Erik Karlsson's return as an elite NHL defender

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This is the Athletic Hockey Show.

What up, what up, Seattle Athletic Hockey Show for Wednesday, March 18th,

2026. I am showing until I sound marginally less disgusting than I did last week,

so congratulations to all of you.

We're Sean met. Thank you, man. We're we set the bar low here.

Sean McEnough, Frank Carrado, fellas, how are we doing?

Pretty good. Just kind of coming down from that crazy game last night in Montreal.

We called it Habs Bruins. We'll get to that later, I'm sure, but things are good, man.

I don't know if you guys feel this maybe not you, Gentili, because you're just coming off being sick,

but I feel like fresh. I feel pretty fresh for this time.

Congratulations, man. It's a grind and it's like you're traveling a bunch and you're staying

up watching all these games and it's late and you feel like garbage, but I don't know why March 18th,

I feel okay. So I'm going to take it. No, I feel like I still just for the record.

I feel like I would like to establish that.

But I just I just want to point out, look at us three guys.

The morning after St. Patrick's Day, we're all right.

I didn't push you tilled.

That's a good sign that we're a bunch. I tried on Saturday.

I tried on Saturday during during parade day here in here in Pittsburgh,

like my cousin had had some people over and I dipped over and was like,

nope, not happening. Too old, too sick. I got to I got to get out of here ASAP.

I did find myself though in a pharmacological haze on Tuesday night. I thought I was hallucinating.

Turns out I was not. I was on the couch. It seemed like the Pittsburgh penguins were beating the

Colorado avalanches ass. I thought maybe that was cold medicine talking or something.

It wasn't. That was a wild game to see on Monday night. That's where we're going to start, fellas.

72 win for Pittsburgh over Colorado. We're going to talk about what that means for potentially the

abs and if that's any kind of insight on the way they've been planning in a couple minutes.

But I wanted to start out by mentioning Eric Carlson specifically because we've talked a lot

about the penguins. I feel like I individually have been wrong about them at a lot of different

points. I thought they were going to be a bottom five team in the league at the start of all this.

Fast start didn't sell me on anything. I was like, okay, let's see. Let's see. I think some time

around Christmas, I accepted that this was a team that wasn't going to be awful. And now it's

St. Patrick's Day. And I think we need to recalibrate. I'll speak individually. I need to

recalibrate how I think about this team because right now they look like a group that can win a

playoff series. And that had not crossed my mind as a legitimate possibility until the last week

or so. Well, the main reason for that, Frank, and I don't mean to interrupt you, but the main reason

for that is Eric Carlson because he has been a legit number one defenseman this year. We thought

he was past that point in his career. He certainly has not been 20th in net rating, which is

impressive. 11th and offensive net rating. So, so of course, there's it's going to be a little

bit lopsided, but he hasn't been brutal in his own zone overall in the season as a body of work.

He scoring points at a 65 point pace. On the season, the penguins are outscoring opponents 57-40

with him on the ice. In most of all, and this is what has sold me on him, and it's what sold me

on Pittsburgh, is that since the Olympic break, that is post Sydney Crosby injury, he's got 14 points

in 11 and their winning is men at 7-4. They needed someone to step up, not just in Crosby's absence,

but in any mall concept, since he was suspended for five of those games. And it was and it was

Eric Carlson, and I and it has been Eric Carlson, and I think the game against Colorado

was as good a proof of that as is you're going to find because he was out there against Nathan

McKinnon. Pittsburgh won his minutes, he ended up with three points overall, and he was the engine

for them with a fairly dominant win over a team that, you know, on balance, let's say, has been

the best in the NHL this season, and I was not prepared for that. The narrative is shifting so

quick for the Pittsburgh penguins because if you go back to the summer, they're the only team that

are true sellers. How many times did you hear that about the penguins? They're open for business,

and they got to strip things down, and they got to figure out what's going to work for them moving

forward. And as the season starts, you know, they're getting really good goal tending. They're

two big boys are playing well in Crosby and Malcolm, and they're scoring a bunch, but the team is

playing well. And for the longest time now that Pittsburgh has been out of the playoffs, we haven't

really talked about, you know, what it would look like if Pittsburgh ever got into the playoffs

because no one really took them seriously. They're a team that was supposed to be rebuilding.

And now we can sit here and have the conversation of, you don't want to play Pittsburgh in the playoffs

because Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and Eric Carlson in the playoffs are going to be really

good players, and that is going to be a struggle for some teams. And I'll throw a couple numbers

that you guys real quick before I pass it over to DGB, but the Pittsburgh penguins right now,

according to sport logic, like goals for per game ninth in the NHL, expected goals for per game

fourth in the NHL eighth in shot attempts seventh in shots second in slot shots and inner slot

shots and sixth in offensive zone possession time. Like this is not a team that's just like caught

a little bit of a heater or they have like this unsustainable shooting percentage. They're generating

what they're scoring. And now it's like we've been clamoring for oh Sydney Crosby has to be in the

playoffs. Guess what? He's going to be in the playoffs and you probably don't want to play him in

the playoffs because we don't know how many more cracks he's going to have at it, but he's going to

have a crack at it this year. And don't forget you're talking about that that Colorado game.

That's a game that's been circled on the schedule since last summer because this was supposed to

be Sydney Crosby's first game against his former team. Remember when Sydney Crosby was going to

the Colorado avalanche, that was, you know, we'd all connected the dots and figured out that was

going to happen. I don't think I don't think it's happening. I'm grateful for grateful for Pittsburgh

season for one reason only is that the way they've played has stopped me from getting asked on

Canadian radio 15 times over the last three months. Like you think you think it might be

anything. Deadline Crosby. Yeah. It's going on. Once you're all Colorado. All right, so we're

ready headed. Let me ask this because you know, Frankie's right. We spent the summer looking at

this team goal when they got to trade Brian Ross. They got to trade with Carcels. They got to move

all these guys because they're going to stink. And then the legal rig the lottery and they'll get

them again. So I have to do, you know, per the sports writer bylaws, I have to do the thing that we

always do when we get a team wrong, especially when we think a team's bad and they turn out to be

good. I have to say it's got to be the coach. So is Dan Mew's now in the Jack Adams front runner

conversation with what he's done with this team? Is this is this the thing where we couldn't

all possibly have been wrong about how good a team was. So therefore, the coach has to be a

miracle worker, right? Well, yeah, I think there's a lot of validity to that. Like first time

head coach takes a team with very low expectations and a team that would be difficult to coach. Like

keep in mind, you have to try and satisfy Crosby, Malcolm, Latang, Carlson, while at the same time

integrating new players into that group, like, I don't know, Brazil, Mantha, like you got Tommy

Novak, like Ben Kindle, an 18 year old kid who just got drafted. Like he's kind of meshed

these two worlds together now. And this is the product that they're throwing out there. And Dan

Mew's was always kind of known for being this like really intelligent, kind of tactician,

had run the penalty kill in his time as an assistant coach and done a really good job with

that. And now we're kind of seeing what he's done as a head coach. I mean, yeah, he would have to

be in your top two to three at least when it comes to coach of the year. I think he's, I think

he's coaching players individually in a way that Sullivan wasn't at the end for sure. Like I

and Carlson said it, he said it much. He said it early. It was easy to joke about the way Carl

son was playing like early in the season. He'd be like, all right, he's just happy to be away from

Mike Sullivan. But like, I don't know, maybe, I mean, and he's like alluded to as much where

I think Dan Mew's, if you want to look at it through the cell, through the Carlson

prism, I think he's okay with with Eric Carlson being Eric Carlson in a way that

in a way that maybe Mike Sullivan wasn't. And he's also good at mitigating what Eric Carlson

maybe isn't so great at in a way that Mike Sullivan wasn't. And I think that kind of individual

allies, you know, contextual understanding of the guys that you're coaching is the sort of stuff

that should make guy should make coaches Jack Adams can it's like, I don't know if he's going to win.

I know there's a push for John Cooper just because of, you know, what he's done with Tampa and the

fact that he's never won one and everyone's going to want to vote for Lindy Ruff and there are

people who are going to want to vote for Joel Kwenville. Like that's all well and good. But I think

Mew's has absolutely pushed his way, you know, to the to the front of the line here because he

the things that the button that he's pushing are working. This is not a team that's winning games

because of a goal tender heater or whatever else is in or you know, this is in a team that's

that's coming off an unlucky season that has that had a bunch of talent in the mix. This is clearly,

you know, the coach pulling levers and pushing buttons in a way that, you know, you don't often see

from from from Jack Adams can it's yeah, I think I think he's got to be in the mix.

Since since we're on the subject, I'm going to go I'm going to throw two names into the Jack Adams

conversation and you tell me why they wouldn't be considered for that award. If their teams make

the playoffs, Travis Green, Rick bonus. How can you argue with those as well? Because as far as I'm

concerned, when you have bad goal tending, that syncs your season and Travis Green has had the

worst goal tending in the NHL and they still have a very realistic chance of making the playoffs

because of how they play as a team. Not just Stutz Legos hero or Kachak goes hero. They don't have

Jake Sanderson. They're not going to have Nick Jensen. Now he's got a meniscus surgery coming up.

Like Travis Green deserves a lot of credit and like Rick bonus, what changed in Columbus?

Exact same team. I mean, you made a couple trades at the deadline, but it's the same team except

new coach. And now all they do is win. If you go back to January 1st, so today the Buffalo

Sabers are the best team in the NHL with 44 points. The Columbus Blue Jackets are second with 41.

And wouldn't you know what the Pittsburgh Penguins are third with 40? Like, I don't know.

Says a lot about what's going on with those three teams. I love the idea that and I try not to get

out over my skis on this. But you talked about Columbus and Buffalo. That could be a first round

matchup. Imagine those two teams, those two buildings, the fan bases. I don't even, I mean,

who do you even bandwagon in that case? Plus it's Lindy Ruff versus Rick bonus. How many times do

we sit here and talk about how this league is all about just bringing the same guys back over and

over? Why don't we get a fresh set of eyes? Why don't we get a, why don't we bring some new voices

in here and let them have a chance to set a recycling the same guys? Apparently, with the three

teams we're talking about, Dan Muse the rookie, Lindy Ruff and Rick bonus who's been doing this

since the 80s. If we get, if we get Sabers, if we get Sabers Blue Jackets, this is pop quiz for

you guys. What would be the combined age of the head coaches in that series? Just it's in that

both what 70? So I don't know 140. 137. Wow. God bless, man. They're doing it. It's really

doing it. And Rick bonus. I got time for Rick bonus. He could, that's a guy who could coach

till he's 85 if he wants to. I think anyways, like he's got a lot of youthful energy. Let's call

it. And if people are wondering, there's plenty of precedent for guys getting Jack Adams votes

and even winning it based on less than a full season. I don't think there's a ton where it's

as, as, as few games as it would be, but yeah, you know, I mean, if they make the playoffs by

going like 35 and five under Rick bonus, you have to. I don't mean it. I don't mean this is a knock

on broadcasters. I truly don't. The Jack Adams is a broadcaster award. Yeah. And I, Rick bonus

has been particularly good to the media over the last, over the last however many years, right?

And I don't, if we're talking about the Columbus Blue Jackets, whenever award ballots are due,

which is when the puck drops on the during the first playoff game, if we're talking about them

pushing their way in, God knows what their record would have to be because it's been out of control

since bonus stuff over. There's still some work left to do on that end, but you know, the winds

blown in the right direction for them. I, he's going to be a finalist at minimum. How's he not?

How, like, what, what, what's your possible argument against it? Just did it's a deep field. I,

I think I, I feel like there's probably, I feel like there's, you know, I would say five,

five guys who could pretty credibly win at this year and sometimes there's not. There's other

seasons, there's other seasons where Rick bonus would be doing a lap around the field when it

comes to Jack Adams. I, I, I just don't think Joel Quinnville would be too. Like we're talking

about it in the first half of the year. Quinnville Cooper, who's it going to be all the sudden now,

we're talking about all these other guys because their teams have had such drastic upticks

in the last few months. And, and this is like I, I said it half jokingly, but this really is an

award for coach of the team that is the biggest surprise. Half the league is a surprise.

Half the league is a good surprise and the other half have been miserable surprises. So,

I mean, they're, they're it, it is a deep field because you look around and it's just none of us

had any of this figured out. So it's got to be the coaches, I guess. Let's, let's talk about that

now and, and we'll talk about the ease, the ease playoff field kind of, kind of through that one's

you know, Frank, he wants to dump on the Colorado Avalanche. We'll save that for a second, too.

How do you know that? I wasn't going to sceptive, I'm a very perceptive young man. I wasn't

going to dump on them any more than what their star player dumped on them after that game against

the penguins. Let's go. All right. Eastern Conference, this is this is very real producer Jeff

said this and I, I very regrettably did not did not did not completely trust them. I had to

go back and make sure. We are looking potentially, this would be tough. We're looking potentially at an

eight team turnover in the playoffs from the season to last. Sabers, penguins, islanders,

two of Bruins, wings, jackets would would would get it done. And then in the West, it would be

ducks, mammoth, cracking. I think that speaks, you know, we're talking about the Jack Adams field

and how there's a bunch of surprise teams. I think there's no better way to elucidate that than to say

like we're a 50% playoff turnoff, playoff field turnover year over year. That doesn't happen.

Like we can look at the last couple years for proof of that. And the Sabers are leading the way

there. Obviously they win last night tied to top Eastern Conference. There are 1001 on the road

in their last 11 games, which is wild. And there are two points from their best points total

since I think 2011, 2012, which is something in that fairburn story coming out of that game against

Vegas last night. Fellows, what do we think of the East East playoff field? I don't want to do this

every, I don't want to do this continually for the next few weeks because because there's going

to be change. But I think it's worth talking about today. Like where do we think of the East

playoff field? Who who's who's looking good and who's and who's probably looking, you know,

from the outside end at this point? My initial thought is this that because there was all these

like new teams on the block. If you were Tampa or you were Carolina or you were like fans of

those teams, you looked at this and said, this is our year. You kidding me. We're going to get the

islanders. We're going to get the Red Wings. We're going to get the Sabers. Like we can get any of

these teams that haven't really been here before. Like we're licking our chops. The Panthers aren't

in our way. You know, Boston's not what they were a few years ago. You know, Toronto's I guess

Toronto loses in the playoffs all the time. So what you really scared of. But they're good

regular season team, right? And now because these teams are still playing at such a high clip

and now the Buffalo Sabers are first in the Atlantic and it's not the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Like, I don't know, you're you're if you're Tampa and Carolina, you're probably looking at that

and saying, I don't feel the way I used to feel. Like these teams are really good. They're playing

this way for a reason. And if we've learned anything over the years, it's that like if you're

playing that like urgent, intense hockey for a couple months leading up to the playoffs,

it helps you come playoff times rather than being in, you know, some kind of like the

lethargic funk waiting around. So who looks good? Clearly Buffalo looks good. Pittsburgh looks good.

And then the two teams that you don't want to see right now, I in my opinion are not in the playoffs

today. It's Columbus and it's Ottawa. And I think if you see either of those teams in the first round,

you're you're not exactly thrilled that those are the teams you have to play.

Yeah, it it brings me no pleasure to report this. But I think the Ottawa Senators are the best

team in that group. Oh my god, of maybe and and and Frankie touched on it. It's been disguised

because this is a this is a very good team at pretty much everything that was getting

terrible golden. And that's what was keeping them out of the just out of the playoff picture with,

you know, they were hanging around with terrible golden. The golden is been better.

All marks been better, you know, since the since the whole weird incident with, you know,

with him leaving and then coming back and the the rumors and the letter and all of this,

the the statement, the capital S statement. It's this team, they they get into the playoffs,

right? There's going to be a lot of people, especially, you know, maybe fans in the western

conference or whatever who go follow it as close who are going to be like, okay, so Ottawa up against

Buffalo or especially if it's Carolina or Tampa, they're going to go, okay, Ottawa's happy to be

there. But I mean, geez, they lost to the Leafs last year of all teams. So I mean, they're not

and then they're going to be surprised when this senator's team gives some Stanley Cup contender

absolutely everything they can handle because they've got everything lined up

other than the goal tending and the goal tending is starting to show up now.

All marks since the Olympic break, 8882 say a percentage, 1.7 goals have to love

expected. I mean, it's it's only it's only six games. I know he'd been okay. It points before

that. He doesn't get a lot of shots though. That's that's the thing that's going to skew his like

save percentages. They give up nothing. So it's not like he has to make a ton of saves. But when

there's a good chance in front of him, he just has to make that like that sharp save where maybe

there's been like, it's been a lull in the game and you haven't been as busy as maybe you normally

would if you were in a rhythm. That's that's his big challenge when when he's playing because

they don't give up a ton. You just have to make like you're going to have to make like three or four

big ones when when they do arise. You don't get the empty calorie freebies. So let me ask you guys

this in the east. Let's flip their five they're five points out of the playoffs. But they've got

games in hand on on on most of those teams a couple of games in a few cases. So we talk

about Ottawa Columbus maybe getting in. Obviously that means somebody comes out. Who is I touched on

this in my Monday column. Who's under the most pressure? Like who's the team that you look at? You go

oh they can't they can't miss can they? And there may be a danger of it. It's Detroit. 100 percent

right like it's 100 percent. I feel like Troy. You know Boston and the islanders are similar in

that. Obviously you're holding down a playoff spot all year. You want to make the playoffs. It'll

be crushing to lose out in the final weeks. But both of those teams are better than expected. Both

of those teams are ahead of schedule on what they're trying to do. The red wings especially in the

first half. I mean they were flirting with first place. I think that I mean they they were there

they were there for yeah at a couple different points and I know I know because I that was my pick

and I had some pushback from Detroit fans saying well look at all the injuries and having

it's not even so much all the injuries but all the injuries in the same position like all the

centers going down one at a time. But this was a very healthy team in the first half too. So I mean

it's it does kind of even out a little bit. I can't imagine if we're looking at the end of the year

and after all of the pieces that we all wrote about the the patient conservative

eyes are planned. Oh get your apologies to Steve Iserman ready because you all said he wasn't

doing enough and now here they are and especially after they finally go out and trade a first

round pick to supplement the roster. They miss. I mean that's catastrophic. It's devastating.

Yeah it's it's devastating and they have I believe they have the least man games lost in the

NHL right now but it's larkin and it's cop and it's March and that's the issue is that you

know March and April the last few seasons for Detroit has been awful like that's where they've

been well below 500 and right now since the beginning of March there are 500 team. They're there

three three and two they're 500 they've got eight points they cannot afford to dip below 500

because their next five games are against divisional opponents so we will know in the next week

to 10 days what's what's up with the red wings like they this and last night they got no favors

done for them Boston gets a point Montreal gets to Columbus wins it was the worst possible scenario on

the scoreboard for them last night. Yeah they're they're four four and two since the Olympic break

they've been a decent five on five team like they're they're top 10 in goal share and

unexpected goal share since since Milan but you know things happen right so it's it's and they

haven't had Dylan Markin for for for a huge chunk of that and we all know how how important he is

of that team but yeah Montreal Boston Ottawa Buffalo in a row coming up between now and in the 27th

March like that's that's not like an elimination stretch necessarily but it's as close as you're

going to get with like 15 games left in the season when you're already in playoff position yeah

like that's we're going to know a whole lot more about about Detroit after that after that run

then we do today let's let's take a break we'll come back in the second segment we'll talk about

Colorado some other stuff and then we'll get Frankie the hell out of here

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all right we're back that's enough eastern conference talk uh we're heading west we're

going to talk to frankies least favorite team in the NHL car out of average what do you do what

you hate him you hate about me you said you said he said he has to remember one day before we

start recording frankie you're saying all that stuff both of them and sackic you've seen some

interesting remarks about you want you want just facts you want just facts give me some facts and

by the way like going into trade center i had the abs as my fourth most likely team to win the

Stanley Cup and everyone else had them first and then they go out and they make the trade for

cadre and i'm sitting on the desk and i'm like well they kind of won the day they got cadre they

got nick wah they got brec kulak i'm like they addressed every possible need that they could

possibly need to address i'm moving them up to number one and i put them ahead of Dallas and

Tampa and Carolina and i sat there and i'm like did i truly believe it no i didn't truly believe

it but i went with it anyways because you're swayed swayed by canadian media man it happens it sounds

like somebody's ready to start writing a power ranking call it i was swayed and now if let's just

let's just this is cold hard facts okay keep in mind i will preface this by saying Colorado

very good team but since January 1st they're the 19th best team in the NHL they're scoring 3.26

goals per game and they're giving up three three goals per game 14 11 into in that stretch so

they're playing like a 91 point pace since since since gentlemen if you go back to the range from

October 7th when the regular season started to December 31st that's 39 games they were 32 in 7

they were scoring 4.05 goals per game and giving up check this out 2.15 goals per game

so will the real Colorado avalanche please stand up who are they are they a bad team or are

they a good team are they some are like are they a wagon they're somewhere in the middle as far

as i'm concerned and their captain is even saying as much right now because he's kind of talking

about how new guys don't know what they're doing and we're making silly mistakes it's like

it's not two weeks now like we're we're two and a half months that they have not been playing

quality hockey so where are they and and for a big chunk of that second half slump you could say

look these guys were so good in the first half they are so far ahead in the central of course

they're going to take their foot off the gas nobody cares if you break the single season points record

for a team because we've seen how that's gone for for some teams in the recent past

course they're taking their foot off the gas well guess what check the rear view mirror

Dallas stars are right there now and this isn't just you know yeah you want to finish first at

Tampa wants to finish first over Buffalo you know i'm sure in the Pacific yeah it matters

it it is absolutely crucial that you finish first in the central because that means you get to skip

the Minnesota wild and instead you're going to be playing some you know L.A. kings or the

cracker or something that you will never see a bigger drop off in uh in as far as the threat level

of your first ground opponent the stars are right there behind them now and and sometimes you know

sometimes the team does take its foot off the gas and then when you go to put that foot back down

the gas pedal isn't where you thought it was and you can't find it and and that seems to be where

they are and oh by the way coming off that loss with all the criticism and everything uh

guess who they got tonight the Dallas stars this is it this is the game that the regular

season game of the year potentially because this is Colorado's chance to kind of slam that door

and go all right you know what we got our problems where you know we obviously have some things to

figure out but we're not giving up first in the central forget it it's ours if Dallas wins

this one especially in regulation uh oh look out maybe Colorado Minnesota is on the radar now

yeah could it's just the sheer amount of time that they've been mid right like this is in the

two-week thing this isn't a possible I mean I call it a slump but it's how many you know a slump

is weeks it's not months yeah it's been it we're it's been weeks but unfortunately it's been

all those seven weeks for them pretty much it's like post post holiday calendar flips you know

they're they're playing at a Utah man with pace then since then basically so let me do this okay

because Sean you and I both do power rankings yes but we we come at it from kind of different

angles right you and Dom do the Friday rankings and it's sort of like in the moment a little bit

versus you know my rankings when I do here's my top I'm saying here's who I think is going to win

the Stanley Cup just like like Frank Yan on Deadline day I've had Colorado number one since I think

like the second referred week of the season every single week they have been number one of my

rankings and there have been a couple times I came close there there were a couple times almost

put Tampa ahead of them we had Tampa ahead of them at a time or two that looks a little bit smarter

because Tampa's backed off a bit now and I but I'm starting to feel like I don't know how much

longer I can keep this up because I mean looking at that I mean certainly if they give up top spot

in central forget it then then they they plummet down well what if they lose would if they lose

the Dallas tonight like to is does that make Dallas number one and in the weekend rankings like you

got it I mean Dallas is is because that's the thing right I okay so if I'm going to drop them at

a number one who goes who goes in you know and you look around at the other division leaders it's

not going to be anyone from the Pacific no it's not going to be Buffalo I mean Buffalo to be the

Stanley Cup favorite feels like like a little over top Carolina you know Carolina is kind of a

boring choice but maybe that that that should be I know Dom's model loves the the lightning still

and you know that that's an option Dom's model likes the lightning more than Dom does Dom's model

had the Leafs as a hundred point team also this year but that's besides the point you guys had

whereas whereas you two had you two had the Leafs as a 110 point team at the start I think I said

I had them down at 81 and a lot of people complain but I just I mean it's it kind of comes back to

whoever comes out of the central is the cup favorite yeah and that's going to be you would assume

like I mean you you definitely would pick whoever finishes first because I mean somebody's going

to win that Minnesota series but they're going to be be pretty beat up coming out of it I don't

know I mean help me out give me give me the argument to not have Colorado at number one for the 20th

week or whatever their power place terrible the power place really bad it's it's been better in

March like I think in March it's it's over 20 percent but regardless like it's still been bad

all season long and I think it really just comes down to like anecdotally because they're still

like they're still an analytical darling they still number one and expected and goals and and

you know right across the board offensively defensively it really just comes down to like

an anecdotal do they defend the right way at the right times do they get too frustrated with

things do they force plays like I almost feel like with the abs like it's going to come down to

a little bit of an eye test thing here when we kind of assess what's their likelihood of winning

a Stanley Cup because their their stats are going to be so skewed from going 32 and 7 to start

the season power play counts man and since even since JN1 which is what we're using that as our

you know line or using that as our delineation for when they started playing you know pretty

mediocre hockey they are 30th in the NHL and power play goals for per 60 that's just a good way of

you know that's a nice sub in for for for percentage of effectiveness and it's not just because

they're not it's not just because of cold shooting or bad luck either they're they're 20th in

in chance generation on the power play to us so you know if it's not hard to it's not hard to pick

I don't I don't even say that it's nitpicking it's not hard to find you know bits around the margins

that that make you think that maybe there's some some enough going on there to take them out of

the number one spot I think I think Frank let's do a quick spin with it

at the bottom of of the West because we got we got Utah we got I shouldn't even say bottom of

the West that's obviously not correct the other Western teams we got Anaheim we got Seattle we got

Utah in it various points of the playoff picture who who are we feeling for in that in that space

right now Utah I I kind of like Utah man like I feel like they've made the the right moves to

address their team like they're for goal tenning's been pretty good for for this season they play

with a lot of speed and I just think if you're kind of looking at okay Utah Seattle Los Angeles

I mean San Jose is right there as well I think the Celebrini factor of course is a huge thing

but as far as like putting it all together as a group that's like ready to be on the precipice

of pushing like these established good teams I feel like it's Utah Utah's in and in fact Utah

could do something we've never seen before which is they'll be a wildcard because the big three

in the central are so far ahead so Utah's gonna be a wildcard they're gonna cross over to the pacific

and they could do that with more points than any team in the pacific division they could have

the best record of any of the four teams in the pacific division which they're not in but they

they would be temporarily which which does a whole lot of interesting things first of all

for those who are wondering they're still the four seed as a wildcard they don't get home

might sir anything like that so I mean even if they've got a better record than Anaheim or Vegas

or whoever they still are the road team but we have net we've seen teams cross over we have never

seen a team win a division that they're not in and I would love to see I'm I'm rooting for this

okay I'm paying the banner hang a banner that says pacific division champions 2025 I think that

would be fantastic but yeah no I mean Utah's into me it's it's three teams for one spot

and it's it's fascinating because it's you know it's LA who are all sick of because they always

make it make me it makes me it makes me sick that they're still in this race no it's it's it's it's

it's it's it's Seattle who are who are not just a team that nobody's paid any attention to all year

like we've all just kind of been waiting for them to drop out of the race um you know even now

it might be happening right now to the different models all have them at you know like 10% and they

they've been holding down a playoff spot for the vast majority of the season and yet nobody

really like nobody nobody wants to see that Seattle Colorado remade first there's no veteran indicator

of how badly how bad things have gone for the Kings like that they they can't beat out the crack

and for this like they're like despite their best efforts they and they're and then and then

and then you've got the San Jose sharks and that's what everybody wants to see so you know we're

not getting that because that never happens in the hockey world where the the team that everyone's

rooting for but yeah like uh and and here's the craziest thing of all and and to me this is

even crazier than the Utah thing you look at these three teams okay you know what we've we've

taken our shots of them but they're in the mix right San Jose is a great store great young team

LA you know have been up and down but they are fighting for it and Seattle a team nobody gave

any credit to thought they were gonna be bottom five and they're fighting and holding on to this

spot hey it's three pretty good stories right and then you look at the standings and they're all

sitting there at 70 71 points right now you know welts has 70 points the total tire fires in Toronto

and New Jersey where both of whom have to fire everybody because it's been the biggest disaster

in history and if you took the Devils or the Leafs and just dropped them in the western conference

oh guess what you're sitting right in a playoff spot today it's absolutely ridiculous it's bizarre

division entrance it it is bizarre man yeah it's crazy but frankly we we got to let you go but I

I know you wanted to talk cold coffee all these scores is 40th goal of the season last night for

the Canadians the first time it's happening like a gazillion years you guys said you guys said

before they're a court that's the fun reshay was the last guy to do it which was a new man than 40

yeah reshay reshay was the the he had more than 40 Vinny Dom Fouce was the last one to have 40 that was

93 94 and Caulfield got 40 last night and that building was berserk like it was crazy it was a nightmare

for every other team that's in that playoff race because Boston gets a loser point against Jersey

get the loser point against Montreal and Montreal collects both but like that that's that city

that building was going nuts and crazy to think that a team like once y'all has not had a 40 goal score

like 40 they haven't had 40 goal score in over 30 years that is crazy crazy stuff I wrote about

this earlier in the season and it was like you know I pulled how many other teams and how many

guys they've had scored 40 goals I mean score 40 goals isn't nothing especially when we were

deadpock era for most of that 30 plus years when you're this great legendary franchise they just

they didn't have anybody that's already had 39 one year that was the closest they got he must have

been close that's that's the closest they had but no it was fun and they got Detroit Montreal on

Thursday that is going to be and nerve-wracking game for a lot of people watching what else you got

there has to wait but I'll be in Ottawa tomorrow for a little panel work we got the SENS and the

Islanders the Schaefer Show continues in the province of Ontario you're boy you get to talk

your favorite player Matthew Schaefer thanks bud talking next week

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all right they're going to strike you we're back Sean Mac and you guess what I learned

what what have we learned Sean I learned that the feel good positive vibes of the US

men's Olympic team didn't quite cross over to team USA for the world baseball classic

saw the baseball boys game worn jerseys from the from the Olympic team yesterday ahead of their

gaming it's been as well Venezuela they got and promptly lose 3-2 in the in the final of the

world baseball classic I really thought I really thought that some of that goodwill and positivity

that the US Olympic team engendered in Milan what it carried over the baseball squad it just didn't

happen I was shocked by this it's a shame I mean I think I think some of the vibes carried over

I just didn't yeah which was quite in the winning way here here's my question speaking of speaking

a great positive vibes now does does this mean that the ball from the from that baseball game

does that go to the baseball Hall of Fame or or does that not happen because I know you know

Jack Hughes is pretty bad the Venezuelan team is going to is going to be is going to be pissed about

this is going to be upset why would this famous hockey puck be in the hockey Hall of Fame I can't

figure it out I'm trying to use I'm trying to get it that's bullshit that the hockey Hall of Fame has

it in my opinion why would I have that luck that's that's used that's used to that's not you do

a quote of like pretending to be a dumb guy not understanding how Hall of Fame's work that is

the actual Jack Hughes quote so yeah great great day I got it I got a Jack Hughes impression

that I'm workshopping I don't think it's quite ready for the light of day yet but I think I think

maybe it's something are you are you taking it to like the wish with the Wisinski impersonating camp

and getting some tips and yeah I'm just it's a variation on my two other impressions just like

just like the case with wish you have to knock your front teeth out for the workers actually I

actually did that already we can we can talk we can talk about that off my it was a dark day in

2004 okay all right well yeah great great week for a team USA across across sports real real cool

cool vibes speak to cool vibes here's what I learned and I I wouldn't say I learned it because I

knew this already don't don't wear a haves jersey to just in general is a good is is is kind

of a good life rule I think but don't wear a haves jersey to a game involving other teams because

last night the least played the Islanders in a game that was attended by 18,000 Matthew Schaefer

friends and family and one guy wearing a haves jersey uh do in the old you know wear in the wear in

the jersey of a team that's not playing representing the crest in the hostile territory hockey gods

apparently didn't like it because he got drilled in the head with a hot fuck million to one shot duck

yeah yeah I mean they uh they they got him and uh he uh uh you know we we wish of all the best

in his recovery but uh little life lesson you know the hockey gods don't don't appreciate it's uh

so uh if you ever done that have you where you in night you remember we're in a Doug Gilmore jersey to

you know it's a sends game that he was involved with I can't promise that I haven't done it

I would actually bet money that you have well I mean the reason I'm hesitant is because it's not

like I'm at that many senators games that the Leafs aren't playing uh and you know and I don't

I should say I don't wear the leaf jersey in the press box I congratulate you know or if I do

I I keep my coat on at least so that uh you know because I'm a professional and that's that's

that's just that's just how I roll Leafs long johns no no promise there you can hide

those under anything my man that's that's between me and uh and and myself so um yeah so

the tough break for this fan not I I would say not quite up there with the uh immortal Steve Sullivan

fan in my god as far as fan karma but pretty still pretty good and if you don't know what I'm

talking about just go go on YouTube type Steve Sullivan fan and sit back and enjoy because it

is maybe the greatest thing that ever happened I'm not even gonna I I was gonna

do like a quick a quick synopsis of that whole thing I I don't I don't even want to I think

people if you haven't seen that I think you need to see it with completely fresh eyes it's that

that clip is like the old quote about watching Gretzky play like somebody seeing it for the first

time and somebody seen it for the last time and neither one will be disappointed because it's it's so

good do you got a post of that I always ask that you always do it's a dumb it's a dumb it's a dumb

way to get into the post we are bringing back a cap court salary cap court and in which I ask

the question does anyone have a bad contract anymore because I don't know if you've heard this

shunt the cap is going up I I saw a tweet by Alan Wall she's going up to $11 billion

I think in the next few years so is anyone have a bad contract anymore and I I think I found a

couple of guys but it was it was tough sledding I got to be honest with you is Wade Redden still in

the book somewhere I mean if she she Weber is still out there so you know who has control has

come on track right now is it is it is it Utah you know what it's Chicago I believe

black ox legend shit yeah Vegas and carry prices still out there on the books of the San Jose

sharks so you know if the sharks can make a bit of a run no check in and see how is how is

where you have s working yeah thanks buddy thank you thank you Frankie wherever you are and thank

you producer Jeff we talked about this earlier Dallas versus Colorado is is the big game tonight but

we're also getting Pittsburgh Carolina that's a fun one two two pretty two pretty solid games on a

six game night I'm back Thursday with Dom and Russo Russo shock you is it the GM meetings another

plum assignment to the cold and Minnesota shocking they didn't call you for that like you do a lot

of traveling you didn't get the uh I did the I did the I did the GM meetings once Pierre was sick

or something so it was me it was me and Russo it was the weirdest experience in my life you'll never

guess which GM I'm I'm pretty sure escaped through the window of a conference room in in Florida

that year wow you'll never guess right out the wind well I know it was it they'll never tell you

try to hide behind the plant and nobody could tell it was him it was just it was just a random

guy with uh 36 cars yeah it's a real jack guy wearing multiple scarves high behind a plant

be anybody there we go all right folks enjoy the games like I said I'll be back with Tom and

Russo tomorrow and we'll see you again real soon

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