Jonny Lazarus talks Stanley Cup playoff debate, Rangers coaching change

Energy Line with Nate Thompson and Julie Stewart-Binks open up breaking down some of the highlights from the first round so far of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They discuss what has stood out so far, which team has something to prove and Nate’s playoff memories. Daily Faceoff host and friend Jonny Lazarus then joins Nate and JSB. Lazzy gets into the Rangers firing Peter Laviolette, who his replacement could be, the Stanley Cup playoffs, who he is taking out of each conference and thoughts on the first round so far.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
Welcome to the Energy Line with Nat and JSB. I'm
Julie Starr binks He's aid former NHLR Nate Thompson, and

(00:23):
the Stanley Cup layoffs have begun and we are all
over it. Energy Line is a production of the NHL
and iHeart podcasts. And joining us in a bit will
be NHL and Daily Face Off host our friend Johnny Lazarus.
Will chat with him about the Rangers firing Peter lave
Led and all of the real housewives of the New

(00:43):
York Rangers drama that is going on, and we'll get
into the first round of the playoffs. And Nate, speaking
of the first round of the playoffs, let's get right
to it. You are fresh off of being at the
game of the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers.
And this game had everything. Eleven goals, team seeing each

(01:05):
other four straight times, harmonicas. What really stood out for
you in this one?

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Well, first off, the harmonicas was interesting when the Kings
pulled that one out for the for the US national anthem.
But no, this game had it all and I have
to give the Kings credit because for the first half
of this game, pretty much for the first two periods
of the game, the Kings pretty much dominated the Oilers.
Like I think the Oilers only had It was halfway
through the second when I looked up with the shot

(01:34):
clock and they only had eight shots. Wow, through through
that period of time in the game. And and that
just goes to show you how good the Kings are defensively.
And I think two the Kings on the special teams
were so good. I mean they had I think two
or three power play goals last night. Two power play goals,
I believe, and you know, they had the game in
the driver's seat, like they had it, they had it

(01:54):
easily won. But the problem is is the Edmonton Oilers
have a guy named Connor McDavid and he legit, Julie,
he willed.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
That team back to a tie game last night, and
it was something to be wold. It was something to watch,
I mean.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Just the way he literally him and dry Sitle kind
of took over the game. And those are the things
that Kings are going to have to be careful with,
because you know, you could see they kind of took
their foot off the gas. They stopped playing in the
third period and then you could see, you know, a
couple penalties being taken. And that's the thing the Kings
and against the Amaton Oilers you have to guard against

(02:31):
is you cannot take penalties.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
And I know the.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Kings know that it's more serious in the playoff time
against against those guys, because when you have Connor McDavid,
Leon Dry Siddle on the power play, they're going to.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
Make you pay.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
But the Kings, I think they look good. They look
really good. They know they need to play a full
sixty minutes against this team. But I think there's a year.
Like I said before, I think the Kings can win
this series because you know, the Oilers didn't get a
sniff for most of that.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
Game, right, And I think as you mentioned, I mean
they started off while people were making jokes about the fact,
you know, they're up four early on in the game,
they're like the harmonicas they're staying if like they blow
them out like this, I think now it might be
a little maybe maybe not because of how the way
things ended with Edmonton, you know, with the undertaker of

(03:17):
Conor McDavid coming back into this one. But Phil to
know had like an interesting quote at the end of
the game where he said, it's hard to play a
game like this. Mentally, it didn't feel like a loss,
but like it hurt. So isn't that kind of fascinating,
Like it's like you won the first game. It's not
in the way that you thought it was because you
had to fend off the oilers, but it kind of

(03:39):
felt like a loss. What does that like do with
the team mentality in the locker room?

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Well, I think they reset right, like they they know what.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
So now they have a contrast, they have a contrast
of how they need to play and how they not
need to play in the same game. But they still
won the game. So it's kind of like it's a grateful,
a grateful thing for them to be in a situation
where they won game one, because let's be honest, if
they don't win game one, it's a whole different series.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
And why did they have home ice? You know? So,
I mean, do you even look at Drew Dowdy.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
Drew Dowdy had had an interview after and he talked
about it, and he said, and so I love about
Drew Dowdy. He never pulls any punches and he's like
you know, he basically says, he's, you know, I'm so
glad we won that one because that would have been
a shitty one to lose, and so approbade him and
he's and he's right because the way they let Edmonton
back in and give gave them life to to let
them win that one would have been catastrophic. So I

(04:32):
think that's the difference in this King's team this year too,
is you know, they've been doing that all season and
last night they did it as well as they find
ways to win. You know, they keep finding ways to
win when maybe they haven't played the full game, or
you know, maybe they lose control of the game like
they did last night, and last night they they found
if they found a way to win, and that line
of Warren Fogel, Philip and Nolan Trevor Moore came up

(04:54):
big for them.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
And you make such a great point. It's like the
fact that a game, just the nature of how it
can go can just like you can look at us score,
you can look and see how things went, but just
like that energy within it, the energy line, let's just say,
and also for everyone out there who's listening, because you
can't see it, but the way Nate described how you

(05:15):
have to play and how you don't have to play.
He literally put his hands out like he's like explaining science.
So that was that was really helpful for me, just
because you know, it's good to have visuals and understanding
how to play and how not to play. I'm working
with you obviously, love to do that on this podcast.
And speaking of the Washington Capitals, they go up to

(05:39):
ZIP in their first game and then Montreal is like, oh,
we're playing in this game too, and they come back
and they tied up. This thing goes to overtime, and
then the Capitals are like, psich. We have Alexandro of
Edchgate on our team. He scores his first ever playoff
career game winning goal, overtime goal, which is insane because

(06:01):
he's like one hundred years old and he scored eight
and what ninety nine eight hundred ninety eight goals. I
don't know. He had a power play goal earlier on.
But for the Montreal Canadians, I feel like that loss
is gonna hurt because you were able to climb back
into it.

Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, I think so.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
I think it definitely hurts some Montreal Canadians. But seeing
some interviews from guys like Brendan Gallagher Cadien Gooley last night,
like they talked about, you know, I think now for
the Montreal Canadians though, I mean everyone had them pushed
out that you know, Washington was going to just smoke
them in the first game. But now I think now
you have a team with the Montreal Canadians where there
they have belief.

Speaker 3 (06:39):
They're like, okay, we're we were right there. We could
have won that game.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
So I think it's true there is that side of
it that they know that they can come back.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yes, I do believe that. I do think that that
was tough. And you know, the funny thing is you
bring up Alexander Rovchkin is, I was watching the game
and I was watching just that part of it, and
I don't know who who was announcing the game, but
they literally right before he scored, he says, you know,
he's allows to score.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
A playoff overtime goal, still waiting end.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
Sure, shit, right after he scores that playoff overtime goal.

Speaker 3 (07:11):
Just Obie being Obie.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
But yeah, this series is interesting because I think, you know,
you have a Montreal team that you know, you just
can't count them out. I mean that's how they made
the playoffs. Everyone counted them out and they to continue
to find ways to win. Do I think that they
have what it takes to beat Washington? I don't think so.
I think if Washington plays the way they need to play,
like they did last game for the majority of that game,

(07:32):
I don't think the series will be that long. This
the physicality that Washington brings everything. I just this series
is interesting though, because you know Montreal is one of
those teams and who knows what happens when they go
to Montreal and they play in the Belt Center.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
Oh yeah, as we know that place is rocking. And
I love their goal song. They're like done and whatever.
It is some French stuff. Okay, so in we have
to finish off? I'm curious, Okay, Brandon do him? He
had he read the lineup last night for the Capitals

(08:08):
and he's going hard at it and then he eats
the lineup paper and I just love that because I
was like, this guy is giving it one hundred and
fifty thousand percent, And like I feel as though the
Capitals this year, especially because of ov Bands, Maker Dance,
you know, all this different stuff, they seem to have

(08:31):
a certain personality and like they're they seem to have
like a fun with each other. And if you are
an opposing team and you see a team that is
just like rocking and rolling, having fun, having inside jokes,
how scared are you of them?

Speaker 3 (08:51):
Well, you definitely know that they're.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
They're good, they're they're together as a team, and they're
having fun, right like you know, the Washington Capitals are
having fun with Alexanderovachkin leading the charge. But you know
the lineup reeds, I think you know. I was a
part of some lineup reeds when I played, and you
have to have fun with it because you know the
way it worked usually is the guy who had the
lineup breed. If you win, he continues to do the

(09:15):
lineup breeds until and then they change usually and you know,
you would get very creative with it. I know when
I was in Tampa and I did lineup rereaeds when
I was playing. I remember I got so creative one
point because we were winning and I kept getting it
where I literally I memorized all of the most interesting
men in the world quotes, you know, the guy from

(09:37):
the commercials, like.

Speaker 3 (09:38):
Oh, this guy's keeps his you know, he's cool as
the other.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
Side of the pillow d and I'd say his name,
and I'd go on to the next guy and have everything,
you know, and then sometimes you do chants and cheers
and obviously Brenda do Haim at the end decided to
eat the lineup sheets. So you know, these are things
that you just get creative with and you have fun
with because why not. This is the most fun time
of the year and you should have fun before the game.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
So has it been going like since you started in
the league.

Speaker 3 (10:04):
Yeah, there's been, well since I started.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
I don't think with my first few years, lineup Reaeds
wasn't a big thing. And then when I got to
Tampa's when I really remember guys getting super creative, using music,
using chants. You know, guys, guys have tried all kinds
of things. I mean sometimes you yeah, you can, you
can do everything. You can get guys involved, you get
you get a clap going. I mean, there's so many

(10:27):
things that you can do for the lineup breeds, which
is super fun before the game.

Speaker 1 (10:30):
I love hearing that because I feel like it's only
been recently that we've been able to see it on camera,
Like I mean, Safer in Anaheim. I had no idea
you guys were doing that in the locker room or
anything that might be like creative in terms of that,
because we wouldn't have video of it, Like you just
don't know. Because now we're getting to see locker rooms

(10:51):
are sort of allowing more of that personality to come out,
which is so important for the game. And so I
was just I was just shocked when you just said
that when you're in Tampa you did. I'm like, wasn't
that like a hundred years ago?

Speaker 2 (11:03):
Well, I guarantee Montreal is doing lineup reeds too, because
you know who is one of the best at lineup
reeds Marty Saint Louis. Ooh, Marty Saint Louis was very
good at lineup reeds and he would get the team going.
I believe that there's a clip, Jake, you can get it.
There's a clip where he does he sees with the
Rangers and he's like on it.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
He's like when I say so, you say boom boom,
and then.

Speaker 2 (11:27):
It's like right away, like it's it's Marty's got it.
So I know Montreal has got some good lineup rereads going.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
To wow he's a he's like a cheerleader and bring
it on like you just like got everyone going, who's
got the clap? It's okay. I love yeah, I love
hearing that kind of stuff because, yeah, the coaches can
do it too. I remember seeing twenty four to seven,
you know, the Amazon I know, not twenty four someven,
but the Amazon series with Toronto and Sheldon Keith, you know,

(11:55):
with all due respect, gave the most boring lineup raids
of all time. He would just either say the numbers
or he'd say the guys, and it would just be like, okay,
business as usual Toronto. I know, a bit of a
different situation scenario, but I digress. I really want to
get into another Canadian team before and that is the

(12:16):
Winnipeg Jets. The white out, the fans, I mean the
fans on fans, on fans A. We have a Winnipeg
Jets fan base that follows this show because you know,
Nate and I are Winnipeg alumnis, and I think that
like Kyle Connor, I made a TikTok last night about

(12:38):
him like he was not he did not play in
that final game for Team USA at four Nations, and
he has just scored the two game winning goals for
the Jets, and I feel as though Kyle Connor might
be a little underappreciated league wide.

Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah, I agree.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
I mean I got to see firsthand playing with him
and seeing how dynamic he is. And Kyle Connor, he's
one of those players where he might not do a
whole lot in that game, but only he only needs
one chance, he only needs one opportunity because he's he's
that type of player that's a game breaker, and and
you saw it these first two games against Saint Louis.
He's he I think he's been really really good. He's

(13:21):
been really good for this Winnipeg team all year. And
you know he's he's a guy that I mean, he
scores goals, right, he scores goals every single year.

Speaker 3 (13:29):
And now if he.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
Gets score goals in the playoffs as well, the Winnipeg
Jets are looking pretty damn good. I mean, I do
think this series is much closer than it shows in
the series lead.

Speaker 3 (13:40):
The Winnipeg have. I think Saint Louis has played them
pretty hard, and yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:44):
You know you have Jordan Bennington who I think has
played pretty well too. So, uh, this series is going
to be interesting. I think I do think Saint Louis
might sneak one out in in Saint Louis and then
who knows from there, if the series two to one
or whatever.

Speaker 3 (13:59):
Whatever we see.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
But yeah, this Winnipeg team, I mean, and then the yeah,
like you said, the fans like with Winnipeg, it's it's
crazy like that white out. I mean, do you remember
Julie when we were in Anaheim playing them in the
first round?

Speaker 1 (14:11):
Do I ever?

Speaker 2 (14:12):
Yeah, twenty fifteen. I mean, it's just electric there.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
The fans like what was that? Because I remember for
me being on the bench trying to interview Cam Fowler
and I couldn't hear one single word that he said
at all. But for you guys skating around and it
was their first playoff game, home playoff game since the
Jets had returned Jets two point zero, you're the opposing team,
the anhem Ducks. What was that like?

Speaker 3 (14:35):
For you guys, it was incredible.

Speaker 2 (14:39):
I mean, it's something I never experienced before. Because I
always say, like, Winnipeg is very similar to playing NFL
like a green Bay, you know, like a Green Bay Packers,
the way they're the way they surround their team, the way.
I mean, they just they love their team. And I
remember in warm ups. I don't know if you remember
warm ups, it was sold out. In warm ups, it
was completely wide out, and it was everyone was standing

(15:02):
and everyone their whole whole stadium was chanting different players' names.
And when they got to Corey Perry. Do you won't
know if you remember this. They got to Corey Perry
and they started chanting Katy Perry and they just went
on and on and on for all of warm ups,
and I was like, this is insane, Like they were
channing every single player's name, but that one was the best,

(15:23):
as theyreorge to call it, Corey Perry Katie Perry. Wow.

Speaker 1 (15:27):
I love that. I love when just like a fan
base has just such a great identity of just coming
together and just being behind the team. I mean, this
is a blue collar series, I do believe because I
like this same you know, Saint Louis has got a
chip on their shoulder and they've come into this wanti
new prove something I think on the run that they've
gone on. But final question on them, has in the

(15:51):
first two games Connor Hallibook silenced anybody, any critics.

Speaker 2 (15:56):
I would say no, because they haven't won the series yet.
I would say that he has played well, he's played strong,
but I don't think you can silence the critics in
first two games of the stand like a playoffs, I
think he's got a bigger body of work to do,
and they got to finish Saint Louis off first before
I can give Connor Hellibuck any any flowers for for

(16:18):
the playoffs so far.

Speaker 1 (16:20):
Okay, On that note, just want to I also put
this on TikTok. I'm pretty I'm pretty big on TikTok.
And by I mean big, I mean I I post
a lot on TikTok during the playoffs because I don't
have a life.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
I've gathered that.

Speaker 1 (16:36):
Yeah, oh yeah, you gathered that. That My other my
my main full time job, of which I uh is
tick talking. It's tiktoking, of which I do on a
volunteer basis. And I made I put one up of
Jim Montgomery, of course, as the head coach of the
Saint Louis Blues. Last night while he was he was
singing in a time out while there there was a

(16:59):
one goal game, and there was like forty four seconds left,
and I was like, I absolutely love this because it's
like hockey players and coaches, they're just like us, Like
you guys sing I've seen I've seen players singing all
the time.

Speaker 2 (17:15):
Every warm ups. I was singing all the whole warm ups.
I'd be singing as I'm like skating always. You gotta
stay loose, Julie, you gotta stay loose.

Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah, head, So I loved. I saw Jake mckab like
point when he's playing the Rangers. I was down low
and I just saw him. I already saying, I think
you're singing mister Brightside, and I was like, I appreciate that.
I mean, if mister Brightside comes on and you're on
the ice, you better be singing that song or else
you don't have a pulse. Okay, we know that we've
got a lot going on and there's a Battle of
Florida coming up tonight. We're gonna be talking with Johnny

(17:45):
laz Moore about that. But come on, I'm in Toronto
right now. I'm in my childhood bedroom. I'm in actually
the nucleus of where I became a Leafs fan because
I grew up in my adolescence of seeing you know,
the playoffs swear the Leafs just smoked Ottawa every single time,

(18:09):
and it was It's burned into my brain. It's just
being like very wonderful springtime. And it's been really nice
because I watched the game the other night with my
mom and it was like, Wow, this is this is
what it was like when I was a teenager. Also,
it was a little bit sad because I was like, Wow,
I'm going to be thirty eight in a week and
I'm watching this game with my mom and my and

(18:30):
I met my childhood bedroom. Likes. Things didn't go very well,
says the narrator. But like when you look at this series,
it feels a little bit and I'm not a fan anymore.
I was unsubscribed to fandom. But it feels as though
the Leaf's had the edge, and I feel as though
the Leafs either sweep er gentlemen, sweep botto senators.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
I think if the Leafs are going to check all
the boxes for game one, they did that. I think
that they had their core four guys going. Everyone was
playing well. Mitch Marner had.

Speaker 3 (19:00):
A sick goal, Willie had a sick goal.

Speaker 2 (19:03):
I mean, these guys were these guys are playing well,
and then and then I think the physicality part, their
power play, the way Stolars played, I mean all these things,
Like the Leafs they least look like a team that
was ready to play playoff game one. And and unfortunately
the Senators, I think, you know, being a younger team
first time in the playoffs, you know, they they took
a lot of bad penalties.

Speaker 3 (19:24):
They they got.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
Really undisciplined, and you could see it. I mean, and
it's crazy to say this, but the Leafs look like
a veteran playoff season team in the game one, Like
they've knew what they were doing, they knew how to
play the game right, they knew how to win. And
it's funny you bring up Leafs fans. And I talked
to a buddy of mine at the Kings game last
night and it was like and I told him, I
was like, man, your Leafs they look great game one,

(19:48):
and all he says is like, stop, yeah, I don't
want to talk about I don't want to talk about it.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
I'm like, you're such a leaf fan.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
It's like basically, you do good, You're you're glad about
the game. Then as soon as the game's over, it's
like I'm done. I don't want to talk about them.
There's nothing to talk about.

Speaker 1 (20:03):
Right onto the next one. It's very Bill Belcha like
on to the next one.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
But yeah, I do, I do think that the Leaves
are set up nicely. Do I think the auto this
Autawa team is going to be. They're gonna be They're
gonna be tough for me, They're gonna play them hard.
You know they're gonna respond game two. But I do
see the Leafs winning this in five or six.

Speaker 3 (20:23):
Games for sure.

Speaker 1 (20:24):
Six, no way, Jose, Okay. So I think that what
I loved about just the Leaf's composure was like they
just didn't they didn't get I mean except for the
end where it was like a like a bingo card
being called out of numbers that had penalties. I mean

(20:45):
to ten guys on the ice forty four minutes in penalties,
which was just banana because banana land, banana sandwich. Because
that was a good start to sort of like the
energy of what this next game could be. I think
there's also got to be a feeling out process in
all of these series of cert of like you know,

(21:05):
who's got what, what's going on? How do they respond?
But the Leaves looked so calm, Like I'm just thinking
of Austin Matthews when good Debt like drilled him, cross
checked him. There's so many cross checking, like come on, guys,
you know, reel it in if you're the Autawa Senators.
And also just so many ISOs of Travis Green on
the bench, like every time they get a penalty, it

(21:26):
was just like Travis Green just like pissed off. I know,
the like people be like, oh the calls went on
the fiber up the leaves. It's like, well, I think
they know how the how to play in the way
that they don't get a penalty right like they can.
They have a little bit more composure, They have a
little bit more wherewithal of understanding what's going on. They

(21:48):
have experience. And I also just want to set the record,
set the record straight with some news about one of
our producers was saying that you know, oh, what's Stolars
is injury status? De dey deep Papa and I have
have a source that said you can one thousand percent

(22:10):
shut this down like if Stolars was injured and of
course he didn't practice on Monday, and goalie coaches go
to goalies and say, what do you need what do
you want? You leave it up to him. What does
he need to be ready for tonight? So Stolar's by
all accounts is not significantly injured in any way, shape
or form, which is good for the leaves, so we

(22:30):
can quash that rumor. And my thoughts are is that
we have a fun guest friend of the show, friend
of both Nate and me coming up next, and that
is Johnny Lazarus. He is with The Daily Face Off
and NHL and we will talk all things ranges and beyond.
Stay tuned, Welcome back into the Energy I date at JSB,

(22:55):
and we are very pleased to be joined by a
member of the media who is also one of our friends.
We're going to consider him a friend of the show
as well because he backed up Nate last week in
our episode if you caught that one. And it is
none other than Johnny Lazarus, who is a host for
The Daily Face Off and who has been just a
meteor in the industry rising like three years ago. Now

(23:20):
every single person I know knows Johnny laz Thank you
for joining us here today.

Speaker 4 (23:25):
All thanks to you, JSB. You get all the credit.

Speaker 5 (23:28):
You were my mentor on the third Period Live three
years ago, so I appreciate it. And Nate, ever since
you and I met, you've always been in my corner.
So I appreciate you both. And it's an honor to
be on with you guys. And sorry that you were
strapped for guests today and had to go to me.

Speaker 3 (23:40):
Man, that's so nice.

Speaker 2 (23:41):
I was getting ready to chirp him, and he just
like gave me a compliment. I was like, damn it,
you still share me.

Speaker 3 (23:45):
I welcome, all.

Speaker 1 (23:46):
Right, Well, I appreciate lesbian. Really we're very self aware
because yes, we were strapped for guests, so we're like
somebody that will do this no matter what. And you
obviously bring good vibes, bring good energy, and you bring
a lot of insight too. So yes, thank you for
giving me a shout out that I did start your career.

(24:07):
Obviously I didn't start it. You just were on with
me the first time ever, and we somehow didn't sink
the ship, but we did do. We did like a
whole show or episode without it, I don't think being
on air. Yeah, it was the.

Speaker 5 (24:21):
First one, the first show. It was just it just
never aired, and honestly it was good for me. It
was like kind of getting a practice rep out of
the way. I'd never done anything live before. I was
so nervous, like poop in my pants, and Julie kept
me calm, and Jill as well.

Speaker 4 (24:33):
Saco Bits was with us. But I don't do it too.

Speaker 1 (24:37):
Actually no, it was actually just me that day. So
I was just that day. Oh sorry, there's no credit
to anyone credit for me holding your hand sharing that
first show. But okay, let's get into the stuff that
people want to know about. Obviously, you are a big
Rangers fanboy, and you all I'm going right, I'm going

(25:02):
straight for the jugg That's okay. You're big Rangers fan
boy and you cover the team first and foremost. How
does that dynamic work?

Speaker 5 (25:11):
Yeah, it's weird, Like I don't know how to explain it.

Speaker 4 (25:15):
I think I do a good job at balancing it
for the most part.

Speaker 5 (25:17):
When I'm at the rink, away from the rink, more
of a fan at the rank, I try to keep
it professional, especially when I'm in the locker room, Like
I don't go up to you guys and like ask
for autographs and crap like that, you know, but you know,
there are moments like I remember my first game when
I was in the press box, like going down to
the locker room for the first time, like my heart
was pumping through my chest, like you know, and Patty
Cam's on the team, Vladimir Tarasenko was on the team.

(25:39):
Like I was like, you know, these are guys that
I idolized growing up that I'm about to go ask
them a question in the scrum, like what was that
gonna be?

Speaker 4 (25:46):
How are you so sick of hockey? Like you know
what I mean.

Speaker 3 (25:49):
So it was it was.

Speaker 5 (25:50):
Definitely like a pinch me thing for for a long time,
like that's something that you know, I still sit there
and say to myself like I got to go to
MSG every night and like watch the Rangers play hockey
and get paid to do it, Like there's nothing better than.

Speaker 3 (26:01):
That, you know.

Speaker 5 (26:02):
So but then again, like taking that fan off and
actually taking a seat back and trying to realize, you know,
what fans want to hear, not just what I want
to hear, as you know, the thirteen year old in
me would want to hear and ask questions that you know,
get to the bottom of things.

Speaker 4 (26:17):
Why Adam Fox and KeAndre.

Speaker 5 (26:19):
Miller were in a pairing all year when the analytics
back up that they were very good together. Like I
asked peer lobby let that a couple times throughout the season,
and you know, fans want that feedback. And you know,
as of late, Calvin de Haan spoke about his you know,
displeasure with the lineups, and then you talk to the
players about that and and all these little things. I
go into it, and you almost like for me, I

(26:40):
definitely lean more positive when it comes to the way
I go about my job because I, well, I did
grow up loving this team and that's where it's hard
to separate it. But but but then again, Julie, there
are fans out there who like hate their teams more
than anyone agreed.

Speaker 4 (26:55):
You know, I'm not one of those fans.

Speaker 3 (26:57):
Leaf fans.

Speaker 1 (26:58):
Yeah, I'm just going to say fans.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
Lease fans least fans well, yeah, Knicks fans sometimes too.

Speaker 5 (27:03):
But uh yeah, like hockey fan bases, it's crazy. I
don't know if there's another sport like it, that a
fan base actually hates their team more than anyone outside
their fan base does. Like it's the most wild concept
to me in all of sports. But it seems like
it's a hockey thing. But if anyone else, you know,
talk about your players. They can't, but you only you can.

(27:24):
It's a weird, dynamic, long winded answer. I don't even
know if I answered the question. But those are my feelings,
all right, John last Oh no.

Speaker 4 (27:35):
Not John, don't pull out the John card.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
Yeah, I know, I guess. I mean, we're only going
to talk about the Rangers so much because I don't
think the Rangers deserve to be talked about that but okay, yeah.

Speaker 1 (27:44):
And they was very open about being like, we are
only spending a very small time on the Rangers.

Speaker 2 (27:49):
Okay, yeah, they don't deserve to be talked about I agree,
But okay, so they fired lovely that they you know,
who do they hire as a replacement? Like who who
comes in for Lavvy?

Speaker 3 (28:01):
Now?

Speaker 5 (28:02):
So for me, honestly, like if I throw you a
name right now, like I genuinely don't think it matters,
like some guys that come to mind, I even think
hiring within like Dan Muse or Michael Pecka, those are options.
The players seem to really like those two guys, so
why not give them a shot?

Speaker 3 (28:18):
You know?

Speaker 4 (28:18):
Obviously, Rick Tockett's.

Speaker 5 (28:19):
Name has been thrown in the mix, even though he's
still not really up for grabs yet from Vancouver, So
that's just like a rumor, but seems like it could
possibly happen. J Pandolpha would be interesting from BU. You know,
has a lot of coaching experience in the NHL. I
don't know if he's looking to leave BEU. Obviously, David
Carl's name is one that's thrown in the mix too,
But for me, the problem is within the room and

(28:41):
it's within the players right now. So no matter what
coach they bring in, I don't think that solves anything
until you actually fix this roster. And for me, if
I had to make a choice, I'm not picking a
coach until maybe mid August. Like, take your time, interview
as many people as you think. Don't rush this process
because the last time, honestly, the last two coaches that
were hired were really just the best resid that we're

(29:04):
out there at the time. Like Gerard Galant was, you know,
a coach that had just been fired and someone who
was up for grabs that you know, had had a
good track record, and that's I think why they brought
him in. And then they did the same exact thing
with Peter Laviolette, when in reality, and this has been
talked about now a little bit more recent than I.

Speaker 4 (29:22):
Feel like years past.

Speaker 5 (29:23):
Everyone talks about this word retread, right, like hiring a
retread and bringing a guy who's you know, been to
a conference final, ors has had success in other places
and all that nonsense. But when you look at the
history of the NHL, only three coaches in the history
of the league have won Cups in multiple places, and
I don't think that gets talked about enough. Like, you know,
we talked about the good coaches that are in the

(29:43):
NHL today, Paul Maurice most recently, it took him thirty
years to win his first Cup last year, and he's
considered one of the best coaches in the NHL, right,
Like it takes time, you know, and.

Speaker 4 (29:54):
Giving a new voice.

Speaker 5 (29:55):
An opportunity, like Jeff Halpern's another name I'll throw in
too at Tampa. You know, he's been there for a
long time and he's apparently a guy who you know,
has welcomed the analyt crowd as well. And there are
some coaches who are against analytics, some coaches who.

Speaker 3 (30:07):
Are for it.

Speaker 5 (30:07):
To my understanding, Peter Loaviolette was not a guy who
dug deep and looked at analytics. You know, it's not
something I talked to him directly about, but just based
on his decisions, you can kind of come to that assumption.
But Nate, just to answer your question wholeheartedly, like, I
think they need to fix this roster before they bring
in a voice that can really change this thing, you know,
and turn this organization around. Like, to me, the way

(30:29):
this team looks on paper right now is not a
Stanley Cup champion team. So whoever you bring in, I
don't know if they can change that. So that's my answer.
I threw out some names, but I don't think there
is necessarily one guy who's going to come in here
and solve this thing.

Speaker 4 (30:44):
With the way this team is built right now.

Speaker 1 (30:46):
Well, I mean, Las the Rangers have been coach killers, Like,
come on, this has been and I think that it's
not even just the Rangers at this point when you
say the roster has to be better, Okay, Nika's advantagy
I gave such a such a cryptic response to a
Quichian the other day where he said, us players, we
have to take ownership of what we do and how

(31:07):
we go about things. But it has to be cohesive
with everyone. This organization doesn't work without the players. The
organization for us players doesn't work without the people that
work above us. We have to take a look at
it and we have to talk about it. Okay, So
I'm like dissecting this and I'm like, yeah, we all
just point to the fact that maybe Chris Drewry is

(31:30):
not a good general manager.

Speaker 5 (31:33):
Well, it goes back to November two, Julie, when you
bring up that quote, and you know, something I remember
player saying, you know, in a post game scrum, was
that he felt that the guys felt that they were
walking on eggshells and.

Speaker 4 (31:47):
In any locker room.

Speaker 5 (31:48):
You know, I've never been in an NHL locker room
on an NHL team, Nate, you can probably speak to
this more. You know, I've played for coaches in college
and in junior where sometimes you don't feel like you
are aligned with the coaches and even higher up to
the general management, like you're saying, Julie, And that is
a tough environment to be in, especially when you think
you are one mistake away from being shipped out of town.
I don't know any player that can thrive in that

(32:10):
sort of environment. So I think that's what the Rangers
were going through this year. And I know a lot
of these things get dragged back to the way that
Jacob Trubau was handled, the way Barkley Goodrow was handled,
and players can speak about their discomfort with that, but
I don't know if that was really about them or
more so what those two players represented of what could happen,
you know, like those guys didn't necessarily live up to

(32:32):
their contracts. And if the players that were making a
lot of money in New York were starting to hear
the same thing about them, they get in all, they
get all in their head, and that affects their performance, right,
because who's going to go out there and play well
when you know, if you don't live up to a
certain standard, bye bye. You got to move your family
and find a new place to live. And it's all
these real life factors that play into it. And again

(32:55):
I can't speak to it firsthand, but talking to a
lot of guys that have been around this team for
the past couple of years, you know, played for this
team this year, it just seemed like no body felt comfortable.
And I get that, you know, when you are in
a locker room too. You don't want to feel satisfied
or comfortable. You want to work and earn everything that's
given to you. But this is a totally different situation
because you know, you're thinking about everything outside of hockey, right,

(33:17):
You're thinking about your family, your day to day, just
like how you go about your life, and if that
is a threat or if that is being threatened to
you by how you play. It's tough, Like you know,
it's not easy to go out there and perform. So
I think what Mika was saying is that it just
simply put, there's a massive disconnection from top to bottom

(33:37):
in the organization, and at the end of the day,
you're never going to find success when you know, management, coaches,
players aren't aligned.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yeah, Johnny, I think you said it. I was going
to say, there's a disconnect. There's a disconnect. There's a
disconnect between the owner to the GM, the GM to
the coach, and the coach to the players. All of
them are disconnected.

Speaker 3 (33:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (33:57):
And I don't care how good you are, how much
talent you have, if there's a disconnect from the top
to the bottom, like you said, you're not to be successful.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
It's just not going to happen. It's just not gonna happen.

Speaker 4 (34:08):
On the Rangers.

Speaker 1 (34:09):
All right, We're also okay one one way we're going
wait wait, wait, I want to give a shout out
to Johnny about okay, okay. Johnny would ask Peter Laviolette
these very very long winded, intricate questions, which I remember
being in the press room and I'm like, oh man,
this guy is gonna get like touch a face. And

(34:32):
lav literally answered his questions, gave you the best, like,
gave you great answers, like gave you the benefit of
the doubt of asking like these really intricate questions, which
I think if I, just, like or anyone else ask them,
people would be like, like, we're not talking about gay
pro right now, Okay, Like you, you got such great

(34:56):
answers out of him. And I was always thinking, like,
how is lav good responds to Laz and it would
just be he, I mean, he like you a lot,
So I mean tea's and p's for you at the
next question, because you're not going to get what you
got with with.

Speaker 4 (35:09):
Lab Yeah, we'll see.

Speaker 5 (35:12):
Yeah, he was the first coach I dealt with, honestly,
But I think, uh, you know, I think people can
have conversations, and I guess if I'm giving myself, I.

Speaker 3 (35:24):
Know I'm trying.

Speaker 5 (35:24):
I don't want to give myself, I asked, Yeah, I
asked him hockey thoughtful questions like not just like lineup
decisions or who's starting a net?

Speaker 4 (35:34):
Like it's really just like, you know, what did.

Speaker 5 (35:36):
You see when you when you put two centers out
there for a d zoned draw with eight minutes to
go in the tie game?

Speaker 4 (35:42):
Like why did you put J. T.

Speaker 5 (35:44):
Miller and Benny Trocheck out there together, you know, and
have them take a ship like and and have them
take a shift.

Speaker 4 (35:50):
And I know how that sounded.

Speaker 1 (35:54):
They probably did that.

Speaker 5 (35:56):
Myself, I try to say myself, and you know, like
I think he respects that I pick up on that thing.
You know, like not everyone necessarily would pick up on that,
because you want two centers out there in case, you know,
the first guy gets kicked out of the draw.

Speaker 4 (36:10):
You want a guy who can win.

Speaker 5 (36:11):
The draw and then he'll get off the ice and
the normal winger will come back on, right, Like those
are little things that you know, I know just from
my playing experience.

Speaker 4 (36:20):
Well, yeah, well you guys know, but.

Speaker 5 (36:22):
I'm just saying like, I think that comes across in
the in the room to ask those questions sometimes.

Speaker 2 (36:28):
You know for sure he appreciates your hockey knowledge. Yeah, yeah,
he appreciates the question. So let's get into your hockey knowledge, Johnnyah.
Now the playoffs are going on and you got the
East and the West.

Speaker 3 (36:39):
Who is who are your picks? Who do you like?
What's going on in the playoffs? What are you feeling here?

Speaker 5 (36:46):
So I had Colorado Tampa as my Stanley Cup final matchup.

Speaker 4 (36:49):
Obviously, we've all been waiting extremely.

Speaker 5 (36:51):
Patiently for this Tampa Florida series to kick off, which yeah,
finally it does tonight. I don't know why the hell
it took so long for that series to start, Like
we got a tune off series heading back to Saint Louis,
are right all scheduling?

Speaker 1 (37:02):
Yeah, it's as Marinez.

Speaker 5 (37:07):
But I've been really impressed, honestly, Nate and Julie with
the Saint Louis Blues. Like, I know they're down to oh,
but I think they've really been to to toe with
Winnipeg and Nate, I know we'll probably get into it.
You were very high in Winnipeg going into the year
when you don't really count with that vote, but but
you know, I think a Laxa Daisic goal dezone coverage

(37:28):
last night is the difference in that game. Kyle Connor
left alone in the slot, you know, Robert Thomas I
think went down to out man the puck and Buchnevitch
fell asleep in the slot for a second and it's
in the back of their net.

Speaker 4 (37:38):
But if you can just limit that mistake, like Saint.

Speaker 5 (37:40):
Louis has been right there in the series with Winnipeg,
so they've been really impressive so far. I think Montreal
surprised a lot of people last night with their battle
back and no quit in the third period to come
back against Washington when I thought the Capitals were really
going to bully them and make them like feel the
pain that we all.

Speaker 4 (37:57):
Thought they would.

Speaker 5 (37:58):
With the hit we saw last night that Obechkin threw
on cold Caufield and Albetkin almost took off l Armia's
leg last night too, I thought he was gonna kill him.

Speaker 4 (38:07):
You know, a lot of big hits in that game.
Then you know, you go over and look.

Speaker 5 (38:12):
At Colorado Dallas, like I had written, Dallas done, no
Hayskin and no robertson, Colorado to me is just so
far and above everyone else in the league just with
their pace up and down the ice. I don't think
there's anyone faster that can keep up with these guys.
And for Dallas to battle back and tie that game
in the third period on a greasy goal by Dodonov

(38:33):
in front of the net, and then win in overtime
on again, what was unfortunate turnover by Miles Wood in
the offensive zone. It's a two on four rush the
other way that somehow Colin Blackwell finds a puck on
his own rebound and puts in the back of the net, like,
you know, credit to him for that play. And then
La and vonton last night, like, you know, we got
a taste of that series. And if the Oilers are
gonna win that series, you know it's gonna have to

(38:55):
be a five to four game, a six to five game.
It's it's not gonna be a two to one, three
to two, low scoring game that we've almost gotten used.

Speaker 4 (39:03):
To seeing with La.

Speaker 5 (39:04):
But the La King's Nate, and you know better than
anyone right now, you go to the games all the time.

Speaker 4 (39:08):
That team can score goals.

Speaker 5 (39:09):
Now you know, this isn't the last three years where
the Kings are trying to shut it down, limit McDavid
and Dricyitle and win a game three to two.

Speaker 4 (39:16):
Like they got offensive talent that team.

Speaker 5 (39:18):
So you know, I feel like I'm missing one that
I watched last night Carolina Jersey.

Speaker 1 (39:26):
Yeah, another big one.

Speaker 5 (39:28):
Uh Toronto, Ottawa, Toronto atawo oh okay, Chief and know
who you're on with.

Speaker 1 (39:37):
I was waiting for you to wrap up all of
your stuff and not even mentioned Toronto.

Speaker 5 (39:41):
It was like, all right, No, I was thinking about
the games last night, so that's what was fresh in
my mind. But listen, I think if you're a leaf span,
can you ask for a better Game one performance? Like
all four guys the core four show up. You get
good goaltending, power playlists, good, they stayed discipline, they didn't
back down from any physicality. Like to me, that's a
perfect game one of a series that you can ask

(40:02):
for if I'm a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hopefully they can replicate that again tonight in game two.
And listen, I think the only team that I had
coming out of the first round that I'm concerned about
right now, which I'm not really that concerned about is
Saint Louis. I actually had Saint Louis beating Winnipeg and
being down two oh to. That team is tough, but

(40:22):
the way they've played, I'm not like losing confidence in them.
I think they can pull out a winning Game three
and make it a series again. So I know I
missed a couple. That's how I'm looking at things right now.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
Okay, so we didn't talk about Carolina New Jersey. Is
this kind of like the MEH series? And I'm saying
that with all due respect, it's just one of those.
There's a lot of series going on right now, but
it's like kind of one of those oh that also
is going on, Like it just doesn't feel like, I
don't know, I feel like Carolina was also gonna do
this one dirty.

Speaker 4 (40:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (40:53):
I mean for me, I had the Canes in five
games before you know the series started. Now, obviously with
Luke Hughes and Brendan Dillon not playing tonight.

Speaker 4 (41:02):
That's a huge hit for the Devil's decor.

Speaker 5 (41:04):
And you know, we already saw Carolina outshoot the Devil's
in Game one like by a two to one ratio,
you know, a Devil's barely even touched the puck. That's
the only game where a team looked like they didn't
even belong on the same ice as their opponent. I
think we can all agree on not just trying to,
you know, give Devils fans or give the Devil's crap
because I'm a Ranger fan, Like that was just an
honest assessment, like they looked like they didn't belong. And

(41:25):
I think the one thing that you can knock Carolina
for in years past was their lack of ability to
convert in the power play in the playoffs and their goaltending.
But in Game one, they get that power play goal
from Logan Sankov, and I think they went like one
for three, which is good for their confidence because they
need obviously that going game to game to game. And
then you get saved from Freddie Anderson in goal, like
he played as good as he possibly could have. I

(41:47):
know he lets in that Nico hesher goal, but that
was a hell of a shot. I'll give he shore
all the credit in the world for that. But Carolina
on home ice, Nate, I feel like you might have
played against them on the road in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (41:57):
Did you ever get to play against them in that
building on the road.

Speaker 2 (42:00):
I never played against Carolina in the playoffs, no, no, no, no,
But but I mean to your point though, that place is,
I mean it's extremely loud, extremely hostile, and they play
a high energy game obviously.

Speaker 5 (42:12):
Yeah, and Julie, I know you know, you and I
have both watched it, like with the Rangers series these
past couple of years against Carolina, like.

Speaker 4 (42:18):
You know, any team that goes in there.

Speaker 5 (42:21):
I think I haven't seen Carolina been out played on
home ice once in the playoffs. Like they might lose games,
but that doesn't mean they were outplayed, you know. So
for the Hurricanes right now, it's not like it's not
like the Devils are gonna wake up and just play better.
Like Carolina's effort is consistent as as consistent as it gets.
So the Devils are just gonna have to find a

(42:42):
way to either win the special teams or get the
extra saves from Marksham or Jake Allen whoever starts to
probably Marksham. But I just don't see the Devils out
competing Carolina at all. So they'll just need to get
a bounced here there. But I just I just don't
see it happening.

Speaker 2 (42:56):
Yeah, I don't know if that game or that seriesly
even go to five games. Yeah, going right now, I
think that could be done for but even.

Speaker 1 (43:03):
Three, let's wrap this up.

Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah, yeah, you had to one up me, did you, Johnny?

Speaker 2 (43:11):
I'm just saying, So we're going to the series that
hasn't been played yet, Tampa and Florida, and going into that,
what do you what do you expect out of this series?

Speaker 3 (43:21):
I mean, and thin is gonna win?

Speaker 4 (43:25):
So I think I think I had Tampa in six games.
I have Tampa in my final.

Speaker 5 (43:29):
And a lot of that has to do with the
way they've played down the stretch. I know Florida hasn't
been healthy, but Tampa was like the highest scoring team
I think in the last month of the season. Basilevski
was one of the hottest goalies down the stretch. And
when you look at the guys who do it in
the regular season and get it done in the playoffs,
to me, Tampa is, you know, probably the most proven
in that category. You know, you got guys like bradon Point,

(43:52):
Nikita Kutrov obviously who I should have said first, Victor
Hedman now, Jake Gonsel is in the mix uh Sirelli Hagel, Like,
these guys are killers.

Speaker 4 (44:03):
Come playoff time. I'm not saying Florida doesn't have that.

Speaker 3 (44:06):
I was just gonna say, Johnny, I.

Speaker 5 (44:07):
Know, I'm not saying Florida doesn't have that, but I
feel like those guys had quieter regular seasons than Tampa.
Did you know, like Denzil had a forty goal year,
kutrav again wins the Art Ross, you know, Like I said,
Vesilevski right up there with them. Hegel thirty five goals,
and did I read a stat that none of his
goals were on the power like thirty five play Like

(44:28):
that's insane.

Speaker 4 (44:28):
To me, you know.

Speaker 5 (44:30):
And obviously byork Strand not being available is a big loss.
But they bringing Yanni yord as well. And this Tampa
team just the consistency they've shown down the stretch, which
I don't always buy.

Speaker 4 (44:40):
Into, you know.

Speaker 5 (44:41):
I know everyone says, yeah, I get hot at the
right time, and sometimes that isn't necessarily the case. Like
I think it was Colorado when they won the Cup,
they lost like six out of seven games in the
end of the year and found a way to turn
it on the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (44:51):
But just watching these two teams play.

Speaker 5 (44:53):
Also no eck Blad for the first two games for Florida,
you know, so I think everything is just leaning in
Tampa's favor a little bit more. Plus, you know, you
look at how much hockey has been played, where the
last couple of years, it was Tampa who had made
those deep runs three years in a row, Conference finals
stand like a Final three, like, you know, playing a
lot of hockey.

Speaker 4 (45:12):
Now it's Florida's turn, right back to.

Speaker 5 (45:14):
Back stand cup finals, a lot of hockey, you know,
not super healthy, like I already mentioned. And I think
when you just look at these things from pros and cons,
all the pros seemed to be in favor of Tampa Bay.
And that's why I just think there's no way they
lose the series.

Speaker 1 (45:30):
I don't, okay, follow up to that of just trying
to figure out with Kuchuk right now, I guess they're
doing morning skate, but it looks like, I mean, he
practiced yesterday. He hasn't played since four Nations, and I
mean just even having him back, like even if he
isn't fully healthy, like what kind of impact can he

(45:52):
make even if he's like you know, has one leg left,
Like just in terms of being on the ice.

Speaker 5 (45:59):
Well, I think his presence around the team is big too, right,
Like you know, he's a guy that you know, everyone's
gonna want to do their best and work their hardest
when Matthew Kchuck is standing next to you, knowing you
go out there like basically with like what you said.

Speaker 4 (46:12):
Julie, you like hope you want to play on one,
to play one, you know, like that's that's Matthew Chuck.
But I don't know.

Speaker 5 (46:18):
I still do think like Tampa isn't a team that
gets rattled by his antics either, Like you know, Florida's
gonna muck it up in between the whistles, you know,
Sam Bennett, Brad Marshan now and Matthew Kachuck after every
time Andre Basilewski smither's a puck, they're gonna be in there,
mother f and somebody and shoving their glove in somebody's
face and slashing somebody in the back of the leg.
But I just don't see Tampa as a team that's

(46:40):
gonna like buy into that and really like let it
get to them. So, you know, Florida and you know
they're led by Kachuck in this like whole rat category, right,
that's what everyone calls them. But you know that might
work against a team like Toronto or Ottawa or the teams.

Speaker 4 (46:54):
That haven't been there and done it before.

Speaker 5 (46:56):
But honestly, a guy like kouchuuv too and and Nate
you've played with him, no, I did?

Speaker 3 (47:02):
Yeah, yeah, he was called up when I was there.
Actually he was on my line for a little bit.
Whoa naz Yeah, little fat little fact for you. I
mean I taught him everything I know.

Speaker 4 (47:13):
Yeah, that's pretty cool.

Speaker 2 (47:15):
But like back to the point, which is which is
which is in comparison of his hockey knowledge not that much.

Speaker 4 (47:22):
Well, I feel like.

Speaker 5 (47:23):
That stuff also like gets him going right, Like like
he's he's got that fu to his game that like,
yes he does. If could chucking those guys like do
it to him, Like that's only gonna make him play better.

Speaker 4 (47:33):
I feel like, oh.

Speaker 2 (47:34):
Yeah, one hundred percent. He's one of those guys that
if someone Yeah, I mean the way Cooch is gonna
get even in a game, he's gonna he's gonna get
two goals and to assist and yeah and win the
hockey game.

Speaker 1 (47:44):
Yeah yeah, And you could see that at all start
game last year, right like when we saw him just
like singled out when it's not necessarily the team, Like
you get to see his personalities obviously got uh that
axe murderer gene that we look for in terms of
guys that can can really step it up. Okay, So lass,
if if the Rangers aren't winning the Cup this who
is wasting it?

Speaker 5 (48:06):
I have Colorado again, Like I picked them even before
the deadline, Like they're a team that if I'm staying
up till twelve thirty one am to watch, it's the avalanche.
Like I love watching Nate and Kale and and all
these guys play. Just the speed, the way they move,
Like honestly, there was like three plays last night, even
Marty Nachius. Like the way those guys stop on a

(48:29):
dime and get going the other direction. It's unlike anything
I've ever seen. Nathan McKinnon can literally do like a
spin move in the corner and within a second he's
already at the blue line like it's his speed is
and his strength on his skates is unbelievable. And Kale's
mobility on the blue line, the way he had fakes
and gets guys to bite and then walks downhill and
even like, honestly, there were so many times last night

(48:49):
where Ryan Lingern and Josh Manson were both below the
dot at the same time. Like Colorado doesn't even like
play a position. They got five guys out there that
just constantly move and confuse their opponent and the D
zone and you don't know who to pick up and
where they're even going. Like there was literally a play
where Josh man and it was in the slot and
Ryan Lingern is coming down the dots next time, and
I think he kicked it over for a shot, And

(49:10):
I'm like, who's playing d right now?

Speaker 3 (49:12):
You know?

Speaker 4 (49:12):
But like they're that good where they can get back
and cover for one another. So to me, they're the
best team.

Speaker 5 (49:17):
And if Blackwood's playing as well as he has, I
don't see anyone beating them in seven games.

Speaker 4 (49:21):
That's who I think wins. Who's going to be the
East with them?

Speaker 5 (49:25):
Tampa Tampa Tampa is might pick out of the East,
But but I will say that's not necessarily who I'm
rooting for. I think at this point it's so hard
not to root for the Capitals and want to see
ov win another one, and and kind of you know,
close out this incredible season on top and see him,
you know, party his butt off with the Stanley Cup,
and how awesome would that be just for you know, listen,

(49:45):
I'm I'm I'm guilty of this too. Whenever's whenever Ovi's
talked about, we kind of group said with him and
we compare the two careers, and I've always said, since
career is probably better, right like in the Mount Rushmore conversation,
we have to make room for OV if Sid's there,
right Like, that's kind of I'm guilty of that, I'll
say it firsthand. But I think if he gets the
second cup, you know, if he leads the capitalis to

(50:06):
another one, if he has a big contribution in that. Obviously,
he scored his first ever overtime goal in the Standing
Cup playoffs last night, which is insane at thirty nine
years old, best goal scorer of all time doing it.
I think that is just an incredible story book ending
to an unbelievable career, and it would suck to not
see him play next year, but I can't imagine he'd
want to come back after a summer partying with the
Stanley Cup again.

Speaker 4 (50:26):
So I'm rooting for the capitals.

Speaker 5 (50:27):
I don't think they will do it, but i'd love
to see over get in low one.

Speaker 1 (50:32):
I feel like he's coming back. I mean, I don't think.

Speaker 4 (50:35):
I feel if he wins.

Speaker 3 (50:36):
The Cup though, yeah, he'll still come back, I think.

Speaker 1 (50:38):
Yeah. So I think it's going to play until he
like literally cannot which I thought was last year, but
evidently I was wrong on that. Okay, Well, great stuff here,
Johnny Laz Thank you so much for joining us. We
hope you have a fruitful offseason filled with many different
features and stories about what the Rangers should and should
not do going forward. And we appreciate all your insight

(51:01):
and analysis and for joining us here and having a
little fun on Energy Line with Nate and.

Speaker 4 (51:05):
Jay Speed love you both. Thank you, and thank you
Jake as well. Appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (51:14):
All.

Speaker 1 (51:15):
Right, welcome on back. But we have two episodes this week.
We're really working extra hard here, Nate, So we're back Friday.
And what are you going to be watching for the
next couple days in the playoffs? Oh?

Speaker 2 (51:28):
Well, I mean I think obviously the game tonight with
Tampa and Florida, their first game is going to be huge, right,
so that'll be good. And then I think I can't
wait to see the second game of Edmonton and La
I think. I mean, I was at the game and
it was insane. So those are the games I'm really

(51:48):
looking forward to seeing. I think just to jump out
just because of matchups and everything. But those games, and
then obviously Colorado Dallas like this, those those these two
teams are just two titans that are going against each
other that it just seems like it's just bound to
go seven games.

Speaker 3 (52:03):
But I mean, there's so many storylines and so many.

Speaker 2 (52:05):
Teams that are just I mean, this playoffs has been
like in the words of JSB.

Speaker 3 (52:11):
Banana Lance.

Speaker 1 (52:12):
First of all, I am not a fan of the
Jersey matchup between Dallas and Colorado, which just gives me
the ick. I just can't I can't do I can't
do it. It's just so gross. But that's just Colors
for me. So if you're colorblind, I am so jealous
of you. But I think, hello Battle of Ontario. Yes,
by the time we talk on Friday, I'm wondering if

(52:33):
the Leafs have a three nothing lead in that series
or if Auduwa is able to kind of scrap their
way back into this. And I mean I mean scrap.
I mean by not scrapping, by not taking penalties. And
then also I want to see if Saint Louis can
get a game in there, and and you know same
with Montreal, like if any of these series, we want them, Okay,

(52:54):
So Nate in when I've worked in media, it was
always when I worked in media, because this isn't it,
it was always whoever wins this series the first game
of the series, that's who everyone wants to win the series.
That's what I've learned from like all of the top
hockey broadcasters because in the words of Bob McKenzie in

(53:15):
twenty fourteen Stanley Cup Final, Julie, we want to go
home and see our family because the whole year they're
working all the time. So a lot of broadcasters cheer
for the team that wins the first game of the
series because then that means there is a greater likelihood
of it being over. However, us as fans and we
want to see blood, guts, glory, all that kind of stuff.

(53:38):
We want to see a game seven. Anytime you can
get a game seven, go all the way. If you're
from Toronto, you don't want to see a game seven.
I think that I just want to see by the
time we talk Friday, like, has anyone emerged that we
have counted out or has any player sort of stepped
up that we might not have even thought of before. Okay,
so all right, that's what we have got for this week,

(54:00):
and as we mentioned, we have another episode coming up
on Friday, So going to wrap things up. Thanks for
listening to episode twelve of The Energy Line with Nate
and JSB. Energy Line is a production of the NHL
and iHeart podcast. Thank you so much to Johnny Lazarus
for joining us, Thanks to Jake Brown for producing the show.
You could subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify or
wherever you get your podcasts, or listen on the iHeartRadio app.

(54:22):
Give us a five star rating and please write a
nice review. H I'm Julie Swipinks. He's Nate Thompson. Nate and
I'll be back with a Friday special episode this week
as we begin two episodes a week. I love how
this is such a big deal. Two episodes more than one.
We're working double the amount of time and everyone should know.
Thank you guys for tuning into the Energy Line and

(54:44):
we'll be with you the entire Stanley Cup playoffs and
we'll chat with you in a few days. Energy Line
is the production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts. For
more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.