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Erik Karlsson's bounceback season has helped the Pittsburgh Penguins to once again become a playoff contender in the East. Sean, Frank and Sean praise the job of Pens head coach Dan Muse, they submit Travis Green and Rick Bowness as Jack Adams candidates, and they ask did the Colorado Avalanche peak too early? Plus they discuss a staggering potential 8 team turnover qualifying for the playoffs this season to last and Jack Hughes wanting his game winning puck from the Olympics back from Hockey’s Hall of Fame.
Host: Sean Gentille and Sean McIndoe
With: Frankie Corrado
Executive Producer: Chris Flannery
Producer: Jeff Domet
Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theathletichockeyshow
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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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