October 21, 2025 • 53 mins
On this week's episode of Energy Line Nate and JSB talk:
- Vladdy wearing an Auston Matthews jersey to Game 7! Did he reverse the curse in Toronto?
- The drama surrounding Anthony Stolarz after calling out teammates
- Mika Zibanejad's visible frustration after another game where the Rangers had trouble burying their scoring chances.
- And Brad Marchand--his antics against the Sabres and his return to Boston.
Julie and Nate were also joined by Mike Rupp, who shared thoughts on:
-
The New Jersey Devils and whether or not they seem like a Cup contender
-
Why Ranger fans shouldn't worry too much about their team.
-
The overwhelming depth of the Vegas Golden Knights and his concerns for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
And much more.
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeartPodcasts.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
(00:26):
Well going into Energy Line, Fake JASEV and Julie shurfinks.
He's former NHLR Nate Thompson and Nate you called it
Blackriar Junior. He helps the Blue Jays make it to
the World Series. I didn't expect it. I'm sorry I'm
starting off on this because why Vlattie was wearing an
Austin Matthews jersey going into the game, which was a bold,
(00:49):
bold strategy. When you saw that on social media, how
did that make you feel?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I got pretty jacked up, Julie.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I mean to see him rocking the poppy Austin Matthews
jersey walking in. He was strutting too. He was really
strutting the way he walked in. He was He had
a lot of a lot of swag. BD they call it.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Yeah, I'm not gonna you know, big deal. Yeah, everyone
knows what it is.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
But yeah, I mean I thought, and obviously my first
reaction was, Okay, this could be bad for the Jays
him wearing at least jersey, because we all knows what
happens when that where everyone wears that stuff. Yeah, he
exactly came seven curses. So good for the Jays, O,
and congratulations to you and all the Jays fans. This
(01:40):
is a big deal. This is a really big deal.
But you have your work cut out for you now
in the World Series.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
All right, let's not talk about that. It's like they
won the World Series last night. Okay, it really Actually.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
You're not done yet, I thought, right, I know.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
But it definitely felt like if I was any other
team or whatever watching that, I'd be like, guys, she
just won the al Pennant, like you're going to the
World Series. But he didn't win the Worldes. But it
definitely felt like it, and especially in the way that
it was done. And I want to first of I
want to touch back on the Matthews thing, Like I
saw that, I had a million people sending it to me,
(02:14):
be like this isn't good, not a good move. Uh oh,
we know what happens to Toronto in game sevens And
I was like, goh, so mad. I was like, no,
like it's spooky season. He's just trying to get rid
of Caspers, Like he's getting rid of the ghosts of
Toronto and he's going to reverse the fortune with his
sorcery because it's also what baseball and not hockey. And
(02:38):
I also love the move, Like I don't know what
went on behind the scenes of lad deciding to wear
Matthew's jersey. Either it was he just wore it and
he just decided to wear it and didn't tell anybody,
or there was somewhat of a unique strategy behind it,
because it is a big baller move, as you mentioned,
a bad move. He goes in there, everyone's freaking out, thinking,
(03:01):
oh my god, now Vlat's ruined it, and he's like, no,
we're going to win. And Austin Matthews is a good player,
and I've shown up in the playoffs, and so why
wouldn't I wear this? Because like, it just felt as
though it didn't matter what happened in the past. I
actually quoted a Joe just spends a quote to a friend,
(03:21):
which felt like a bit of a reach, but it
was like, our brains only know what and bodies only
know what has happened in the past, and that's what
we think about the future. So it's not until we
think maybe it could be different that we actually feel
like it could be different. Right, So that's why so
many people think if something happens like, well, this is
(03:42):
gonna happen, because that's all we know, right, so that's
all we know with that, not to get too woo
woo to start this podcast off. Obviously, the Jay's one
shout out to the nice Mariners fans, all of them
who didn't cheer when George Springer went down. But the
rest of them, who I believe there are quite a lot.
I felt bad for them. They obviously have never been
(04:02):
to a World Series forty eight years in the making,
gonna have to wait a little longer. So Jays fans, congratulations,
Toronto fans, congratulations. And I want to bring that into
their counterparts down the street, who would be watching this
game and seeing, Wow, this is what it's like when
a Toronto team wins a game seven and people are
(04:25):
in the streets. Also, by the way, they were abiding
the crosswalk rules, but they were hanging off of street signs.
They're celebrating. Everyone's going banana sandwich. Take that in times
by a hundred. If the Leafs had done something like this,
and like, seriously, really and you see this team not
(04:45):
get off, first of all, I think they must be
if I'm the Leafs I'm happy that the Jays have
taken a lot of the spotlight off of me to
start the season, because the Leafs have not looked consistent
or great, to put it nicely, and Anthony Stolers came
out after their loss, their overtime loss to Seattle. I
had some strong words to say to the team, a
(05:05):
bit of a lighting a fire underneath them, kind of
the quote that we'll stay with everyone is the enough
is enough, And he talked about that in front of
the play in front of him. He was kind of
run by Mason Marchmant, and Brandon Carlo just sort of
stood there like, what, Nate, what do you think was
going through Brandon Carlos had when he just watched his
(05:28):
goalie get run by Marchmant.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Well, he wasn't thinking, he wasn't reacting like he should.
And you're right, the Leafs have been extremely inconsistent. There's
been times where I've been watching him and I'm like, Wow,
this team.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Looks pretty good. They're heavy, they look hard to play
against in other games. You're just what's going on. I
understand Stoler's frustration.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
I understand what he means, and you know, he kind
of puts his whole team on blasts a little bit.
But at the same time, it's not the right time
or right place to do it. I mean it's October. No,
I don't. I don't think it's it's October. It's you know,
you're you're you're the goalie, You're going to be the guy.
(06:15):
But like you're the goalie, you know, these guys are
playing in front of you. Yeah, sometimes they're not gonna
play good, but you know what, there's so many times
when you're not gonna play good too, and they're gonna
they're gonna bail you out.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
So I just I don't like I don't like the
thrown under the bus of Okay, this team needs to
do this. That's fine.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I mean, you could say what you want to say,
but I mean that's why that they ended up having
a meeting Beruby, Matthews, Kneelander, and Stollers. They had to
have a meeting about it because that's gonna cause I mean,
look where you are. First off, you're in Toronto, and
you're gonna start saying stuff about that about other team
that they're gonna they're gonna put you on a stick.
(06:58):
They're gonna speculate and they're gonna do all those things.
So they had a nip in the butt because you
can't you just can't have that speculation of Okay, this
team's in turmoil now because of what he said in
the media about his teammates and the team.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I agree with them coming together doing that whole thing,
being like bing bang boom. We had communication, I think
I do. I would say I like seeing him come
out and say something versus the Sheldon Keith era where
it would just be like, well, you know, it's you know,
we got a point one game at a time. Things happened,
debt da da, the same old. I think there's a
(07:34):
little bit more. There's definitely a pressure cooker around these leaves,
especially with the way things have gone this season. Marn
are not there. Everyone trying to figure out what works,
what doesn't work. Seemingly more things don't work and not
and I think, like for Stollers, he was just really
fed up. He'd already been had Carlo kind of push
Jaden Schwartz in him earlier on in the game, and
(07:56):
then I think he's just like they need I mean,
Stoller's arguably other than Matthew's, their most important guy on
the team, right, would you say that?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, yeah, I know he is, for sure.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
I think that if they don't if Stollers doesn't play well,
the Leafs aren't going anywhere. But I think it goes
out saying for any team, you got to have a
good goaltending.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
But I do I agree.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
I think Stoller's is an extremely important guy for their team.
And that's why I think I think they, like you said,
the communication part of them meeting after this happened in
the media and like, okay, let's get on the same
page here, like we need to make sure that we're
all going in the right direction.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
On the same page.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
And yeah, this, I mean, this is this is something
that could be blown way bigger out of proportion than
it could be. But I'm glad that they were able
to talk it out and be done with it right.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And I think to your point, when you do put
the cap on it, you're also extremely lucky. I already
referenced them, but the team down the street doing well.
Taking a couple more beat writers away from Morning Skate,
a couple more, a couple more columns about the Jays
versus what would be normally just enough is enough would
be the headline of like the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun,
(09:14):
even some of the national national newspapers. There also, Man,
I'm referencing newspapers like, gosh, I'm old like people. People
don't really do that anymore. Okay, but we're we're not
gonna We're not gonna take down print journalism in this
podcast in particular. But I will say I liked it
(09:35):
as someone who's grown up watching the Leaf seeing a
little bit of backbone earlier in the season. Because to
your point, let's see how they respond. Is it a
team crasher or is it like a team accelerator. I
don't know, something that kind of helps turn them around
in a bit, because they haven't been hard to play against, right,
(09:56):
Like you've see what happened with Eastern Cowan. These guys
get bing, bang, boomed around, ping ponged everywhere, and no
one seems to stand up for one another, Like.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
How have you been at times? Yeah, you're right, it's
only been like it's it's just bursts. And that goes
this probably for a lot of teams that we can
talk about that we will get to. But the inconsistency
of certain teams, it's been just in flashes and that's
when the leaves too. They haven't been you know, And
you could say that even for their power play too,
Like their power play really hasn't been clicking. And I
(10:27):
just think that they're too good, They're too too talented.
Barubi's too good a coach. I think it'll it'll start
coming together here, it will.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Okay. So as a guy that you know was a
really tough guy still is a really tough guy because
they've seen you in your jiu jitsu, how do you
instill that mentality or that mindset or even just that
that tangibly on the ice for a team that really
doesn't have that identity to start the season.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Well, I think that what Stollers did, I think in
a way.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
To back what you're saying, Julie, I think there's a
good part of that too, like the fact that he
came out and said something. It definitely it causes a
conversation and probably raise some questions with Brewby was okay,
we need to all chat about this, And I'm sure
that there has been some conversations with their leadership core
(11:29):
different guys being like okay, like if we're going to win,
if we're going to play a certain way, and we
have to.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Meet those needs that Brewby wants.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
We have to play a certain style, and I think
the Leafs have to, like if they're going to be successful,
they have to be a team that's physical, that's hard
to play against. All these things that we've talked about,
But it's the way their makeup the way it's the
way their team's made up now, Like their team's not
made up the same, Like you don't have Mitch Marner anymore,
Like that's gone. There's some other other guys that are gone.
(12:00):
Like the team's a little bit different now. So I
think there's a little bit of that. I think there's
a little bit of a transition. Even though they are
the same Leafs team, they're kind of not. They're they're
a little bit of a different style Leafs team than
we're used to. And I think that maybe that's that's
the transformation a little bit of this team.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Yeah, and I think that they're they're trying to figure
out really that a top line as well without Marner
on there, and then that kind of affects everyone and
some of the injuries that they've gotten as well. Okay,
so another team that had A good thing happened to
them last night was the New York Rangers. They scored
their first goal at home. Yike's McGee. That's uh. I'm
(12:46):
glad for the fans that they got to do there.
Hey hey, hey hey, for the first time this season. However,
they still lost three one to the Minnesota Wild, and
mika'savanajead afterward after the game was just as someone who
has to asked Mika a lot of questions in the
locker room before. He's usually a little bit more demyror
(13:11):
or like soft spoken or kind of just even after
a loss, he'll just be like, yeah, well, you know,
it's just I mean, it's not like we're not trying.
And that's not what he was like last night. By
the way, hockey guys always say yeah, look at it.
(13:34):
Watch every interview. You would have done it too. I
swear to guys, Oh yeah, it's yeah and okay. So
Mika was a little bit animated. He's upset, he's a
bit frustrated with how things are going. I'm not sure
exactly what the question was, but it had an obvious answer.
(13:56):
He was maybe, Matt, if you are able to play it,
if we're able to do that. If not, we can
just I'll.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Go off of what the what he would say, do you.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Want to be Meka's avantage? Can I just pretend to
I'll be pretending.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
To be.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Because so, what's going on? Why does it seem so
bad right now?
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Or whatever the question was, It's not so bad.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
We I'm trying to score and we keep going and
I keep pushing, and I just I don't know what
else to say.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I don't know what else to tell you.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I've been trying to score and I'm getting chances, and
when I'm getting chances, things usually happen, so things will happen.
I'm just I don't know what else to tell you.
I don't I don't know what else to tell you.
This is what's happening right now.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
End scene. Great job, Nate.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
That was kind of that was kind of it. That
was kind of it was.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
A bit more like Spicy had a little bit more
like I don't know, I don't know right like, here's
my notes. Sorry, here's a couple of notes here for
your acting career. Just like he seems like I don't exasperated, no,
why I'm trying. So then when you when you hear
that even as like a former player and now as
(15:07):
someone who's on the other side, was your takeaway.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
He's not wrong because I watched majority of the game
and he is getting a lot of chances, and even
in the game against Montreal on Saturday, I thought he
was really good. He's playing well, he's playing good hockey,
and he's just not scoring as much as he should.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
And I guess he's right. And last night, though.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
The Rangers they've been playing pretty well as of late,
last night they didn't play very good. Minnesota was just
a team that was kind of firing all the cylinders
and their goalie played a little bit better than Strik
And even though she, Stik has played good again. Yeah,
but I do. I do like the way the Rangers
have been playing this season. As crazy as it sounds
(15:53):
that I know they've only scored one goal at home,
I do like the way they've been playing. I think
it's a completely different Maybe that's why because they're they're defensively.
If you watched if you watched a game from last
October November and watched a game from this it would
be fucking night and day difference.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Defense was such a liability.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Last year liability, absolute liability. So watching them now, it's
just it's completely different. So I would say because of that,
just because of that, it's a plus this season, and
I think they're a different team.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Well, defense, as we know the last last year, fifteen
the fifteen teams out of sixteen that made the playoffs
had the fewest number of goals allowed. So that shows
you how important defense is, of course to then leading
to offense. So you think for the Rangers under Mike
Sullivan that if you can get your defensive structure down,
(16:51):
how about Igor Shustkan and then kind of build off
of that In terms of the goal scoring, you just
can't have so many zeros when you're looking at these games.
They're tight games and they just can't put up a
goal to save their life. But they did get goal
last night, so we'll give them a little bit of
credit for that. And so with this, I would say
mikahead last year. I mean, he doesn't have Chris Cryder
(17:13):
this year, so that's the first time he hasn't had
Crider in his Rangers career. That's going to affect a
lot of different things. But he seemed to lose confidence
last year when he would be on a breakaway, he'd
do a little like drop pass, which was at the
time in the situation, not the right move, but he
(17:33):
would usually opt to pass versus shoot, and it felt
like he might have lost confidence with his shooting ability.
My final question about the Rangers, because I was not
watching the Rangers game last night, as evidenced by the
hat I'm wearing right now, which has the Blue Jays
on it, is it is it a matter of his
(17:56):
scoring accuracy, like is he getting any grade a's or
is he is he just shooting the puck without really
much on it.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
No, I think he's. No, he's getting chances right now.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
I think that's I think that's the frustration, and that's
why he was like he's so.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Like you said, his reaction is I don't know, I
don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
It's because he's getting all those chances, like he had
a greade, a point blank shot in front of the net
and Gusulsen made it, you know, an incredible save, and
I think he's actually I think Mika's shooting the puck more.
It seems like he's shooting the puck more than he
has in the past, and I think the Rangers, like
the Leafs are a little bit of a different team
(18:42):
as well this year, like the when I think of
the Rangers of the last few years, like their team
that you know, made a lot of plays. They were
more of an East West team. You know, they were
high octane offense like all these things. Now the Rangers
need to be physical to be good. Like I'm watching
their games, and when they're physical, they're a better hockey team.
(19:03):
And that's kind of led by their fourth line. Like
the Rangers fourth line right now is incredible, like Krick,
Krick and Rempe and then camera is that their kid's name.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Is it Edstrom?
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Edstrom? Yeah? Sorry, Edstrom.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
I mean that's a big old, a big line.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
It's a big line.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
But I think they've been kind of carrying the culture
of the Rangers so far, and I think that's what
the Rangers are going to be. They're going to be
a team that they're going to be a little heavier,
a little bit meaner. I mean, you have Miller, you
have these other guys that can play like that.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
So Check's been out.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Check's been out, but he's been hurt. So I think
the makeup's a little bit different to this team. But
I wouldn't be worried if you're a Rangers fan, because
there's a lot of positives.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Right now, We'll.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Look at you. That's a great that's a great spin
right there. Well, some good news in the prairies of Canada,
and that is that Jonathan Tave scored his first goal
in more than two years, in one hundred and eighty
nine days. He helped Jets come from behind to in
their fifth in a row, and it was his first
(20:09):
for his hometown team. Real feel good story. How do
you feel when you are a player, maybe not even
on his team, but just a player in the league,
a former player like yourself, and you see a guy
like Taves who's been through a lot, has had this
illustrious career, but comes back and does what he does
and is able to do that. How does that make
(20:29):
you feel?
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Oh? So pumped, so happy.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
You could see Neil Pionk after he shot it and
Tay's tipped, he like skated right over to him. You know,
he was so he was so jacked up, so happy
for Jonathan Tase.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
It was a matter of time.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
He's playing well, he was getting chances. Winnipeg Jets are
playing really good right now. They're humming so good on
Jonathan Tase to get his first, which I'm sure he's
gonna get a few more, which they they they need
him to get a few more this season to keep
on jogger along. So it's great to see nice tip
goal just stand in front of the net and you
(21:03):
could see he was pumped. I mean, that was a
big monkey office back. I'm sure he's been thinking about.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
That, right And I mean I think a lot of
us were curious what we were going to see from
Taves after everything he'd been through. What do you think
are the expectations for him this season?
Speaker 3 (21:20):
I think that's a very good question because I think
the expectations is him to basically hold the fort for
the Winnipeg Jets in a role that where he can,
you know, be impactful, but not expect Okay, like we're
we're not expecting the Jonathan Taes of the Chicago Blackhawks days,
(21:41):
like we everyone knows that. But I think we're going
to get a solid third line, fourth line center that's
going to contribute, hopefully, you know, offensively, more than they expected.
And I think for the Jets that's what they want.
I think for everyone in the league. For myself, I
think you just want to see a healthy Jonathan Taz
and a Taze that can help the Jets and impact
(22:05):
them in a positive way because if they do and
if Jonathan Tate keeps playing well, I mean they don't
have Adam Lowry for a bit, but like having that
depth and having him step in and do what he's
doing until Lowry's back would be huge for the Jets
coming down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Right And with this Jets team, we saw them win
the President's Trophy last year. They go to Game seven
against Dallas and it's Colorado, which when was it again
the Blues.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
They come back and beat the Blues, not.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Even one of the two I mentioned. It was just like,
it's amazing what a couple months can really do to
the old noggin out there or an you're trying to
remember what happened last season? Uh yeah, okay, So it
was against the Blues that was wild. That was yes,
that was a wild Game seven that they won, and
then they went on to play Dallas which they lost
(22:58):
in that So but for the Jets overall, final cue
over this, they feel to me as so they have
become the Leafs of like three let's say three or
four years ago, where it was like play regular season, great,
we know you're going to do great, you're a good team,
but it doesn't matter until you do it in the
playoffs for us always.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
I mean that's a story for a few teams in
this league definitely, And I think for the Jets it's
they know like they need to make the playoffs, and
they will. But for them, it's just getting through this
regular season, making the playoffs, staying healthy, playing the right way,
and then trying to find that other gear in the playoffs,
which we haven't seen them do yet and we're still waiting.
(23:41):
So maybe maybe with a guy like Jonathan Taes and
their lineup and him being around and him winning three
Stanley Cups, knowing what it takes having a guy like
that around, maybe maybe that's the little piece of the
puzzle that can push them over the top.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Right, Never underestimate a hometown guy. As I'm going to
make a connection back to Vladdie and his you know,
feeling of wanting to do it for the city, the team,
his dad. There's always that extra push. Sometimes those intangibles
down the stretch can really make a difference. All right.
What I want to talk about here is something that was,
(24:17):
you know, a little bit of hooliganism at its finest,
and I'm unsure how we should feel about it as
like broadcasters of the league, but as a fan of
the game, I certainly enjoyed the shenanigans that went on
between Brad Marshawn and Rosmus Dollan Dollen, I always get
(24:37):
it mixed up. There's the old not gonna trying to
throw me for a loop again. He takes he takes
the straps off his helmet as he's gone a penalty
box and it was something I've never seen before and
it was highly entertaining. Was it too much or just enough?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
No, it wasn't too much.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I mean, I I was laughing. I was actually I
was watching this and I know Brad Marshawan but I
and I'm a fan of his clearly, but I was
actually laughing out loud when I saw him hold continue
to hold onto his helmet as the linesman is escorting
him to the penalty box and then he just rips
off the straps, everything off. I mean, I thought it
(25:19):
was great. And this guy. If anyone has any question
about Brad Marshaan and his competitiveness. He shouldn't be any
question because he still cares and he still wants to win,
and he'll do anything it takes. I mean, Rasmus Dalling
always seems to be the mix of any scrum or
any kind of fight or anything like that. He seems
to always be in the mix. And he gave him
(25:40):
a nice little cross check, and Brad was not happy
about it, but I loved it. I mean that there
were there were some there were some instances in my
career where I may or may not have stepped on
a blade or a stick and snapped it a few
times on purpose.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Oh yeah, yeah, oh y.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
You do things during the games or even the playoffs
or whatever it is is that you, Yeah, you message.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Sent what's like your most egregious thing that you did
as to be a jerk on the ice?
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (26:14):
I think I mean that probably the stepping on a stick,
like breaking a couple of sticks. I think I remember
there was like a melee or something like that, and
I think I just started, I grab a couple of
sticks and just start stepping on them and breaking them, knowing,
knowing that they're the other other other teams right.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Did you practice that or you ever worried you were
going to step on it and like fall over?
Speaker 2 (26:37):
No, no, no, I knew, I knew I wasn't going
to fall over.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
I don't know. I mean I've seen guys step on
other guys sticks. And but back to some shenanigans. Brad
Marshawn meeting the Boston Bruins for his first time as
a visitor to t D Garden. What do you expect
from this homecoming?
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I expect a long ovation and he deserves it. He
just are the longest ovation because I think he's one
of the best Bruins of all time. I mean, I
think when you think of all the best Bruins of
cam Neely, you know.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Terry O'Reilly, all these guys.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Now Zaden Ochara is getting inducted this year, then he'll
be Patrice Bergern and then I think it'll be Brad
Marshawn after that. What he's you know, when you think
of the Boston Bruins, you think of him just because
of all the you know, all the different shenanigans that
he's done over the course of his career. Right Like
he's he's a guy that will lick your face. Yeah,
(27:38):
he'll lick your face and then he'll go score on
you after that, you know, and he'll run you, he'll
stick you, he'll do all these things. But just a
consummate professional. I think eventually, yeah, I think he will be.
He's he's a Hall of Famer. I mean, he's won
a couple of Cups now Team Canada is everything he's done.
I mean, he's just a big time player. He's like
(27:59):
he's one of those guys where like the game is
on the line and it's like he shows up in
comes up with a big play every single time. So
it's going to be a fun atmosphere in Boston to night.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
For sure. That'll be one that are going to have
to watch.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Yeah, he's got that grit and it doesn't matter that
he's the smallest guy on the ice whatever, he might
not be the best guy on the ice. He's just
always going to give it his all. And I think
what I really love about Brad marshaw on and this
is something I would never I would never have said
a sentence what I really love about Brad marshawan ever
in my entire life until the last couple of years,
where guys have really been able to. It's been encouraged
(28:36):
for them to show their personality, and I just love
getting to know who he is as a person as
a player, and what that is like inside of him.
He is a very likable guy, despite being someone who
is pretty unlikable on the ice. If you're going up
against him, I would imagine. And as someone from Toronto,
you know, he's haunted a lot of my nightmares for
(28:58):
many years. But also as a Canadian, he's been absolutely fantastic.
So he's been such a enigmatic difference maker in the
sport of hockey. And I think his willingness now to
go in front of the camera do some of these
silly commercials for Tim Horton's or I saw one for
Team Canada. It's just it's he's he's happy to have fun,
(29:21):
to laugh at himself, to laugh at others, to bring
some jug to the game. And I think that that
will speak volumes going down the stretch, because then guys
see Brad do it, and then there you know, it's
people want to be like a guy like that. They'll realize, okay,
we can do that too, and I think that helps
the whole sport of hockey. So we've got, We've got
(29:42):
so many things going on, and we're lucky that we're
able to have a guy who talks about this pretty
much every day on NHL Network and has an illustrious
career in the league, and that is none other than
Mike Rupp. And he is going to be joining us
to help break down what's going on with the league
this season and what we can expect going forward coming
up after this on Energy Line with Nate and JSB.
(30:08):
Welcome back on into the Energy Line with Nate and JSB.
And we are very fortunate to have someone who is very,
very busy, who is really just breaking down every game,
every day, all the time on NHL Network and MSG Networks.
He's a color analyst studio analyst for both of those
as well as a former NHL player Stanley Cup champion
(30:28):
with the New Jersey Devils. None other than Mike Rupp.
Thank you so much for joining us here today.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
I'm glad we can make it work.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
I know we tried a couple of times and I
I was saying to Nate and like, my apologies, man,
I've been kind of a pain to lock something down.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
And here we are.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
I'm in my car but I'm glad I can catch
up with you guys.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Better than nothing.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Rupper, We're just glad to have you.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
No, no, I run into Nate, you know, with the network,
get to work with him, so it's awesome. And JSB
I've run in the over the years, so we've run
into each.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Other at an open bar at a wedding. Is really
what you're trying to say.
Speaker 4 (31:05):
Yeah, that's basically what That's basically what I'm saying. And
uh yeah, So I'm happy. I'll hang out with you
guys anytime I can. So it's good.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Okay. Devils, we're just talking about the fact that you're
going to be with them this year. They have been
on a heater heading into Toronto, Sheldon Keeth going into
his old barn. I mean, the vibes in Toronto are
a little all over the map because the Jays win,
but the Leafs are having a little bit of drama
going on behind the scenes. How do you feel about
(31:34):
the Devils right now? And also do you think Sheldon
Keith can pull out a win in his in his
old territory.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
So, yeah, the Devils.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
Outside of Game one against Carolina, I think the Devils
have played a pretty good brand of hockey. They've really
gotten to go in some of the big guys. Jack
has really stepped up in a lot of different ways.
They're they're they're, they're they're flowing good right now. Jake
Allen looks fantastic and that it just I always think
to myself, because you see things like this in wonder
can it continue?
Speaker 2 (32:03):
It just I don't know it. On a day or
a time when the Leafs get called.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Out by their players inside the room they're having meetings,
it's almost feels like Sheldon Keef's probably like, are you
kidding me? Of all the times we couldn't just go
in there after the Toronto Maple Leafs are feeling good
about themselves and maybe just cakewalk someone by five goals,
like you're going in you know that they're going to
have a different level.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
So yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
I mean, you could very easily say the way that
the Devil's been playing, they've been much better I think
as far as details compared to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But kind of feels like there's going to be a
bounce back game here by the Leafs. So that's one
that I will have all eyes on, and I think
a lot of the hockey world will as well.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Before we get into the leaves. Do you believe this.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Jersey team can win this season? I mean, their depth
has been incredible lately. I think that's been a huge factor.
But do you think this is the team this season
that could win?
Speaker 4 (33:00):
So I'm studio analysts with them, I'm supposed to say yes.
I'm not even react, right, I'm to just be like, yeah,
both course.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
No.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
I want to try to shoo everybody straight. I believe
in this team. I do think they are a good team.
Now do I think as we sit here today at
the end of October, do I envision them being able
to win the Stanley Cup. I don't see that right
in the moment, but that's what the season's for, to
keep getting to certain mile markers and answering the bell
(33:30):
finding a new level.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
Now.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
Do they have enough talent? Absolutely, they got enough talent.
I think they got the goaltending. They've got a lot
of things going their way. But there's still a team
that you look over the last couple of years. I
mean they've been kind of fragile. When they Jack goes down,
the team all of a sudden can't. He's a huge part.
So can they be healthy? I think that's every team.
You got to ask that question. Can they play a
(33:54):
heavy game?
Speaker 2 (33:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
Well, they're gonna have to play a heavy game over
the course of eighty two. You're gonna come into some
arenas on different nights and you're gonna be asked to
do different things. Can they do that? It's still early.
I don't know if there they can do that. I
think they have the guys that can do that. So
I think the long winded answer is it's TBD. I
think that they have an opportunity to go on a run.
(34:18):
Now for me to say that they can win a
Stanley Cup, I need to see a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
But I think it's a good start.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
They started on time as far as the season goes,
and I think that's really the first step.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Right Repert, It's a great point that you make with
just them staying healthy. That has been such a key
for them, that has really hurt them the last couple
seasons with being able to do some things. But I've
got to bring up I didn't bring it up when
we started, but I remember and correct me if I'm wrong,
because as we know the old upstairs brain chamber sometimes
(34:48):
fools me. But did you not pick Toronto to win
the Stanley Cup on NHL Network?
Speaker 4 (34:56):
So I picked them, I picked them to be I
think I picked Toronto. I did pick Toronto and Vegas
and the finals. I don't think I picked if you'd
asked me now, I don't know if I picked a winner.
But if you're asking me now, I think I would
probably say Vegas would be the winner of that.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
But I have, Yeah, I have Toronto.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
I mean I I I love what Anthony Stolars did
the other day. I love that they're going through some
drama early in the season. I think they need to
go through this stuff right now. I think this team
is built well and it's kind of the same things
said about the Devils, like I will see how they
react to all of this, but I think they've got
a chance. I think the Eastern Conference isn't as strong
(35:38):
as the West. I think what we all would probably
agree with that it's an opportunity and that's lays out there,
and I think maybe they'll have a different mentality. I'm
hoping they will have a different mentality once the playoffs start.
But yeah, I've I've got them, and you know me
like I don't. I don't give the Leafs any free passes.
It's a little bit of a hobby of mine to
jump on them. And I'm saying I think this team
(36:00):
is the closest Leafs team to win a stay Onley
Cup that I can think of as far as roster
building quite some time.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Yeah, Rup right, I picked the Leafs to uh go
to the Sail Cup final last season, and I agree,
I'm with you. I think the Leafs the way their
makeup their whole roster really it's a it's a completely
different Leafs team than we're used to seeing. Is there
a team right now early where you're going, Okay, we
(36:28):
expected more? What's going on right now? Panic button? Maybe Tampa?
Speaker 4 (36:35):
Maybe Tampa, like Tampa was a team when we're looking
at it, I mean, I picked Tampa Vegas last year.
We obviously never know or will will know what would
have happened because they lost the Lightning lost to the Panthers.
That's always the tricky thing every year too. When you
the Stanley Cup winner beat you in the in the playoffs,
(36:56):
it's it's a loss.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
You you got eliminated.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
You didn't do enough wherever you want to say, we
weren't good enough, but at the same time, that's the
team that won it. It kind of leaves you thinking
what could have been, and that's what I think about
Tampa last year. So coming into this year, I'm thinking
this team, when you go back to last year, they
were as far as the if you want to look
at analytics or if you want to look at traditional stats, defensively,
one of the top five teams in the league. Offensively,
(37:22):
top five team in the league. You got to talk
about star players and a goaltender that they had that
was healthy last year in Vassilevsky. I'm thinking this team's
loaded and I expect them to be back in the
mix this year.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
They have not.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Started the way I thought that they would. I think
John Cooper was pretty vocal about that. But I think
they find a way to get it going, and again,
Eastern Conferences a little bit in shambles or wide open,
where I think it buys them a little bit of
time to get going. But their team, I'm a little bit,
I guess concerned of to start the season.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Right, that's someone that's that's a team that's definitely stands
out with just one win bottom of the Eastern Conference,
you sort of say, wait, what what's going on there?
So many of those guys have played together before, they've
won together before.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Maybe it's like cabin fever in a way. I'm not sure,
but I'm certain that that organization in John Cooper will
figure out some way to get things going, whether that
is on the icer, bringing in reinforcements off the ice,
whatever that means. But got to ask about another team
that's in the Tri State area, and that's a New
York Rangers, and they scored a goal at home, which
(38:30):
we're really happy for them about. You got to take
the wins where you get them. But Nate was waxing
poetic about them earlier in just the fact that he
says that they're playing really well and you'll really like
them defensively, but you got to be able to score goals.
What's your analysis of this iteration of this Rangers team?
Speaker 4 (38:48):
Under my excellivant, again, you have to take everything I
say with a grain of sault when I talk about
the Eastern Conference, because I think that there's so many
teams that have an opportunity in the East. I think
that by far, the best team in the East is
the Carolina Hurricanes. I think they're kind of showing that
early on there. They for me, are going to run
away with the best record, needst probably the Presidence Trophy,
(39:09):
I'm guessing.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
But outside of them, it's there's a lot of teams
that are in the hunt.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
And so when I talk about the Rangers and I'm
going to say I'm not concerned about them, that doesn't
mean they're aokay, going to win a Stanley Cup. I'm
saying they'll figure it out. They're going to be a
playoff team. And then again we'll see where they are
come April mid April where their game is kind of
built up to. But the last two years in New York,
and that goes back to the President's Trophy winning year.
(39:39):
That year they won the President Trophy. They they they
were not a good defending team. They lived off of
solid goaltending. They had that line, the member the Trocheck
Lafrenier Paneren line a couple of years ago was money.
The power play was awesome. Crider was getting his power
play go like. They had a lot of things. I
(40:00):
think we're I don't want to say masking because you
need those things that that's who your team is. But
they had a lot of holes defensively, and I think
last year it all came caught up to them. They
didn't have anybody last year that was having a career year.
Everyone kind of did that the prior, and so I
think last year is where you really looked at this team.
(40:21):
This seems not good enough defensively and as a as
a unit, and that was probably prevalent prior, but because
they were winning, it was ignored. Mike Sullivan's changed that,
Like they're a team when you look that they don't
give up much. I know they're not scoring goals. I
don't know how you're going that long without scoring a
(40:43):
goal at home or even just not being good at
home so far to start the year at MSG. But
for the most part, outside of the last game and
outside of Game one against Pittsburgh, this team has been
really stingy in what they're giving up and when you
do that, And I just speak from experience playing with
Marty Burdoor and coming up in the Devil's organization, when
(41:06):
you are committed defensively and you don't give up much
and you have a Hall of Fame goaltender behind you,
you're probably going to win a lot of games. And
it kind of feels like that's what we're starting to
see with the Rangers now. I don't know if they're
going to score a lot of goals this year, but
they're going to score more than what they have up
to this point. So I think that that's kind of
(41:27):
what you were saying Nate as well. I'm not concerned
about them. They will figure it out. They'll be a
playoff team. I think they finished top three in the Metro.
It's just just a tough start so far as far
as scoring goals.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Yeah, I was telling Julia earlier that this team feels
a little bit different, like they're more of a physical
Rangers team than we've used to see in the last
couple of years, Like they have to be physical to
be successful. You were talking about Carolina Vegas earlier, Vegas
being one of your picks to the finals, and I
was watching their game last night, and you know it,
(41:59):
every time I watch Vegas, I look at their roster
and I watch them and when they get going, you're like,
how is this team gonna lose this year?
Speaker 4 (42:07):
So I think every team, every team, if we're gonnare
you're gonna nitpicks where their achilles heel is. It's hard
to say it's an achilles heel when the goaltender you
have was the goaltender that won the Stanley Cup with you,
and he's pretty effective in that Stanley Cup run and
Aiden Hill. He's been banged up a couple times. Left
(42:27):
the game last night. I think that they're going to
probably be doing more and more things as the season
goes on to maybe solidify that position. The D side
of it, they they can score goals, man, they can
score goals. All their lines can. I think that's the
deepest built roster as far as forwards in the NHL.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
They they'll score. Can they defend?
Speaker 4 (42:52):
Because you remember what made Vegas tough when they won
the Stanley Cup. You couldn't get to their net man
and they're without Petro, which is a huge loss. And
I think one that's an honorable mention too is Nick
haig skuy like six six two forty. The whole, the
whole genesis of that team when they won was you're
not getting to our goalie. You're not getting in front
(43:12):
of the net, you're not getting a rebound or a
second chance. They don't really have that now, but they
can outscore you. So that that kind of scares me
a little bit because I think eventually they got to
start developing those other areas. But yeah, to what you say,
and they're they're absolutely loaded. I think they will figure
that out stuff out. Listen, if there's one organization in
(43:33):
the NHL that's not going to stand pat and be
like we've done enough, it's Vegas. Like there, you know
what I mean? They need something like I can see
these guys. Honestly, I could see these guys landing like
Erasmus Anderson at the deadline or something, just to solidify
the back end. You have a guy that's a little
bit hard to play against. They're a team that they'll
figure that side.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Of it out right.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
They look extremely lethal, that's definitely for sure. So if
we could just cast a wide net right now and
just get your opinion on who you think maybe is
its team at this point that might be doing really
well but is going to come back down to earth.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
Who would that be.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
I'm not a I have a tough time with Montreal
trying to figure it out with them. I'm not willing
to say that they're not going to be in the mix.
I just think it's gonna be really hard for them.
I think it's gonna be struggle to get in. I'm
not as they start off pretty good this year. Their
fun team to watch. It's high event hockey. I just
(44:38):
don't know if they've got some of those. This is
like the common theme we're talking about here, what teams defend.
I guess that the easy way for me to summarize
is if you defend, you can win a Stanley Cup.
You don't have to have a ton of offense, can
you defend? Though, they're still learning a lot of a
lot of learning on the job here for some of
these young guys. Maybe i'd say Montreal. I don't know
(44:59):
who's another team that started off hot that might be
a I might not fully believe in.
Speaker 1 (45:06):
You obviously believe in Carolina. Yeah, Detroit.
Speaker 4 (45:13):
I think Detroit's going to be I think Detroit. Put
it this way, I'll stick with the ones I said.
I said, I have a feeling Detroit will surpass or
maybe take the place of Montreal in the playoffs this year.
That's that's what I kind of feel like.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
How come.
Speaker 4 (45:34):
I think they've gone through this grind, the heartache a
year after year. So I'm giving them a lot of
credit and like a leader like Dylan Larkin, that they
learned from that. And I'm not saying Montreal hasn't gone
through some heartache. I just find that when you surprise
like Montreal and they were such an awesome surprise last year,
I don't know, I feel like it softens you up
(45:55):
a little bit. You know, it feels like you've arrived
and maybe some of those little things that got you
there aren't going to be there. But Detroit, this team
should have made the playoffs last four years and this
is the time for them now. And they went out
and some of their offseason moves, I mean adding like
a Mason Appleton, a big guy, plays a little grittier game.
(46:15):
The goaltending I think is going to be a huge
strength of theirs. That's a question mark I have in Montreal.
So yeah, I think those two kind of factors are
the biggest.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
You have a healthy Jack Hughes and a healthy Austin
Matthews tonight going against each other, who who has a
better night tonight? Because we know you'd say you'd take
a healthy Jack Hughes over in Austin Matthews.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
So what's going to happen tonight? Yeah, that one got
a little Uh, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (46:49):
Yeah, I mean so the whole, the whole gist of
that is me saying Jack needs to stay healthy and
he's all world and outstanding when he's healthy. Then that's
not to say Austin Matthews isn't.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
The hell of a player. I think awesome math. I
think the world of Austin Matthews.
Speaker 4 (47:03):
I think he still needs to develop some other things
if he wants to be considered in the same conversation
as Nate McKennon, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and uh, but
he's he's you know, it'll be our best goal scorer
at our generation scene.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
I I I believe that.
Speaker 4 (47:18):
I think he's got an opportunity to even it might
be tough actually to go at the ov record, but
I think it's pure natural goalscorer. He's the best goalscorering
hockey right now. Yeah, I don't know, it's Uh, this
is a Austin. Austin needs to have a game here,
you know, I mean it is, uh, this is something
where I think that you you get called out. It's
(47:39):
kind of more Willie Nielander getting called out on the
back check there and uh in overtime. But you know,
you're the captain. You got to respond in this situation.
So I don't know just to that, I think Toronto's
going to respond. I think Toronto's going to have themselves
a game. I think Austin's going to do the same.
And just with that being said too, maybe New Jersey,
(47:59):
maybe it's got a little good to New Jersey the
last couple of games. And we'll see how they how
they come out the gates. But it nonetheless, it's going
to be a great matchup and two of the the
superstars in the National Hockey League going head to head.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Big important question for you, repert. Nate was telling us
earlier today that he used to step on guys sticks
intentionally to break them. Have you ever done such activities
when you played?
Speaker 2 (48:25):
I have not. I have not, but I've had guys
do it to me. And I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (48:30):
It makes you want to go crazy, So you know,
and that's exactly why Nate and these guys would do it.
And it works. It works, like I know what you're doing,
but like and I don't paying for this. I'm not
paying for the stick. Why should I care? But there's
just something about it, like I know I've lined up
for a face off and a guy will come in
and just stand on the blade right before the DAWs dropped,
Oh the pucks dropped, and it's like, but then you
(48:52):
know I was a guy when I played. I only
did up two sticks for a game. I never did
up more than two sticks. So I worked on my
two sticks for the game. You bang, one's done. I
got one stick the rest of the game. Now I
got to Now I to go and make up a
new stick, and it's not that quick to do it
in between periods. So Nate, I'd been kind see you
doing that though, Buddy, Just get under everyone's skin any
way you can, right.
Speaker 3 (49:13):
Especially on face offs. Definitely, if I could on face offs,
I definitely did.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
Yeah, got one more cue rupper About your job. I'm
always fascinated watching you on NHL Network because it's on
in every arena, in every locker room, in every coaches room.
How many text messages do you get a day from executives'
front offices about what you're saying?
Speaker 4 (49:39):
Not every day, I think a lot of times. I
think a lot of times it's on like wallpaper, so
they see you talking then maybe so maybe I hear
what you say. But it's funny. You'll get some You'll
get some messages somewhere like bang on, I love what
you said here, what you guys were talking about. And
I've gotten some too that are kind of a little
more so. I haven't really to say, I haven't really
(50:04):
gotten anything that's like this is wrong, You're wrong. It's
just it's just kind of a nice way of being
like a little more context of the situation.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
And I love that too. And that's all about it.
Speaker 4 (50:13):
I think it's really important that we do our best
to be accurate and what we're saying, so you need
to hear those things from time to time. But yeah, no,
it's it's fun. I think the coolest thing about it,
honestly is I was fortunate enough to play in the
league for a long time and I got to play
against and with, uh some Hall of famers, and I
(50:34):
have great friends and relationships from the game, and I'll
always be indebted to to what hockey's given me in
my life. Uh, there's something cool about being on this
side because of what you said jsp just being on
NHL Network, being in arenas, whether it's youth hockey, NHL arenas.
I remember a weird at the we recovering the All
Star Game in Tampa, and I remember walking and Luke
(50:58):
Robotized walking by, and I grew up. I grew up.
I grew up a Kings fan. And so Luke comes
walking by and I see him from a distance and
he walks by. He's like, what's up, Rupper, how are you.
I'm like, oh my god, Luke Rogat I knows who
I am. Like, you know, I played against him, but
I never really thought. I mean, I wasn't a big
name player. And then same thing. I'm in Pittsburgh working
one night and Steve Eiserman says hi and calls you
(51:21):
by my name. And I guess you could say you
would expect that because they're watching it, but it's just
the kid in you is like, Wow, it's really cool.
So I think that's the biggest thing is it's just
an appreciation of whatever. Being able to talk about hockey
and be involved in the game.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
I love that. I can totally just see that feeling
happening to you. I just you don't realize who's watching,
but it is the biggest names in sport that are
watching what you're saying every day, and that's I mean,
that's a testament to obviously the position you're in and
the deserving position you're into. So thanks so much for
joining us here. We love watching on NHL Network. Keep
up the great work. And I guess we'll be watching
(52:00):
you again as soon as we turn this off, because
you'll be You'll be over there.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Yes, I'm heading in now. So thank you, guys, appreciate you. Well.
Speaker 1 (52:10):
That was my grewup from the NHL Network, and we
thank him so much for his time, insight and analysis
here on Energy Line with Nate and jsp and we
thank all of you so much for listening to us
today and every week. Thank you so much to producer Matt,
have youa for putting up with us today and every
day of each week. And this is a production of
(52:30):
the NHL and iHeart Podcast. Please like, subscribe, share, and
feel free to give us a review or send us questions,
tweet us dm us you know, don't be weird or
sketchy about it, but like send us questions if you
want us to talk about the NHL season and we
will see you guys next week. Energy Line is the
(53:07):
production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts. For more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
(00:26):
Well going into Energy Line, Fake JASEV and Julie shurfinks.
He's former NHLR Nate Thompson and Nate you called it
Blackriar Junior. He helps the Blue Jays make it to
the World Series. I didn't expect it. I'm sorry I'm
starting off on this because why Vlattie was wearing an
Austin Matthews jersey going into the game, which was a bold,
(00:49):
bold strategy. When you saw that on social media, how
did that make you feel?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I got pretty jacked up, Julie.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I mean to see him rocking the poppy Austin Matthews
jersey walking in. He was strutting too. He was really
strutting the way he walked in. He was He had
a lot of a lot of swag. BD they call it.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Yeah, I'm not gonna you know, big deal. Yeah, everyone
knows what it is.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
But yeah, I mean I thought, and obviously my first
reaction was, Okay, this could be bad for the Jays
him wearing at least jersey, because we all knows what
happens when that where everyone wears that stuff. Yeah, he
exactly came seven curses. So good for the Jays, O,
and congratulations to you and all the Jays fans. This
(01:40):
is a big deal. This is a really big deal.
But you have your work cut out for you now
in the World Series.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
All right, let's not talk about that. It's like they
won the World Series last night. Okay, it really Actually.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
You're not done yet, I thought, right, I know.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
But it definitely felt like if I was any other
team or whatever watching that, I'd be like, guys, she
just won the al Pennant, like you're going to the
World Series. But he didn't win the Worldes. But it
definitely felt like it, and especially in the way that
it was done. And I want to first of I
want to touch back on the Matthews thing, Like I
saw that, I had a million people sending it to me,
(02:14):
be like this isn't good, not a good move. Uh oh,
we know what happens to Toronto in game sevens And
I was like, goh, so mad. I was like, no,
like it's spooky season. He's just trying to get rid
of Caspers, Like he's getting rid of the ghosts of
Toronto and he's going to reverse the fortune with his
sorcery because it's also what baseball and not hockey. And
(02:38):
I also love the move, Like I don't know what
went on behind the scenes of lad deciding to wear
Matthew's jersey. Either it was he just wore it and
he just decided to wear it and didn't tell anybody,
or there was somewhat of a unique strategy behind it,
because it is a big baller move, as you mentioned,
a bad move. He goes in there, everyone's freaking out, thinking,
(03:01):
oh my god, now Vlat's ruined it, and he's like, no,
we're going to win. And Austin Matthews is a good player,
and I've shown up in the playoffs, and so why
wouldn't I wear this? Because like, it just felt as
though it didn't matter what happened in the past. I
actually quoted a Joe just spends a quote to a friend,
(03:21):
which felt like a bit of a reach, but it
was like, our brains only know what and bodies only
know what has happened in the past, and that's what
we think about the future. So it's not until we
think maybe it could be different that we actually feel
like it could be different. Right, So that's why so
many people think if something happens like, well, this is
(03:42):
gonna happen, because that's all we know, right, so that's
all we know with that, not to get too woo
woo to start this podcast off. Obviously, the Jay's one
shout out to the nice Mariners fans, all of them
who didn't cheer when George Springer went down. But the
rest of them, who I believe there are quite a lot.
I felt bad for them. They obviously have never been
(04:02):
to a World Series forty eight years in the making,
gonna have to wait a little longer. So Jays fans, congratulations,
Toronto fans, congratulations. And I want to bring that into
their counterparts down the street, who would be watching this
game and seeing, Wow, this is what it's like when
a Toronto team wins a game seven and people are
(04:25):
in the streets. Also, by the way, they were abiding
the crosswalk rules, but they were hanging off of street signs.
They're celebrating. Everyone's going banana sandwich. Take that in times
by a hundred. If the Leafs had done something like this,
and like, seriously, really and you see this team not
(04:45):
get off, first of all, I think they must be
if I'm the Leafs I'm happy that the Jays have
taken a lot of the spotlight off of me to
start the season, because the Leafs have not looked consistent
or great, to put it nicely, and Anthony Stolers came
out after their loss, their overtime loss to Seattle. I
had some strong words to say to the team, a
(05:05):
bit of a lighting a fire underneath them, kind of
the quote that we'll stay with everyone is the enough
is enough, And he talked about that in front of
the play in front of him. He was kind of
run by Mason Marchmant, and Brandon Carlo just sort of
stood there like, what, Nate, what do you think was
going through Brandon Carlos had when he just watched his
(05:28):
goalie get run by Marchmant.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Well, he wasn't thinking, he wasn't reacting like he should.
And you're right, the Leafs have been extremely inconsistent. There's
been times where I've been watching him and I'm like, Wow,
this team.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Looks pretty good. They're heavy, they look hard to play
against in other games. You're just what's going on. I
understand Stoler's frustration.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
I understand what he means, and you know, he kind
of puts his whole team on blasts a little bit.
But at the same time, it's not the right time
or right place to do it. I mean it's October. No,
I don't. I don't think it's it's October. It's you know,
you're you're you're the goalie, You're going to be the guy.
(06:15):
But like you're the goalie, you know, these guys are
playing in front of you. Yeah, sometimes they're not gonna
play good, but you know what, there's so many times
when you're not gonna play good too, and they're gonna
they're gonna bail you out.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
So I just I don't like I don't like the
thrown under the bus of Okay, this team needs to
do this. That's fine.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
I mean, you could say what you want to say,
but I mean that's why that they ended up having
a meeting Beruby, Matthews, Kneelander, and Stollers. They had to
have a meeting about it because that's gonna cause I mean,
look where you are. First off, you're in Toronto, and
you're gonna start saying stuff about that about other team
that they're gonna they're gonna put you on a stick.
(06:58):
They're gonna speculate and they're gonna do all those things.
So they had a nip in the butt because you
can't you just can't have that speculation of Okay, this
team's in turmoil now because of what he said in
the media about his teammates and the team.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I agree with them coming together doing that whole thing,
being like bing bang boom. We had communication, I think
I do. I would say I like seeing him come
out and say something versus the Sheldon Keith era where
it would just be like, well, you know, it's you know,
we got a point one game at a time. Things happened,
debt da da, the same old. I think there's a
(07:34):
little bit more. There's definitely a pressure cooker around these leaves,
especially with the way things have gone this season. Marn
are not there. Everyone trying to figure out what works,
what doesn't work. Seemingly more things don't work and not
and I think, like for Stollers, he was just really
fed up. He'd already been had Carlo kind of push
Jaden Schwartz in him earlier on in the game, and
(07:56):
then I think he's just like they need I mean,
Stoller's arguably other than Matthew's, their most important guy on
the team, right, would you say that?
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, yeah, I know he is, for sure.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
I think that if they don't if Stollers doesn't play well,
the Leafs aren't going anywhere. But I think it goes
out saying for any team, you got to have a
good goaltending.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
But I do I agree.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
I think Stoller's is an extremely important guy for their team.
And that's why I think I think they, like you said,
the communication part of them meeting after this happened in
the media and like, okay, let's get on the same
page here, like we need to make sure that we're
all going in the right direction.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
On the same page.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
And yeah, this, I mean, this is this is something
that could be blown way bigger out of proportion than
it could be. But I'm glad that they were able
to talk it out and be done with it right.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And I think to your point, when you do put
the cap on it, you're also extremely lucky. I already
referenced them, but the team down the street doing well.
Taking a couple more beat writers away from Morning Skate,
a couple more, a couple more columns about the Jays
versus what would be normally just enough is enough would
be the headline of like the Toronto Star, the Toronto Sun,
(09:14):
even some of the national national newspapers. There also, Man,
I'm referencing newspapers like, gosh, I'm old like people. People
don't really do that anymore. Okay, but we're we're not
gonna We're not gonna take down print journalism in this
podcast in particular. But I will say I liked it
(09:35):
as someone who's grown up watching the Leaf seeing a
little bit of backbone earlier in the season. Because to
your point, let's see how they respond. Is it a
team crasher or is it like a team accelerator. I
don't know, something that kind of helps turn them around
in a bit, because they haven't been hard to play against, right,
(09:56):
Like you've see what happened with Eastern Cowan. These guys
get bing, bang, boomed around, ping ponged everywhere, and no
one seems to stand up for one another, Like.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
How have you been at times? Yeah, you're right, it's
only been like it's it's just bursts. And that goes
this probably for a lot of teams that we can
talk about that we will get to. But the inconsistency
of certain teams, it's been just in flashes and that's
when the leaves too. They haven't been you know, And
you could say that even for their power play too,
Like their power play really hasn't been clicking. And I
(10:27):
just think that they're too good, They're too too talented.
Barubi's too good a coach. I think it'll it'll start
coming together here, it will.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Okay. So as a guy that you know was a
really tough guy still is a really tough guy because
they've seen you in your jiu jitsu, how do you
instill that mentality or that mindset or even just that
that tangibly on the ice for a team that really
doesn't have that identity to start the season.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Well, I think that what Stollers did, I think in
a way.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
To back what you're saying, Julie, I think there's a
good part of that too, like the fact that he
came out and said something. It definitely it causes a
conversation and probably raise some questions with Brewby was okay,
we need to all chat about this, And I'm sure
that there has been some conversations with their leadership core
(11:29):
different guys being like okay, like if we're going to win,
if we're going to play a certain way, and we
have to.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Meet those needs that Brewby wants.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
We have to play a certain style, and I think
the Leafs have to, like if they're going to be successful,
they have to be a team that's physical, that's hard
to play against. All these things that we've talked about,
But it's the way their makeup the way it's the
way their team's made up now, Like their team's not
made up the same, Like you don't have Mitch Marner anymore,
Like that's gone. There's some other other guys that are gone.
(12:00):
Like the team's a little bit different now. So I
think there's a little bit of that. I think there's
a little bit of a transition. Even though they are
the same Leafs team, they're kind of not. They're they're
a little bit of a different style Leafs team than
we're used to. And I think that maybe that's that's
the transformation a little bit of this team.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Yeah, and I think that they're they're trying to figure
out really that a top line as well without Marner
on there, and then that kind of affects everyone and
some of the injuries that they've gotten as well. Okay,
so another team that had A good thing happened to
them last night was the New York Rangers. They scored
their first goal at home. Yike's McGee. That's uh. I'm
(12:46):
glad for the fans that they got to do there.
Hey hey, hey hey, for the first time this season. However,
they still lost three one to the Minnesota Wild, and
mika'savanajead afterward after the game was just as someone who
has to asked Mika a lot of questions in the
locker room before. He's usually a little bit more demyror
(13:11):
or like soft spoken or kind of just even after
a loss, he'll just be like, yeah, well, you know,
it's just I mean, it's not like we're not trying.
And that's not what he was like last night. By
the way, hockey guys always say yeah, look at it.
(13:34):
Watch every interview. You would have done it too. I
swear to guys, Oh yeah, it's yeah and okay. So
Mika was a little bit animated. He's upset, he's a
bit frustrated with how things are going. I'm not sure
exactly what the question was, but it had an obvious answer.
(13:56):
He was maybe, Matt, if you are able to play it,
if we're able to do that. If not, we can
just I'll.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Go off of what the what he would say, do you.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Want to be Meka's avantage? Can I just pretend to
I'll be pretending.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
To be.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Because so, what's going on? Why does it seem so
bad right now?
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Or whatever the question was, It's not so bad.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
We I'm trying to score and we keep going and
I keep pushing, and I just I don't know what
else to say.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I don't know what else to tell you.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I've been trying to score and I'm getting chances, and
when I'm getting chances, things usually happen, so things will happen.
I'm just I don't know what else to tell you.
I don't I don't know what else to tell you.
This is what's happening right now.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
End scene. Great job, Nate.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
That was kind of that was kind of it. That
was kind of it was.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
A bit more like Spicy had a little bit more
like I don't know, I don't know right like, here's
my notes. Sorry, here's a couple of notes here for
your acting career. Just like he seems like I don't exasperated, no,
why I'm trying. So then when you when you hear
that even as like a former player and now as
(15:07):
someone who's on the other side, was your takeaway.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
He's not wrong because I watched majority of the game
and he is getting a lot of chances, and even
in the game against Montreal on Saturday, I thought he
was really good. He's playing well, he's playing good hockey,
and he's just not scoring as much as he should.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
And I guess he's right. And last night, though.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
The Rangers they've been playing pretty well as of late,
last night they didn't play very good. Minnesota was just
a team that was kind of firing all the cylinders
and their goalie played a little bit better than Strik
And even though she, Stik has played good again. Yeah,
but I do. I do like the way the Rangers
have been playing this season. As crazy as it sounds
(15:53):
that I know they've only scored one goal at home,
I do like the way they've been playing. I think
it's a completely different Maybe that's why because they're they're defensively.
If you watched if you watched a game from last
October November and watched a game from this it would
be fucking night and day difference.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Defense was such a liability.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Last year liability, absolute liability. So watching them now, it's
just it's completely different. So I would say because of that,
just because of that, it's a plus this season, and
I think they're a different team.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Well, defense, as we know the last last year, fifteen
the fifteen teams out of sixteen that made the playoffs
had the fewest number of goals allowed. So that shows
you how important defense is, of course to then leading
to offense. So you think for the Rangers under Mike
Sullivan that if you can get your defensive structure down,
(16:51):
how about Igor Shustkan and then kind of build off
of that In terms of the goal scoring, you just
can't have so many zeros when you're looking at these games.
They're tight games and they just can't put up a
goal to save their life. But they did get goal
last night, so we'll give them a little bit of
credit for that. And so with this, I would say
mikahead last year. I mean, he doesn't have Chris Cryder
(17:13):
this year, so that's the first time he hasn't had
Crider in his Rangers career. That's going to affect a
lot of different things. But he seemed to lose confidence
last year when he would be on a breakaway, he'd
do a little like drop pass, which was at the
time in the situation, not the right move, but he
(17:33):
would usually opt to pass versus shoot, and it felt
like he might have lost confidence with his shooting ability.
My final question about the Rangers, because I was not
watching the Rangers game last night, as evidenced by the
hat I'm wearing right now, which has the Blue Jays
on it, is it is it a matter of his
(17:56):
scoring accuracy, like is he getting any grade a's or
is he is he just shooting the puck without really
much on it.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
No, I think he's. No, he's getting chances right now.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
I think that's I think that's the frustration, and that's
why he was like he's so.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Like you said, his reaction is I don't know, I
don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
It's because he's getting all those chances, like he had
a greade, a point blank shot in front of the net
and Gusulsen made it, you know, an incredible save, and
I think he's actually I think Mika's shooting the puck more.
It seems like he's shooting the puck more than he
has in the past, and I think the Rangers, like
the Leafs are a little bit of a different team
(18:42):
as well this year, like the when I think of
the Rangers of the last few years, like their team
that you know, made a lot of plays. They were
more of an East West team. You know, they were
high octane offense like all these things. Now the Rangers
need to be physical to be good. Like I'm watching
their games, and when they're physical, they're a better hockey team.
(19:03):
And that's kind of led by their fourth line. Like
the Rangers fourth line right now is incredible, like Krick,
Krick and Rempe and then camera is that their kid's name.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Is it Edstrom?
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Edstrom? Yeah? Sorry, Edstrom.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
I mean that's a big old, a big line.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
It's a big line.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
But I think they've been kind of carrying the culture
of the Rangers so far, and I think that's what
the Rangers are going to be. They're going to be
a team that they're going to be a little heavier,
a little bit meaner. I mean, you have Miller, you
have these other guys that can play like that.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
So Check's been out.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Check's been out, but he's been hurt. So I think
the makeup's a little bit different to this team. But
I wouldn't be worried if you're a Rangers fan, because
there's a lot of positives.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Right now, We'll.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Look at you. That's a great that's a great spin
right there. Well, some good news in the prairies of Canada,
and that is that Jonathan Tave scored his first goal
in more than two years, in one hundred and eighty
nine days. He helped Jets come from behind to in
their fifth in a row, and it was his first
(20:09):
for his hometown team. Real feel good story. How do
you feel when you are a player, maybe not even
on his team, but just a player in the league,
a former player like yourself, and you see a guy
like Taves who's been through a lot, has had this
illustrious career, but comes back and does what he does
and is able to do that. How does that make
(20:29):
you feel?
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Oh? So pumped, so happy.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
You could see Neil Pionk after he shot it and
Tay's tipped, he like skated right over to him. You know,
he was so he was so jacked up, so happy
for Jonathan Tase.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
It was a matter of time.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
He's playing well, he was getting chances. Winnipeg Jets are
playing really good right now. They're humming so good on
Jonathan Tase to get his first, which I'm sure he's
gonna get a few more, which they they they need
him to get a few more this season to keep
on jogger along. So it's great to see nice tip
goal just stand in front of the net and you
(21:03):
could see he was pumped. I mean, that was a
big monkey office back. I'm sure he's been thinking about.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
That, right And I mean I think a lot of
us were curious what we were going to see from
Taves after everything he'd been through. What do you think
are the expectations for him this season?
Speaker 3 (21:20):
I think that's a very good question because I think
the expectations is him to basically hold the fort for
the Winnipeg Jets in a role that where he can,
you know, be impactful, but not expect Okay, like we're
we're not expecting the Jonathan Taes of the Chicago Blackhawks days,
(21:41):
like we everyone knows that. But I think we're going
to get a solid third line, fourth line center that's
going to contribute, hopefully, you know, offensively, more than they expected.
And I think for the Jets that's what they want.
I think for everyone in the league. For myself, I
think you just want to see a healthy Jonathan Taz
and a Taze that can help the Jets and impact
(22:05):
them in a positive way because if they do and
if Jonathan Tate keeps playing well, I mean they don't
have Adam Lowry for a bit, but like having that
depth and having him step in and do what he's
doing until Lowry's back would be huge for the Jets
coming down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
Right And with this Jets team, we saw them win
the President's Trophy last year. They go to Game seven
against Dallas and it's Colorado, which when was it again
the Blues.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
They come back and beat the Blues, not.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Even one of the two I mentioned. It was just like,
it's amazing what a couple months can really do to
the old noggin out there or an you're trying to
remember what happened last season? Uh yeah, okay, So it
was against the Blues that was wild. That was yes,
that was a wild Game seven that they won, and
then they went on to play Dallas which they lost
(22:58):
in that So but for the Jets overall, final cue
over this, they feel to me as so they have
become the Leafs of like three let's say three or
four years ago, where it was like play regular season, great,
we know you're going to do great, you're a good team,
but it doesn't matter until you do it in the
playoffs for us always.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
I mean that's a story for a few teams in
this league definitely, And I think for the Jets it's
they know like they need to make the playoffs, and
they will. But for them, it's just getting through this
regular season, making the playoffs, staying healthy, playing the right way,
and then trying to find that other gear in the playoffs,
which we haven't seen them do yet and we're still waiting.
(23:41):
So maybe maybe with a guy like Jonathan Taes and
their lineup and him being around and him winning three
Stanley Cups, knowing what it takes having a guy like
that around, maybe maybe that's the little piece of the
puzzle that can push them over the top.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Right, Never underestimate a hometown guy. As I'm going to
make a connection back to Vladdie and his you know,
feeling of wanting to do it for the city, the team,
his dad. There's always that extra push. Sometimes those intangibles
down the stretch can really make a difference. All right.
What I want to talk about here is something that was,
(24:17):
you know, a little bit of hooliganism at its finest,
and I'm unsure how we should feel about it as
like broadcasters of the league, but as a fan of
the game, I certainly enjoyed the shenanigans that went on
between Brad Marshawn and Rosmus Dollan Dollen, I always get
(24:37):
it mixed up. There's the old not gonna trying to
throw me for a loop again. He takes he takes
the straps off his helmet as he's gone a penalty
box and it was something I've never seen before and
it was highly entertaining. Was it too much or just enough?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
No, it wasn't too much.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I mean, I I was laughing. I was actually I
was watching this and I know Brad Marshawan but I
and I'm a fan of his clearly, but I was
actually laughing out loud when I saw him hold continue
to hold onto his helmet as the linesman is escorting
him to the penalty box and then he just rips
off the straps, everything off. I mean, I thought it
(25:19):
was great. And this guy. If anyone has any question
about Brad Marshaan and his competitiveness. He shouldn't be any
question because he still cares and he still wants to win,
and he'll do anything it takes. I mean, Rasmus Dalling
always seems to be the mix of any scrum or
any kind of fight or anything like that. He seems
to always be in the mix. And he gave him
(25:40):
a nice little cross check, and Brad was not happy
about it, but I loved it. I mean that there
were there were some there were some instances in my
career where I may or may not have stepped on
a blade or a stick and snapped it a few
times on purpose.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
Oh yeah, yeah, oh y.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
You do things during the games or even the playoffs
or whatever it is is that you, Yeah, you message.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Sent what's like your most egregious thing that you did
as to be a jerk on the ice?
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (26:14):
I think I mean that probably the stepping on a stick,
like breaking a couple of sticks. I think I remember
there was like a melee or something like that, and
I think I just started, I grab a couple of
sticks and just start stepping on them and breaking them, knowing,
knowing that they're the other other other teams right.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Did you practice that or you ever worried you were
going to step on it and like fall over?
Speaker 2 (26:37):
No, no, no, I knew, I knew I wasn't going
to fall over.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
I don't know. I mean I've seen guys step on
other guys sticks. And but back to some shenanigans. Brad
Marshawn meeting the Boston Bruins for his first time as
a visitor to t D Garden. What do you expect
from this homecoming?
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I expect a long ovation and he deserves it. He
just are the longest ovation because I think he's one
of the best Bruins of all time. I mean, I
think when you think of all the best Bruins of
cam Neely, you know.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Terry O'Reilly, all these guys.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Now Zaden Ochara is getting inducted this year, then he'll
be Patrice Bergern and then I think it'll be Brad
Marshawn after that. What he's you know, when you think
of the Boston Bruins, you think of him just because
of all the you know, all the different shenanigans that
he's done over the course of his career. Right Like
he's he's a guy that will lick your face. Yeah,
(27:38):
he'll lick your face and then he'll go score on
you after that, you know, and he'll run you, he'll
stick you, he'll do all these things. But just a
consummate professional. I think eventually, yeah, I think he will be.
He's he's a Hall of Famer. I mean, he's won
a couple of Cups now Team Canada is everything he's done.
I mean, he's just a big time player. He's like
(27:59):
he's one of those guys where like the game is
on the line and it's like he shows up in
comes up with a big play every single time. So
it's going to be a fun atmosphere in Boston to night.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
For sure. That'll be one that are going to have
to watch.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Yeah, he's got that grit and it doesn't matter that
he's the smallest guy on the ice whatever, he might
not be the best guy on the ice. He's just
always going to give it his all. And I think
what I really love about Brad marshaw on and this
is something I would never I would never have said
a sentence what I really love about Brad marshawan ever
in my entire life until the last couple of years,
where guys have really been able to. It's been encouraged
(28:36):
for them to show their personality, and I just love
getting to know who he is as a person as
a player, and what that is like inside of him.
He is a very likable guy, despite being someone who
is pretty unlikable on the ice. If you're going up
against him, I would imagine. And as someone from Toronto,
you know, he's haunted a lot of my nightmares for
(28:58):
many years. But also as a Canadian, he's been absolutely fantastic.
So he's been such a enigmatic difference maker in the
sport of hockey. And I think his willingness now to
go in front of the camera do some of these
silly commercials for Tim Horton's or I saw one for
Team Canada. It's just it's he's he's happy to have fun,
(29:21):
to laugh at himself, to laugh at others, to bring
some jug to the game. And I think that that
will speak volumes going down the stretch, because then guys
see Brad do it, and then there you know, it's
people want to be like a guy like that. They'll realize, okay,
we can do that too, and I think that helps
the whole sport of hockey. So we've got, We've got
(29:42):
so many things going on, and we're lucky that we're
able to have a guy who talks about this pretty
much every day on NHL Network and has an illustrious
career in the league, and that is none other than
Mike Rupp. And he is going to be joining us
to help break down what's going on with the league
this season and what we can expect going forward coming
up after this on Energy Line with Nate and JSB.
(30:08):
Welcome back on into the Energy Line with Nate and JSB.
And we are very fortunate to have someone who is very,
very busy, who is really just breaking down every game,
every day, all the time on NHL Network and MSG Networks.
He's a color analyst studio analyst for both of those
as well as a former NHL player Stanley Cup champion
(30:28):
with the New Jersey Devils. None other than Mike Rupp.
Thank you so much for joining us here today.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
I'm glad we can make it work.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
I know we tried a couple of times and I
I was saying to Nate and like, my apologies, man,
I've been kind of a pain to lock something down.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
And here we are.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
I'm in my car but I'm glad I can catch
up with you guys.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Better than nothing.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Rupper, We're just glad to have you.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
No, no, I run into Nate, you know, with the network,
get to work with him, so it's awesome. And JSB
I've run in the over the years, so we've run
into each.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Other at an open bar at a wedding. Is really
what you're trying to say.
Speaker 4 (31:05):
Yeah, that's basically what That's basically what I'm saying. And
uh yeah, So I'm happy. I'll hang out with you
guys anytime I can. So it's good.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Okay. Devils, we're just talking about the fact that you're
going to be with them this year. They have been
on a heater heading into Toronto, Sheldon Keeth going into
his old barn. I mean, the vibes in Toronto are
a little all over the map because the Jays win,
but the Leafs are having a little bit of drama
going on behind the scenes. How do you feel about
(31:34):
the Devils right now? And also do you think Sheldon
Keith can pull out a win in his in his
old territory.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
So, yeah, the Devils.
Speaker 4 (31:42):
Outside of Game one against Carolina, I think the Devils
have played a pretty good brand of hockey. They've really
gotten to go in some of the big guys. Jack
has really stepped up in a lot of different ways.
They're they're they're, they're they're flowing good right now. Jake
Allen looks fantastic and that it just I always think
to myself, because you see things like this in wonder
can it continue?
Speaker 2 (32:03):
It just I don't know it. On a day or
a time when the Leafs get called.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
Out by their players inside the room they're having meetings,
it's almost feels like Sheldon Keef's probably like, are you
kidding me? Of all the times we couldn't just go
in there after the Toronto Maple Leafs are feeling good
about themselves and maybe just cakewalk someone by five goals,
like you're going in you know that they're going to
have a different level.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
So yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
I mean, you could very easily say the way that
the Devil's been playing, they've been much better I think
as far as details compared to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But kind of feels like there's going to be a
bounce back game here by the Leafs. So that's one
that I will have all eyes on, and I think
a lot of the hockey world will as well.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Before we get into the leaves. Do you believe this.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Jersey team can win this season? I mean, their depth
has been incredible lately. I think that's been a huge factor.
But do you think this is the team this season
that could win?
Speaker 4 (33:00):
So I'm studio analysts with them, I'm supposed to say yes.
I'm not even react, right, I'm to just be like, yeah,
both course.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
No.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
I want to try to shoo everybody straight. I believe
in this team. I do think they are a good team.
Now do I think as we sit here today at
the end of October, do I envision them being able
to win the Stanley Cup. I don't see that right
in the moment, but that's what the season's for, to
keep getting to certain mile markers and answering the bell
(33:30):
finding a new level.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
Now.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
Do they have enough talent? Absolutely, they got enough talent.
I think they got the goaltending. They've got a lot
of things going their way. But there's still a team
that you look over the last couple of years. I
mean they've been kind of fragile. When they Jack goes down,
the team all of a sudden can't. He's a huge part.
So can they be healthy? I think that's every team.
You got to ask that question. Can they play a
(33:54):
heavy game?
Speaker 2 (33:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
Well, they're gonna have to play a heavy game over
the course of eighty two. You're gonna come into some
arenas on different nights and you're gonna be asked to
do different things. Can they do that? It's still early.
I don't know if there they can do that. I
think they have the guys that can do that. So
I think the long winded answer is it's TBD. I
think that they have an opportunity to go on a run.
(34:18):
Now for me to say that they can win a
Stanley Cup, I need to see a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
But I think it's a good start.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
They started on time as far as the season goes,
and I think that's really the first step.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Right Repert, It's a great point that you make with
just them staying healthy. That has been such a key
for them, that has really hurt them the last couple
seasons with being able to do some things. But I've
got to bring up I didn't bring it up when
we started, but I remember and correct me if I'm wrong,
because as we know the old upstairs brain chamber sometimes
(34:48):
fools me. But did you not pick Toronto to win
the Stanley Cup on NHL Network?
Speaker 4 (34:56):
So I picked them, I picked them to be I
think I picked Toronto. I did pick Toronto and Vegas
and the finals. I don't think I picked if you'd
asked me now, I don't know if I picked a winner.
But if you're asking me now, I think I would
probably say Vegas would be the winner of that.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
But I have, Yeah, I have Toronto.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
I mean I I I love what Anthony Stolars did
the other day. I love that they're going through some
drama early in the season. I think they need to
go through this stuff right now. I think this team
is built well and it's kind of the same things
said about the Devils, like I will see how they
react to all of this, but I think they've got
a chance. I think the Eastern Conference isn't as strong
(35:38):
as the West. I think what we all would probably
agree with that it's an opportunity and that's lays out there,
and I think maybe they'll have a different mentality. I'm
hoping they will have a different mentality once the playoffs start.
But yeah, I've I've got them, and you know me
like I don't. I don't give the Leafs any free passes.
It's a little bit of a hobby of mine to
jump on them. And I'm saying I think this team
(36:00):
is the closest Leafs team to win a stay Onley
Cup that I can think of as far as roster
building quite some time.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Yeah, Rup right, I picked the Leafs to uh go
to the Sail Cup final last season, and I agree,
I'm with you. I think the Leafs the way their
makeup their whole roster really it's a it's a completely
different Leafs team than we're used to seeing. Is there
a team right now early where you're going, Okay, we
(36:28):
expected more? What's going on right now? Panic button? Maybe Tampa?
Speaker 4 (36:35):
Maybe Tampa, like Tampa was a team when we're looking
at it, I mean, I picked Tampa Vegas last year.
We obviously never know or will will know what would
have happened because they lost the Lightning lost to the Panthers.
That's always the tricky thing every year too. When you
the Stanley Cup winner beat you in the in the playoffs,
(36:56):
it's it's a loss.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
You you got eliminated.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
You didn't do enough wherever you want to say, we
weren't good enough, but at the same time, that's the
team that won it. It kind of leaves you thinking
what could have been, and that's what I think about
Tampa last year. So coming into this year, I'm thinking
this team, when you go back to last year, they
were as far as the if you want to look
at analytics or if you want to look at traditional stats, defensively,
one of the top five teams in the league. Offensively,
(37:22):
top five team in the league. You got to talk
about star players and a goaltender that they had that
was healthy last year in Vassilevsky. I'm thinking this team's
loaded and I expect them to be back in the
mix this year.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
They have not.
Speaker 4 (37:33):
Started the way I thought that they would. I think
John Cooper was pretty vocal about that. But I think
they find a way to get it going, and again,
Eastern Conferences a little bit in shambles or wide open,
where I think it buys them a little bit of
time to get going. But their team, I'm a little bit,
I guess concerned of to start the season.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Right, that's someone that's that's a team that's definitely stands
out with just one win bottom of the Eastern Conference,
you sort of say, wait, what what's going on there?
So many of those guys have played together before, they've
won together before.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Maybe it's like cabin fever in a way. I'm not sure,
but I'm certain that that organization in John Cooper will
figure out some way to get things going, whether that
is on the icer, bringing in reinforcements off the ice,
whatever that means. But got to ask about another team
that's in the Tri State area, and that's a New
York Rangers, and they scored a goal at home, which
(38:30):
we're really happy for them about. You got to take
the wins where you get them. But Nate was waxing
poetic about them earlier in just the fact that he
says that they're playing really well and you'll really like
them defensively, but you got to be able to score goals.
What's your analysis of this iteration of this Rangers team?
Speaker 4 (38:48):
Under my excellivant, again, you have to take everything I
say with a grain of sault when I talk about
the Eastern Conference, because I think that there's so many
teams that have an opportunity in the East. I think
that by far, the best team in the East is
the Carolina Hurricanes. I think they're kind of showing that
early on there. They for me, are going to run
away with the best record, needst probably the Presidence Trophy,
(39:09):
I'm guessing.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
But outside of them, it's there's a lot of teams
that are in the hunt.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
And so when I talk about the Rangers and I'm
going to say I'm not concerned about them, that doesn't
mean they're aokay, going to win a Stanley Cup. I'm
saying they'll figure it out. They're going to be a
playoff team. And then again we'll see where they are
come April mid April where their game is kind of
built up to. But the last two years in New York,
and that goes back to the President's Trophy winning year.
(39:39):
That year they won the President Trophy. They they they
were not a good defending team. They lived off of
solid goaltending. They had that line, the member the Trocheck
Lafrenier Paneren line a couple of years ago was money.
The power play was awesome. Crider was getting his power
play go like. They had a lot of things. I
(40:00):
think we're I don't want to say masking because you
need those things that that's who your team is. But
they had a lot of holes defensively, and I think
last year it all came caught up to them. They
didn't have anybody last year that was having a career year.
Everyone kind of did that the prior, and so I
think last year is where you really looked at this team.
(40:21):
This seems not good enough defensively and as a as
a unit, and that was probably prevalent prior, but because
they were winning, it was ignored. Mike Sullivan's changed that,
Like they're a team when you look that they don't
give up much. I know they're not scoring goals. I
don't know how you're going that long without scoring a
(40:43):
goal at home or even just not being good at
home so far to start the year at MSG. But
for the most part, outside of the last game and
outside of Game one against Pittsburgh, this team has been
really stingy in what they're giving up and when you
do that, And I just speak from experience playing with
Marty Burdoor and coming up in the Devil's organization, when
(41:06):
you are committed defensively and you don't give up much
and you have a Hall of Fame goaltender behind you,
you're probably going to win a lot of games. And
it kind of feels like that's what we're starting to
see with the Rangers now. I don't know if they're
going to score a lot of goals this year, but
they're going to score more than what they have up
to this point. So I think that that's kind of
(41:27):
what you were saying Nate as well. I'm not concerned
about them. They will figure it out. They'll be a
playoff team. I think they finished top three in the Metro.
It's just just a tough start so far as far
as scoring goals.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Yeah, I was telling Julia earlier that this team feels
a little bit different, like they're more of a physical
Rangers team than we've used to see in the last
couple of years, Like they have to be physical to
be successful. You were talking about Carolina Vegas earlier, Vegas
being one of your picks to the finals, and I
was watching their game last night, and you know it,
(41:59):
every time I watch Vegas, I look at their roster
and I watch them and when they get going, you're like,
how is this team gonna lose this year?
Speaker 4 (42:07):
So I think every team, every team, if we're gonnare
you're gonna nitpicks where their achilles heel is. It's hard
to say it's an achilles heel when the goaltender you
have was the goaltender that won the Stanley Cup with you,
and he's pretty effective in that Stanley Cup run and
Aiden Hill. He's been banged up a couple times. Left
(42:27):
the game last night. I think that they're going to
probably be doing more and more things as the season
goes on to maybe solidify that position. The D side
of it, they they can score goals, man, they can
score goals. All their lines can. I think that's the
deepest built roster as far as forwards in the NHL.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
They they'll score. Can they defend?
Speaker 4 (42:52):
Because you remember what made Vegas tough when they won
the Stanley Cup. You couldn't get to their net man
and they're without Petro, which is a huge loss. And
I think one that's an honorable mention too is Nick
haig skuy like six six two forty. The whole, the
whole genesis of that team when they won was you're
not getting to our goalie. You're not getting in front
(43:12):
of the net, you're not getting a rebound or a
second chance. They don't really have that now, but they
can outscore you. So that that kind of scares me
a little bit because I think eventually they got to
start developing those other areas. But yeah, to what you say,
and they're they're absolutely loaded. I think they will figure
that out stuff out. Listen, if there's one organization in
(43:33):
the NHL that's not going to stand pat and be
like we've done enough, it's Vegas. Like there, you know
what I mean? They need something like I can see
these guys. Honestly, I could see these guys landing like
Erasmus Anderson at the deadline or something, just to solidify
the back end. You have a guy that's a little
bit hard to play against. They're a team that they'll
figure that side.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Of it out right.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
They look extremely lethal, that's definitely for sure. So if
we could just cast a wide net right now and
just get your opinion on who you think maybe is
its team at this point that might be doing really
well but is going to come back down to earth.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
Who would that be.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
I'm not a I have a tough time with Montreal
trying to figure it out with them. I'm not willing
to say that they're not going to be in the mix.
I just think it's gonna be really hard for them.
I think it's gonna be struggle to get in. I'm
not as they start off pretty good this year. Their
fun team to watch. It's high event hockey. I just
(44:38):
don't know if they've got some of those. This is
like the common theme we're talking about here, what teams defend.
I guess that the easy way for me to summarize
is if you defend, you can win a Stanley Cup.
You don't have to have a ton of offense, can
you defend? Though, they're still learning a lot of a
lot of learning on the job here for some of
these young guys. Maybe i'd say Montreal. I don't know
(44:59):
who's another team that started off hot that might be
a I might not fully believe in.
Speaker 1 (45:06):
You obviously believe in Carolina. Yeah, Detroit.
Speaker 4 (45:13):
I think Detroit's going to be I think Detroit. Put
it this way, I'll stick with the ones I said.
I said, I have a feeling Detroit will surpass or
maybe take the place of Montreal in the playoffs this year.
That's that's what I kind of feel like.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
How come.
Speaker 4 (45:34):
I think they've gone through this grind, the heartache a
year after year. So I'm giving them a lot of
credit and like a leader like Dylan Larkin, that they
learned from that. And I'm not saying Montreal hasn't gone
through some heartache. I just find that when you surprise
like Montreal and they were such an awesome surprise last year,
I don't know, I feel like it softens you up
(45:55):
a little bit. You know, it feels like you've arrived
and maybe some of those little things that got you
there aren't going to be there. But Detroit, this team
should have made the playoffs last four years and this
is the time for them now. And they went out
and some of their offseason moves, I mean adding like
a Mason Appleton, a big guy, plays a little grittier game.
(46:15):
The goaltending I think is going to be a huge
strength of theirs. That's a question mark I have in Montreal.
So yeah, I think those two kind of factors are
the biggest.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
You have a healthy Jack Hughes and a healthy Austin
Matthews tonight going against each other, who who has a
better night tonight? Because we know you'd say you'd take
a healthy Jack Hughes over in Austin Matthews.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
So what's going to happen tonight? Yeah, that one got
a little Uh, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (46:49):
Yeah, I mean so the whole, the whole gist of
that is me saying Jack needs to stay healthy and
he's all world and outstanding when he's healthy. Then that's
not to say Austin Matthews isn't.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
The hell of a player. I think awesome math. I
think the world of Austin Matthews.
Speaker 4 (47:03):
I think he still needs to develop some other things
if he wants to be considered in the same conversation
as Nate McKennon, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and uh, but
he's he's you know, it'll be our best goal scorer
at our generation scene.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
I I I believe that.
Speaker 4 (47:18):
I think he's got an opportunity to even it might
be tough actually to go at the ov record, but
I think it's pure natural goalscorer. He's the best goalscorering
hockey right now. Yeah, I don't know, it's Uh, this
is a Austin. Austin needs to have a game here,
you know, I mean it is, uh, this is something
where I think that you you get called out. It's
(47:39):
kind of more Willie Nielander getting called out on the
back check there and uh in overtime. But you know,
you're the captain. You got to respond in this situation.
So I don't know just to that, I think Toronto's
going to respond. I think Toronto's going to have themselves
a game. I think Austin's going to do the same.
And just with that being said too, maybe New Jersey,
(47:59):
maybe it's got a little good to New Jersey the
last couple of games. And we'll see how they how
they come out the gates. But it nonetheless, it's going
to be a great matchup and two of the the
superstars in the National Hockey League going head to head.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Big important question for you, repert. Nate was telling us
earlier today that he used to step on guys sticks
intentionally to break them. Have you ever done such activities
when you played?
Speaker 2 (48:25):
I have not. I have not, but I've had guys
do it to me. And I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (48:30):
It makes you want to go crazy, So you know,
and that's exactly why Nate and these guys would do it.
And it works. It works, like I know what you're doing,
but like and I don't paying for this. I'm not
paying for the stick. Why should I care? But there's
just something about it, like I know I've lined up
for a face off and a guy will come in
and just stand on the blade right before the DAWs dropped,
Oh the pucks dropped, and it's like, but then you
(48:52):
know I was a guy when I played. I only
did up two sticks for a game. I never did
up more than two sticks. So I worked on my
two sticks for the game. You bang, one's done. I
got one stick the rest of the game. Now I
got to Now I to go and make up a
new stick, and it's not that quick to do it
in between periods. So Nate, I'd been kind see you
doing that though, Buddy, Just get under everyone's skin any
way you can, right.
Speaker 3 (49:13):
Especially on face offs. Definitely, if I could on face offs,
I definitely did.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
Yeah, got one more cue rupper About your job. I'm
always fascinated watching you on NHL Network because it's on
in every arena, in every locker room, in every coaches room.
How many text messages do you get a day from executives'
front offices about what you're saying?
Speaker 4 (49:39):
Not every day, I think a lot of times. I
think a lot of times it's on like wallpaper, so
they see you talking then maybe so maybe I hear
what you say. But it's funny. You'll get some You'll
get some messages somewhere like bang on, I love what
you said here, what you guys were talking about. And
I've gotten some too that are kind of a little
more so. I haven't really to say, I haven't really
(50:04):
gotten anything that's like this is wrong, You're wrong. It's
just it's just kind of a nice way of being
like a little more context of the situation.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
And I love that too. And that's all about it.
Speaker 4 (50:13):
I think it's really important that we do our best
to be accurate and what we're saying, so you need
to hear those things from time to time. But yeah, no,
it's it's fun. I think the coolest thing about it,
honestly is I was fortunate enough to play in the
league for a long time and I got to play
against and with, uh some Hall of famers, and I
(50:34):
have great friends and relationships from the game, and I'll
always be indebted to to what hockey's given me in
my life. Uh, there's something cool about being on this
side because of what you said jsp just being on
NHL Network, being in arenas, whether it's youth hockey, NHL arenas.
I remember a weird at the we recovering the All
Star Game in Tampa, and I remember walking and Luke
(50:58):
Robotized walking by, and I grew up. I grew up.
I grew up a Kings fan. And so Luke comes
walking by and I see him from a distance and
he walks by. He's like, what's up, Rupper, how are you.
I'm like, oh my god, Luke Rogat I knows who
I am. Like, you know, I played against him, but
I never really thought. I mean, I wasn't a big
name player. And then same thing. I'm in Pittsburgh working
one night and Steve Eiserman says hi and calls you
(51:21):
by my name. And I guess you could say you
would expect that because they're watching it, but it's just
the kid in you is like, Wow, it's really cool.
So I think that's the biggest thing is it's just
an appreciation of whatever. Being able to talk about hockey
and be involved in the game.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
I love that. I can totally just see that feeling
happening to you. I just you don't realize who's watching,
but it is the biggest names in sport that are
watching what you're saying every day, and that's I mean,
that's a testament to obviously the position you're in and
the deserving position you're into. So thanks so much for
joining us here. We love watching on NHL Network. Keep
up the great work. And I guess we'll be watching
(52:00):
you again as soon as we turn this off, because
you'll be You'll be over there.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Yes, I'm heading in now. So thank you, guys, appreciate you. Well.
Speaker 1 (52:10):
That was my grewup from the NHL Network, and we
thank him so much for his time, insight and analysis
here on Energy Line with Nate and jsp and we
thank all of you so much for listening to us
today and every week. Thank you so much to producer Matt,
have youa for putting up with us today and every
day of each week. And this is a production of
(52:30):
the NHL and iHeart Podcast. Please like, subscribe, share, and
feel free to give us a review or send us questions,
tweet us dm us you know, don't be weird or
sketchy about it, but like send us questions if you
want us to talk about the NHL season and we
will see you guys next week. Energy Line is the
(53:07):
production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts. For more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts.
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Nate Thompson
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