a team and individually how hard you want to be

and to play a system to play how hard it is to play against

and then when you put it all together and for us I think there's a lot of

people that are like scratching their head and saying

why did it take firing a GM to get this team now I don't know if there's

other things that came into play but it just happened to be when they got rid of

Kevin this team totally changed and and totally

became a different team and rattles off 29 of 32 games

that's unheard of in sports yeah and there's no sign of there's no

sign of going back and they did and they didn't stop either like you know

they went on and said there's no sign of them going back

right they went on this magical run after Kevin Adams got

got relieved of his duties um was the hottest team in the league

and then they lost that like I think it was the 10th game or

or the 11th game and then you're thinking yourself everybody was thinking

ah are they gonna fall back into their old ways

we said it we we questioned it yeah why how could you not

how could you not question it and then all of a sudden they just

took off again and it just we just sat back as fans here

JR and watched the team that played nothing like what we have seen for the

past four years nothing complete different

game with guess what the same players the same players the same players and

this is why my frustration with

players and with the game and and and and I hate saying this generation

because it's every generation it's it's the decider that you

and it by the way it's a great it typifies life

when you decide that you want to make a difference when you decide you want

to play when you decide you're gonna do something

and you put your mind to it instead of making excuses

or or or or denying the fact that you can do it

or questioning the fact that you can do it look what can happen

and another part like you said the 10th game

what was gonna come back in the 11th game for me it was

how's this team gonna come back after the Olympic break

yeah yeah wow like you know I'll add one thing about the Olympic break the team

looked like the least 10 team in the league so

you know I I'm dead I'm dead serious it's something I

noticed like John taveris look like sat on a beach for a month

and some other players around this one guess what

he'll be there again next weekend but I mean I wonder if this team just took it

really seriously after the Olympic or during the Olympic break and

let me go message you know what they did

they got a taste of what it's like to be a good team

and they loved it and I think they took they took pride in it

and I'm sure they were enjoying some positive comments

league wide I mean it wasn't just locally and local media that were

singing their praises as players and the team you know like a national media

was picking it up and talking about how great they are

and I mean that that's got to change the the mindset a ton

you talked about it over and over and over again

and guess what the three of us were right again

after the break they played 14 games to a certain point and they were 12 wins

one loss and one loss and over time so the one loss that they had was against

Washington capitals and they did not deserve to lose that game

they were by far by far the better team and it was just one of those games where

you just have to like not even talk about it you don't even have to talk

about it they played great they were buzzing they were they had

shot scoring chances they did everything and they just couldn't score that

night then on a on a four-game road trip

they played Anaheim San Jose L.A. which they won all three games and then they

went on a back-to-back night. That's insane by the way that's insane trip through

the California. Yes and they play Anaheim which is a pretty good hockey

team after being after playing basically six games and in

or four games and six nights they have a back-to-back at the end and they

lose in overtime then they co-home and they lose three games in a row and

that's the point where I was like oh man now they're in trouble now they're

gonna now they have the taste of losing they're gonna start to fall off

and you know what they haven't they they've had they've had a few

correction I would call them correction times

but the team just seems to be super super confident and they're

and they're not they're not driven by one player like it's not like you're

driven by Tage Thompson and he is like put the team on his back

it's not Rasmus D'Auline because Rasmus D'Auline is one of the six

defensemen that is playing very well like you have Owen Power,

Byram, Matthias Danielson's my MVP on the team I think he's played

incredible I mean Logan Stanley who's come in they've had other players that have

played exceptionally well it's like it's through the whole lineup

that is yeah it's funny but what you just said is they came home

off of that road trip and they lost three in a row by the way

that's expected it's it's it's you would you I'm not going to

give shit to a team that comes back off a long road trip

and loses maybe their first game at home or their second home how many times

did that happen to us it is I'm in nature to get off the road

get back at home feel a little comfortable take a breath

and still be exhausted still be exhausted right because you

listen I bet a lot of hockey games over the last 10 years I don't bet anymore

but I for sure would bet a team coming off the road

playing their first game at home I would bet the other team 99% of the time

and but it's just you see how many teams lose on their first game back

it's it's just one of those things that happened so we can give them a pass

on that which we wouldn't give them a pass on anything before

but it's nice to see it really I am so excited that playoffs are back in

Buffalo and I'm sure the fan base is too because they they deserve it they've

been waiting a long time man well let me ask you this then so they're

facing off against Boston in the first round how far can this team go in your

opinion this and we saw the LA Kings back in 11

they they made the playoffs in the last last game this season right they

and they rattled off they went right to the Stanley Cup in one

um Phillip Elfian 0 9 10 limped in on a shootout against the Rangers and they went

to the shootout in Lost Chicago that's right and they came back out from

three down to Boston that same year and and beat Boston so again this team

has shown that they can be anybody at any specific time and they can do it

consistently um I would give them for sure the uh the upper the you know the

favorite the heavy favorite against Boston even though Boston's very very good

don't get me wrong very good they're actually a scary team to play first

but um you know it's a scary team to play first they play very such good

defensive game they have good goal tending but I think that's the yeah I think

Buffalo will I think Buffalo will be able to handle Boston in the first

round but um could could you see a world where the sabers

advanced to the conference finals or even the finals

I'm sent why not they they found they they they have found the ingredient

of how to win okay they found it now playoffs is a different animal so

that's going to be the question is now are they going to be able to do what

everybody else has to do and raise that that bar two or three notches because

that's what the playoffs is that's why hockey playoffs is the best

playoff sport to watch is because that level play

jumps so how are these guys going to be able to and by the way none of these

guys really having any playoff experience

is knowing what it takes to win into playoffs because it's a different level

and they're going to learn quick yeah it's a vast majority of the team we

were going over it yesterday how many players have

some good amount of playoff experience and there are some but

but there are a lot of players that have none and uh so that's that's obviously

what you're going to be looking for I'm with you I'm I'm looking to see I'm

looking forward to seeing I should say they've elevated their game from

December to March from March through April and I'm looking forward to seeing

what kind of level and gear this team has and not just the whole team but

their star players well I'll tell you I think the

there's going to be two teams there's going to be two teams that are going to come

into these playoffs with them with uh just a

shit ton of excited energy right Buffalo and Philly

both teams are going to come in with just a lot of gusto a lot of a lot of

excitement and you know I don't know does Buffalo put a lot of pressure on

them that that there's pressure on them to win now

into playoffs is did they feel that I just think that

I don't want them to just be satisfied just because they made playoffs

yeah because they just make the playoffs like they

won the vision second in the Eastern conference

but what about points in the league they sit fourth

how did the sabers in that dressing room even remotely say hey this is a great season

we ended the drought um we're we're complacent and happy

I'm I'm complacent and happy but I'm a fan as a as a as a

player on the Buffalo Sabers right now I'm going to tell you right now

they should be taking a good hard look at the hockey team that's inside that dressing room

PD and I were talking about the defense core like they have nine defense right now

that could easily play in in the Stanley Cup finals or the Stanley Cup playoffs

they have nine guys is it unfair my expectations for this team to go to the conference finals

I think that's kind of my question for you like I I thought when they would end the drought

whether it was this year next year the year after that it would be like a limp in the wild card

two or maybe get lucky in wild card one yeah maybe you know it's close enough where you finished

third in your division but to win the division after 14 years and with like you said

minimal playoff experience for a lot of these players I don't know what to expect it's a very

very hard mental game right it's a hard mental challenge to to when you haven't made the playoffs

in 14 years and then do what Buffalo has done this year and just rattle off such an amazing you know

three quarters of a season to get them into the playoffs okay so that in itself is it is a great

accomplishment that your brain thinks about but in that locker room are they happy that they just

made the playoffs or are they talking to themselves like hey we we actually have a team that can

win the Stanley Cup right and it's that mentality are they talking about that or are they talking

about oh oh geez we made the playoffs to take breath do you think they actually believe it though

JR well that's right now they ended fourth in the league second in the eastern conference they have

51 wins this year or 50 wins this year their entire defense core is outstanding I would put them

up against any defense core in the national hockey league right now name me a team that has a

better defense core than the Buffalo savers with three goal tenders not two three goal tenders that

have played exceptionally well all year I'll tell you this I'll tell you this riff I think there's

no team entering the playoffs right now that should have more confidence than the Buffalo savers not

one yeah not one I didn't say that over Colorado even with having their you know the you know the

seasons they've had the team that they have or Carolina that what that what Buffalo has been able

to do this year and look look look what St. Louis did 19 when they won they're the last place team

to league in January yeah last place yeah last place team to league and they went to they got to

the playoffs but they they went to the playoffs in such a run that they're they they believe that

they could win and I think Buffalo they should be in that locker room being very happy with what

they did but not satisfied because they proven that they can be anybody on any specific night

anywhere in the league yeah it's very easy to get satisfied because I'm satisfied I'm not gonna

I'm not gonna lie I don't care what anyone said I'm super satisfied satisfied in this season because

this team played magically and we ended the drought which is I can't I can't even explain

how big it is for the entire NHL yes I'm talking I'm not just talking here in our little bubble

in Buffalo and oh shit we have a black cloud we have me I mean everybody in the league has been

talking about Buffalo for years because they've been in that that dark cloud they haven't made

the playoffs they're they've had multiple coaches multiple GM's turning over players there's a

problem and now all of a sudden every single spit and chicklets talking about it every episode they're

talking about how amazing Buffalo is doing and I was wrong and you were wrong and I'm so happy for

them and everybody around the league is actually the players are watching Buffalo and and watching

and reading and now there's a different look to this city this organization I'm satisfied right

now JR so so what you're saying is so what you're saying is that they lost in the first round you

you wouldn't be disappointed I would I would listen I would I might even be a guy if they lost

in game number six and they came off the plane I might go there at 12 30 at night that's awesome

in the morning to meet him I'm not even joking I'm gonna be sitting there going boys that's awesome I'd

be disappointed but I don't think I'd be disappointed in them because I think it's awesome I think

it's like any team and I here's a cliche again but any team in this league right now especially

these trunk conference can beat anybody in a seven game series anybody yeah and by the way guys

I love that you guys said that and I hope that most Buffalo Sabers fans feel the same way because I

think if the players understood that that mentality is out there they could play pretty much stress

free and just go play well you have to walk before you run and I looked I just just looking

back to when you made the finals JR like the Hawks made the playoffs a bunch of years before

and then you you came in your rookie year you guys made the playoffs and then the next year you

guys went to the finals am I correct yeah the Chicago Black Hawks with Kane and Taves and Keith

and Seabrook and Hosen all those other guys they missed the playoffs for a bunch of years yeah

played 17 playoff games which I think equates to the conference finals and then the next year

they won the cup so I mean you know it's the old saying you have to walk before you run crawl before

you walk and you know to expect this team to go 14 years no playoffs and all of a sudden make

a magical run to the finals but I definitely would would feel disappointment this you know it's

it's great that you said yeah you don't expect it but you know there's a possibility it can happen

yeah right right right that I think that's it I think I think it just really comes down to you know

you need the stars to align you know I mean you just I think it's cool too I think it's cool too

we have what you said you you said a lot of things that were really important but you missed one that

I think is very important for the league you said this is important for the league it's important for

the league because now you have the biggest hockey market that watches the most television of any

any market in in the National Hockey League in Buffalo and guess what those ratings are gonna go

up because you know what Buffalo fans are going to be engaged more they are going to be watching

not only Buffalo games but they can be watching other games in their in their conference to see

what's happening it's it's it's it's going to help you so you saw the ratings on TV when you were

doing the National broadcast Buffalo was the year watched game on network yeah at the top four

minimum right no it was the number one they were number one in ratings when it came to our games

on on our network it's crazy yeah yeah I'll say can I say one thing though like that was my that

was a fanboy Craig I watch I watch this I watched the Sabers and in a different lens than what

I used to even even maybe two three four years removed from the game I still watch this as a player

now I watch it as a fan I love watching these players I love the game I'm happy as a fan

I'm gonna tell you this the hockey player side to me I would be sitting in that room going boys

I'm gonna tell you right now these opportunities do not come very often we legitimately have a

chance to win the Stanley Cup we can beat any team in the league we need to put it together

there's four different very difficult difficult series that are going to wear on you mentally

physically and emotionally but we have the depth forwards defense and goal tending and we have

the Jack Adams award winner because he better god damn win it in Lindy rough it's a no-brainer

we have everything to win a championship this year and that's what the way I'd be looking at it

as a hockey player man this is this is a great opportunity for this group they don't even understand

how how great an opportunity it is and they might not ever they might not have the same opportunity

moving forward so take advantage of it right expanding on that expanding on that that message

has to be listen boys like we did what we did in the regular season but that effort is not going

to be good enough to get it done to play us as hard as it was we have to do it we have to be even

better that's going to be the message right so everybody's got to be prepared for that they can't

God I'm going to tell you this J.R. I just literally just got friggin goose pumps okay because I'm

sitting there thinking to myself in my mind when you're saying that to me I'm like man do we have

those guys do we have the junkyard dogs and I'm like Peyton Krebs is a freaking animal I don't care

it PD I know he's 180 pounds 180 five pounds the guys a freaking animal is that Benson's an animal

we have Beck Malinstein who literally I would give him 10 million dollars right now with the way

that he played this year he's an absolute unit getting back Jordan Greenway and his size and the

way that he plays and I mean there we have so many guys now that play the right way play with jam

and throughout the entire team like you they showed the entire NHL they showed they showed the

entire hockey world when Tampa Bay came into Buffalo and thought that they were just going to

bully us around and knock the shit out of Taj Thompson and Rasmus Dahlene guess what happened baby

a friggin full team came out and had fight not only did we fight there's five fights there's six

scrums there's a hundred thousand penalty minutes the buildings buzzing guess what they come back

and beat the shit and beat him eight to seven suck on that Tampa

three nothing four one four four I mean it was the game was it was a wild game six four for Tampa

and then it was like bam you know the sabers the sabers were fifthing goals this year they were

fifthing goals what a what a what a defining moment in the season right that was everybody's talking

about it because it was by far the game of the year if you've never watched the hockey game

in your life and you put that on for that person just to sit there and watch that person is a hockey

hockey lover for life now that's an ESPN classic right there boys absolutely I love it that's

what I think above I'm excited I'm excited I'm excited for the I'm excited to watch you know I'm excited

I mean I listen I was in Philly the other day and I saw Philly you know get into the playoffs with

an amazing game the other day against Carolina but it was just the passion in that I mean six

years for the flyers right and so you know to see that emotion and that energy you know for teams

back into playoffs it's I'm so happy for Danny Breyer man I am so happy for him I wish Mike

Greer got into I jumped into locker room after the game and but in Philly I ran into the coaches

room after you know and so you know because I was all excited so I ran into the coaches room and

there's talk there's Breyer there's Jonesy there's I mean the whole coaching staff everybody's

sitting there by the way they're they are know what they're doing they're on the they're on

on the blackboard and talk is is doing is going through stuff on the blackboard right after the game

they just clenched and everybody's celebrating and everybody's excited and they're in there going

going at going at it that's because I think they believe they can get past the first round I mean

they're playing Pittsburgh yeah they're playing Pittsburgh and I I mean a team that I think

surprised a lot of people was were the Pittsburgh penguins and I think Philadelphia probably

feels like they can beat them and now they have that young border Marton too you get some fresh legs

throw them in there oh my god how good is he been I wrote a kid holy jumping man so I wrote that

I was so this is I'm gonna tell you what I did and this is I mean it probably this is so I'm so

impressed too and it was the first time I've watched him in person Marton was on Monday night

after the game John the Claren I played in a in a celebrity shini game at the arena right so we

watched the game everybody cleared out and then we had a celebrity shini game where we played with

a bunch of bunch of men's league guys on this state on the arena right they are for like a couple

hours so I literally played from 10 30 at night until 130 at the infinity center there or

X-finty I don't know what the name of the building is now but you know I go into the locker room

in between our games and you know the field of your locker room is empty right but obviously I

couldn't walk in and just kind of get away from the hoopla rest up for the next game and I

wrote a note to Marton and put it in his glove and you know what'd you say I said congratulations

on making it to the show I said not only have you made it but you put you made an immediate impact

I said you are you play like a true flyer I said shoot the puck more you got an amazing you got

amazing shot keep the energy up and keep getting in people's faces I loved it when you when you

cross check that kid you to game a shot that's flyer hockey kid I said good luck I said yeah

did you hear back from them at all the my one of my trainer friends who's there

reached back out to me that's cool that must have been cool for him again 3214 pounds at age 19 years

old and it gets the four goals 10 points plus four in nine games that he played at the end of the

season like this kids this kid's going to be 230 in a blink of an eye and he's got so much confidence

to man he's got so much he's got so much he looks like he looks like he's played there for two

years already like he's got so much confidence and he just plays nothing bothers again man I saw

an interview with him he's so mature in the way that he speaks is ridiculous he's 19 years old

and he was he just it's the way that he communicates at a young age in 19 in that position it's just

wow did they have a special one in him yeah yeah you know that they do in Chicago too so hopefully

you know with Anton frontell coming in and playing as well as he did I mean he played unbelievable

for Chicago yeah yeah and you know Chicago is now going to be in one of those situations next

year in the year before to do exactly what Philly did do exactly what Buffalo did so that's

exciting things for me you know exciting you think Chicago has enough yet JR I just don't think

that they're nope not yet but I do know that they still a couple years away right well when they

sign Alex talk they'll be adding a nice veteran two-way player to the team there I would watch very

closely they want to sign a top-end defenseman okay okay and I don't think they're gonna I don't

think they're gonna spare um they're gonna they're gonna be looking at dollar signs to carefully I

think they they know what they need so let me ask you this JR because that you're just opening a

little bit uh can of worms here I know we want to talk playoffs but when you're talking Chicago

talking you know obviously they have to sign Connor Bedard this summer it's gonna cost them an

arm and a leg um they want uh they want an elite where do you get where do you get that player

as an unrestricted free agent you're saying yeah or what what what players are are available

um what I isn't there isn't there can I just throw someone out can I throw someone out

so for me isn't there a player just north of them that

that could be available in a year from now like one full calendar year next year are you

thinking uh Quinn Hughes possible

Quinn you still has a year left on his deal so he's finishing out this year he's got 7.8

5 uh next year um and then he's gonna be uh available wow yeah so that I think that is

something with with the draft picked that they're gonna have this year possibly getting a good draft

uh signing this year uh on top of getting Connor Bedard signed taken with another suite uh possibly

maybe um you know it don't don't count them out man I know they're eager I know they're eager

they got some really young kids coming up in the system they need they need to fix their defensive

core a little bit um that's huge for them they have the goalie uh they got some they need a

little size up front uh front L's been awesome since he came over from Sweden I mean awesome

so good things happening so again I'm excited I'm excited to watch when I'm excited to watch

playoffs I'm excited to see what happens over the summer and I remember being as excited to watch

hockey as much as I am though well I think the parody in the league is probably made at the most

interesting year in the standings maybe ever let's take a look at the injuries for both teams

and our injury update presented by Selenolah if you've been hurt in a car crash or need a personal

injury attorney you know who to call call the eights eight eight eight eight eight eight eight eight eight

I don't know how accurate these are I'm getting these from CBS sports but it says Alex Lyon out

for the season I don't know if that means regular season or just out indefinitely that's upsetting

I know we have the UPL and that's probably going to be the guy that you ride but you know a lot of

times teams will go to a backup goalie if need be if you're if your goalie has a rough night or

it needs a break or gets hurt um says Noah Osland out for the season again don't take this at my

word uh this is CBS sports yeah I think that kind of means that they're out for the season meaning

the regular season right well Sam Kerrick out for the season so I don't know if any of those players

will be back and healthy for um for the playoffs I think Noah Osland was the one that was closest

because he was back skating yeah and for the Boston Bruins it looks like they are completely

healthy going into playoffs so he's a mental stat did not play last game Henry Oki Haru did not play

last game um those are those are two staples that are that have been in their line up all year and uh

maybe a little bit banged up here in there and wanted to make sure that they're they're ready to rock

and roll so I would imagine uh from what what we're looking at that it seems like the Boston

Bruins are are a pretty healthy group it seems like the Buffalo Sabers are a pretty healthy group

and uh you know what I mean it's gonna be it's gonna be a it's gonna be a great battle

well healthy or not I think you know that if you're able to walk or skate you're gonna try to play

right isn't that kind of the mindset when it gets to this type of year well I you know listen

I mean uh I've been retired for 15 years uh I don't know the mindset of this generation and group

all I know is uh Patrice Bergeron back in the day had what what the hell was it it was like separated

shoulders claps claps claps claps long like it was like what in God's name are you doing playing

with all of that but that's just kind of uh the mindset of uh what happened back in those times

not saying it was right but I'm not I don't know this uh I don't know this generation I don't know

how they deal with that type of stuff but uh you know listen I uh both teams are healthy it's gonna be

it's gonna be one hell of a series well here here's to hoping that uh the Sabers win and they

stay healthy rolling into the second round with that that will do it for our first round playoff

injury report presented by Seleno Locke if you've been hurting a car crash or need a personal injury

attorney you'll see the billboards driving two and from games call the eights you call eight eight eight

eight eight eight eight eight eight eight car crash call Seleno

I do want to talk some playoffs with you Jeremy I know uh right now as we record this

the western conference isn't necessarily set I know LA and Anaheim could still kind of move and

I think Vegas says Vegas clinched their division yet is that yeah they clinched their division

um but I want to talk about the east for sure in the matchups because that's set

you know as far as Vegas you know as far as the Vegas I had uh I won't tell you who sent

sent me the text but um a text was sent to me last night out of the blue

towards saved our season pretty cool how's an interesting move I want a bold move to make pretty

cool I think that's it made me feel so like awesome I love that I love the text I love

how you know did it come from a player or come from management player wow that made me feel so good um

that that would happen that a player would think like that and the confidence they have going in

because Vegas is it to me they're one of my favorite teams in the league they have been since they

came in um so I just uh selfishly I love watching Jack Eichel I love watch what he's turned

into man he's awesome unicorn yep yeah I agree 100% can they go to the finals like what let me like

like the the the west isn't set so without going like round by round who do you have in the west

conference well I've had I've had I've had I mean listen I'm a frontrunner I'm not in the line of

you that Colorado is always the team that I think is is going to be the favorite um you know what

Minnesota has been able to put put together uh what Anaheim has been able to put together this

year Anaheim is a big strong fast team and I have an experienced coach gochee those hurt

um you know he's got he got his 40 goals this year what do you mean what do you mean he's heard

he's hurting he got hurt at the end of the season he has some he's he's got some medical issues

that are going to better keep him from being 100% in the playoffs open up the vault for those young

guys Leo Carlson cutter gochee you're going to have to have a bag for Bennick uh Seneca oh my

god yeah by when they all deserve it man yes they do yes they do bomb team and they are big they are

fast they are strong they are mean they're a perfect playoff type mentality team and they got a

coach that knows how to get it done yeah so but you're picking Colorado to go from the west

I picked Colorado from the west and I think I'm you know I'm gonna I like to tamper the whole

way around but I think Carolina is going to find a way to get to the final this year well let's

let's go to the east here so you have Buffalo Boston you think Buffalo can get that done yeah I

think Buffalo takes that yeah Carolina Ottawa you're obviously you're taking Carolina

Carolina and it's good to see Ottawa in the playoffs again so yeah again I'm happy for Brady

I'm happy for for that that city awesome they're a dangerous team though yes they are um

Pittsburgh Philly um I'm gonna go I'm gonna go I'm gonna go I watch Philly play if I think Philly

is gonna upset Pittsburgh yeah I want Philly to win too I want I want some success for our

my buddy Danny Breyer came on our show this year camp a Montreal there's an interesting series

right there really interesting that Montreal scares me a little bit man they got they got some punch

in some youth and obviously what what you know it's Hudson on the back how good a season he's

had how good coffee old has been 50 goals I mean who would have stopped coffee on score 50 goals

in the national league a small guy like that look what he did I mean Zuki the team is mean the team

is a Zuki hundred points first player and there's only five players in in Habs history five players

in Habs history that have scored over a hundred points do you want a unreal what a stat that is yeah

what I would never guess that never guess that yeah I would have guessed Montreal canadians all

their history and all their super and say it's just like it's just like our stat in Chicago how

many guys have scored 50 it's like it's a crazy number in a hundred years it's a crazy number

right yeah yeah good for them though at least I still think Tampa's Tampa's so strong yeah I'm

going with Montreal on that right I I've been watching Montreal for for quite some time now

obviously because my my oldest son that's his team but watching Nick Zazuki 101 points watching a

cold coffee old 51 goals Slough Koski has had a great season 30 goals 73 points you have Lane Hudson

who's got 78 points as a as a young defenseman and then you just keep going through the dobsin

the demon off all over cabinet these we we talk about these players and you don't even know who

they are all over cabinet he scored 22 goals this year and and you just go through the lineup

they are built yeah really really well their defense core is very strong they they're getting great

goal-tending from their from their guys and take this take this into consideration too

they're they're how how hard are they going to play for their coach playing against is is is old team

right in Tampa right yes yeah absolutely it's again it's one of those things it's one of those

markups those playoff markups that you see all the little intangibles that happen in playoffs you

that's uh that's another more listen i i i i wouldn't i wouldn't scoff at the at the

at what you said Riv it's Montreal's but i think i do think Tampa is going to get it done but it's

not going to be easy no way okay let's uh i want to i want to get your award picks like there's

really only four or five awards that we need to talk about um you know you have the hard trophy

you have the Norris trophy the Vesna trophy the Jack Adams and the Calder um two of them we found

to be pretty easy tap-ins but the other ones might be a little more which one so which one

which one which one's what happens well we'll tell you they won't we get there but who do you have

for the heart i actually have McKinnon for the heart okay McKinnon McKinnon's my heart i mean that's

not again you know 50 goals you know playing as well i mean it was nepix season for him so i would

i would give McKinnon i think he wins but uh Craig and i have a bit of a different take on it

they didn't make the playoffs but where would sandals a b without max celebrating for sure

and and you this is the heart if you like we said we've done this before we were said you define

what the heart with what the definition of the heart is is the most valuable to your team yeah

there's nobody more valuable to their team than celebrating and that that even means counter

david no but there's no look at the point difference that max celebrity had on sandals a in relation to

will Smith yeah it's on it's ungodly will say 60 points is that 21 year old kid too right i mean

you're a 20 21 year old kid like we're talking when we talked about mcdavid kutra from McKinnon

who are the three leading scores they're all surrounded by elite superstars i think maclin

celebrate me for what he did is just completely magical i would love i would love for once

the league to get out of this mentality of you have to make the playoffs in order to be up for

an award like that yeah i agree with that unfortunately that's where the way my mindset works with

it because that's just kind of what they've demonstrated over the years by the revolving you know

is that you have to make the playoffs which right which i mean sandals a is irrelevant

if maclin celebrate he's not on the team so by the way it goes it goes again to the noris right because

to me i think Zach Morensky was for me the best defenseman and along with Quinn Hughes those two

for me were the best i mean obviously you can say macart macart macart macart is an easy layup

for every year that he's going to play he's that good just like you say mcdavid's going to be an

easy layup for the hard dog leans got to be in the mix with the personal stuff that he was

dealing with all year with his wife's hard condition the you know the loss of the child like he

might even have a better a better shot because of what buffalo did period yeah that's not just how

he played but how buffalo played so he deserves to be on the ballot that's for sure but i mean

again it's it's hard i agree with you with Morensky i mean Chris cello's last night on tnt

said charlie mackavoie and i agree with charlie mackavoie you know he missed a bunch of games but

61 points and 65 games you know the way he plays he is like the true definition i would say

charlie mackavoie every single year i don't care what kind of season he has because i he's one of

my favorite hovers athletes of all time period and i love charlie mackavoie yep i love him as a

player too so okay so you have mccannon for the hard i agree with that i think that's where it's

gonna end up um you have who do you have for the Norris you're taking Quinn Hughes yeah i'll take

Quinn yes okay called her trophy rookie of the year so Matthew Schaefer has to be no no

brainer again i i don't look at the tide brine leech for the most goals as a rookie uh yeah i

think that's in history it's a no brainer that's absolute no brainer vasna trophy this one i think might

be one of the harder ones that is one of the harder ones that is one of the harder ones um

is there is there one goal tender that is dominated to get to get their team to the playoffs

okay i know islanders didn't make the playoffs but there is a there is a case to be made for

elia sireken definitely yeah um what about what about dan vader or whatever in philadelphia

guy is he's third in uh save percent or third in goals against he's a top save percentage like he's

dude he was unreal he wanted he was unreal on monday like what i'm telling you unreal yeah his

he was he was something else man i'm telling you um probably a little too early but you're right i mean

that kid was sick i don't think he's too unknown to i think get to that that i only said vasolevsky

because he won 39 of the team's 50 wins i mean i think that's and i think if you take him off of

that team and and i mean you could say that for almost every goalie but you take him off Tampa Bay

i don't think Tampa Bay is in the playoffs at all yeah um i i kind of i kind of agree oh what what

what about philadelphia flyers i mean this kid was absolutely insane i don't know and philadelphia

wouldn't be in the playoffs it went for the this kid he's their MVP there's a case for that i guess

you know i mean again i i don't know how the voters look at the the vesonatrophy goals against

if it's both if it's both it's going to be scott wedgewood even though he's on colorado i mean it's

that's that would be the easiest choice um last but not least uh i have to ask you about the jack

atoms award coach of the year well i think you're you're i think you're bang on right i don't

it's got to be lindy lindy lindy i just hit i said lindy lindy

lindy lindy rough i love correcting uh people when they say uh named wrong

lindy yeah i know right because you're the king of it yeah you're the king of it yeah i think i

think he that's i think him i think uh muse and pittsburg not a bad pick you know i think

talks gonna be they're gonna talk about talk again um having uh yeah having it having our boy

back in the league back in anhyme awesome how do you not pick lindy rough with like if they

limped into the playoffs i could see you people me and like you know maybe maybe it was luck but

i mean they won 50 games and won the division i mean it's yeah no i i think i think that's that

has to be a layup has to be a layup like yeah bednar obviously had a magical season in Colorado

no way yeah but i would say listen one of the funniest stories that i ever heard was Jeff

Norton who used to play for the islanders right and Jeff Norton and Al Arbor did not like each other

they hated each other and one time in the locker room um Al Arbor is yelling at Jeff Norton

screaming at him and Jeff Norton says something of you know you know those screw yourself you

you know you're a terrible coach he goes i want four Stanley cups and Jeff Norton yells back

Mickey Mouse could have won a Stanley Cup with those teams right i mean listen bednar is a great

coach great coach but look i mean he's got a bomb squad i mean you can you can walk into the

rank you know every single day in that same you know you're always you're always looking for you

know a coach to turn shit into gold right and a guy like Travis green and uh yeah in Ottawa has

done a nice job the Dan Muse has done a nice job the change over I love that greener i love

this greener yeah i mean there's so much credit you have to go you have to go to teams that have

been very poor quenville quenville is going to be on the ballot quenville might be there like

listen i mean if quenville's on the ballot jr then Lindy ruff is literally the biggest shoe in for

an award i've ever seen in my entire life yeah and i think you're right does i think you're 100% right

so yeah anyway awesome jr did you ever have any blowups for the coach last question before we let you

go me that's funny every team or just certain teams i'll tell you i'll tell you one one story i'll

try to keep it quick uh we're in phoenix and shownfeld is our coach and um we we played a terrible

game uh this night before and we were having um so we were having obviously watching video and

everybody is in the train in the in the um it's not the video room at the time it was our

changing room right it's our lounge so we're all sitting there and guys are sitting on tables

and guys are just sitting on their couches and chairs and all this stuff and we're watching the

video and and there was a time in the game where i completely blew a defensive play and i mean

when i tell you i totally blew in the guy scored and it was awful and just a precursor

three weeks before quit uh shownfeld asked me to play a defensive role to play against Lindros

in Philly against the in the Legion of Doom line so i went against head to head against

Lindros and shut him down and we won the hockey game so he did this periodically he put me

against the teams other teams best player and want to be to shut them down not just go score

go shut them down and we were winning and shownfeld said in the in the media at one point that i

should be considered at some point for the selky and i didn't like that i'm like i don't want to be

known as a selky guy but and i would never say that right but they've started writing it in the

paper well now two months later i totally screw up this defensive and they score a goal so in the

locker room and we've lost like five games or at this point so he stops the tape rewinds it

replays it tops it stops the tape rewinds it plays it stops it rewinds it plays it three times

doesn't say anything and i'm sitting there going yeah yeah this is a message yeah i know

this is you give me shit whatever and then he stops it for the third fourth time and goes

and jr if i hear anymore this selky talk bullshit i'm gonna lose my mind and i went excuse me

i never talked about the selky trophy do you think i want i go i said i said go shove a fist in your

ass shoney you're the one to talk about the selky trophy not me and i said go and he goes he

everybody out of the room right kicks everybody out of the room and as he's doing it he's taking his

jacket off and i'm like and he's a baysie unit egg well that was my next quote is this guy's gonna kill

me he's strong is shit he's strong he's like what's he the guy that went after the rat been told me

eat a box of donuts something yeah yeah exactly so but shoney works out just as hard as the players

and he's ripped and he's big and i'm sitting there as everybody's leaving the room and i'm trying

to stay totally quiet i'm just trying to say poise like and he's ripping and everybody's leaving

the room like oh my god jare's gonna get beat up right so everybody leaves the room right and

shoney gets off the gets off his office jacket and he's like you know we have a problem i said yeah

we do have a problem shoney we do have a problem in my brain i'm thinking holy shit this guy's

gonna kill me what am i gonna do to get out of this beating and the only thing that came to my mind

and i swear to you a swear to you on the bible the only thing that came to my mind was

i'm gonna get in there and i'm gonna bite his nuts i'm gonna get my i'm gonna bite him into nuts

and i'm gonna hold on until the team comes in to save me that's the only thing that i can think of

where i can literally paralyze this guy to where i'm not gonna get beat up right and he didn't

attack me or anything so i didn't have the bite his nuts but i i definitely made a statement

that listen you're not gonna treat me like that in front of the players you're not gonna embarrass

me like that in front of my teammates and you know it would have been it would have been a story

for the ages if i if i was clean to his nuts by my mouth and all the boys came in to try to save me

oh my god jayr that's that's true story that's like here's the thing the last thing i

thought you were gonna say that was gonna pop in your mind as like an emergency moment was bite

his nuts like so i'm gonna say that that pops in your head is the only thing that at the spur the

moment that's the only way that i would ever get away from getting beat up by showing except

for running out of the room is he is he the strongest uh head coach you've ever had

oh yeah for sure by far he was a beast he is beheading he was a strong it was a strong person

like his personality was strong he was a great coach but his stature was strong you don't

mess with him you remember alain vignol alain vignol in junior he was my coach he was my coach in

hall what did he did he work out um you know what i don't didn't i don't really remember it i'm

sure he did he isn't such good shake um but he was he was tough man he was scary scary strong man

yeah like he used to work out with us um in the gym and it was so degrading like it was brutal

because you'd be in there and you're ripping a couple bench presses and you're like you know

think and the holy shit i just got my max and then all of a sudden he like we literally just

goes on there and i i still remember him he takes the one plate and he does it like 15 times like

then he takes another plate now he's got 225 on there and he just goes

then three plates go on nothing no fun you know it's funny i i was in philly i told you guys the

other day Sunday night i'm out to dinner and at the restaurant there is that um there were

five five Carolina players having dinner right so i went over say hi um stall was there what a great

guy stall is an amazing one of the classiest guys in the world my buddy Freddie Anderson was there

um uh Taylor Hall was there you know so it was really good to to see those guys and i said hi

and congrats on the season and good luck but um i said to them i said make sure you say hi to Rod

for me Rod the bod and i told him a story about when i was when i was getting drafted he was my roommate

in the pre camp uh evaluation camp and he was my roommate i was 150 pounds i was so scrawny and he

came in and he took his clothes off in the lock and in in the room in our room and he was chiseled

and i was like holy cow i'm not gonna get drafted at it this guy and he was chiseled then and they

looked at me and goes jr he's still chiseled unlike i bet he said you know they had been in the weight room

so rod rod rod rod the bod again another another big one but um this is so funny but i'm glad

the reason why i brought up asking if you snapped on it the reason why i brought up asking if

you snapped on a coach was because you know that was one of the moments and i'll just what this

the last thing i'll say to you before we get out of here you'll love this i guess lindy this year

from what we understand was being really overbearing with some of the young players and i guess

finally things came to a head in the locker room and taged Thompson stood up and said something

and uh lost his shit and and then ever since then lindy's you know admitted you know i had to back

off i've been a little overbearing then there was like a meeting in the blind i think coaches

want to see that my keen who was like that my keen and was my keen and didn't like you until you

tell him to fuck off yeah it was a galvanizing moment for the team yeah for sure definitely that's

what you call building a culture well way to go taged well you know tages is one of my favorite

people favorites on the on the planet so yeah he's he's become definitely one of ours too he's

been a different player since he's come back from the Olympics finishing all his body he's just

been a monster he's been a monster yeah enjoy enjoy boys enjoy yeah man you're the best thanks great

to see you and enjoy tomorrow i don't want to say where you're going but uh it's pretty awesome

yeah yeah pretty cool okay we'll talk to you next week after the playoffs start okay sounds good

guys i love you buddy