December 30, 2025 • 32 mins
Mark talks about the finalists for the pro football hall of fame. Pierre McGuire joins to talk olympic roster and Penguins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Mark Madden. Here's a shot heard around the world.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
We got calls on the fifteens next A three three
four one two WSDX. You can also follow me on
Twitter at Mark Madden X. What do you think of
the obvious nature of evaluating objectively and saying that Kower
(00:26):
is a better coach than Domlin? Again, I don't think
it's even close.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I think Rodgers took a while, but he screwed up
the Steelers and his experiment. Him coming here will be
remembered as a failure. When MVS and Scotty Miller are
your featured receivers, I don't care if DK's out.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Those two guys shouldn't have been be on the field.
Roman Wilson should should should be out there.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I just can't believe that because Aaron Rodgers think Scotty
Miller is good and MVS is good, that they It's
sixteen targets combined at Cleveland in a loss and MBS
gets force fed the last three with Denzel Ward, the
Pro Bowls quarterback, covering him and people aren't saying this
is insane.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
What the frigg are they doing?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
What the frigg is wrong with Rogers you're just all marks,
your marks for bigs names.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Rogers has been well.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Is one loss away from being a disaster here, one
loss away from being a disaster here. No matter how
good he might have played, and I'm not sure he
did play that good up till now, but no matter
how good he might have played prior, he lost to Cleveland,
and it was mostly his doing that number to call
again eight three three four one two wsdx uh Penguin's
(01:45):
host Carolina tonight, we want to talk about that. Oh,
here's some some some terrible news, but I'm kind of
curious to see what happens. Stefan Diggs, the top receiver
for New England, is charged with strangling a woman and
his partner, Cardi b with whom he just had a baby.
But he's charged with strangling a woman. Got to suspend
(02:07):
him for the rest of the year, right, you suspended
DK for popping a fan, You got to suspend Stefan
Diggs even more severely for strangling a woman. We'll see
what happens, but anyway, here's the Hall of Fame stuff
I want to get to before we take your calls
for calls on the fifteens. These Steelers had four players
(02:30):
in the semifinals to make the Hall of Fame, Heines War,
James Harrison, Gary Anderson, and Marquise Pounce. None of them
made the finals. Now there's a reason for that. It's
because none of them are good enough to be in.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
The Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
The only one I think is even closest James Harrison,
who had a great prime defensive Player of the Year,
biggest playing Super Bowl history, that ninety nine yard interception return.
I could make a stronger case for him getting in
than anybody else because he was the best defensive player
in football for like what two or three years, and
(03:11):
that's a long time to be the best guy in
the NFL on defense. Hines Ward has good stats, but
they're only good stats. A lot of guys with better
stats aren't in there. He's just not gonna make it.
I don't care how much he whines. I don't care
how much you whine on his behalf. I don't care
how great a blocker he was, because nobody cares about
that he revolutionized the game. Apparently not because he ain't
(03:35):
in the Hall of Fame. Guys who revolutionized the game
get in the Hall of Fame. That blocking nobody cares,
and Gary Anderson kicker to repeat, nobody cares. Marquise Ponci
only a center, nobody cares. And if you take offense
at me saying that that's how the people who decide
(03:58):
who go in.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
The hallow, Okay, we didn't. Although the difference.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Between me saying that word in dink cares anyway. I'm
not saying that to be a dank. It's just they're
not in. I mean, how can you argue when how
many years is Hines Ward been eligible and he's not in?
He just ain't gonna get in. I'm not wallowing in
(04:21):
the in the in anything. I don't think it's funny.
I'm not against him. I don't like him, he doesn't
like me. I respect him. Great player, big time clutch.
I always said about Hines, I've never seen a guy
who put the team first be as selfish as him.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
But he did, like he just straddled that. He was
great in a Hall of Fame player.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Then again, I have a different vision of who should
be in not just a football Hall of Fame, but
any hall of fame. If it was up to me,
I not only wouldn't let any of them four guys
in Harrison, Ward, Anderson, and Ponci. I would take like
a like a couple dozen guys outs your thoughts on
(05:05):
any or all of that dial four one two, No,
don't dial that dial?
Speaker 1 (05:13):
How can I forget it? Eight three three four one two.
I'm telling you. I'm telling you.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Someday you're gonna turn on this the radio and I'll
be drooling and incoherent, and then.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
You'll say, what this Isn't I thought i'd put on
the X, not the fan.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Uh, But anyway, No, those guys are doing Okay, that's
just too good of a joke to pass up. Actually,
wasn't that good of a joke. But then again, I'm
drooling and incoherent. Any hoodles, I just want to put
those guys in. You tell me eight three three four
one two w xdx eight three three four one two
w xdx or use the secret backdoor number because the
(05:52):
men don't know, but the little girls understand. I'll get
you on first four one two three three three w xds.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I think that the game Sunday at Acreshot winner wins
the AFC North winner makes the playoffs between the Ravens
and Steelers. It will be Steelers Altamont Hell's Angel should
do security.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Please allow me to introduce myself a man of wealth
and taste.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Can you imagine if Baltimore takes the opening kickoff and
scores I mean that place, it's gonna be ready to
be hostile?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
No, you know what I said that before, I take
that back.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
I think they'll be really supportive and really positive until
the minute the game turns bad.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And then so will they.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Like Zubisco on Bruno, like Cogan on WCW, they will
turn and turn savagely.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I just worked a match reference in there accidentally, savagely.
Will you know?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Okay, I'm ready to go home or to the Penguin
game rather, No, I'm having fun today. I think the
shows this week have been been pretty.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Good, which is as far as I'll ever go. But seriously, what.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
If they lose? What if they fall behind? And the
weird part is, well, no, there's a lot of weird parts.
It's all weird at this point with the Steelers. But
the weirdest part is, no matter what, they're gonna come
back next year with the same coach and the same
philosophy and the same everything, maybe even the same stupid
(07:42):
old bastard, ruining the team later than we thought he would.
But he is quarterback. I used to think he was smart.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
He dumb.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Aaron Rodgers dumb dumb. Everyone's accusing me MVS. Scottie Miller
dumb dum dumb. Okay, so call next one oh five nine.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Tonight it's the Penns against the Hurricanes. Game time is seven.
Our coverage starts at six here every game, and the
best coverage right here on your home of the Pens
one O five nine The X.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Are you go?
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Are you running? We've got you and your friends fis
We're all going to rock to the rules.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I make double.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
How you like it? Nappy the X at one.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
O five nine.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
One other Pro Football Hall of Fame notes.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Elsie Greenwood with the Veterans Committee, he is a finalist.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
I think Elsie belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
I'm just not sure you want to put another guy
in from that Steelers team in the seventies.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
At what point do you draw the line?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
But but.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
I would like to see Elsie make it.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Uh do you think Rogers has screwed the offense up
when your top targets are MVS and Scottie Miller at
Cleveland in a game you really needed to win that
ain't good. And some of you might argue, and already
are on Twitter because I said what I did? Well,
what can you do with no DK?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Well?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Do what coach Cower suggested on CBS. There's a lot
of play action feature Mouth and John Oot. Then let
me just add to what coach Kawer said, run the
ball more. Rogers doesn't want to run the ball, he
wants to throw the ball. He checks out of the run.
All the time they were averaging five point five yards
per carry at Cleveland, never trailed by more than one
(09:45):
score from the early part of the second quarter on,
and yet they threw thirty nine times, threw almost twice
as much as they ran, even though the run was working.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Rogers has f this offense up.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
And if they don't win a playoff game, let alone,
if they lose Sunday to Baltimore, don't even make the postseason,
the Rogers experiment in Pittsburgh will have proven to be
an abject failure. I bet it goes better next year
with Kirk Cousins. Let's go to Lawrence. Lawrence, you're on
calls on the fifteens.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Hey, Mark, love the show. I want to leave you
not tripe bacon on a pizza. It's absolutely delicious.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Okay, that's all you call to talk about.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
No, I'm thinking if Tomlin's going to be the head
coach for another five or six years, we would never
see a super Bowl in Pittsburgh again.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Gots the analysis, Lawrence, thank you for the call. Let's
go to Ralph and Squirrel Hill. Ralph, you're on with
double M.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
He's a censor, he's a number for watch him this time.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yeah, don't get it. Don't get it, don't get it. Goodbye,
No idea what you're doing. Sometimes I think it's good
to take calls. Today, this segment maybe not so much.
You know what I'm curious about. And by the way,
that guy said he was going to talk about Marquise
Pounce should be in the Hall of Fame. He's only
(11:14):
a center, and maybe he was a real good center.
There's like a total of I think four centers in
the Hall of Fame. I'm not sure how many.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I look that up.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Two Steelers, Mike Webster and Germoni Dawson. But because we
had Webster and Dawson, we badly overestimate the importance of centers.
Just because the Steelers think center is important and you
think center's important doesn't mean center is important and doesn't
(11:43):
mean the Steelers are gonna get a third center in.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
The Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
I'm curious for the game at Acriture Sunday. How many
Steeler fans have sold their tickets to Ravens fans on
stub Hub, you know, the secondary market. And I asked
that because I think a lot of you figure that
a win at Cleveland was a FATA complee.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
And the Ravens game would be meaningless.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
That said, Baltimore fans had every reason to think that
this game sunded Akressure would be meaningless, so why would
they have gone and bought the tickets? How many Steeler
fans have given up after losing to Cleveland and put
the tickets on the secondary market since then?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
At any rate, I'm curious to see how many.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Ravens fans are at Akrossure on Sunday and what kind
of a voice they have, how loud they are, And
you know, the eight twenty game isn't necessarily good for
fan response. Bill Cowery used to say he liked night
games because I'm not sure what his exact verbiance was,
but he would imply that Steeler fans could get drunker
(12:54):
and crazier.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I think for night games they get drunker.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
And it leads to being quieter because they've been drunk
all day. I think the atmosphere at Actress, sure, I
wish I could go. Okay, I'm lying, I would never go,
But I really wonder what that atmosphere is gonna be
like in person, where there's still so much for the
Steelers to gain, but it has incredible potential to be
(13:22):
just an excrement show, an absolute disaster, continuation of the
disaster we saw on Sunday at Cleveland. Up next, going
to talk hockey with the best guy to talk hockey with,
It's Peerre maguire.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Next, All one oh five to nine. This is a bold champion,
Alfred Williams.
Speaker 5 (13:41):
Good.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
What's trending on the Iheartsports Network.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is optimistic about linebacker TJ. Watts
chances of playing Sunday night against Baltimore after surgery for
his collapse long meytime tight end Darnold Washington. He had
season ending surgery today for the broken army suffering Cleveland
Sunday and depends you'll go for a second straight win tonight,
del host Carolina newly acquired forward Iugor Turnikov.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
He could make his Penn's debut there. I'm Scott David said,
do you own a small business? You need to hear
this a seismic ship of super genius. What were you
afraid more of? Satan or Tea bagging car Tea bagging
great story compellings and rich d exit one O five nine.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
A whole lot going on in hockey, know not at
least the announcement of the Olympic rosters tomorrow joining.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Us how to talk about it? He's done it all
in the Great Game.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Always terrific to talk to Pierre Maguire pre what's the
dope on Igor Chinnikov, the Russian winger the Penguins got
from Columbus. I'm kind of in the dark. Don't recall
seeing him do much.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
No, but he's got tremendous potential offensively, and he's a
player that I think a lot of people really respect
in terms of the capability that he's shown over time
to be a really good offensive player. He's probably had
one season in the league where you could say this
guy is gonna go off the charts and it just
has a material life for him with consistency. I understand,
(15:03):
you know, the transaction. I don't think there was much
of a roadway left for Danton Heinen in Pittsburgh. The
Penguins have a plethora of great young players, both at
the college level of major junior level and clearly in
Wilkesbarre and even on their roster right now. I mean
Ben Kindle, the eleventh overall pick this past summer unbelievable.
So Mark, I kind of understand the trade, and I
(15:25):
think they're trying to give themselves the best fighting chance
to be a playoff team, and I think they need
a little bit more offense, and maybe, just maybe, with
Agenny Malkln being in Pittsburgh, China, Koff can actually grow
and learn from the mentoring from Malcolm, much like Malcoln
learned from the mentoring of Sergei gonchar No.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I agree with all that. I think it's a gamble,
but a very educated one. I don't think he gave
up a ton to get Chinnikov, but why was he
a first round pick in twenty twenty run down why
that happened, because even like back in June in Russia,
he never scored a ton and he's not big.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
What are his attributes?
Speaker 4 (16:05):
Billy Sarin, who scouted for Columbus at the time, and
Yarmo kika Linen who was their general manager, who's now
the general manager in Buffalo, they were the guys who
pulled the trigger on Sena. Kuff I would say that
they they are very familiar with Russian hockey, both of
(16:26):
those men. They're very familiar with Finnish hockey. They're very
familiar with most of the European caliber hockey. They've done some,
you know, really good stuff drafting wise, they've done some
questionable stuff drafting wise. But I just think they went
off the board a little bit because they felt that
(16:46):
they knew something that everybody else didn't know. And we'll
see how again. The one thing that scares me a
little bit is when Yarmo went into Buffalo, he could
very well have made a deal to get Sina Coupp.
There was no secret around that he was available, and
Yarmo didn't make an offer on him.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Well, he slot in in the top six right away
because if he doesn't.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
I'm not trying to see the point of the deal
for it right now.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
I think he has to slide in, you know, in
the top six, and a lot of people fought around
the National Hockey League, just to be fair that Justin
Brazo wasn't the top six forward either, And we saw
him get a hat trick the other night in Chicago,
and we've seen him have a tremendous start to the
year before he got injured, playing on the line with
Anthony Mansen and Guinny Malcolm. So you know, I don't
(17:32):
put too much depth into people that are prognosticators that
have never worked in the game, and we're seeing a
lot of that now, especially because of the Internet. But
I would just say this is that I think he's
a player that can play in the top six, and
I hope that he can show people that he definitely
is a top six And I think the malcol fact
is pretty substantial for any Russian born player coming into Pittsburgh.
(17:56):
Right now.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
You mentioned Justin Brezo who got his first career hat
trick and Chicago on Sunday as a career high eleven goals.
Why is he blossomed in Pittsburgh production wise.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Oh, I think first of all, anytime you get a
chance to play without Gunny Malcolm, that's hues. Now. I
know he did it without Malcolm being there. But when
you're around Sidney Crosby, when you're around Brian Russ, when
you're around players that are legendary players like Christopher Lapang
or even Eric Carlson, you get better just by being
around those guys. I'm just telling you I saw, like,
(18:26):
think about it, Mark, when I was in Pittsburgh and
you were around, whether it was Brian Trotcy, Ronnie Francis
or Kevin Stevens or Mary Lemieux. But you see what
happened with Mark Recky, You see what happened with Troy Loney,
You see what happened with yarmer Yager, and what did
Sean mckechran. Like, guys got better when they were around
star players. And I think a player like Justin brazoh
(18:49):
In particularly, who's not blessed with unbelievable foot speed, he's
got amazing hands, and he plays with guys that are
very creative and have great peripheral vision. Because of that,
he takes advantage of the opportunity to finish the plays
off well.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
You make a great point about his hands, especially in
tight pierre like that Golda was backhand from the blue
paint at Chicago, like he was standing in a phone
booth and still made a play.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Washington playing the Ontario Hockey League. I wasn't sure he'd
ever have enough speed to really get it done. His
hands were always really strong. I coached the player, and
you'll remember this is for our older listening audience named
Timmy Kerr was the last professional I was the last
professional coach when I was a head coach of the
Hurts for Wales, and Timmy was amazingly good around about
(19:33):
four feet and in four feet and into the net,
but it was hard to move me. He was big
and strong, and his hand skills were amazing booth on
the forehand in the back end. But he just didn't
have great speed and the game was starting to transition
from being a slower game to a faster game, and
that's why his career ended. But I would tell you this,
Brezo is never going to be as good as Timmy Kerr,
but there's a lot of similarity. He reminds me a
(19:55):
lot of Timmy.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
We're talking to Pierre Maguire, Pierre brought to us by
always say flagging in traffic control.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Pierre.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
The Olympic rosters getting ONCED tomorrow. One of the biggest
bubble decisions for the US and Canada. Who's gonna just
get in, who's gonna just be left out?
Speaker 4 (20:11):
I think the biggest bubble decision for the US will
be whether they're prepared to take two small players. And
I mean they have put a very big presence on size,
so Billy Garon wants bigger guys that can grind, that
can skate and have skill. So the big question mark
will be will they take Lane Hudson the Montreal Canadians,
(20:31):
And if they don't, I think they've made a big mistake.
And will they take Cole coffields of the Montreal Canadians,
two very small, intercise players, but both of them having phenomenal,
phenomenal years. In terms of for Canada, the question will
be does Mark Sifeley make the team from the O
Winnipeg Jets. The Winnipeg doesn't get offense from Kyle Connor,
(20:56):
who will be on TMSA Mark Schifeley and Gabe Lardi,
they can never win. Well, everybody in the league now
knows that. So it's really hard to win if you're
Winnipeg right now, and you can see in the standings
they're not winning a lot, but that line still gets points.
And the guy that drives that line is Shifely. I
got to think he's gonna make Team Canada. I'd like
to think Nick Suzuki, the Montreal Canadians will make Team Canada.
(21:19):
And then the biggest question for Canada I think will
be on defense. Does Matthew Shaffer, the eighteen year old
from New York Islanders program, make the team and if
he does, will he play a ton I remember a
twenty year old Drew Dowdy in twenty ten playing with
Crosby and the rest of that team Canada, Jonathan Daves,
(21:40):
Eric Stall and the even go on and on, Chris Pronger,
Scotti Niedermaner, they win goal. But there was a twenty
year old defenseman on that team that during a TV
time out in the gold medal game, Mark I was
doing the game, we had it on TV. He was
singing to the songs that were being played on the
sound system. In that time was called Place in Vancouver.
(22:01):
Now it's called Rogers Place. But back then it was
GM plate. He was singing the songs and dancing on
the bench. We were showing it during TV time else
it was unbelievable. And he's playing all the time. I'm
not sure Shaffer will be doing that, but I think
Shafer's every bit as good as Drew doubt except the
only difference is Shaffer's a left shot, nowt he's a
right shot.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
How much will the rink being three feet shorter, which
has been talked about, maybe too much, Pierre, how much
will that affect each team's roster decisions?
Speaker 4 (22:28):
I don't think anything. The short part's not the problem.
If it was skinnier, then I think it'd be a problem.
The short part's not a problem because it doesn't affect
the size of the zones and it won't affect the
neutral zults. So the same pace you play with in
the NHL is what you're gonna have to play with
on that rink. It'll affect maybe a tinge on the
cycle game, maybe a little bit, but not a lot,
(22:49):
But I don't think that'll play role at all.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Well, I hope you're right.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I kind of get be mused by the network commercials
You're showing all the fights from the four that's just
not going to happen here. Fighting stuff in the Olympics,
and the referees will keep it from being a five
car pile up. It's going to be refereed different than
than those games.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Yeah, yes, it will be. And that's not gonna happen
at the Olympics. It's it's not gonna happen the players. No,
I mean that's it's just different. So no, I would
say that you're right on them with that and the
other thing too, And I think this is really important.
The Olympics are a tournament that is so short, and
if you make one fundamental error, or you lose your
(23:32):
mind and do something really silly, you cost your team,
you cost your nation, you cost your teammates, you cost
yourself a lot. And you go ask anybody who's part
of the nineteen ninety eight Canadian Olympic team, or anybody
who's part of the two thousand and six Canadian Olympic team,
you go ask them how hard it was to get
real after that? It was really really difficult for all
(23:55):
those players.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Pierre, I don't think there's any dubt celebrit He's going
to make Canada. Where is he going to he's on
if he's not on the team.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
If he's not on the team, I'll be absolutely devastated
and shocked. He's playing as well as any player in
the league right now. And I say that with all
due respect to Sit I say that with all due
respect to Connor McDavid, to Nathan McKinnon. He's playing as
well or better than any player in the league right now.
I would probably play him at this time with Connor McDavid.
(24:22):
I think Sydney should probably play with Nathan McKinnon and
we just see who that fits in on the other sides.
One thing I'd like to see though, I think Mark
Stifley deserves an opportunity to play way up in the
lineup on the right wing. He's a natural centerment. But
if you put him with Crosby, let's say, and McKinnon,
I think you could have a line would absolutely rip
(24:43):
the tournament apart. And I mean that shifely. People don't
see him enough because he plays in Winnipeg and they're
not a very well watched team outside of their market.
He's an amazing talent, Mark, He's a really, really special player.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Does Brian Roust have any chance to make it for
the US.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
I think he's got a chance. I wouldn't say it's
an overwhelming oppor team, but I think he has a chance,
just because Billy's so familiar with him, Johnny Hines is
very familiar with him, and obviously Mike Sullivan and David
Quinn are very familiar with him. So I think he's
got a chance. Doesn't mean he's got a home run
or a sluggers chance. I think he's got a real
I think he's got a chance. I wouldn't say real
get a chance.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Here's why I have mixed emotions if I'm you know,
Billy Garron and Mike Sullivan deciding who plays for Team USA.
Rusty has fifteen goals this year. He had thirty one
last year. He is I think perennially underrated, and it'd
be a good like bottom six style player in you know,
in that vein that type of player, because that's what
he really is pier even if he does play with
sid during so much of his time here in Pittsburgh.
(25:43):
But I'm a big believer for international hockey. You take
like your best twelve forwards period, you're most talented and
then teach them to be checkers if that's necessary for
the bottom six, kind of like Izerman was when he
was always on a team with Gretzky and Mario.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Well, they are all good points. So this is for Pittsburgh.
People think about the outrage before the twenty fourteen Olympics
in Sochi when Chris Kunitz was on the team playing
with Sidney. I can tell you right now people were furious,
and all of a sudden it becomes one of the
best Canadian Olympic teams ever, and Kunis plays a pretty
significant role. It's not because Kunitz wasn't a good player.
(26:21):
Chris was a really good player, but he wasn't a
sexy player. And rust Is is a sexy player. He's
a really good player, to your point, and so Kunis
could help them win games even if he wasn't getting points,
and he made sid feel really comfortable because they were
such great linemates. Obviously, Rust and Kunitz are different. Kunitz
is Canadian, Rust as American. But your point is spot on, Mark,
(26:43):
It really is spot on, Pierre.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
What's your biggest takeaway from that seven to three win
at Chicago Sunday night? Chicago had played the night before,
and now the Penguins played Carolina, who also played last night.
Kind of a good run for the Penguins. It happens
again with Deets wait later this week.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Yeah, and it's a home and home with Detroit later
in the week. Absolutely, the game in Chicago's interesting because
Chicago hasn't been the same since Connor Badard and Frankie
Major have been out, and so I think that's a
big problem for Chicago, and you could see Pittsburgh take
advantage of it. Chicago can't score enough and they've got
very young defense, and Spencer Knight didn't have a great night,
(27:21):
No pun intendant, Spencer had a tough night, and so
I could see that last night Carolina beat Rangers in overtime. Again,
I can see where Pittsburgh would probably be very excited
about the opportunity to knock off the top team like Carolina.
My only thing is, and this is really important, Carolina
is probably the kings of taking shots from anywhere in
(27:42):
the national hockey. They shoot from everywhere, and if your
goal in your rebound control is not good, you're going
to expose your defense. The exciting thing for me mark
the addition of Saint Ivany into the lineup has really
changed a lot of the defense for the Pittsburgh Tainers,
and I think that's a good thing, not a bad thing.
So all I can say is big time rebound control
(28:04):
is important for the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, and I think
Saint Ivany and Ryan Shay have to make a big
difference defensively, not offensively, defensively to help the Penguins if
they're going to be Carolina.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
And they totally agree about Saint Ivany.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
I think he's added I'm not sure exactly what, but
his speed, his aggressiveness. I think he's done well in
that bottom pair for the Penguins up Pierre Carolina. Like
I said, Hurricanes are in town, first in the Metro
deep roster, made the Eastern Conference Final last year. Why
don't I still believe in them?
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Oh? I don't believe in them at all. And that's
not a knock on Rod Brindemore. By the way, I
think Rod Brindamore is one of the best coach in
the National Hockey Yague. I'm absolutely shocked that he decided
to stay in Carolina. I don't think how they build
their rosters is appropriate. I'm not saying that it's a
bad team. It's not a bad team. It's a good team,
but it's a good team for the regular season. I
don't think they have enough stand paper. I don't think
(28:57):
they have enough internal depth in their first forceman. I
think they've made some free agent signings that have really delivered,
especially Cook in thea Emmy from the Montreal Canadian and
that was a restricted free agency contract, which was ridiculous.
I still understand that they lost that whack on defense.
I'm still not sure they were over the losses of
all their defensemen, especially Peschi who went to New Jersey,
(29:20):
Brady Shay who's over in Nashville, Dougie Hamilton who's up
in New Jersey. I mean, you go down the line,
it's just been a plethora of defensemen that have left
there over time, so it's hard to replace those guys.
I just, for whatever reason, they think numbers are going
to make it work for them. Mark and I just
I don't see the equation. I said last year before
the season started, when they got a new GM, Eric Toulski,
(29:43):
that was going to be a referendum on analytics in Carolina.
Right If they don't win up and it was a
referendum on analytics, and they didn't win the cup. In fact,
they didn't even get close to winning the Cup. So
I'll double down this year and say, if they don't
get to at least the Eastern Comp French Final this year,
they need to do some serious soul searching in terms
(30:04):
of how they decide to build their team in Carolina.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Pierre, You're in Ireland again. What the heck?
Speaker 4 (30:11):
I'm trying to help women's hockey here, my friend. This
is the only NCAA tournament outside of the United States
and Canada for the nca women. And here we have
Harvard Quinnipiac, two really good teams, Boston University and outstanding
program in Hockey East and Minnesota Duluth, you know, out
of the WHA. So I'm so thrilled to be here again.
(30:34):
I do anything I can to help grow the game,
and they asked me to come over and try to
help them, and that's what I'm doing. I've been here
since Monday morning. It's been a grinder. It's a lot
of work in a short period of time. And I'm
here till Monday and then it's back full time with
the NHL. But I'm watching all the games, I'm watching
the world Junior, not getting a lot of sleep, and
I'm having a ton of fun, and I'm thrilled to death.
(30:54):
We could do this today.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
With you, Pierre.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
You are a true ambassador to the for the game
and joy Ireland. We'll do it again next week.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Yeah, and I can't wait to see it. Marios Camp
March twenty second. I cannot wait. Mark, You have no
idea how pump the him for that.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
Camp will not be long. That's Peer McGuire.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Broadlast by Always Safe Flagging and Traffic Control now hiring
with benefits and four oh one K. For info or
to apply, visit awsafe dot net. We got the fable
at the top of the hour talking Steelers here on
one oh five to nine.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Every weekday at ten am. Locales can't such a trap
to be there.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
It's Travis starting your work day commercial free one nine DX.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
This hour, The Mark Mantain Show is brought to you
by bud Light. Browley served as Shiloh Clayton Bor on
Myunt Washington, stopping Shiloh Clayton Bor. You enjoyed bud Light
bucket specials, Join Steelers games. Bud Light easy to drink,
easy to enjoy.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
The year end sales and then continues at South Park
mitsit issue. We're offering thousands in discounts and thousands more
for your trade in.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
Also, we have zero percent financing still on the award
woting Outlander
This is Mark Madden. Here's a shot heard around the world.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
We got calls on the fifteens next A three three
four one two WSDX. You can also follow me on
Twitter at Mark Madden X. What do you think of
the obvious nature of evaluating objectively and saying that Kower
(00:26):
is a better coach than Domlin? Again, I don't think
it's even close.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I think Rodgers took a while, but he screwed up
the Steelers and his experiment. Him coming here will be
remembered as a failure. When MVS and Scotty Miller are
your featured receivers, I don't care if DK's out.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Those two guys shouldn't have been be on the field.
Roman Wilson should should should be out there.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I just can't believe that because Aaron Rodgers think Scotty
Miller is good and MVS is good, that they It's
sixteen targets combined at Cleveland in a loss and MBS
gets force fed the last three with Denzel Ward, the
Pro Bowls quarterback, covering him and people aren't saying this
is insane.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
What the frigg are they doing?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
What the frigg is wrong with Rogers you're just all marks,
your marks for bigs names.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Rogers has been well.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Is one loss away from being a disaster here, one
loss away from being a disaster here. No matter how
good he might have played, and I'm not sure he
did play that good up till now, but no matter
how good he might have played prior, he lost to Cleveland,
and it was mostly his doing that number to call
again eight three three four one two wsdx uh Penguin's
(01:45):
host Carolina tonight, we want to talk about that. Oh,
here's some some some terrible news, but I'm kind of
curious to see what happens. Stefan Diggs, the top receiver
for New England, is charged with strangling a woman and
his partner, Cardi b with whom he just had a baby.
But he's charged with strangling a woman. Got to suspend
(02:07):
him for the rest of the year, right, you suspended
DK for popping a fan, You got to suspend Stefan
Diggs even more severely for strangling a woman. We'll see
what happens, but anyway, here's the Hall of Fame stuff
I want to get to before we take your calls
for calls on the fifteens. These Steelers had four players
(02:30):
in the semifinals to make the Hall of Fame, Heines War,
James Harrison, Gary Anderson, and Marquise Pounce. None of them
made the finals. Now there's a reason for that. It's
because none of them are good enough to be in.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
The Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
The only one I think is even closest James Harrison,
who had a great prime defensive Player of the Year,
biggest playing Super Bowl history, that ninety nine yard interception return.
I could make a stronger case for him getting in
than anybody else because he was the best defensive player
in football for like what two or three years, and
(03:11):
that's a long time to be the best guy in
the NFL on defense. Hines Ward has good stats, but
they're only good stats. A lot of guys with better
stats aren't in there. He's just not gonna make it.
I don't care how much he whines. I don't care
how much you whine on his behalf. I don't care
how great a blocker he was, because nobody cares about
that he revolutionized the game. Apparently not because he ain't
(03:35):
in the Hall of Fame. Guys who revolutionized the game
get in the Hall of Fame. That blocking nobody cares,
and Gary Anderson kicker to repeat, nobody cares. Marquise Ponci
only a center, nobody cares. And if you take offense
at me saying that that's how the people who decide
(03:58):
who go in.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
The hallow, Okay, we didn't. Although the difference.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Between me saying that word in dink cares anyway. I'm
not saying that to be a dank. It's just they're
not in. I mean, how can you argue when how
many years is Hines Ward been eligible and he's not in?
He just ain't gonna get in. I'm not wallowing in
(04:21):
the in the in anything. I don't think it's funny.
I'm not against him. I don't like him, he doesn't
like me. I respect him. Great player, big time clutch.
I always said about Hines, I've never seen a guy
who put the team first be as selfish as him.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
But he did, like he just straddled that. He was
great in a Hall of Fame player.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Then again, I have a different vision of who should
be in not just a football Hall of Fame, but
any hall of fame. If it was up to me,
I not only wouldn't let any of them four guys
in Harrison, Ward, Anderson, and Ponci. I would take like
a like a couple dozen guys outs your thoughts on
(05:05):
any or all of that dial four one two, No,
don't dial that dial?
Speaker 1 (05:13):
How can I forget it? Eight three three four one two.
I'm telling you. I'm telling you.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Someday you're gonna turn on this the radio and I'll
be drooling and incoherent, and then.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
You'll say, what this Isn't I thought i'd put on
the X, not the fan.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Uh, But anyway, No, those guys are doing Okay, that's
just too good of a joke to pass up. Actually,
wasn't that good of a joke. But then again, I'm
drooling and incoherent. Any hoodles, I just want to put
those guys in. You tell me eight three three four
one two w xdx eight three three four one two
w xdx or use the secret backdoor number because the
(05:52):
men don't know, but the little girls understand. I'll get
you on first four one two three three three w xds.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I think that the game Sunday at Acreshot winner wins
the AFC North winner makes the playoffs between the Ravens
and Steelers. It will be Steelers Altamont Hell's Angel should
do security.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Please allow me to introduce myself a man of wealth
and taste.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Can you imagine if Baltimore takes the opening kickoff and
scores I mean that place, it's gonna be ready to
be hostile?
Speaker 1 (06:37):
No, you know what I said that before, I take
that back.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
I think they'll be really supportive and really positive until
the minute the game turns bad.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
And then so will they.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Like Zubisco on Bruno, like Cogan on WCW, they will
turn and turn savagely.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I just worked a match reference in there accidentally, savagely.
Will you know?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Okay, I'm ready to go home or to the Penguin
game rather, No, I'm having fun today. I think the
shows this week have been been pretty.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Good, which is as far as I'll ever go. But seriously, what.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
If they lose? What if they fall behind? And the
weird part is, well, no, there's a lot of weird parts.
It's all weird at this point with the Steelers. But
the weirdest part is, no matter what, they're gonna come
back next year with the same coach and the same
philosophy and the same everything, maybe even the same stupid
(07:42):
old bastard, ruining the team later than we thought he would.
But he is quarterback. I used to think he was smart.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
He dumb.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Aaron Rodgers dumb dumb. Everyone's accusing me MVS. Scottie Miller
dumb dum dumb. Okay, so call next one oh five nine.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Tonight it's the Penns against the Hurricanes. Game time is seven.
Our coverage starts at six here every game, and the
best coverage right here on your home of the Pens
one O five nine The X.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Are you go?
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Are you running? We've got you and your friends fis
We're all going to rock to the rules.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I make double.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
How you like it? Nappy the X at one.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
O five nine.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
One other Pro Football Hall of Fame notes.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Elsie Greenwood with the Veterans Committee, he is a finalist.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
I think Elsie belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
I'm just not sure you want to put another guy
in from that Steelers team in the seventies.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
At what point do you draw the line?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
But but.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
I would like to see Elsie make it.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Uh do you think Rogers has screwed the offense up
when your top targets are MVS and Scottie Miller at
Cleveland in a game you really needed to win that
ain't good. And some of you might argue, and already
are on Twitter because I said what I did? Well,
what can you do with no DK?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Well?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Do what coach Cower suggested on CBS. There's a lot
of play action feature Mouth and John Oot. Then let
me just add to what coach Kawer said, run the
ball more. Rogers doesn't want to run the ball, he
wants to throw the ball. He checks out of the run.
All the time they were averaging five point five yards
per carry at Cleveland, never trailed by more than one
(09:45):
score from the early part of the second quarter on,
and yet they threw thirty nine times, threw almost twice
as much as they ran, even though the run was working.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Rogers has f this offense up.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
And if they don't win a playoff game, let alone,
if they lose Sunday to Baltimore, don't even make the postseason,
the Rogers experiment in Pittsburgh will have proven to be
an abject failure. I bet it goes better next year
with Kirk Cousins. Let's go to Lawrence. Lawrence, you're on
calls on the fifteens.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Hey, Mark, love the show. I want to leave you
not tripe bacon on a pizza. It's absolutely delicious.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Okay, that's all you call to talk about.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
No, I'm thinking if Tomlin's going to be the head
coach for another five or six years, we would never
see a super Bowl in Pittsburgh again.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Gots the analysis, Lawrence, thank you for the call. Let's
go to Ralph and Squirrel Hill. Ralph, you're on with
double M.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
He's a censor, he's a number for watch him this time.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yeah, don't get it. Don't get it, don't get it. Goodbye,
No idea what you're doing. Sometimes I think it's good
to take calls. Today, this segment maybe not so much.
You know what I'm curious about. And by the way,
that guy said he was going to talk about Marquise
Pounce should be in the Hall of Fame. He's only
(11:14):
a center, and maybe he was a real good center.
There's like a total of I think four centers in
the Hall of Fame. I'm not sure how many.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I look that up.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Two Steelers, Mike Webster and Germoni Dawson. But because we
had Webster and Dawson, we badly overestimate the importance of centers.
Just because the Steelers think center is important and you
think center's important doesn't mean center is important and doesn't
(11:43):
mean the Steelers are gonna get a third center in.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
The Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
I'm curious for the game at Acriture Sunday. How many
Steeler fans have sold their tickets to Ravens fans on
stub Hub, you know, the secondary market. And I asked
that because I think a lot of you figure that
a win at Cleveland was a FATA complee.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
And the Ravens game would be meaningless.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
That said, Baltimore fans had every reason to think that
this game sunded Akressure would be meaningless, so why would
they have gone and bought the tickets? How many Steeler
fans have given up after losing to Cleveland and put
the tickets on the secondary market since then?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
At any rate, I'm curious to see how many.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Ravens fans are at Akrossure on Sunday and what kind
of a voice they have, how loud they are, And
you know, the eight twenty game isn't necessarily good for
fan response. Bill Cowery used to say he liked night
games because I'm not sure what his exact verbiance was,
but he would imply that Steeler fans could get drunker
(12:54):
and crazier.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I think for night games they get drunker.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
And it leads to being quieter because they've been drunk
all day. I think the atmosphere at Actress, sure, I
wish I could go. Okay, I'm lying, I would never go,
But I really wonder what that atmosphere is gonna be
like in person, where there's still so much for the
Steelers to gain, but it has incredible potential to be
(13:22):
just an excrement show, an absolute disaster, continuation of the
disaster we saw on Sunday at Cleveland. Up next, going
to talk hockey with the best guy to talk hockey with,
It's Peerre maguire.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Next, All one oh five to nine. This is a bold champion,
Alfred Williams.
Speaker 5 (13:41):
Good.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
What's trending on the Iheartsports Network.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is optimistic about linebacker TJ. Watts
chances of playing Sunday night against Baltimore after surgery for
his collapse long meytime tight end Darnold Washington. He had
season ending surgery today for the broken army suffering Cleveland
Sunday and depends you'll go for a second straight win tonight,
del host Carolina newly acquired forward Iugor Turnikov.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
He could make his Penn's debut there. I'm Scott David said,
do you own a small business? You need to hear
this a seismic ship of super genius. What were you
afraid more of? Satan or Tea bagging car Tea bagging
great story compellings and rich d exit one O five nine.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
A whole lot going on in hockey, know not at
least the announcement of the Olympic rosters tomorrow joining.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Us how to talk about it? He's done it all
in the Great Game.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Always terrific to talk to Pierre Maguire pre what's the
dope on Igor Chinnikov, the Russian winger the Penguins got
from Columbus. I'm kind of in the dark. Don't recall
seeing him do much.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
No, but he's got tremendous potential offensively, and he's a
player that I think a lot of people really respect
in terms of the capability that he's shown over time
to be a really good offensive player. He's probably had
one season in the league where you could say this
guy is gonna go off the charts and it just
has a material life for him with consistency. I understand,
(15:03):
you know, the transaction. I don't think there was much
of a roadway left for Danton Heinen in Pittsburgh. The
Penguins have a plethora of great young players, both at
the college level of major junior level and clearly in
Wilkesbarre and even on their roster right now. I mean
Ben Kindle, the eleventh overall pick this past summer unbelievable.
So Mark, I kind of understand the trade, and I
(15:25):
think they're trying to give themselves the best fighting chance
to be a playoff team, and I think they need
a little bit more offense, and maybe, just maybe, with
Agenny Malkln being in Pittsburgh, China, Koff can actually grow
and learn from the mentoring from Malcolm, much like Malcoln
learned from the mentoring of Sergei gonchar No.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I agree with all that. I think it's a gamble,
but a very educated one. I don't think he gave
up a ton to get Chinnikov, but why was he
a first round pick in twenty twenty run down why
that happened, because even like back in June in Russia,
he never scored a ton and he's not big.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
What are his attributes?
Speaker 4 (16:05):
Billy Sarin, who scouted for Columbus at the time, and
Yarmo kika Linen who was their general manager, who's now
the general manager in Buffalo, they were the guys who
pulled the trigger on Sena. Kuff I would say that
they they are very familiar with Russian hockey, both of
(16:26):
those men. They're very familiar with Finnish hockey. They're very
familiar with most of the European caliber hockey. They've done some,
you know, really good stuff drafting wise, they've done some
questionable stuff drafting wise. But I just think they went
off the board a little bit because they felt that
(16:46):
they knew something that everybody else didn't know. And we'll
see how again. The one thing that scares me a
little bit is when Yarmo went into Buffalo, he could
very well have made a deal to get Sina Coupp.
There was no secret around that he was available, and
Yarmo didn't make an offer on him.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Well, he slot in in the top six right away
because if he doesn't.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
I'm not trying to see the point of the deal
for it right now.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
I think he has to slide in, you know, in
the top six, and a lot of people fought around
the National Hockey League, just to be fair that Justin
Brazo wasn't the top six forward either, And we saw
him get a hat trick the other night in Chicago,
and we've seen him have a tremendous start to the
year before he got injured, playing on the line with
Anthony Mansen and Guinny Malcolm. So you know, I don't
(17:32):
put too much depth into people that are prognosticators that
have never worked in the game, and we're seeing a
lot of that now, especially because of the Internet. But
I would just say this is that I think he's
a player that can play in the top six, and
I hope that he can show people that he definitely
is a top six And I think the malcol fact
is pretty substantial for any Russian born player coming into Pittsburgh.
(17:56):
Right now.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
You mentioned Justin Brezo who got his first career hat
trick and Chicago on Sunday as a career high eleven goals.
Why is he blossomed in Pittsburgh production wise.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
Oh, I think first of all, anytime you get a
chance to play without Gunny Malcolm, that's hues. Now. I
know he did it without Malcolm being there. But when
you're around Sidney Crosby, when you're around Brian Russ, when
you're around players that are legendary players like Christopher Lapang
or even Eric Carlson, you get better just by being
around those guys. I'm just telling you I saw, like,
(18:26):
think about it, Mark, when I was in Pittsburgh and
you were around, whether it was Brian Trotcy, Ronnie Francis
or Kevin Stevens or Mary Lemieux. But you see what
happened with Mark Recky, You see what happened with Troy Loney,
You see what happened with yarmer Yager, and what did
Sean mckechran. Like, guys got better when they were around
star players. And I think a player like Justin brazoh
(18:49):
In particularly, who's not blessed with unbelievable foot speed, he's
got amazing hands, and he plays with guys that are
very creative and have great peripheral vision. Because of that,
he takes advantage of the opportunity to finish the plays
off well.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
You make a great point about his hands, especially in
tight pierre like that Golda was backhand from the blue
paint at Chicago, like he was standing in a phone
booth and still made a play.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Washington playing the Ontario Hockey League. I wasn't sure he'd
ever have enough speed to really get it done. His
hands were always really strong. I coached the player, and
you'll remember this is for our older listening audience named
Timmy Kerr was the last professional I was the last
professional coach when I was a head coach of the
Hurts for Wales, and Timmy was amazingly good around about
(19:33):
four feet and in four feet and into the net,
but it was hard to move me. He was big
and strong, and his hand skills were amazing booth on
the forehand in the back end. But he just didn't
have great speed and the game was starting to transition
from being a slower game to a faster game, and
that's why his career ended. But I would tell you this,
Brezo is never going to be as good as Timmy Kerr,
but there's a lot of similarity. He reminds me a
(19:55):
lot of Timmy.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
We're talking to Pierre Maguire, Pierre brought to us by
always say flagging in traffic control.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Pierre.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
The Olympic rosters getting ONCED tomorrow. One of the biggest
bubble decisions for the US and Canada. Who's gonna just
get in, who's gonna just be left out?
Speaker 4 (20:11):
I think the biggest bubble decision for the US will
be whether they're prepared to take two small players. And
I mean they have put a very big presence on size,
so Billy Garon wants bigger guys that can grind, that
can skate and have skill. So the big question mark
will be will they take Lane Hudson the Montreal Canadians,
(20:31):
And if they don't, I think they've made a big mistake.
And will they take Cole coffields of the Montreal Canadians,
two very small, intercise players, but both of them having phenomenal,
phenomenal years. In terms of for Canada, the question will
be does Mark Sifeley make the team from the O
Winnipeg Jets. The Winnipeg doesn't get offense from Kyle Connor,
(20:56):
who will be on TMSA Mark Schifeley and Gabe Lardi,
they can never win. Well, everybody in the league now
knows that. So it's really hard to win if you're
Winnipeg right now, and you can see in the standings
they're not winning a lot, but that line still gets points.
And the guy that drives that line is Shifely. I
got to think he's gonna make Team Canada. I'd like
to think Nick Suzuki, the Montreal Canadians will make Team Canada.
(21:19):
And then the biggest question for Canada I think will
be on defense. Does Matthew Shaffer, the eighteen year old
from New York Islanders program, make the team and if
he does, will he play a ton I remember a
twenty year old Drew Dowdy in twenty ten playing with
Crosby and the rest of that team Canada, Jonathan Daves,
(21:40):
Eric Stall and the even go on and on, Chris Pronger,
Scotti Niedermaner, they win goal. But there was a twenty
year old defenseman on that team that during a TV
time out in the gold medal game, Mark I was
doing the game, we had it on TV. He was
singing to the songs that were being played on the
sound system. In that time was called Place in Vancouver.
(22:01):
Now it's called Rogers Place. But back then it was
GM plate. He was singing the songs and dancing on
the bench. We were showing it during TV time else
it was unbelievable. And he's playing all the time. I'm
not sure Shaffer will be doing that, but I think
Shafer's every bit as good as Drew doubt except the
only difference is Shaffer's a left shot, nowt he's a
right shot.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
How much will the rink being three feet shorter, which
has been talked about, maybe too much, Pierre, how much
will that affect each team's roster decisions?
Speaker 4 (22:28):
I don't think anything. The short part's not the problem.
If it was skinnier, then I think it'd be a problem.
The short part's not a problem because it doesn't affect
the size of the zones and it won't affect the
neutral zults. So the same pace you play with in
the NHL is what you're gonna have to play with
on that rink. It'll affect maybe a tinge on the
cycle game, maybe a little bit, but not a lot,
(22:49):
But I don't think that'll play role at all.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Well, I hope you're right.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
I kind of get be mused by the network commercials
You're showing all the fights from the four that's just
not going to happen here. Fighting stuff in the Olympics,
and the referees will keep it from being a five
car pile up. It's going to be refereed different than
than those games.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Yeah, yes, it will be. And that's not gonna happen
at the Olympics. It's it's not gonna happen the players. No,
I mean that's it's just different. So no, I would
say that you're right on them with that and the
other thing too, And I think this is really important.
The Olympics are a tournament that is so short, and
if you make one fundamental error, or you lose your
(23:32):
mind and do something really silly, you cost your team,
you cost your nation, you cost your teammates, you cost
yourself a lot. And you go ask anybody who's part
of the nineteen ninety eight Canadian Olympic team, or anybody
who's part of the two thousand and six Canadian Olympic team,
you go ask them how hard it was to get
real after that? It was really really difficult for all
(23:55):
those players.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Pierre, I don't think there's any dubt celebrit He's going
to make Canada. Where is he going to he's on
if he's not on the team.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
If he's not on the team, I'll be absolutely devastated
and shocked. He's playing as well as any player in
the league right now. And I say that with all
due respect to Sit I say that with all due
respect to Connor McDavid, to Nathan McKinnon. He's playing as
well or better than any player in the league right now.
I would probably play him at this time with Connor McDavid.
(24:22):
I think Sydney should probably play with Nathan McKinnon and
we just see who that fits in on the other sides.
One thing I'd like to see though, I think Mark
Stifley deserves an opportunity to play way up in the
lineup on the right wing. He's a natural centerment. But
if you put him with Crosby, let's say, and McKinnon,
I think you could have a line would absolutely rip
(24:43):
the tournament apart. And I mean that shifely. People don't
see him enough because he plays in Winnipeg and they're
not a very well watched team outside of their market.
He's an amazing talent, Mark, He's a really, really special player.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Does Brian Roust have any chance to make it for
the US.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
I think he's got a chance. I wouldn't say it's
an overwhelming oppor team, but I think he has a chance,
just because Billy's so familiar with him, Johnny Hines is
very familiar with him, and obviously Mike Sullivan and David
Quinn are very familiar with him. So I think he's
got a chance. Doesn't mean he's got a home run
or a sluggers chance. I think he's got a real
I think he's got a chance. I wouldn't say real
get a chance.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Here's why I have mixed emotions if I'm you know,
Billy Garron and Mike Sullivan deciding who plays for Team USA.
Rusty has fifteen goals this year. He had thirty one
last year. He is I think perennially underrated, and it'd
be a good like bottom six style player in you know,
in that vein that type of player, because that's what
he really is pier even if he does play with
sid during so much of his time here in Pittsburgh.
(25:43):
But I'm a big believer for international hockey. You take
like your best twelve forwards period, you're most talented and
then teach them to be checkers if that's necessary for
the bottom six, kind of like Izerman was when he
was always on a team with Gretzky and Mario.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Well, they are all good points. So this is for Pittsburgh.
People think about the outrage before the twenty fourteen Olympics
in Sochi when Chris Kunitz was on the team playing
with Sidney. I can tell you right now people were furious,
and all of a sudden it becomes one of the
best Canadian Olympic teams ever, and Kunis plays a pretty
significant role. It's not because Kunitz wasn't a good player.
(26:21):
Chris was a really good player, but he wasn't a
sexy player. And rust Is is a sexy player. He's
a really good player, to your point, and so Kunis
could help them win games even if he wasn't getting points,
and he made sid feel really comfortable because they were
such great linemates. Obviously, Rust and Kunitz are different. Kunitz
is Canadian, Rust as American. But your point is spot on, Mark,
(26:43):
It really is spot on, Pierre.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
What's your biggest takeaway from that seven to three win
at Chicago Sunday night? Chicago had played the night before,
and now the Penguins played Carolina, who also played last night.
Kind of a good run for the Penguins. It happens
again with Deets wait later this week.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Yeah, and it's a home and home with Detroit later
in the week. Absolutely, the game in Chicago's interesting because
Chicago hasn't been the same since Connor Badard and Frankie
Major have been out, and so I think that's a
big problem for Chicago, and you could see Pittsburgh take
advantage of it. Chicago can't score enough and they've got
very young defense, and Spencer Knight didn't have a great night,
(27:21):
No pun intendant, Spencer had a tough night, and so
I could see that last night Carolina beat Rangers in overtime. Again,
I can see where Pittsburgh would probably be very excited
about the opportunity to knock off the top team like Carolina.
My only thing is, and this is really important, Carolina
is probably the kings of taking shots from anywhere in
(27:42):
the national hockey. They shoot from everywhere, and if your
goal in your rebound control is not good, you're going
to expose your defense. The exciting thing for me mark
the addition of Saint Ivany into the lineup has really
changed a lot of the defense for the Pittsburgh Tainers,
and I think that's a good thing, not a bad thing.
So all I can say is big time rebound control
(28:04):
is important for the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, and I think
Saint Ivany and Ryan Shay have to make a big
difference defensively, not offensively, defensively to help the Penguins if
they're going to be Carolina.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
And they totally agree about Saint Ivany.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
I think he's added I'm not sure exactly what, but
his speed, his aggressiveness. I think he's done well in
that bottom pair for the Penguins up Pierre Carolina. Like
I said, Hurricanes are in town, first in the Metro
deep roster, made the Eastern Conference Final last year. Why
don't I still believe in them?
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Oh? I don't believe in them at all. And that's
not a knock on Rod Brindemore. By the way, I
think Rod Brindamore is one of the best coach in
the National Hockey Yague. I'm absolutely shocked that he decided
to stay in Carolina. I don't think how they build
their rosters is appropriate. I'm not saying that it's a
bad team. It's not a bad team. It's a good team,
but it's a good team for the regular season. I
don't think they have enough stand paper. I don't think
(28:57):
they have enough internal depth in their first forceman. I
think they've made some free agent signings that have really delivered,
especially Cook in thea Emmy from the Montreal Canadian and
that was a restricted free agency contract, which was ridiculous.
I still understand that they lost that whack on defense.
I'm still not sure they were over the losses of
all their defensemen, especially Peschi who went to New Jersey,
(29:20):
Brady Shay who's over in Nashville, Dougie Hamilton who's up
in New Jersey. I mean, you go down the line,
it's just been a plethora of defensemen that have left
there over time, so it's hard to replace those guys.
I just, for whatever reason, they think numbers are going
to make it work for them. Mark and I just
I don't see the equation. I said last year before
the season started, when they got a new GM, Eric Toulski,
(29:43):
that was going to be a referendum on analytics in Carolina.
Right If they don't win up and it was a
referendum on analytics, and they didn't win the cup. In fact,
they didn't even get close to winning the Cup. So
I'll double down this year and say, if they don't
get to at least the Eastern Comp French Final this year,
they need to do some serious soul searching in terms
(30:04):
of how they decide to build their team in Carolina.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Pierre, You're in Ireland again. What the heck?
Speaker 4 (30:11):
I'm trying to help women's hockey here, my friend. This
is the only NCAA tournament outside of the United States
and Canada for the nca women. And here we have
Harvard Quinnipiac, two really good teams, Boston University and outstanding
program in Hockey East and Minnesota Duluth, you know, out
of the WHA. So I'm so thrilled to be here again.
(30:34):
I do anything I can to help grow the game,
and they asked me to come over and try to
help them, and that's what I'm doing. I've been here
since Monday morning. It's been a grinder. It's a lot
of work in a short period of time. And I'm
here till Monday and then it's back full time with
the NHL. But I'm watching all the games, I'm watching
the world Junior, not getting a lot of sleep, and
I'm having a ton of fun, and I'm thrilled to death.
(30:54):
We could do this today.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
With you, Pierre.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
You are a true ambassador to the for the game
and joy Ireland. We'll do it again next week.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Yeah, and I can't wait to see it. Marios Camp
March twenty second. I cannot wait. Mark, You have no
idea how pump the him for that.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
Camp will not be long. That's Peer McGuire.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Broadlast by Always Safe Flagging and Traffic Control now hiring
with benefits and four oh one K. For info or
to apply, visit awsafe dot net. We got the fable
at the top of the hour talking Steelers here on
one oh five to nine.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Every weekday at ten am. Locales can't such a trap
to be there.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
It's Travis starting your work day commercial free one nine DX.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
This hour, The Mark Mantain Show is brought to you
by bud Light. Browley served as Shiloh Clayton Bor on
Myunt Washington, stopping Shiloh Clayton Bor. You enjoyed bud Light
bucket specials, Join Steelers games. Bud Light easy to drink,
easy to enjoy.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
The year end sales and then continues at South Park
mitsit issue. We're offering thousands in discounts and thousands more
for your trade in.
Speaker 5 (31:57):
Also, we have zero percent financing still on the award
woting Outlander
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