Wild Card Chaos: East & West NHL Playoff Races, Power Rankings, and Stars of the Week

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On today's show, we'll look at the wild card races in both the East and West power ranking.

Who has the best chance to get in?

You're locked on NHL, your daily podcast on the National Hockey League, part of the

Locked-On Podcast Network, your team every day.

Hello and welcome inside this Wednesday, March 25th edition of the Locked-On NHL podcast.

I'm Ross Levittan from Locked-On Senators, alongside Mike de Stefano from Locked-On

Maple Leafs.

We just wrapped up the night of viewing a little late for the episode, but it means that

we're that much closer to figuring out this playoff picture.

And Mikey, it was all Eastern Conference teams in action tonight, so let's begin with

what you're seeing as things start to shake out.

Yeah, I mean, the East is, it's pretty wide open, I think that this is a wide open race

here.

You've got a couple of teams who are getting red hot, obviously, your Ottawa Senators

among the hottest teams, not only East, but in the league.

They finally have themselves in a playoff spot, and Columbus too has themselves into a

playoff spot after rallying over the last few weeks, getting those teams into the mix

here, falling out of it recently, you've seen Detroit and New York, the Allenders, those

two teams have been kind of staples the last few weeks, and what goes in must come out,

but I still think we're going to see an unbelievable finish here.

Like we got 10, 11 games left to go for most of these teams, and I think it's pretty

wide open.

I mean, Ross, how many of these teams that you would say are locks that like you can pencil

them into the playoffs and feel confident about it?

I think only three of the eight, which means five spots to me are still upper grabs.

Yeah.

So you're thinking Buffalo and Tampa and the Atlantic and then Caroline and the Metropolitan.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I don't think anyone else is like a lock.

Like I believe that like some of these other teams will probably end up getting in, but

I mean, all it takes is a week long slide or a really hot week from one of these teams

who are out of it to kind of rearrange things.

So yeah, I think those are it.

I think as of now, those are the three locks.

And then you're looking at five spots for seven teams.

I think it's what you're looking at on the innings.

So let's power rank then the most likely in your opinion to get in after those three

teams.

Who's your strongest belief?

I think my strongest belief is going to be Columbus.

I think the Columbus Blue Jackets, which is surprising, but you mean they've been the hottest

team in hockey over the course of the last two months, I think that they're playing excellent

Jack Gray who's been a tremendous gold tender Zach Wyranski is going to start getting

some MVP consideration with the way that he's been playing.

And I personally think that that's a team that I'm almost ready to consider a lock, you

know, I think the way that they've played, it's almost sustainable at least the rest of

the way.

And I think that the Metro, there's just a little bit, a little bit more separation between

the teams and the Metro than there are between the teams and the Atlantic, not necessarily

point wise, but certainly skill wise.

Like I still, you know, the penguins, the islanders, you know, we'll see how things kind

of shake out there, but I would say Columbus has the best shot among all the other teams

that I'd probably go what Montreal would be next in line, right, they've got 88 points

through 70 games.

And then I'd probably go Ottawa after that.

Yeah, and it's interesting because Ottawa's tied with the islanders right now.

The only reason why Ottawa's in a spot is they played one last game and the reason why

I would lean towards you with being with you with Ottawa is of all the teams outside of

the three that we have considered locks.

The senators have the most regulation wins with 32.

So if they get into a tiebreaker scenario with anybody else, they're going to be the

team that gets in not to mention they are playing the best hockey they've played all year.

They're finally getting goal tending our national nightmare in Ottawa is over.

And it was, it was just agree just how bad the goal tending was.

Still like their goal tending has been good now for a 20 game sample.

We had to get in there.

Oh, there's still I'm hurt.

Do you have a shut out the other night?

They had a shut out against Vancouver and then he allowed one goal against New York and

with the Rangers game, it was so upsetting because we did our post game show at Lockdown

Sense and we were just in awe of the fact that Ottawa held the Rangers to nine shots

on goal.

Only the 11th time in NHL history that a team failed to record 10 shots.

And then guess what, Mikey?

The next morning, the NHL stats guys added a shot for the Rangers to give them 10.

I know everything we said was invalidated.

Just like that.

So that ain't that ranger team stinks though.

They lost to the buds.

Thanks also.

And I was almost nervous because they were celebrating me because advantage at thousands

game.

And if you're a team that's in disarray, it could be a veteran guy like that that's

celebrating a milestone that can get you up for a home game, but they came out just disgustingly

bad.

They had two shots on goal in the first period.

They had two shots on goal in the second period.

And Ottawa played the last 38 minutes of that game with four, not five, four defense

men.

That's what I was about to say.

Like they had four shots on goal through the first 40 minutes of that game and you mentioned

the defense men, the injuries in Ottawa.

Like, I mean, who's stepping up there that's allowing the sense to kind of keep trucking

along?

Like you always say, you know, next man up, who's stepping up in Ottawa?

Like they're, they've won four row.

They've won eight of their last 10.

They've stormed back.

There are once what four or five points out of a playoff spot just a couple weeks ago.

And now in a playoff spot for the first time in a couple of months.

So like, who's the guys who are stepping up there in Ottawa?

Yeah.

It's by committee, really.

Like, I'll point to Tyler Klaven and Jordan's fence, which was the third pair for the majority

of the season.

But we talk a lot about Jake Sanderson and Thomas Shabbat, rightfully so the top two defense

men on the team.

But Nick Jensen also goes down.

He played in the top four for the entire season.

So you're off three at your top four defense, but only Artem Zubh remains there.

And he's your shutdown low event type player.

So they've had to just do it by committee.

Now it has only been one game without Shabbat.

So we'll see how things go.

No, Jake Sanderson skating.

So we'll see if he can come back to the fact there's seven, two and O without Jake Sanderson

with a 2.2 goals against average as a team, which just is shocking to me.

A plus 12 goal differential there as well.

So I think that can give you confidence that the system, the Travis Green has implemented

is working to a T in terms of shop suppression.

And they're getting timely scoring.

They've got one of the deepest forward groups in the national hockey league.

And near fourth line is two guys who scored 20 goals multiple times.

And maybe even Lars Eller, but that's further away.

I'm talking recent seasons, 20 goal guys with Warren Fogel and Fabian Zetterlin.

Like you're able to roll over your line so well and Warren Fogel in particular.

Like I know he's not a defenseman, but he stepped out.

He's got five goals and nine games, Mikey, his five goals, three of them are game winners.

And two of them are game time goals in games that the senators went on to win.

So he's been everything you could ask for and more that win against Detroit.

Like you talk about how Ottawa kicked Detroit out of the playoffs for now.

That's because of that head to head game where Ottawa went up three nothing and then held on.

But if you're in a fantasy hockey league playoff right now, Carter Yakimchak might be a guy to pick up for a quick hit.

I mean, he's playing power play one.

How many guys can you pick up on on teams that have a great power play that just don't have their quarterback right now?

He had a goal and assist in his first NHL game highlight real plays too.

So that would be a guy who will see how it goes because you get that adrenaline boost.

He found out the night before right it was second half back to back.

He drove, he's got to call it 10 pm right after the Rangers game.

He drove from Belleville to Detroit and then no morning skater on the ice.

Welcome to the big leagues kid.

So we'll see how it goes the next three or four games for him if he does stay in a lineup.

He'd be a guy that's really going to be exciting to see seventh overall pick from two drafts ago.

Yeah, my caution to that would be like Z Williams,

scored a goal on his opening game with the Vancouver Canucks.

He has one goal in the following 32 games for the Vancouver Canucks.

Funny, funny you mentioned,

boy, because those were the three guys after Lev Shunov in that draft.

Lev Shunov went second, Zane Preex, the other one.

And he scored his first NHL goal last night as well.

So kind of interesting to know that as well.

But yeah, to get back to the to the task at hand here,

I'm with you that Columbus is one Montreal is two.

I don't know if I can put Ottawa three like I want to.

Well, I want to stay impartial a little bit like Boston just keeps finding ways man.

Dude, I don't know like I watched that Boston game last night.

I get it like Boston, they'd be Buffalo here.

Yeah, they'd be Buffalo.

But like I watched them lose to Toronto yesterday.

And they did not look like a good hockey team.

Like they really did.

And for that reason, I just have no faith in the Boston Bruins.

Plus, you look at the strength, the schedule down the stretch.

No team has it harder than the Boston Bruins.

They've got 10 games left and the strength of schedule, the winning percentage,

average win percentage against the team's remaining 618.

They've got Dallas, Cat Dallas, Carolina, Tampa twice, Minnesota, Columbus twice,

Philly once and then New Jersey and Florida.

Like that's a tough final 10 game stretch for the Boston Bruins.

So I would not have them in my top five.

I think I got them on the outside looking in.

I do have a little bit more faith I think in the Islanders and Matthew Schaefer.

But I think I'll probably at number four put Pittsburgh.

I mean, at this point, I think we got a just appreciate what Pittsburgh is doing

and has been able to do.

And they're getting Crosby back.

They're getting Primera Carlson right now.

You know, Primera Carlson, they're getting Cindy Crosby, Stu Skinner's looking like

playoff, Stu Skinner.

Like this team's actually moving and shaking a little bit.

So I think I'm actually going to put Pittsburgh in my four hole.

And then I'll put the Islanders in my five hole.

And that would have Boston and Detroit missing out for me.

Dude, the Red Wings and I consumed quite a bit of Red Wings content after the game

that Ottawa beat them.

Shout out to our guys, Scotty and Brian over at Locked On Wings.

They do a great job, but they were gutted because this has been their circumstances

for three years in a row.

You're in a playoff spot and then the Iads of March come and it's a complete downfall.

And as a Senators fan, I know the feeling.

It's just for Ottawa.

It happens in November.

And then they have to climb out of it and they usually finish the season strong.

But there's something about March right now in Detroit.

And the seat is getting hotter for the Iads of plan.

They've won these next ten games three in the last ten.

That's it.

Just three wins in the last ten.

And this is almost pivotal point in the season.

And then Mikey, their last two straight losses, Boston and Ottawa.

The two teams that you just simply cannot leave with zero points.

They had a lead against Boston in the third period on Boston regulation.

And Ottawa leapfrogs them with the win there against Detroit.

So they'd be last for me too, man.

I just don't see it.

And I feel like it has been a bit of a fraudulent team all year in terms of the way they play.

They've had great goal tending from John Gibson.

We'll see how that all shakes out.

I'm on Detroit last as well.

But it is funny though, like just to go back to the strength of schedule.

Four of the teams in this race have the fourth highest strength of schedules.

Toughest schedules remaining.

Boston at one.

The Outdoors at two Columbus at three.

Your Ottawa Senators with the fourth hardest schedule.

The rest of the way only Toronto, Jersey.

And they got Florida twice as the non-playoff teams.

Everyone else in a playoff race, including two against Tampa as well.

Yeah, well, Thursday is going to be a huge night for the Eastern Conference playoff race.

You've got Columbus visiting Montreal and you have Ottawa hosting Pittsburgh.

So those are a couple of swing games there.

And then the Islanders have the Dallas stars, tough game.

Obviously not the same implications with only the Islanders being in the race of those of that.

But yeah, it's going to be fascinating.

And it's a sprint to the finish in the Eastern Conference.

Whereas in the West, there's one team that seems to want it.

Can the Nashville Predators really do it?

We'll talk Western Conference next.

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Welcome back locked on NHL your team every day, part of Lockdown podcast network,

local experts on the biggest stories five days a week,

turning our attention to the Western conference where things.

I don't want to say they're settled because they certainly aren't, you know,

but it's a little bit wider.

I mean, we already have two teams that have clinched a playoff spot at West

in Colorado and Dallas.

Yeah, who's the, uh, the locks here?

You think is anyone the Pacific lock?

Like, are Anna?

Is I going to have a lock?

I'm giving Anna.

I'm a lock.

I mean, they're 10 points up on L.A.

Right now, the top team outside of a playoff spot.

And I watched them live two weekends ago last weekend, two weekends ago.

And I really like their team.

Like, all right, I think they're good young team.

But do I think they're going to win the Pacific?

I'm not going to go that far.

No, minus five goal differential.

Yeah, but dude, they're running in a time like 10 games left for Edmonton,

10 games left for the Golden Knights.

And they're both what?

Five points back on Edmonton, five points back, Vegas is six points back.

Yeah, and the docs have that game in hand and they won three in a row.

So they don't have the tiebreaker in terms of regulation wins.

But dude, the docs have 24 regulation wins.

And they're first in their division.

Yeah.

Yeah, not to make it about the Sands again, but I will.

The senators have eight more regulation wins than the docs.

The ducks are eight known to shoot out this year, right?

Well, yeah, they're nasty in the studio.

And it's funny enough, they do that after they get rid of Trevor Zegress.

I was just about to make that connection too.

Crazy.

And I watched the flyer shootout recently in Zegress score.

He was he's he's got like the highest ever.

I looked at that recently.

Yeah, yeah, for like minimum only shots or something.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So the ducks.

OK, we'll put the duck because of the lock.

I think all three central teams are locks.

Minnesota is more of a lock than yeah, yeah.

So Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, those three guaranteed how they finish.

I was going to ask you, do you think there's any chance?

Like I I don't think so.

I think there was a chance.

There was up until this week.

Yeah, I think Dallas losing to Colorado.

Three.

Yeah.

So I do think that that probably means that that'll that'll be it.

And like they they play once between now and the end of the end of the season.

But Colorado's got kind of a cupcake scared, dude.

Like Colorado plays.

They got a home at home with Winnipeg starting tomorrow.

Yeah.

So they got two against Winnipeg.

Two Winnipeg still thinks they're in it.

We can get into it a little later.

If people around here.

We'll do it.

We'll do it.

We'll do it.

I think if Colorado, the respect they deserve, okay, they're probably going to win the division

here.

They got three against Calgary, like Calgary just not play any of the Western teams.

They actually got the Calgary Calgary plays so many Western conference teams here.

They've got three that they still have to play against against the abs two against the

ducks.

They still got to play down.

Anyways, like I don't know who they played all the Western Eastern teams.

And they've won four in a row.

Yeah, I don't think that they're in it though.

So again, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, the ducks, those are the four teams.

I think are locks to make the playoffs.

Is Edmonton a lock?

Yes.

They're not missing the playoffs.

Conor McDavid will not let that happen.

They're a lock, huh?

You think they're an absolute lock.

Like you bet your house that they're going to make the playoffs.

That's how much of a lock they are.

I like my house.

I know.

The lock means though.

You bet anything that they're going to make it in, but they still fight and scrap and

clot.

No, they need a couple wins.

I agree.

So I don't have Edmonton as a lock.

Do I think they're likely to make the playoffs?

Yes, I do.

I don't have them as a lock because there are only five points away from the Kings and the

Kings also have a game in hand.

Yeah, that's wild.

So you could possibly see that.

And like again, the Oilers, the goal tending is a mess.

You don't have Leon dry side all and you don't know what you're going to get from that

team on a nightly basis.

So I'm not ready to put them as a lock.

I think they're very likely to make the playoffs, but not a lock.

So I think that puts us at 14 does a lock.

And then there's four more spots and you're fighting between Edmonton, Vegas, Utah, Nashville

after they won five in a row, putting them into the conversation.

The LA Kings are still in the conversation.

What about the Kraken and Jets here Kraken Jets still part of the part of the playoff

open?

No, they're not not even the Kraken.

No, no team.

You're out on both.

Kraken have two wins in the last 10 games like no Bobby McMahon's been scoring like Bobby

Hall though.

Yeah, he has been great.

And LA, get them out of the LA's not make the playoffs.

They're eight regulation.

Really?

Do you think it's settled?

So you think that it's completely settled?

Yeah, I do actually.

The eight teams in or the eight teams in.

You don't see any other any other team get themselves into the dance here.

Ah, I mean, this is probably a bit of recency bias, right?

Because Nashville's been been cruising right now.

Yeah, they can go.

They can go on a skid though and lose four in a row and all of a sudden the Kings win

two of those four game differences.

Dude, if you're the Kings, you got to be so upset with yourself.

They've got 18 pity points.

If you want to one half of those, just half of those games, you'd be one point out of

a division title right now, firmly in a playoff spot.

Look at a Nashville schedule, though, Mikey, they got two more games at home here coming

up New Jersey and Montreal and then they got a six game road trip.

How's this for a random road trip?

They go at Tampa, then from Tampa, their next road game is in Los Angeles.

Ah, the Sun Belt trip, Tampa LA, San Jose, and Anaheim.

They go, no, get this.

They go Tampa to LA, to San Jose, back to LA, then to Anaheim, then to Utah.

Okay.

They got to go from LA to San Jose, back to LA.

Why would they not just play two games straight in LA anyways?

I'm not a travel secretary for the NHL, but that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

The Lakers are playing.

That's why.

Yeah, it's got to be the Lakers.

Or the Clipper.

Or a concert.

I'm going to go out there and say, as a potential upset, I think Utah is going to be

whoever wins the Pacific division.

Really?

You like the Utah?

I love Utah.

And I know they're goal-tending, a little question mark.

I also have a back pocket theory.

They just signed Michael Herabel out of UMass.

Yeah.

And I've been extremely high on this kid.

Vamelka has been hit or missed, getting a lot of wins, but he's had some games that just

have not been good at all recently.

Don't be surprised if Herabel gets a game down the stretch.

A game or the jump?

Well, you can't get the job without a game.

Okay.

All right.

Interesting.

Interesting.

I don't hate that take.

I don't hate it.

I don't at all.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You can hate it because I've just looked it up.

I saw he signed the contract begins next season.

Oh, it's made you.

Yeah.

Let me take that back.

Can you change that or once it's signed, it's signed.

I know.

It's a couple of games and then they're like, whoa.

Well, it's interesting because it's not James Hagen signing the exact same deal with Boston.

Is it Hagen's or more tone?

No, Hagen's.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Signed in Boston.

I'm like, what do you think James Hagen's might be a guy who could help you down the

stretch here?

Yeah.

It's a surprise to see to see that happen.

But anyway, yeah, I'm not exactly sure why.

So it's not going to be her apple, dude.

Is there something about Czech goalies with Utah?

Well, because they got one vinaigrette and vinaigrette or the two goalies, both Czech and

now they got her apple.

Her apple.

It's like half the Czech goalies in the NHL.

Go sign who else out there?

Brasic.

Brasic is a Czech, right?

Yeah.

I mean, if they could get their hands on Lucas Dostal, that wouldn't be bad.

That would be a pretty, pretty sweet pick up there.

Man.

But yeah, I like them as an upset candidate, because I mean, they're in the central division.

So they're likely going to finish with enough points to be second probably, if not third.

You like them?

You like them over any team in the Pacific?

No, I probably take Edmonton, but I like them over Vegas or Anaheim.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Which is funny, because Anaheim and Utah are the two teams late night when I throw on

a game.

If they're playing, I watch.

I just find them upbeat or fun, young, they'll again, they're one of my favorite players.

I think I said on this show a little while ago that he was going to hit 40 goals when he

was at 28 after the Olympics.

He's at 34 now in 70 games.

He slowed down a little bit, one goal in his last five, but he's done one point away from

tying his career high that he set last season.

He's already scored seven more goals than his career high last year.

This is completely Adelaide Field, they brought up the goals.

Merrill and Morgan Geeky was on pace to have like 50 or 60 goals this year.

26 and 32 or something like that, it was right up there with McKinnon chasing down the

rocket.

He only has like 31 goals this year, 31 to 32 goals, something like that.

Ever since coming back from the Olympics, he has won goal since returning from the Olympics

in 13 games.

One goal or 14 games, actually, tonight, just one singular goal since then, got a

wild.

You know, it also is wild.

We got so many repeats in our three stars the week.

Some players are just outrageous.

But before we get to that, are you saying these are the teams or do you think Nashville's

out?

Who do you think has a chance?

I'm actually going to give the LA Kings the nod over Nashville, okay?

I think the Kings get it together and get like, this is their final hurrah.

I mean, like, that's it for Copa Tar.

Who knows how much doubt he has left in the tank?

You know, they brought him Panerang to try and get him over the hill.

I just think Nashville might sputter down the stretch here and lose three or four games.

And if that happens, that opens up a big ol' scene for the Kings to get back into this

thing.

So I'm actually going to, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Kings, despite being

three points out and three points down on Nashville, I think they closed the gap.

Well, those two games head to head are going to be huge, right?

Exactly.

I mean, the Kings win both those games, all of a sudden, now you're up, right?

Like, you win both those games, you're the Kings.

Those four points, it's going to pop you up above Nashville.

So if you have the same record as Nashville, the rest of the way, but you take both those

one up, both of those games against one another, all of a sudden, man, the Kings are in charge.

So I kind of like it.

I'm going to go with the Kings.

One little stick tap, we mentioned Nashville, Steven Stampkos with 35 goals this year.

Incredible.

Yeah.

Incredibly.

Since we've been talking about, you know, strength of schedules, the Kings have the easiest

strength of schedule the rest of the way.

They've got Vancouver three times.

Interesting.

Vancouver three times Calgary, Toronto, Seattle, St. Louis, and then Nashville twice.

Sheesh.

LA might go 11 and out down the stretch guy with 11 overtime games.

Doesn't matter.

Yeah.

They could lose 11 games in overtime and probably still make the playoffs here.

And this is amazing.

We're all to the playoffs at West.

Amazing.

Three stars of the week are next.

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All right, I got a quick comment for you before you get to our three stars of the week.

It's been five straight years, Mikey, that the rocket or shard winner has played for

a Canadian team.

Austin Matthews, Austin Matthews, Connor McDavid, Austin Matthews, Leon Drysidle,

are you giving Cole Caulfield a shot at the rocket?

He has currently three goals, two goals behind Nathan McKinnon.

How many more Saturday night games we got?

I know, right?

This is what it is.

Mr. Saturday.

It's a good Saturday night, dude.

Like every single game, this guy's scoring two or three goals on a Saturday night, and

that's, can he close that gap?

I'm going to say, yeah, I'm going to say yes.

I think it's time for a guy like Cole Caulfield to kind of really come out of it, come out

of it on top this year, so McKinnon's kind of slowed down a little bit.

I'll say, like it's kind of slowed down, you know, even the MVP race forever.

He was like, we'll call it a lock, but betting wise, it was like McKinnon burst the field.

Yeah.

Not even the favorite anymore.

Our boy, Kuturov.

Oh, but I'm sitting on that one on Fandool.

I know.

Very excited.

Very excited.

But yeah, I'm still going to roll.

I think Cole Caulfield can actually get it done, get the 50, maybe 52, 53, and take home

the rocket.

Interesting, man.

Like goal scoring down across the league, like how many we had, what, a number of 50 goalscores

last year.

I was last year or two years ago, that there was a number of 50 goalscores.

And now here we are last year, just one last year, just dry saddle, two years ago, there

was four 50s, and then a 49, and a 48, 47, you know, we had nine, have 46 or more.

That's wild.

And this year, it's not even going to come close to that, I don't think, you know, you

might, maybe I'll say, if we're lucky, we'll get three of them.

I think we'll get three, end up at 46 or more.

I think McKinnon Caulfield and David's going to find a way.

Yeah, McDavid, one of McDavid or Kuturov could end up getting there.

Um, but yeah, we're goal scourges down across across the league this year.

It certainly is.

All right, three stars, the week starting out with number three.

Yeah, I mean, again, we talk about a team that's just on fire right now and has his

team in a playoff position for the first time, like pretty much all season.

The, uh, the natural predators led by Philip Forsberg for games this week, it's got ten

points, a league leading ten points, four goals, six assists, ten points, uh, 40% shooting

bender, though, not sure how stable that's going to be.

But, uh, hey, it's, it's helped, helped them on their way to win four in a row here.

So a shout out to Philly Forsberg and those pesky prads for getting cells back into a

playoff position.

We'll give them third star honors this week.

You think team Sweden had coach Sam Holland is, uh, watching this saying, hey, I didn't

know he could do that.

I, I'd imagine so.

It's probably why they didn't use him for whatever reason and probably why they didn't

meddle either.

I would think so ridiculous, man.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So ridiculous.

Second star of the week is Akita Kutrov, I've got to go back to the well.

I mean, what this guy's doing on a nightly basis is just ludicrous, man.

It's insane.

Nine points in four games again this week, averaging more than two points a game.

He had a four point night against the Edmonton Oilers the other day.

And he was just literally like playing with his food.

He's just so good, man.

He is so good.

He's firm.

Like I think we got a top five now, by the way, like there was a conversation earlier

in the year where it's like that this fought up for grabs, right?

You got McDavid.

You got McDavid McKinney and Leon and McCarr.

Now it's like, okay, top five is solidified with Kutrov.

You could make the argument that he's top four.

I don't know what you want to do with McCarr and move around a defenseman forward, you

know, like you can have that conversation, but no one is touching that top five.

We have our top five in the NHL and Nikita Kutrov has solidified it in my opinion.

He's been unbelievable, unbelievable, and can't wait to see what else he can do the rest

of the year.

That's our guy, our MVP pick.

What do we get him at?

Like plus I'll pull it up on Fandall while I tell you that 16 to one or something, even

better than that.

And in the last three seasons, like including this one, so it's not even done yet, but

in his last 225 games, Kutrov has 385 points.

Is that good?

What he's doing is ridiculous.

He has four straight hundred points seasons.

Dude, his 69 points is last 31 games.

That's 21 more than the next best guy, Connor McDavid.

So like, it's not fair.

It's playing the game uneasy.

He literally has 20 more points than every other person in the NHL in the last 30 games.

It's unbelievable.

We got Kutrov at plus 8,000 for the MVP.

What is it right now, Fandall?

You want to check that?

Well, I tell you about our first star of the week.

Yeah, I will.

Cool.

Cool.

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Cool.

Sorry, sorry, even even even better.

Kutra was down to favor that minus 190.

Yeah, we got my 80 to one.

Yeah, and we put that out there like we didn't just use

No, right?

We made that bet live on air.

We said, hey, this is like we were doing exactly what we're doing right now.

I'm like, that seems like good odds.

He just started to pick it up after the new year.

And it's like, man, we might want to put some scratch on that.

And here it is, man.

He's minus 190 now the now the favorite and very well should be again.

21 more points since January 1st than anyone else in the NHL, including McDavid.

Well, I've got one honorable mention for us here to Zach Ranske is just having

I didn't say in season 8.7 assists in four games.

Who's plus seven averaging 25 minutes and 26 seconds per game.

He's he's a absolute warrior on the back end.

So I just want to give him some love there too.

And he's got the fifth shortest MVP odds.

So he might end up on some MVP ballots, not just the Norris where he is currently.

The leader in the clubhouse at minus 360 odds on Fandall.

He's also top five odds in heart trophy.

And he had good beyond some ballots.

Yeah, oh, I don't know if this hot take.

I think he should be on more MVP ballots than Norris ballots.

Where would Columbus be without Ranske now he did miss three games with an illness

and they went three and oh, so maybe that kind of squashes that.

But what he's been doing there all season is incredible.

Two years in a row now.

Two years and 44 goals in this last two years.

Come on.

He's a fan.

Yeah, he's been on real credit to him.

All right, Mikey, great show.

We'll have a much.

I was going to say a much clearer picture might not by the next time we record.

I mean, it could be just as murky.

I'm hoping it is.

I think that the murkier, the better in mind.

Yeah, West.

Like, let's clean it up at West.

Like, give me a five game heater for Seattle and Winnipeg and L.A.

And like, let's get, let's get this thing nice and selfishly leave fans need L.A.

to get in because then that conditional third that they traded for Lawton turns into a second.

So selfishly, a lot of leave fans hoping and praying that the Kings get in.

That's great.

They have the easiest schedule.

They don't play a single playoff team.

Yeah, in the end of the year.

They got Vancouver three times a three wins, penciled in pencil.

That's actually amazing.

All right, man.

Great show.

I'm excited.

I'm going to Tampa this weekend.

I'm going to go see since lightning on Saturday afternoon.

So maybe if Kutrov could just just sit that one out.

It's a matinee, dude.

You don't need to get up for it.

It's all good.

That'll be sending a message.

If I had to guess because you could still get sends lightning round one.

No, dude, it's very likely.

Let me get, let me get way ahead of myself.

Tampa is my least preferred opponent out of anybody.

And second, and this is for a different reason, but would be Montreal.

Because after the stress of playing Toronto last year, like, I don't want Ottawa to go their first two times in the playoffs in seven years.

Go Toronto, then Montreal.

I'd rather save that for the second round.

Also, some sends fans are saying the ideal circumstance is to get the second wild card.

Take it to Carolina.

And then if you get through the metro, then it is through the Atlantic.

But as as a guy who loves some nostalgia, wouldn't Buffalo Sabers,

Ottawa Senators play off series, bring it back to the mid 2000s.

It would be good.

Now, what do you think is actually a better?

Oh, this is definitely a conversation we can dive deeper into into next week.

But what do you think would be better finishing second in the Atlantic and having home ice on wheat on in your first round?

Yeah, we're finishing fourth and doing the crossover and making your way through the metro and avoiding the Atlantic.

What would you prefer if you had the choice?

I don't know, man.

I'm not ready to call Carolina like an easy out.

I didn't say it's an easy out.

No, you're wrong.

No, I take the home ice.

I take the home ice.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think I take the home ice Ottawa went one and two on home ice last night.

I'm saying if they end up going to, they probably see Tampa or Montreal.

Yeah.

If you cross over to four, you'll seem to Carolina.

So, you know what?

You're also going up against Tampa or Montreal.

But you know what, you know what?

It's going to get more clicks for locked on senators.

Ah, that's one thing.

I said, in Tampa, it would be the common section would be a war for the con.

Did you hear Carrie Price?

He was asked, I think by his girlfriend or wife on a podcast or something.

Who in the NHL reminds him of himself?

He actually said Jacob Fowler.

Yeah.

I mean, he's he's no, I don't know if he's sitting there and he's,

was he wearing a tab to wear a night jacket?

No, I don't think he was actually.

Yeah.

But I could be pandering to his to his Habs fan base, but I kids pretty good.

I will say he might have a good future down there in Montreal.

Yeah.

Hey, did you hear Craig Anderson said that levy marijuana is going to be the next

Craig Anderson?

That's doesn't land the same Ross.

Yeah, it's not sent land.

Yeah.

Although Max Domey once potted time that that wall reminded him of Carrie Price.

Nice.

Well, you know what Carrie Price should keep his eyes on his own team, isn't he a San Jose

Shark?

Yeah.

Actually, he is a San Jose shark.

You're right.

Yeah.

So maybe he should be pumping Yaroslav Ascarov's tires.

Yeah.

I thought you'd say Halak.

No.

No.

No.

Great shot.

Wrap it up.

That's Mike de Stefano.

Go check him out on lockdown leaves.

I'm Ross Levittan.

You can find me locked on senators.

Thank you for liking, watching, listening and engaging with locked on NHL.

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