May 6, 2025 • 54 mins
Energy Line with Nate Thompson and Julie Stewart-Binks open up reacting to Nate’s trip to the Kentucky Derby and the thrilling two Game 7’s to finish the first round of the playoffs. Former NHL head coach and NHL TNT analyst Rick Bowness then joined Nate and JSB. Bowness discusses the Jets’ Game 7 win, the atmosphere in the building, his coaching experience in Winnipeg, Adam Lowry being a great captain and the matchup with the Stars in the second round. Bowness also gets into what the Stars did to get here with the Mikko Rantanen trade, the Maple Leafs-Panthers series, getting into broadcasting, the unique crew he works with on TNT and whether he would make a return to becoming a head coach in the NHL. Nate and JSB wrap up the show breaking down the other series in round two and make their predictions.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
Welcome back to Energy Line with Date and JSB and
Julie shur Banks and news former NHL or Nay Thompson.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
And what a finish to the first round in the
playoffs and putting two unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Game seven finishes and the second round is underway in
one of those Game sevens, including the thrilling Jets goal
with under two seconds left to play and send the
game to overtime. Their head coach last season, and Nate's
old coach, Rick Bonus is joining the show in a
few minutes. Energy Line is a production of the NHL
(00:48):
and iHeart podcast So, Nate, we had some thrilling Game sevens,
but we also had a thrilling weekend for you because
you were at where the Kentucky Derby the fastest is
the greatest two minutes in sports.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
What was it like?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Oh my god? Well, first off, I have to give
kudos to my friend Peter kart right, he got married,
So congratulations to him and his wife Jess, a great,
beautiful wedding. But then the next day, sorry, Pete, it
got a little bit better. It got a little bit better.
To the wedding. I'm telling you, Julie, the Kentucky Derby
is the adult Disneyland. It is the adult Disneyland. We
(01:27):
all got dressed up, we hopped on a bus, we
went to the Derby. We get there and where we
were we got these tickets. Like Julie, it was like
all inclusive when with his tickets with a wristband, and
we were covered so we weren't being rained on. And
the concession stands, I just see like tip jars, and
I see like refrigerators as I'm walking through, and I'm like,
(01:47):
and I just see people opening the refrigerator and just
grabbing cokes and water and beer or whatever out and
then going to the concessions and I'm like, what, Oh,
it's included in the ticket. I had no idea. So
I probably had about ten to fifteen cokes and diet
cokes that day, which is okay, but as you know,
I don't drink anymore.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
But I mean just which is good because it had
you know, you there. I mean I probably would have
had fifteen drinks then.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah. But but like before the races, like you obviously
you're making wagers, you're making some vets and there's a
lot of races going on, but before the actual derby,
we finally sit down in our seats because we're kind
of like walking around for all other races, you know,
just finding different areas to stand and watch. And then
obviously everyone goes to their seats for the derby, and
there was like this atmosphere I've never felt before. It
(02:34):
was like pure elation and excitement, but like tense and quiet,
and I was kind of thinking about it. I'm like, oh, yeah,
everybody here has got skin in the game for this,
right now. Yeah, And then it goes and the races,
and the races are off and people are all standing
and the people are like, you know, almost as if
they're the jockey and they're doing it. You know.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah, you put up a video that.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I was, I was, I was Cramer from Side Film, Yes,
doing it, you know, and it's just it was incredible,
Like what a scene. What a I mean, I mean,
just so much fun. Like I had a blast, and
I would go back in a heartbeat, but I have
to I wouldn't be remiss too, Like this is something
that like I didn't understand and now I get it.
(03:16):
I get it. Now I get it. Why people want
to go to the Kentucky Derby.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Okay, So first question was this part of the wedding weekend.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
It was part of the wedding weekend and there was
a majority of people from the wedding went to the derby.
We all went to the derby together, so it was
just like continuation of the wedding basically.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
And then how did they get How did you get tickets?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
We all purchased tickets like almost a year ago. So
I got these tickets like last summer knowing that I
was going to go to the wedding, we were going
to go to the Derby. So so we all had
these tickets a long time ago. But I mean, whate experience.
I mean just I mean for just unbelievable. I had
a blast.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
I mean I saw the numbers today, like NBC had
seventeen point seven million people watching that race, and that's
the most since.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Like nineteen eighty nine. So did you win anything?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Did you I won zeroulish? Yeah? Nothing.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Did you lose a lot?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
I didn't lose a lot. I didn't bet a ton,
but I you know, I had some wagers going. I
had some skin in the game for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
But you have to.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, you have to. There. I didn't walk away a
winner though, but it's okay. I had the best experience.
I got dressed up and it was great.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Okay, so we have a lot to talk about. We
got your first quick reactions on the game. Seven's Dallas,
Mika Ritten and Undertaker coming back scoring three thoughts.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Wow, I just say wow. I mean what a game.
I mean I was over at my own uncle's house
and I was sitting next to my uncle and it's
three to one. You know, Saint Louis up on Winnipeg,
and he says, oh, this is over, and I kind
of looked at him and I said, you know what, Like,
you know, we had a game when I was in Anaheim.
We were down three nothing with three minutes left, and
we came back and won a double overtime. And he's
like really and then sure, sure shit, all of a sudden,
(05:01):
Winnipeg ties it up with one second left and and
you see the rest and you see what happens, and
you know, playoff hockey, I mean playoff hockey. I feel
like every year it's like it just keeps getting better,
and the cinema and the drama gets there's more of it,
and that was just I mean both game sevens, even
Dallas and Colorado too, like you said, like what Migo
Randon did and how he kind of just said you know,
(05:21):
you could see it on his face. It was like
he was like, Okay, we're winning this game, and boys,
get on my back, right because this is what's going
to happen. And oh, Colorado, like you let that guy
go and then he does that to you, and then
it's it's just I mean both game sevens, I mean,
this is this is why we play playoff hockey. This
is why people watch playoff hockey is because for moments
(05:41):
like that in both games. So I'm looking forward to
the second round. It's going to be incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
It's poetic.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
And as Adam Lowry said on the TNT broadcast, he said,
with three minutes left in regulation, we were dead in
the water, Like you could see those Winnipeg Jets fans
just like sitting on their hands like, oh my god,
like I do not.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Want to be here now.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And then they score one and then I was actually
on a date and we were watching it, and the
fellow that I was with was betting on basketball, so
we kept like he kept trying to change the channel
back to basketball.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
He's like, well, they're not gonna win.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
I was like, oh, no, offensive zone face off when
that like they have what a couple seconds left, they
could still tie this thing up, and then they obviously
do one point six seconds left, and I just remember
like him throwing his hands in the air like had
didn't even care about this game and was just like.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Yes, Like we're like, oh my god, this is so exciting.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And everyone I knew who didn't even care about hockey
texted me about this and I was like, that is
a win for hockey right there, And that's exactly yeah,
you said.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
You know, anything could happen, especially if you're within one.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
I'm like so scared of the within one, if you're
the team that has just made it within one and
you're coming from behind, Like I'm a oh god.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
We are really.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Excited to have on the other side of this break
a man who knows what it's like to coach the
Winnipeg Jets one point zero, two point zero and beyond.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And that is Rick Bonus and he's coming up right
after this.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
All right, Well, now we're so pleased to be able
to welcome in former NHL coach, former NHL player, he
coached Nate Thompson.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
He's coached many many players over the years.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
He's played for the same team that he coached, and
that is none other than Rick Bonus. Rick, thank you
so much for taking the time to join us here
on energy line with Nate and JSB.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Certainly my pleasure to look for the talk.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Yes, we got the Winnipeg connection here. As we mentioned
you both well, you both played there, so I got it,
you know right off the bat as a as an
original og Jet. You coached there, then you coach there again.
You see them win in double overtime when you're on
TV you're working it for TNT. What was that moment
(08:11):
like when you saw them win and score.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Well, yeah, I was there for nine years in the
eighties as a player and a coach, and they always
say that Jets one point zero and two point oh,
but I always looking at it.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
It's Winnipeg Jets.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Listen.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
It's a lot and Nate would know this.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
It's a lot easier when you're on the bench or
behind the bench than watching it on television. It is
when you're behind the bench or on the bench as
a player at least you feel you're involved and you
know you have a little bit of say it and
the outcome of the game. Watching it from the studio
in Atlanta was tough. I mean I was sweating, and
it wasn't because the temperature of the room. Man, I
(08:49):
was so excited for the Jets, And it just means
so much to the city and that franchise, and as
Nate knows, they've got tremendous ownership there, Mark Shipman and
David Thomas, they're wonderful, wonderful owners and they don't get
enough credit for running your first class forranchise. And the
fan base has been, you know, completely supporter over the years.
(09:10):
The franchise probably needed a little bit of a boost
and this certainly gives it to them. You see the
thousands of people outside the arena before the games, with
the white out, the noise and the atmosphere inside is nothing.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
You can't compare it to anything. It's just so loud.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
So I know how much that that the organization needed
that win, and it was just so great, such a
great feeling to see that pucker in the net. And
it couldn't happen to a better guy than Adam Lowery
and you know Neil p when he played fourty eight
minutes or something. So the right guys get the accolades,
but certainly the team and the franchise deserve an awful
lot of credit.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, Bones, Before we get into Adam lower I just
want to talk about, you know, go back a little bit.
You know, I had you as a coach and I remember, Bones,
you were always such a good communicator, and you always
had an infectious attitude at the rink every day, and
it was it was great to play for it. I
love playing for it. And I guess I want to know, is,
you know, going all the way back, what drew you
(10:06):
to coaching when you first started after playing.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
Well, I wasn't a very good player, and I wanted
to stay in the game. I'm not smart enough to
do anything else, but no, it's the passion of the
game that I've had. It was passed on for my father,
who at one point played in the montch All Canadians
organization a long long time ago.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
But I just just loved the game and I just
wanted to stay in the game.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
And as you know, the best when you can't play
anymore and you're playing days are done. You want to stay,
the best route is coaching. And I got lucky because
near the end of my career with the Jets, playing
in the miners and playing coaches the miners, I was
offered John Ferguson, the senior at that point, offered me
an assistant coaching job with Winnipeg when they fired Tom
(10:51):
Watt November of eighty three, and I was twenty eight
years old, and I was probably younger than some of
the players, but I knew I knew of young enough
that if.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
It did work out, I could go back and play
a few more years.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
But b if I wanted to stay in the game,
it would have to be in coaching because the playing
career was winding down. So I was very fortunate to
get that opportunity and listen to the last of forty
nine years around the league. So and I enjoyed every
dayvid with that with absolutely no regrets.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
The communication part. I always said, Nate.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Like you remember, well, you were probably too young, but
there was an era with it. You never talked to
the coach.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
You just did.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
You were afraid to talk to the coach. The GM
would walk in the room and you just go hide.
And I always said, if I'm going to coach, I'm
going to coach the way I wanted to be coached,
and I wanted to I always wanted feedback. Just tell
me where I stand, tell me what I'm doing right,
tell me what I'm doing wrong, just let me know
if it's not good. I'm not afraid to hear those things.
So I always wanted to communicate with the players. It
(11:51):
probably cost me a job in Boston because Harry said
hated the fact that I talked to the players as
much as I did.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
But that's okay. I was going to do it my way.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
And like I said, if I was going to coach,
I'm going to coach the way I.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
Wanted to coach. I was going to do it my
way and.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
To make communication, and especially today, it's magnified today because
you absolutely have to be able to communicate and relate
to today's players. They need more information, they need to
know you have their back. And so the communication for
me has always been something I really focused on and
it really took great pride. And then again, as you know, Nate,
(12:26):
you can't be afraid to have tough conversations with a
player you're not playing, You're not playing well, those conversations
you have to have. I'd rather have those tough conversations
that a player worry about what's coming next to where
he stood or something like that. So the communication is
something I always took great pride and with everybody, and
you always trying to make I was a bad player,
but I always wanted to feel part of the team.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Right, y'all's got to.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
Go out of your way to make the third fourth
line guys know, they're just as important as the top
ten guys.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
That's so important for any team to be able to
be successful, is that communication from top to bottom. And
I got to say, based on what you said earlier
about you know, the city of.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Winnipeg and the organization.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
I took some videos of your uh when you're on
TNT talking about what it meant to Winnipeg, and I
sent it to my friends in Winnipeg because they get
the Canadian feed and they were just like so excited
that someone you know, was talking about Winnipeg. It's such
a great way, even just the attention, right, getting attention
in the States. I had lots of friends who even
(13:27):
don't watch hockey that much in the US, just texting
me saying, are.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
You watching the Winnipeg Jets game right now?
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Which I found interesting that they phrased it in that
in that sense, so it was it was great to
see Winnipeg get this kind of attention. And we saw
also in that postgame interview that you had with Adam
Lowery as Nate reference before, just the impact and the
connection that you have with him, based off of how
Lowry responded and just saying, oh, when you heard your
(13:53):
voice saying like, oh, You're going to bring a tear.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
To my eye? I mean, what is that?
Speaker 1 (13:58):
How come that connection is instantly like that? Can you
just kind of take us into the room with that?
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Well, first of all, that I haven't spent nine years
with the Jets earlier, it really really bothered me when
I kept hearing players, I don't want to go to Winnipeg.
I don't want to be in Winnipeg. I don't like
the culture in Winnipeg. So when I went in there
a couple of years ago, and as I told the
ownership and management when they were interviewing me, and I
told them five or six times, your problems aren't exce nos.
(14:27):
Your problems are the culture you have to change the
culture before we can fix anything else. And fortunately they
bought into that. But when you talk about that, you've
got to get the players connected. You've got to get
the players to buy in. And a guy like Adam,
I knew his presence in the room, the respect you
had from the players. So you start with those guys.
(14:47):
And it started in the summer that I took the
job in twenty two, that with the phone calls and
trying to find out what had happened, what's wrong, what
needs to be fixed, and we're going to address it,
and we're going to fix it. And then when you
say those things, as knows, you need the support of
the players. The players have to see what was wrong,
they have to be willing to change it. And so
(15:08):
I struck up a great rapport with a lot of
the veterans, and in a particular atom, I saw captaincy
written all over them. After having left Dallas with Jamie
Benn there's a lot of the same qualities and with
Adam the team came first. And Adam's father played in
the league for a long time coach in the league,
so Adam grew up around the league. He knows what
it takes to win in that league. He knows what
(15:30):
it takes to be successful. He also understood the importance
of culture in your room, and he also saw the.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Things he didn't like in there. So I spent a
lot of time with Adam and.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
Some of the other veterans. But again I saw captaincy
written all over him. And when we named Adam captain, look,
we certain Mark Schleifeley is a great leader, Judge Josh Morrissey,
all those guys are candidates, but we went with Adam.
And listen, he's a great captain, tremendous respect in the room.
He has the presidence in the room, he has the
(16:00):
presence on the bench, which is important. And when he
speaks that players listen, and it's coming from my heart.
So I've just developed a great rapport with Adam. I
love the man. He's just a great competitor, great teammate.
But he was a big part of helping me change
that culture.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Yeah, I mean in my time in Winnipeg bones I
mean lows. He jumps out at me too. In my
time with him, he was he seemed to me like
a captain as well. I mean, just the way he
plays his presence on the ice, everything he does, and
you know, you talked about you know, Josh Morrissey and
Mark Mark Shifley, those guys and how long they've been
there in the culture and you could see the shift
in it, you know now. And I'm so happy for
(16:38):
him that they won. I guess we'll look forward to
the next series when they're playing Dallas. You coach both teams,
What are some keys for both teams and and what
do you keep your eye on in this series?
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Well, they're going to see Winnipeg's and see a totally
different animal with Dallas. Dallas is not as I mean,
they're physical, but not newly as physical as Saint Louis.
Saint Louis's big plan was to get the puck in
for check, finish every check and wear them down.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
Dallas is very good off the rush.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
They can They're as good as any team on the
rush at scoring and creating scoring opportunities. So Winnipeg's, you know,
they they take great pride in that goals against. They're
the best defensive team in the league the last couple
of years, winning the Jennings. But Dallas is going to
come at them with four man rush. The defense will
lead the rush. They're going to see a different team
(17:30):
than they saw now. Is Dallas physical. Absolutely, It's the playoffs,
so the intensity is up. But they're so good on
the rush. They're so creative, they have so much speed
and the depth. All three lines can score goals off
the rush, and very few teams are able to see
that that their third line with Jamie Ben and Wyat Johnson,
they can score on the rush. They're very creative. Fourth
(17:51):
line is going to get they'll be their four chuck
and blind it. But uh, there's good depth back there.
Dallas will need miroback, They're going to need a Robo back,
and Winnipeg will lead Mark back and and moBack. So
they get all those players in that It's going to
be one incredibly entertaining, entertaining theories. But you got to
go to the goalies. Jake Ottinger was outstanding against Colorado's
(18:15):
a great young player, great young goalie and a great person.
And so obviously Hellibuck's that win. That theories win is
huge for Hellibuck. It is get that monkey off his back.
And you saw as that Game seven war on in
the third period in overtime, far more aggressive, far more assertive,
far more playing like he's capable of playing, and he
will be the big difference maker.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
In that series.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yeah, and you mentioned just getting that monkey off the
back for Connor Hallibuck, and I was listening to thirty
two Thoughts and they said the same thing. When a
goalie has had so much pressure on getting past that
first round, they finally do is there or have you
noticed goalies playing differently when maybe something like the way
that Connor Hallibuck had been put under the spotlight in
being able to compete, Canny get past this round, Canny
(18:59):
live up to these expectations and he does.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
How does that change in that?
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Well, you saw him more aggressive in the third period
in overtime. He's a big man. And when goalies, I
don't care that their size.
Speaker 5 (19:11):
When goalies aren't feeling it, they get back.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
In their net and they're small.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
And for whatever reason, I'm not a goalie and I'm
not a goalie coach. All I know is the job
description is very simple, stop the puck, right, That's what
I know about Goldenning. But Connor's a big guy, and
I saw how aggress he was in the third and
in overtime, and that tells me right there that Waye
Flair dos their goalie. Coach does a tremendous job with him,
and he got his attention. At some point. You've got
(19:38):
to stay aggressive, you got to stay up now. Waye
doesn't want them running out over the crease. That's not
how he teaches, but he does teach him and be
big and look big in the net. And when he's
like that, a lot of pucks are going to hit him.
If he's small and down in the net, the pucks
are going to beat him the top half of the net.
But when he's when he plays big and he even
if he doesn't see it, if he's playing big and
he's a right position his size, the puck is going
(20:01):
to hit him. So I just think it was huge
win for him, huge win for the team, but more
so for him. And I think you're going to see
a different guy going into Dallas. We know he's the
road troubles have been an issue going into Dallas for
Game three. I'm pretty confident saying that he'll be a
different goalie than he was going into Saint Louis.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
And getting into this series too. I mean, we talk
about Ranton in and what he did and how he
showed up and you know just the drama behind it.
What can Winnipeg do to stop Ranton in if they even.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Can, Well, you saw that first goalie scored. When he's
able to get the blue line and go east to
west across like that, it gives them way too many options,
way too much time. One thing we always stressed with
Winnipeg on the back check, and as you know Nick.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Take away the middle of the ice.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
If Ranton goes deep in the corner, it's far better
than him skating or going east to west, getting inside
under the lake and cutting through the middle. So we
always emphasized take away the middle of the ice. If
they go deep, they go deep. Now you can control
them a little bit better. So Winnipeg's big job will
be to pressure him. Get the puck out of his
hands as quick as you can. Don't get looked off.
(21:10):
He loves to hang out of the puck. He's a
big physical player. When I say physical, he's able to
protect the puck because of his size and he's able
to use his body, so he's physical that way. But
what you don't want is what I mentioned. You don't
want him cutting across up the line anywhere in the
neutral zone going east to west, because he's going to
make something happen.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
So it's going to be the.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
Defenseman are going to need a lot of solid back
pressure from the forwards and don't let him go east
to west, and then you can contain him a little bit.
But as you know, Nate, great players, they're going to
make find ways to make things happen.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
He has had such an interesting story and journey this year,
and I hope that someone's doing a documentary on them.
If not, Nate and I will get the rights to
his story. At this point, and Rick, I got to
ask you just when you're talking about him, and I
was just thinking, because so many players that you've coached
or seen or been around, have you ever seeing a
guy go through sort of the ups and downs like
(22:08):
he has that has maybe stuck out to you.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
No, not really, But so let's go back in his career.
He's played with one guy his entire career, Nate McKinnon,
and so you can't duplicate that chemistry within a matter
of weeks. It's impossible. So he goes to Carolina and
for whatever reason, it didn't work. And I think both
(22:32):
sides realized it wasn't going to work. But even when
he went to Dallas, it.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
Was a slow start.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
He had to figure out how to play at Rupe hints,
who's an incredibly fast left hand shot.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Nate's a right hand shot.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Nate likes to cut across the ice much like we
saw him to go east to west and find him.
He had to figure out how to play with Well
once before Jason got hurt. How to play with a
guy who has great hands and you almost be ready,
Beuse's going to get the pass when you at least expected.
But he had to figure out how to play with Rupe,
and it took some time. But now you're seeing the
results of that again. When you play eight nine years
(23:05):
with one guy, it's impossible to go to that next team,
go to that next superstar centerment and say it's going
to work. It takes time, and it took a little.
It didn't work in Carolina, as we know, it took
some time in Dallas. He didn't walk into Dallas and
scored four points every night right off the bat. It's
taken a month, but now you're seeing the results. And
that was a great trade by Jimmy Nil gave up
(23:27):
a lot, didn't staying cold. But if you want something
bad enough, you've got to be willing to pay the price.
I thought that was an outstanding trade for the Dallas Guards.
They're built to win now. They're not built to win
three years now. They're built to win now. And Ranton's
a big part of that. So that was just a
great trade by Jimmy. But again, give them credit. He
figured rupe Hint's a great player, listen, great player, and
(23:47):
that with incredible speed. It takes time to figure it
out to play with guys like that, and Ranton is
obviously smart enough to he figured it out pretty good.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Yeah. I mean I look at that team and the
star power they have and how these guys, I mean
especially rant and just I knew that when they made
that that sign it wasn't it wasn't for the regular season,
it was for now. And he's showing that. So I
want to get to other star power. And we're talking
about Vegas and Edmonton. You know, what do you expect
out of this series? You're going to have Michael and
McDavid going head to head.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
Yeah, that's going to be again, man, it's just going
to be great. Hockey.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It really is.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
And really disappointed for the La Kings because they they
had a great regular season and they let and he
talked about a team letting it slip away. They did
for whatever reason. And I saw Jimmie's comments out they
should have won that series, and I agree with them.
So it's disappointing for the La Kings. But Edvan give
Edmonton credit because they kept persevering, they kept pushing the pace.
(24:42):
And you've got two of the best guys in the world,
Dry Sidle, McKidd and mcconnor, and they're O'Connor. They're coming
at you, all right, McDavid. They're coming at you so
and Ikle's going to come at you like it's just
that's going to be another series. There'll be a lot
of great scoring chances off the rush. Both teams can
break the puck out quickly.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (25:02):
Probably Vegas is better to defensively then Edmonton. At this point,
they've played together longer. They know how to defend a
little bit better than than Edmonton. They're missing Eck home again,
which is a huge loss for Edmonton. They get pick
hard in the net. We'll see how he handles the
pressure because he's never been in this situation before. Aiden
Hill was one of Stanley Cup. So it's going to
(25:24):
be a great series. You've got to give it to me.
And I know with McDavid and Drive, you're talking about
the two best in the world. I still lean a
little bit on Vegas simply because they've been there and
they know how to win. They defend a little bit
better than what Edmonton does, and they also break the
puck out and they are another team. It's four men
coming at you and you've got to be able to
(25:45):
defend that rush, much like you've got to be able
to defend the rush with Edmonton because you know Bushad's coming.
So again, it's going to be entertaining hockey. There's any
of these eight teams can win the Cup. Sometimes you
get in this round, well they're lucky to be in there.
But any of these eight teams can win this series
or win the Cup. This is going to be entertaining
hockey at its best.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
And bringing things over to the East where we saw
the second round kickoff on Monday night Toronto and Florida,
And just a heads up, I'm from Toronto, but I'm
a longtime sufferer. I've disassociated from the team, however, I
still have, you know, a weird connection to them. Last
night seeing that game, i mean five to four was insane.
And of course obviously with Anthony Stolars leaving the game
(26:30):
and as we know, you know, he had head I'll
just say he threw up. He had a head thing.
He had to go to the hospital. And Sam Bennett
had like a bit of an elbow on his head.
There's like a lot of stuff going on Reddit, Twitter,
everyone has an opinion. What do you think about just
(26:51):
everything that went on with Stolars in that game and
him having to leave.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Well, oh, I know Chief is going to keep the
focus on the Leaf's team game.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
That's his job.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
The players will take care of those seas, right The
players see that if the coaches can't go in there
and even address it like, the players will take care
of that at the right time, and they will. The
coach's job is to keep them dialed in in the process.
This is how we won, This is how we have
to continue to win.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Now.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
You talk about how good the competition is right now
and the comebacks in the series, in Winnipeg's and Dallas's
perfect examples, you get in.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
That lead in that third period.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Man, the pressures on the team with the lead, and
the other team is talented enough and desperate enough, they're
going to make it close and they're going to come
back no matter what. So and you're going to get chances.
So now you're going to rely on your goaltending. Now
you hope Well can stand up to it. You hope
Solers is going to be okay and get back on
the net, suit because you need your number one goalie.
You're going to win the Stanley Cup. You need your
number one goalie. You are, so you hope he's not
(27:53):
hurt too bad. You hope he gets back soon. If
not tomorrow night, we'll see what happens. But for again,
from the Leaf's perspective, they did a lot of really
good things, and they were on their heels a little
bit in that third period when they got those two
goals early, but they responded. And the coach's job is
to reinforce. Maple Leaf hockey chief wants from playing straight
ahead hockey. We're going north and we're going to stay aggressive,
(28:15):
and that's how they've had their success and that's how
they will be at Florida. You're going to see a
different Florida team. They gave up some odd man Russia
that they normally don't give up, especially the Valley goals.
So you're going to see a different team. Bob will
be better than that. It's going to be a tougher
battle for them. Eventually, Florida has to win a game
in Toronto, You're going to see a different team. A
(28:36):
Chiefs job and the Leaf's job right now, focus on
their team game and what they have to do five
on five, especially teams to find way to win another game.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Yeah, I mean this, especially Florida. I mean, I just
think this series is probably bound to go seven, six
or seven games. With the way Florida plays, you know
that they're not going to give up. And you see,
you see the way Toronto plays. Me, I picked the
Leaves to win the Cup this year. Bone, So it's
Toronto guy. I really put myself hef out there this year.
(29:04):
So I was pretty happy and I didn't And it
was actually one of the teams I didn't play for.
I played for every other team. Uh yeah, I always
wanted to take That's a good that's true, Bones, that's true.
Thank you. You know, I want to talk about you
know something else and and and the World Championships and
Team Canada and you have now you know, Mark, Andre Fleury,
(29:25):
Cindy Crosby and Nathan McKinnon all going. Uh, just talked
about that. I mean, I would love to be able
to be able to watch that and see those guys
in the room and then and then play together. Just
talk about that and their commitment to Team Canada.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
Yeah, listen, they're gonna have a lot of fun. You
got Flurry on that team and they're gonna have a
lot of fun. Now with Nate, I was unsure he's
wants to go. But so back in Nova Scotia, I
live on the same lake with natean and said, they're
at the far.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
End of the lake. Morgan Barron now is my next
door neighbor. He's bought up.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
But you both you know, both Nate and Sitter from
Cole Harbor, and Nate's always looked up to him.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
It has been a huge influence on Nate's carewer he has.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
They spend a lot of time together when they're both
at the lake, so he's been a huge influence on him.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
Nate loves playing with Sid and.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
So Sid went for I know why Sid when he
missed the playoffs, I wanted to keep playing. I think
Nate went more to play with Sid and represent your country, obviously,
and Fleur is the same thing. He knows this is
his last year. He wants to play as long as
he can. They're gonna have a good team, They're gonna
have a lot of fun. They're going to be a
tough team to beat because of those guys. Because no
(30:32):
matter you listen. So if the lake, Skid's got this
rink in front with the plastic ice, so you go
up there and end of July on my boat and
I'm looking around, they sit out on his about the blade,
you know, working on his skills. So that's how much
he loves the game. And it's rubbed off on Nate,
there's no question. And nate'sid obviously one of the best
in the world. He's got a great passion for the game.
And when you put them on the ice in that
(30:53):
World Championship and they're playing for their country, lookout, Canada
is going to be very very tough to beat.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Yeah, you love seeing them play together.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
We saw them at four Nations and even that Tim
Horton's commercial Canada when I was up there recently. The
chemistry they had like just kind of goofing around, like
you could see that it brought out a side of
Sid that I hadn't seen before, just them together. I'm
just curious, like the fact that they'll be playing together
with the World Championships, you think could you could you
(31:21):
imagine a situation where Nate would be like, hey, say,
come come to Colorado.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Well, he'd got two more years on his contract, right,
so with no movement and everything else. Listen, they probably
have had those conversations over the years. I don't think
it's right now. I think they've had those conversations over
the years. I'm sure they'd love to play together. They're
really good friends. They're both from Cole Harbor, Nova, Scotia,
(31:48):
so I'm sure those conversations have been ongoing.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Now.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
We also know Sid's getting a little older and he's
probably going to play at a high level for another
couple of years at least, and I'm sure Nate would
love to play with them in the National Hockey League.
So we'll see where that develops. But Skid has made
it very clear he's a Pittsburgh Penguin and wants to
retire there, so he'll have like he has the final
say and all of that. I don't I think if
Kid was going to leave, he would have left this
(32:13):
year because his contract was up. I think this would
have been the time he knew he was going to
become an unrestricted free agent. This summer he signed an extension,
So that tells me he wants to stay in Pittsburgh
and finish his career.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
If they're having a bad start next year and it.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
Doesn't look like they're going to make the playoffs again,
that may change his thinking altogether.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
We're gonna shift gears a little bit now. Bones. You know,
we're watching you on tn T now and I'm really
enjoying you on here. Have How how has it been going?
I mean, I know, I'm a young, a young and
up and coming guy trying to get into business as
well and watching you and learning and seeing you on
the TNT panel. How's that been going so far?
Speaker 4 (32:51):
Then?
Speaker 5 (32:51):
Listen, those guys are been and as you guys are
the TV guys. I'm just an old coach man. I
just got to fit in here. Their care of the show.
There's a great crew. Tn T does a phenomenal job
they do, and they've made it a lot of fun
and going in there, like I don't have a lot
of the TV experience. I don't know what the hell
I'm doing, but they just say, listen, have fun. It's conversation,
(33:13):
it's hockey. So when you're talking to them, you kind
of forget the cameras are there and you're just talking
like you and I pretty much are talking hockey right now,
and that's all you try to do. And I try
to get them a little insight from a coaching perspective,
because I think talks is going on this weekend. Maybe
they you know, they want to get a coaching perspective,
so I try to give it to them. But more important,
(33:33):
they're fun group and they're professional, and they make it
easier for you to go in there and be comfortable
and again just talk hockey. So uh yeah, it's been fun.
We'll see where it goes. I'm not looking to I'm
not looking for a new career. I'm quite content where
I am right now. But I do have fun with
it because it's the first class operation they do with
(33:54):
tremendous production, and there are just a lot of fun
to be around.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
You've done such a great job and watching you on
there with the guys you mentioned that they make it fun,
they may get conversational, and I think they've really changed
the way hockey's being broadcasted and in the way that
you can have personality. You know, you can mess up
and you can kind of be real, and I think
one of the things we see is them really leaning
(34:19):
into there's there's multiple different personalities. Of course, by the way,
Anson Carter says, hello, I told him you were coming
on today. He's kind of like, you know, he's always
the rock there. That's sort of the same, like he's
the straight man of the show. We've got, like you know, biz,
that's just on another planet. What's it like working with
with with Paul Bisonette.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
Yeah, Well, like I tell them, I'm not acting like that.
He's wonderful. He does a great job and that's his personality.
And when you talk about going on air and having fun,
he personifies that and that's what he wants to do.
That's his personality. And give him a ton of credit.
Man's mad. He's done very well for himself with his
(35:00):
podcast and doing the TNT and other things. He didn't
have the greatest playing career, but he's certainly making the
most of his post career. And he is fun. But
that's him, that's his personality. And give them credit TNT
for letting him be himself and letting him do those things.
But I keep telling him, I'm not doing that stuff.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Man, I'll talk.
Speaker 5 (35:20):
I'm not doing some of the stuff that's going on here.
But it's just for fun. And Ace is wonderful to
work with. A very intelligent guy, has great insight to
the game. So I enjoyed listening to him as well.
And so SODA's busy. He's got some really good insights
in the game. He sees it, he knows the game,
he studied it enough. So it's such a great crew
(35:41):
to be part of.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
And Liam does such a good job just with all
of you guys as the point guard. I you know,
as a host myself, I always watch him think, you know,
he's one of the best, if not the best, of
course hockey broadcaster. I think just being able to deal
with all the different types of personalities and making sure
everyone gets their point across too. So glad that you've
enjoyed your time there with them.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
I agree with the Liam's the standing. He's got a
great finger on the pulse. He knows when to interject,
he knows when the Okay, that's enough, let's move on,
and in the right tone, in the right expression. He
does an outstanding job. He's a lot of fun to
be around. But man, you talk with a guy with
a stringer on the pulse for that staff every night
and what's going on with the games and what's being
(36:24):
described like, he's outstanding.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
He's a true professional.
Speaker 5 (36:27):
He's got a great fancy humor, and I think he
makes that whole thing go. He does because he's just
again the finger on the pulse. He knows when to
let the personalities come out, knows when to blow the
horn and say, okay.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
We're moving on to something else.
Speaker 5 (36:40):
But Liam's out standing, a true professional, great sense of humor,
and he makes the job for everybody else a lot
easier just because he is so good at what he does.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
Well, Bones, you're you're a natural watching it. You're very
very good at it. And you know at the same time,
I get it. No, you're you know, want a coach,
always a coach, And so I guess I ought to
ask you, what do you what do you miss most
about coaching now that you're with it?
Speaker 5 (37:04):
Honestly, I missed everything I do. I miss everything about it.
I knew I did.
Speaker 4 (37:10):
At the end of the last year. I was tired.
Speaker 5 (37:12):
I did, probably, you know, because you know, Judy and
I had some health issues last year, and I think
that was the most important, main reason why we stepped
down and just we said we were retiring, but we're
just stepping away to get our health back in under it.
You know what I really missed the most is the
relationship with the players.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
I do.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
I love the games, the practices, the preparation, the flights,
the travel never got to me after forty nine years.
The thing I missed the most is those relationships guys
like you and Adam and the guys in Mark and
Chid like I really missed that, that connection with the players.
And I'm still texting players all over the leagues that
I've coached it, So I do miss that the most.
(37:50):
But I honestly I missed everything about it. People say
I don't miss the pressure, man, I never looked at
it like that. I enjoyed it. It was carver behind
the bench and the pressure of the noise around the
team as.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
You know, right, what's the puck drops? That's the best
thing in the.
Speaker 5 (38:05):
World, right, players and coaches, and that's when the fun starts.
But I missed everything about it. But I'll see the
most important thing I miss is the interaction with the players.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Well, you can just really see like your excitement and
passion for coaching, and obviously a lot of the players
have felt that being a part of the teams you've
been on. And you just mentioned right there. You know
you didn't you didn't retire, but you just stepped away.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Is you know, I know, could you see yourself ever
coaching again?
Speaker 5 (38:35):
Well, let's put it this way. Am I actively going
after a coaching job. Absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
I'm not.
Speaker 4 (38:42):
So. But again, the health issues that Youdy and I
faced last year, we got them under control. Feeling good
about ourselves.
Speaker 5 (38:48):
We've never had a winner where it's just the two
of us that I wasn't running with the door, grabbing
a plane or a game and being distracted at home
because of games and everything else. So we've really enjoyed this.
I'm not going to pursue another job. I guess my
answer to you, if someone calls, then I would have
that conversation. But I'm seventy years old now, so weve
got to live with that too, right, That's all part
(39:10):
of it. But if someone called, I'd listen. Doesn't mean
I'd be interested in taking a job, but I'd certainly
have the respect for where we're called to listen to
what they had to say, and we'd go from there.
So but again, am I actively going to go after
a coaching job.
Speaker 4 (39:24):
No, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
I want to say one more thing, Julie, I want
to go back. And I was thinking about this when
I played for Bones. There was one instance, I guess
where I wanted to play defense, and it was because
during the season Bones would take out all the deed
for an adult beverage on the road. You know, he
would treat them. And Bones also ran the penalty kill,
(39:48):
so you know, I was I was on the penalty
kill and he helped me so much with the penalty kill.
But there wasn't it there. Those were the times where
I remember d being like, Yeah, We're going out for
a beer with Bones, and I'm like, what the hell?
I I kind of want to go, and at the
time I was drinking then, but I was like, man,
I want to I mean, how do like, how does
he take the p K out? So those are some
things that I think. And you bowed you talk about
(40:09):
your communication. I mean I'd never seen that before and
when I saw that, it was just it just goes
to show, uh, you know, the type of person and
the coach you were. So it was a pleasure. Bones,
thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
You know what it it's funny.
Speaker 5 (40:21):
And brought that up on the air the other night
and I got a text and breaking Cobra and Kobe,
Kobe brings up I missed the game, but man, I
missed those confidence coaches theears after the game, like right
out of the blue I get from Kobe so and
I love Kobe as well. But yeah, I know that
was fun. But that's the whole part of It's the game, man,
(40:43):
Let's enjoy it. Let's have some fun with it. Yeah,
we're all under the gun, we're all under pressure. That's
what we sign up for. But that doesn't mean you
can't enjoy it. You can't go out and have some
fun and get to know people away from the rink.
So my mistake I should have been closing guy.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Well, Rick, we appreciate your perspective.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
I mean, it's just wonderful having someone on who can
give us the insight but also the joy of really
having been behind the bench and been on the ice
and giving us that insight.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
So thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Good luck with everything that you have going on for
the rest of the postseason. And we'll have to see
if one of your former teams ends up hoisting the
Stanley Cup this season.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
We're hoping it's a pleasure great to see again.
Speaker 5 (41:25):
They'd love it, man, Missya and good Luck have to
show you guys.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
All right, what a lovely, lovely, lovely manner. Bonus.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
See, I wish he was like my coach in life.
I don't know, like a mentor, I guess, because he
just seems like a lovely guy and it seems like
you guys have a great connection there. So let's go
into not that series, but when we didn't touch on yet,
but Kane's Caps on Tuesday night, who you got.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
I think I'm gonna take the Caps in this series probably,
I mean in six or seven games, I think it'll
probably go. We know these teams have some history, They've
had some rough stuff in the regular season playing against
each other, so I mean this This series is gonna
be great. I just don't think I don't know if
Carolina can match the physicality of Washington. Tom Wilson via
(42:23):
Tom Wilson, and I think too that Washington I think,
I mean, just because of the injuries that Carolina has
had in their goaltending question marks, I just think that
Washington has the edge in goaltending as well. So I mean,
but like like you said, though Carolina is obviously they're
in it every year, I just don't know if they
can get over the hump against Washington. Washington seems a
little bit deeper to me.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Yeah, Washington's also seems to be riding some cider sort
of magic this year too, with Tovie and everything. They
seem to be on their way to the promised Land.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Okay, Oilers, Golden Knight's coming up right after that? Who
you got?
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Oh wow, I'm gonna stop betting against Connor. Connor McDavid
and Leon dry Sidle. You know, they obviously did what
they did to the Kings. They just kind of took
over and obviously the rest of their team too. I
thought the depth really showed up for the Edmonton Oilers
in the second part of that series against the Kings.
(43:18):
But at the same time, you look at the Vegas
Golden Knights and you see their depth and I cannot
wait for this series, especially because you're gonna have Jack
Eicele and Connor McDavid going against each other. You know,
I think that's just must watch TV. But I am
going to take the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. I
just think that there was a there was a switch
that was flipped in that team during the King series
(43:40):
that you know, it was a lot of what we
saw last year in the playoffs and the Edmonton Oilers
and how they were able to play defensively. That that
really jumped out at me. And I think, you know,
them starting Calvin Pickard too, you know, and how he
played the rest of that series. I do think that
I think they can beat Vegas this year. I really do.
And I think if they do, it's it's off for
(44:00):
the races. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
I think you make a great point there at them
coming back against the Kings, and I think when we
see like the character and resilience of a team on
show and on display, and like how they don't crumble
under certain circumstances, and I liken that then to Toronto,
who was up three to nothing in their series against Ottawa,
and then it looked like.
Speaker 2 (44:18):
Oh no, this is gonna go down south and then
it didn't.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
And I was unfortunately out of dinner with a friend
and I think we talked about that last episode and
I'd just be like looking at my I was just
like on my phone at this nice restaurant, like a
fucking idiot. Anyway, So talking about Toronto, there's a lot
of discourse over the fact that Okay, so Anthony Stolars
gets sort of like elbowed in the head by Sam Bennett,
(44:48):
leaves pukes into the benches during the timeout or during
the periods, I forget exactly that moment, and he leaves
he on a stretcher to the hospital. That does not
sound good, not good for the Leaves. Wool comes in
and was not very It was a real shaky time
for the Leaves, but they managed to win this one.
(45:09):
But everyone's looking now, like, I know, there's no penalty
called on the play. Chief wanted one. He said afterwards,
there should have been a penalty. What do you think
about this issue?
Speaker 3 (45:21):
Yeah, I agree with Chief and I do think there
should have been a penalty on the play. Anytime you
run into the goalie, usually it's a penalty no matter what.
It was a bit of the all accidentally on purpose,
I think, you know, but it's tough. And I understand
the side of not giving him any suspension or games
because it is the playoffs and we all know that
(45:43):
you know when you do get when you do get
a suspension the playoffs, one game is like almost two
or three games, right, And I know you're going to
be angry when you hear this from me, Julie, but
I just think that there's not enough. It's tough, right
because he doesn't lift his elbow, he keeps it tucked
and he kind of just skates into him, and you know,
bones top about it. In his interview he said, you know,
(46:05):
the players are gonna address this themselves. And unfortunately, you
never want to see a player get hurt, and you
don't want to see Stolers and don't want to see
what happened. But at the same time, you know, Joseph
Wall was the guy at some point for them. You know,
at some.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
Point that was because Stolars was injured.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
I know, but I think that he is he's he's
he is capable of being the guy and capable of
winning some games for them, and hopefully Stolers comes back.
But this is tough. I mean, as Sam Bennett we
all know, has a reputation. I think though, for the
Toronto Maple Leafs, they can't get sucked in to what
the Florida Panthers are doing. Yeah, you know, like like
(46:44):
that's the way the Florida Panthers play, That's not the
way that Toronto Maple Leafs play. Yes you may address it,
Yes you may go after Bennett one of the guys,
grab him, you know, settle it, be done with it.
But play hockey. The most important thing right now. For
the Toronto Maple Leafs, it's not worrying about Sam Bennett
and what he did. It's about winning the next game
and winning this series. I think that you know, this
is part of the playoffs. This is what it is.
(47:05):
I've been through it. You know, guys get hurt and
you know this is you know, this is it's a
game within a game. You know, guys, guys are going
to be going at each other and this is all
part of it. So I hope Stolers is okay, like
I said, but you know, the Leafs have to stay
focused here. They can't get distracted with Sam Bennett.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
Yeah, okay, so without getting distracted by Sam Bennett, but
still sending a message. Do you drop the midst in
the in the next game to send a message with him?
Speaker 3 (47:37):
I think so. I think it has to be the
right time, you know, like you have to find the
right timing of it. You have to make sure it's
the right part.
Speaker 1 (47:44):
Of the game and can't be like Canada Usa off
the face off.
Speaker 3 (47:50):
I mean maybe if he's starting, I think it has
to be a dress.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
I mean he has experience doing that.
Speaker 3 (47:56):
Yes he does, He definitely does. He absolutely does. I
don't know. I I think you know, this is playoff
and you want to you know, this is this is
how we police the game. Hockey does please the game itself.
The players police it, and I think it will get
settled at some point. It just have to find the
right time, the right place. And but the most important
thing is the Leafs. You gotta stay focused. I mean
(48:18):
we saw, you know, we saw a Leafs team, and
I think that you know, they they can play with anybody.
I mean, they showed it. Lastly, everyone's all worried about
all the Leafs are playing in the Florida Panthers. You
know they're gonna get gosh, this is because you know whatever,
But no, the Leafs are fine. The Leafs are this
is this is the best Leafs team I've seen in
a long time. You know, they have all these weapons,
but they're so good defensively. Their sound guys are buying
(48:39):
in and I don't know if it's gonna make much
of a difference. I hope it doesn't make much of
a difference with wol coming in the net. But I
do think that the Leafs, you know, they have to
they gotta stay focused in the next game because if
they win game two, they are in a driver's seat.
Speaker 1 (48:53):
Yes, And I think you make a good point. And
I think if Wolf starts and everyone's sort of like
ready to go and rock, and that's going to be
the team. I know commentators here, I think it was
Ray Ferraro was saying, you know, when you are a
backup goalie, you kind of and you see a guy
getting scored on, like, you know, four goals on ten
(49:14):
shots or something, you're like already kind of warming up
mentally to be able to go in. This was a
bit of a freak accident's surprise, so we'll kind of
had to just like jump on in there.
Speaker 2 (49:24):
Maybe it wasn't necessarily and that was just oh my gosh.
I oh it was ten minutes into the game. I
said it like on the other podcast like last week.
I was like, oh, I'm sure we'll.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
See wool in like the first ten minutes of the game,
which is not which is a good prediction by me,
but not one that I want on my record. But yeah,
me and Sam Bennett over here, I mean king Ctity,
you play for the front next.
Speaker 2 (49:50):
Okay, So yeah, I think that I think they can't play.
Speaker 1 (49:54):
And I think seeing like Morgan Riley playing free and
being able to jump in on the rush up there
and go all the way that was like a great moment.
And then also seeing Chris Tanev score like who come
on when we're seeing everyone's score, like what?
Speaker 3 (50:10):
And then what about Willy Styles Like wow, Like this
guy is just like it feels like the bigger the game,
the better he's been getting. And uh, he's making me
look like a just the beginning of this season. Before
you know, I went on the Empty Envers podcast and
I told those guys that I think that this is wild,
I know, but I think that Willy like just pure talent.
Like I'm not saying the best player, because we know Matthews, Marner,
(50:33):
all those guys, nice everybody, but like pure talent, Like
Willy I think has the most pure talent on that team,
just with the way he skates, the way he handles
the puck, you know, all these things. And now he's
like with these big games, it's like he's just he
wants to be the guy. Yeah, you're seeing it in
these big moments and it's so fun to watch. I mean,
(50:54):
I'm a I'm a giant Willy Kneelander fan. I think
he's incredible and he's he's been huge.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
For the Leaves, Yeah he has, and he just he
always seems like that guy. But I mean that you
can kind of rely on in a way, like if
I had to pick Marner, Matthews or Nilander to be
like who's the most consistent that I want to take
throughout the entire playoffs, I'd take Neelander for sure.
Speaker 3 (51:15):
I think I think a lot of people would say
the same thing, Julie, A lot of people.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
And maybe also that could be matchups that could be pressure,
that could be you know, a whole lot of various
different things before we go, and I don't, and I
wanted to say it, but like I saw PK. Suban
took it, I mean not took it. Everyone said it,
but Max patch Ready Patches o'hulahan.
Speaker 2 (51:37):
Of course I heard that.
Speaker 3 (51:38):
I heard that.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
I wanted to text you being like, oh, he's listened
to the podcast. But obviously people have said called in
Patches o'hulahan before Patch Adams, whatever anything you want to say.
He has had this like interesting re emergence in the
playoffs and not for nothing. He is wearing number sixty
seven the last time that Leaves won the Cup nineteen
sixty seven, and there feels something ominict like it feels
(51:59):
not ominous. It feels like something good brewing their thoughts, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (52:03):
Yeah, yeah, I think well, Max Pectready has a ton
of experience in the playoffs. He's an older guy. He
we know he can score goals, and good good on
Chief to put him in the lineup last last series.
And now you're seeing the you're seeing how it's working.
He's been so good for them and this is this
is what the Leafs need. You know, if if Matthews
(52:24):
and Martyr and those guys aren't scoring. You have those guys,
those guys contributing. It makes a huge difference the Leaves.
The Leafs really haven't had that in the past. You know,
they've always kind of just you know, relied on the
core four uh to do the big scoring. And now
they're getting contribution from other guys and it's great to see.
And I love what Chief did last game. I love
that he's starting, you know, he just goes up Matthews
(52:46):
versus Barkoff head to head. Yeah, where where we're going
best on? Yeah, we're going best on best. Let's go.
I mean, that's that's what you want to see from
the Leafs. No, no fear, No, let's get away from
this matchup. No, let's go head on against the Florida
Panthers and let's beat Let's beat them at their own game.
Speaker 1 (53:02):
I saw Mark Messi mentioned that too on the broadcast,
who also mentioned the importance of the bottom six guys,
which have been really what you just hit on such
a key factor. All Right, we hear your dogs are
barking back there, and we know it's sound of wrap things.
So thank you guys all for listening to episode sixteen
of the Energy Line.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Would They Just Be?
Speaker 1 (53:23):
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart
podcast Thank you to Rick Bonus for joining us. Thanks
to Jake Brown, excuse me for producing the show. Subscribe
to the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get
your podcasts, or listen to the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Give us a five star rating. Please write a nice review.
I'm Julie Stuart thinks he's Nate Thompson.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Nate and I will be back in a few days
on Friday as we continue breaking down the second round
of the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
Thank you so much for tuning in to the Energy Line.
We'll see you Friday.
Speaker 1 (53:54):
Energy Line is the production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or We're where ever you get your podcasts.
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
Welcome back to Energy Line with Date and JSB and
Julie shur Banks and news former NHL or Nay Thompson.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
And what a finish to the first round in the
playoffs and putting two unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Game seven finishes and the second round is underway in
one of those Game sevens, including the thrilling Jets goal
with under two seconds left to play and send the
game to overtime. Their head coach last season, and Nate's
old coach, Rick Bonus is joining the show in a
few minutes. Energy Line is a production of the NHL
(00:48):
and iHeart podcast So, Nate, we had some thrilling Game sevens,
but we also had a thrilling weekend for you because
you were at where the Kentucky Derby the fastest is
the greatest two minutes in sports.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
What was it like?
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Oh my god? Well, first off, I have to give
kudos to my friend Peter kart right, he got married,
So congratulations to him and his wife Jess, a great,
beautiful wedding. But then the next day, sorry, Pete, it
got a little bit better. It got a little bit better.
To the wedding. I'm telling you, Julie, the Kentucky Derby
is the adult Disneyland. It is the adult Disneyland. We
(01:27):
all got dressed up, we hopped on a bus, we
went to the Derby. We get there and where we
were we got these tickets. Like Julie, it was like
all inclusive when with his tickets with a wristband, and
we were covered so we weren't being rained on. And
the concession stands, I just see like tip jars, and
I see like refrigerators as I'm walking through, and I'm like,
(01:47):
and I just see people opening the refrigerator and just
grabbing cokes and water and beer or whatever out and
then going to the concessions and I'm like, what, Oh,
it's included in the ticket. I had no idea. So
I probably had about ten to fifteen cokes and diet
cokes that day, which is okay, but as you know,
I don't drink anymore.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
But I mean just which is good because it had
you know, you there. I mean I probably would have
had fifteen drinks then.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Yeah. But but like before the races, like you obviously
you're making wagers, you're making some vets and there's a
lot of races going on, but before the actual derby,
we finally sit down in our seats because we're kind
of like walking around for all other races, you know,
just finding different areas to stand and watch. And then
obviously everyone goes to their seats for the derby, and
there was like this atmosphere I've never felt before. It
(02:34):
was like pure elation and excitement, but like tense and quiet,
and I was kind of thinking about it. I'm like, oh, yeah,
everybody here has got skin in the game for this,
right now. Yeah, And then it goes and the races,
and the races are off and people are all standing
and the people are like, you know, almost as if
they're the jockey and they're doing it. You know.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah, you put up a video that.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I was, I was, I was Cramer from Side Film, Yes,
doing it, you know, and it's just it was incredible,
Like what a scene. What a I mean, I mean,
just so much fun. Like I had a blast, and
I would go back in a heartbeat, but I have
to I wouldn't be remiss too, Like this is something
that like I didn't understand and now I get it.
(03:16):
I get it. Now I get it. Why people want
to go to the Kentucky Derby.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Okay, So first question was this part of the wedding weekend.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
It was part of the wedding weekend and there was
a majority of people from the wedding went to the derby.
We all went to the derby together, so it was
just like continuation of the wedding basically.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
And then how did they get How did you get tickets?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
We all purchased tickets like almost a year ago. So
I got these tickets like last summer knowing that I
was going to go to the wedding, we were going
to go to the Derby. So so we all had
these tickets a long time ago. But I mean, whate experience.
I mean just I mean for just unbelievable. I had
a blast.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
I mean I saw the numbers today, like NBC had
seventeen point seven million people watching that race, and that's
the most since.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Like nineteen eighty nine. So did you win anything?
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Did you I won zeroulish? Yeah? Nothing.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Did you lose a lot?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
I didn't lose a lot. I didn't bet a ton,
but I you know, I had some wagers going. I
had some skin in the game for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
But you have to.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, you have to. There. I didn't walk away a
winner though, but it's okay. I had the best experience.
I got dressed up and it was great.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Okay, so we have a lot to talk about. We
got your first quick reactions on the game. Seven's Dallas,
Mika Ritten and Undertaker coming back scoring three thoughts.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Wow, I just say wow. I mean what a game.
I mean I was over at my own uncle's house
and I was sitting next to my uncle and it's
three to one. You know, Saint Louis up on Winnipeg,
and he says, oh, this is over, and I kind
of looked at him and I said, you know what, Like,
you know, we had a game when I was in Anaheim.
We were down three nothing with three minutes left, and
we came back and won a double overtime. And he's
like really and then sure, sure shit, all of a sudden,
(05:01):
Winnipeg ties it up with one second left and and
you see the rest and you see what happens, and
you know, playoff hockey, I mean playoff hockey. I feel
like every year it's like it just keeps getting better,
and the cinema and the drama gets there's more of it,
and that was just I mean both game sevens, even
Dallas and Colorado too, like you said, like what Migo
Randon did and how he kind of just said you know,
(05:21):
you could see it on his face. It was like
he was like, Okay, we're winning this game, and boys,
get on my back, right because this is what's going
to happen. And oh, Colorado, like you let that guy
go and then he does that to you, and then
it's it's just I mean both game sevens, I mean,
this is this is why we play playoff hockey. This
is why people watch playoff hockey is because for moments
(05:41):
like that in both games. So I'm looking forward to
the second round. It's going to be incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
It's poetic.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
And as Adam Lowry said on the TNT broadcast, he said,
with three minutes left in regulation, we were dead in
the water, Like you could see those Winnipeg Jets fans
just like sitting on their hands like, oh my god,
like I do not.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Want to be here now.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And then they score one and then I was actually
on a date and we were watching it, and the
fellow that I was with was betting on basketball, so
we kept like he kept trying to change the channel
back to basketball.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
He's like, well, they're not gonna win.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
I was like, oh, no, offensive zone face off when
that like they have what a couple seconds left, they
could still tie this thing up, and then they obviously
do one point six seconds left, and I just remember
like him throwing his hands in the air like had
didn't even care about this game and was just like.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Yes, Like we're like, oh my god, this is so exciting.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And everyone I knew who didn't even care about hockey
texted me about this and I was like, that is
a win for hockey right there, And that's exactly yeah,
you said.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
You know, anything could happen, especially if you're within one.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
I'm like so scared of the within one, if you're
the team that has just made it within one and
you're coming from behind, Like I'm a oh god.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
We are really.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Excited to have on the other side of this break
a man who knows what it's like to coach the
Winnipeg Jets one point zero, two point zero and beyond.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And that is Rick Bonus and he's coming up right
after this.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
All right, Well, now we're so pleased to be able
to welcome in former NHL coach, former NHL player, he
coached Nate Thompson.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
He's coached many many players over the years.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
He's played for the same team that he coached, and
that is none other than Rick Bonus. Rick, thank you
so much for taking the time to join us here
on energy line with Nate and JSB.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Certainly my pleasure to look for the talk.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Yes, we got the Winnipeg connection here. As we mentioned
you both well, you both played there, so I got it,
you know right off the bat as a as an
original og Jet. You coached there, then you coach there again.
You see them win in double overtime when you're on
TV you're working it for TNT. What was that moment
(08:11):
like when you saw them win and score.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Well, yeah, I was there for nine years in the
eighties as a player and a coach, and they always
say that Jets one point zero and two point oh,
but I always looking at it.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
It's Winnipeg Jets.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Listen.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
It's a lot and Nate would know this.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
It's a lot easier when you're on the bench or
behind the bench than watching it on television. It is
when you're behind the bench or on the bench as
a player at least you feel you're involved and you
know you have a little bit of say it and
the outcome of the game. Watching it from the studio
in Atlanta was tough. I mean I was sweating, and
it wasn't because the temperature of the room. Man, I
(08:49):
was so excited for the Jets, And it just means
so much to the city and that franchise, and as
Nate knows, they've got tremendous ownership there, Mark Shipman and
David Thomas, they're wonderful, wonderful owners and they don't get
enough credit for running your first class forranchise. And the
fan base has been, you know, completely supporter over the years.
(09:10):
The franchise probably needed a little bit of a boost
and this certainly gives it to them. You see the
thousands of people outside the arena before the games, with
the white out, the noise and the atmosphere inside is nothing.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
You can't compare it to anything. It's just so loud.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
So I know how much that that the organization needed
that win, and it was just so great, such a
great feeling to see that pucker in the net. And
it couldn't happen to a better guy than Adam Lowery
and you know Neil p when he played fourty eight
minutes or something. So the right guys get the accolades,
but certainly the team and the franchise deserve an awful
lot of credit.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Yeah, Bones, Before we get into Adam lower I just
want to talk about, you know, go back a little bit.
You know, I had you as a coach and I remember, Bones,
you were always such a good communicator, and you always
had an infectious attitude at the rink every day, and
it was it was great to play for it. I
love playing for it. And I guess I want to know, is,
you know, going all the way back, what drew you
(10:06):
to coaching when you first started after playing.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
Well, I wasn't a very good player, and I wanted
to stay in the game. I'm not smart enough to
do anything else, but no, it's the passion of the
game that I've had. It was passed on for my father,
who at one point played in the montch All Canadians
organization a long long time ago.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
But I just just loved the game and I just
wanted to stay in the game.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
And as you know, the best when you can't play
anymore and you're playing days are done. You want to stay,
the best route is coaching. And I got lucky because
near the end of my career with the Jets, playing
in the miners and playing coaches the miners, I was
offered John Ferguson, the senior at that point, offered me
an assistant coaching job with Winnipeg when they fired Tom
(10:51):
Watt November of eighty three, and I was twenty eight
years old, and I was probably younger than some of
the players, but I knew I knew of young enough
that if.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
It did work out, I could go back and play
a few more years.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
But b if I wanted to stay in the game,
it would have to be in coaching because the playing
career was winding down. So I was very fortunate to
get that opportunity and listen to the last of forty
nine years around the league. So and I enjoyed every
dayvid with that with absolutely no regrets.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
The communication part. I always said, Nate.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Like you remember, well, you were probably too young, but
there was an era with it. You never talked to
the coach.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
You just did.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
You were afraid to talk to the coach. The GM
would walk in the room and you just go hide.
And I always said, if I'm going to coach, I'm
going to coach the way I wanted to be coached,
and I wanted to I always wanted feedback. Just tell
me where I stand, tell me what I'm doing right,
tell me what I'm doing wrong, just let me know
if it's not good. I'm not afraid to hear those things.
So I always wanted to communicate with the players. It
(11:51):
probably cost me a job in Boston because Harry said
hated the fact that I talked to the players as
much as I did.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
But that's okay. I was going to do it my way.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
And like I said, if I was going to coach,
I'm going to coach the way I.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
Wanted to coach. I was going to do it my
way and.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
To make communication, and especially today, it's magnified today because
you absolutely have to be able to communicate and relate
to today's players. They need more information, they need to
know you have their back. And so the communication for
me has always been something I really focused on and
it really took great pride. And then again, as you know, Nate,
(12:26):
you can't be afraid to have tough conversations with a
player you're not playing, You're not playing well, those conversations
you have to have. I'd rather have those tough conversations
that a player worry about what's coming next to where
he stood or something like that. So the communication is
something I always took great pride and with everybody, and
you always trying to make I was a bad player,
but I always wanted to feel part of the team.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Right, y'all's got to.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
Go out of your way to make the third fourth
line guys know, they're just as important as the top
ten guys.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
That's so important for any team to be able to
be successful, is that communication from top to bottom. And
I got to say, based on what you said earlier
about you know, the city of.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Winnipeg and the organization.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
I took some videos of your uh when you're on
TNT talking about what it meant to Winnipeg, and I
sent it to my friends in Winnipeg because they get
the Canadian feed and they were just like so excited
that someone you know, was talking about Winnipeg. It's such
a great way, even just the attention, right, getting attention
in the States. I had lots of friends who even
(13:27):
don't watch hockey that much in the US, just texting
me saying, are.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
You watching the Winnipeg Jets game right now?
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Which I found interesting that they phrased it in that
in that sense, so it was it was great to
see Winnipeg get this kind of attention. And we saw
also in that postgame interview that you had with Adam
Lowery as Nate reference before, just the impact and the
connection that you have with him, based off of how
Lowry responded and just saying, oh, when you heard your
(13:53):
voice saying like, oh, You're going to bring a tear.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
To my eye? I mean, what is that?
Speaker 1 (13:58):
How come that connection is instantly like that? Can you
just kind of take us into the room with that?
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Well, first of all, that I haven't spent nine years
with the Jets earlier, it really really bothered me when
I kept hearing players, I don't want to go to Winnipeg.
I don't want to be in Winnipeg. I don't like
the culture in Winnipeg. So when I went in there
a couple of years ago, and as I told the
ownership and management when they were interviewing me, and I
told them five or six times, your problems aren't exce nos.
(14:27):
Your problems are the culture you have to change the
culture before we can fix anything else. And fortunately they
bought into that. But when you talk about that, you've
got to get the players connected. You've got to get
the players to buy in. And a guy like Adam,
I knew his presence in the room, the respect you
had from the players. So you start with those guys.
(14:47):
And it started in the summer that I took the
job in twenty two, that with the phone calls and
trying to find out what had happened, what's wrong, what
needs to be fixed, and we're going to address it,
and we're going to fix it. And then when you
say those things, as knows, you need the support of
the players. The players have to see what was wrong,
they have to be willing to change it. And so
(15:08):
I struck up a great rapport with a lot of
the veterans, and in a particular atom, I saw captaincy
written all over them. After having left Dallas with Jamie
Benn there's a lot of the same qualities and with
Adam the team came first. And Adam's father played in
the league for a long time coach in the league,
so Adam grew up around the league. He knows what
it takes to win in that league. He knows what
(15:30):
it takes to be successful. He also understood the importance
of culture in your room, and he also saw the.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Things he didn't like in there. So I spent a
lot of time with Adam and.
Speaker 5 (15:40):
Some of the other veterans. But again I saw captaincy
written all over him. And when we named Adam captain, look,
we certain Mark Schleifeley is a great leader, Judge Josh Morrissey,
all those guys are candidates, but we went with Adam.
And listen, he's a great captain, tremendous respect in the room.
He has the presidence in the room, he has the
(16:00):
presence on the bench, which is important. And when he
speaks that players listen, and it's coming from my heart.
So I've just developed a great rapport with Adam. I
love the man. He's just a great competitor, great teammate.
But he was a big part of helping me change
that culture.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Yeah, I mean in my time in Winnipeg bones I
mean lows. He jumps out at me too. In my
time with him, he was he seemed to me like
a captain as well. I mean, just the way he
plays his presence on the ice, everything he does, and
you know, you talked about you know, Josh Morrissey and
Mark Mark Shifley, those guys and how long they've been
there in the culture and you could see the shift
in it, you know now. And I'm so happy for
(16:38):
him that they won. I guess we'll look forward to
the next series when they're playing Dallas. You coach both teams,
What are some keys for both teams and and what
do you keep your eye on in this series?
Speaker 5 (16:49):
Well, they're going to see Winnipeg's and see a totally
different animal with Dallas. Dallas is not as I mean,
they're physical, but not newly as physical as Saint Louis.
Saint Louis's big plan was to get the puck in
for check, finish every check and wear them down.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
Dallas is very good off the rush.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
They can They're as good as any team on the
rush at scoring and creating scoring opportunities. So Winnipeg's, you know,
they they take great pride in that goals against. They're
the best defensive team in the league the last couple
of years, winning the Jennings. But Dallas is going to
come at them with four man rush. The defense will
lead the rush. They're going to see a different team
(17:30):
than they saw now. Is Dallas physical. Absolutely, It's the playoffs,
so the intensity is up. But they're so good on
the rush. They're so creative, they have so much speed
and the depth. All three lines can score goals off
the rush, and very few teams are able to see
that that their third line with Jamie Ben and Wyat Johnson,
they can score on the rush. They're very creative. Fourth
(17:51):
line is going to get they'll be their four chuck
and blind it. But uh, there's good depth back there.
Dallas will need miroback, They're going to need a Robo back,
and Winnipeg will lead Mark back and and moBack. So
they get all those players in that It's going to
be one incredibly entertaining, entertaining theories. But you got to
go to the goalies. Jake Ottinger was outstanding against Colorado's
(18:15):
a great young player, great young goalie and a great person.
And so obviously Hellibuck's that win. That theories win is
huge for Hellibuck. It is get that monkey off his back.
And you saw as that Game seven war on in
the third period in overtime, far more aggressive, far more assertive,
far more playing like he's capable of playing, and he
will be the big difference maker.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
In that series.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yeah, and you mentioned just getting that monkey off the
back for Connor Hallibuck, and I was listening to thirty
two Thoughts and they said the same thing. When a
goalie has had so much pressure on getting past that
first round, they finally do is there or have you
noticed goalies playing differently when maybe something like the way
that Connor Hallibuck had been put under the spotlight in
being able to compete, Canny get past this round, Canny
(18:59):
live up to these expectations and he does.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
How does that change in that?
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Well, you saw him more aggressive in the third period
in overtime. He's a big man. And when goalies, I
don't care that their size.
Speaker 5 (19:11):
When goalies aren't feeling it, they get back.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
In their net and they're small.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
And for whatever reason, I'm not a goalie and I'm
not a goalie coach. All I know is the job
description is very simple, stop the puck, right, That's what
I know about Goldenning. But Connor's a big guy, and
I saw how aggress he was in the third and
in overtime, and that tells me right there that Waye
Flair dos their goalie. Coach does a tremendous job with him,
and he got his attention. At some point. You've got
(19:38):
to stay aggressive, you got to stay up now. Waye
doesn't want them running out over the crease. That's not
how he teaches, but he does teach him and be
big and look big in the net. And when he's
like that, a lot of pucks are going to hit him.
If he's small and down in the net, the pucks
are going to beat him the top half of the net.
But when he's when he plays big and he even
if he doesn't see it, if he's playing big and
he's a right position his size, the puck is going
(20:01):
to hit him. So I just think it was huge
win for him, huge win for the team, but more
so for him. And I think you're going to see
a different guy going into Dallas. We know he's the
road troubles have been an issue going into Dallas for
Game three. I'm pretty confident saying that he'll be a
different goalie than he was going into Saint Louis.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
And getting into this series too. I mean, we talk
about Ranton in and what he did and how he
showed up and you know just the drama behind it.
What can Winnipeg do to stop Ranton in if they even.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Can, Well, you saw that first goalie scored. When he's
able to get the blue line and go east to
west across like that, it gives them way too many options,
way too much time. One thing we always stressed with
Winnipeg on the back check, and as you know Nick.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Take away the middle of the ice.
Speaker 5 (20:49):
If Ranton goes deep in the corner, it's far better
than him skating or going east to west, getting inside
under the lake and cutting through the middle. So we
always emphasized take away the middle of the ice. If
they go deep, they go deep. Now you can control
them a little bit better. So Winnipeg's big job will
be to pressure him. Get the puck out of his
hands as quick as you can. Don't get looked off.
(21:10):
He loves to hang out of the puck. He's a
big physical player. When I say physical, he's able to
protect the puck because of his size and he's able
to use his body, so he's physical that way. But
what you don't want is what I mentioned. You don't
want him cutting across up the line anywhere in the
neutral zone going east to west, because he's going to
make something happen.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
So it's going to be the.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
Defenseman are going to need a lot of solid back
pressure from the forwards and don't let him go east
to west, and then you can contain him a little bit.
But as you know, Nate, great players, they're going to
make find ways to make things happen.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
He has had such an interesting story and journey this year,
and I hope that someone's doing a documentary on them.
If not, Nate and I will get the rights to
his story. At this point, and Rick, I got to
ask you just when you're talking about him, and I
was just thinking, because so many players that you've coached
or seen or been around, have you ever seeing a
guy go through sort of the ups and downs like
(22:08):
he has that has maybe stuck out to you.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
No, not really, But so let's go back in his career.
He's played with one guy his entire career, Nate McKinnon,
and so you can't duplicate that chemistry within a matter
of weeks. It's impossible. So he goes to Carolina and
for whatever reason, it didn't work. And I think both
(22:32):
sides realized it wasn't going to work. But even when
he went to Dallas, it.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
Was a slow start.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
He had to figure out how to play at Rupe hints,
who's an incredibly fast left hand shot.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Nate's a right hand shot.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Nate likes to cut across the ice much like we
saw him to go east to west and find him.
He had to figure out how to play with Well
once before Jason got hurt. How to play with a
guy who has great hands and you almost be ready,
Beuse's going to get the pass when you at least expected.
But he had to figure out how to play with Rupe,
and it took some time. But now you're seeing the
results of that again. When you play eight nine years
(23:05):
with one guy, it's impossible to go to that next team,
go to that next superstar centerment and say it's going
to work. It takes time, and it took a little.
It didn't work in Carolina, as we know, it took
some time in Dallas. He didn't walk into Dallas and
scored four points every night right off the bat. It's
taken a month, but now you're seeing the results. And
that was a great trade by Jimmy Nil gave up
(23:27):
a lot, didn't staying cold. But if you want something
bad enough, you've got to be willing to pay the price.
I thought that was an outstanding trade for the Dallas Guards.
They're built to win now. They're not built to win
three years now. They're built to win now. And Ranton's
a big part of that. So that was just a
great trade by Jimmy. But again, give them credit. He
figured rupe Hint's a great player, listen, great player, and
(23:47):
that with incredible speed. It takes time to figure it
out to play with guys like that, and Ranton is
obviously smart enough to he figured it out pretty good.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Yeah. I mean I look at that team and the
star power they have and how these guys, I mean
especially rant and just I knew that when they made
that that sign it wasn't it wasn't for the regular season,
it was for now. And he's showing that. So I
want to get to other star power. And we're talking
about Vegas and Edmonton. You know, what do you expect
out of this series? You're going to have Michael and
McDavid going head to head.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
Yeah, that's going to be again, man, it's just going
to be great. Hockey.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It really is.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
And really disappointed for the La Kings because they they
had a great regular season and they let and he
talked about a team letting it slip away. They did
for whatever reason. And I saw Jimmie's comments out they
should have won that series, and I agree with them.
So it's disappointing for the La Kings. But Edvan give
Edmonton credit because they kept persevering, they kept pushing the pace.
(24:42):
And you've got two of the best guys in the world,
Dry Sidle, McKidd and mcconnor, and they're O'Connor. They're coming
at you, all right, McDavid. They're coming at you so
and Ikle's going to come at you like it's just
that's going to be another series. There'll be a lot
of great scoring chances off the rush. Both teams can
break the puck out quickly.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (25:02):
Probably Vegas is better to defensively then Edmonton. At this point,
they've played together longer. They know how to defend a
little bit better than than Edmonton. They're missing Eck home again,
which is a huge loss for Edmonton. They get pick
hard in the net. We'll see how he handles the
pressure because he's never been in this situation before. Aiden
Hill was one of Stanley Cup. So it's going to
(25:24):
be a great series. You've got to give it to me.
And I know with McDavid and Drive, you're talking about
the two best in the world. I still lean a
little bit on Vegas simply because they've been there and
they know how to win. They defend a little bit
better than what Edmonton does, and they also break the
puck out and they are another team. It's four men
coming at you and you've got to be able to
(25:45):
defend that rush, much like you've got to be able
to defend the rush with Edmonton because you know Bushad's coming.
So again, it's going to be entertaining hockey. There's any
of these eight teams can win the Cup. Sometimes you
get in this round, well they're lucky to be in there.
But any of these eight teams can win this series
or win the Cup. This is going to be entertaining
hockey at its best.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
And bringing things over to the East where we saw
the second round kickoff on Monday night Toronto and Florida,
And just a heads up, I'm from Toronto, but I'm
a longtime sufferer. I've disassociated from the team, however, I
still have, you know, a weird connection to them. Last
night seeing that game, i mean five to four was insane.
And of course obviously with Anthony Stolars leaving the game
(26:30):
and as we know, you know, he had head I'll
just say he threw up. He had a head thing.
He had to go to the hospital. And Sam Bennett
had like a bit of an elbow on his head.
There's like a lot of stuff going on Reddit, Twitter,
everyone has an opinion. What do you think about just
(26:51):
everything that went on with Stolars in that game and
him having to leave.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
Well, oh, I know Chief is going to keep the
focus on the Leaf's team game.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
That's his job.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
The players will take care of those seas, right The
players see that if the coaches can't go in there
and even address it like, the players will take care
of that at the right time, and they will. The
coach's job is to keep them dialed in in the process.
This is how we won, This is how we have
to continue to win.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Now.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
You talk about how good the competition is right now
and the comebacks in the series, in Winnipeg's and Dallas's
perfect examples, you get in.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
That lead in that third period.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Man, the pressures on the team with the lead, and
the other team is talented enough and desperate enough, they're
going to make it close and they're going to come
back no matter what. So and you're going to get chances.
So now you're going to rely on your goaltending. Now
you hope Well can stand up to it. You hope
Solers is going to be okay and get back on
the net, suit because you need your number one goalie.
You're going to win the Stanley Cup. You need your
number one goalie. You are, so you hope he's not
(27:53):
hurt too bad. You hope he gets back soon. If
not tomorrow night, we'll see what happens. But for again,
from the Leaf's perspective, they did a lot of really
good things, and they were on their heels a little
bit in that third period when they got those two
goals early, but they responded. And the coach's job is
to reinforce. Maple Leaf hockey chief wants from playing straight
ahead hockey. We're going north and we're going to stay aggressive,
(28:15):
and that's how they've had their success and that's how
they will be at Florida. You're going to see a
different Florida team. They gave up some odd man Russia
that they normally don't give up, especially the Valley goals.
So you're going to see a different team. Bob will
be better than that. It's going to be a tougher
battle for them. Eventually, Florida has to win a game
in Toronto, You're going to see a different team. A
(28:36):
Chiefs job and the Leaf's job right now, focus on
their team game and what they have to do five
on five, especially teams to find way to win another game.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Yeah, I mean this, especially Florida. I mean, I just
think this series is probably bound to go seven, six
or seven games. With the way Florida plays, you know
that they're not going to give up. And you see,
you see the way Toronto plays. Me, I picked the
Leaves to win the Cup this year. Bone, So it's
Toronto guy. I really put myself hef out there this year.
(29:04):
So I was pretty happy and I didn't And it
was actually one of the teams I didn't play for.
I played for every other team. Uh yeah, I always
wanted to take That's a good that's true, Bones, that's true.
Thank you. You know, I want to talk about you
know something else and and and the World Championships and
Team Canada and you have now you know, Mark, Andre Fleury,
(29:25):
Cindy Crosby and Nathan McKinnon all going. Uh, just talked
about that. I mean, I would love to be able
to be able to watch that and see those guys
in the room and then and then play together. Just
talk about that and their commitment to Team Canada.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
Yeah, listen, they're gonna have a lot of fun. You
got Flurry on that team and they're gonna have a
lot of fun. Now with Nate, I was unsure he's
wants to go. But so back in Nova Scotia, I
live on the same lake with natean and said, they're
at the far.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
End of the lake. Morgan Barron now is my next
door neighbor. He's bought up.
Speaker 5 (29:56):
But you both you know, both Nate and Sitter from
Cole Harbor, and Nate's always looked up to him.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
It has been a huge influence on Nate's carewer he has.
Speaker 5 (30:04):
They spend a lot of time together when they're both
at the lake, so he's been a huge influence on him.
Speaker 4 (30:10):
Nate loves playing with Sid and.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
So Sid went for I know why Sid when he
missed the playoffs, I wanted to keep playing. I think
Nate went more to play with Sid and represent your country, obviously,
and Fleur is the same thing. He knows this is
his last year. He wants to play as long as
he can. They're gonna have a good team, They're gonna
have a lot of fun. They're going to be a
tough team to beat because of those guys. Because no
(30:32):
matter you listen. So if the lake, Skid's got this
rink in front with the plastic ice, so you go
up there and end of July on my boat and
I'm looking around, they sit out on his about the blade,
you know, working on his skills. So that's how much
he loves the game. And it's rubbed off on Nate,
there's no question. And nate'sid obviously one of the best
in the world. He's got a great passion for the game.
And when you put them on the ice in that
(30:53):
World Championship and they're playing for their country, lookout, Canada
is going to be very very tough to beat.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Yeah, you love seeing them play together.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
We saw them at four Nations and even that Tim
Horton's commercial Canada when I was up there recently. The
chemistry they had like just kind of goofing around, like
you could see that it brought out a side of
Sid that I hadn't seen before, just them together. I'm
just curious, like the fact that they'll be playing together
with the World Championships, you think could you could you
(31:21):
imagine a situation where Nate would be like, hey, say,
come come to Colorado.
Speaker 5 (31:28):
Well, he'd got two more years on his contract, right,
so with no movement and everything else. Listen, they probably
have had those conversations over the years. I don't think
it's right now. I think they've had those conversations over
the years. I'm sure they'd love to play together. They're
really good friends. They're both from Cole Harbor, Nova, Scotia,
(31:48):
so I'm sure those conversations have been ongoing.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Now.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
We also know Sid's getting a little older and he's
probably going to play at a high level for another
couple of years at least, and I'm sure Nate would
love to play with them in the National Hockey League.
So we'll see where that develops. But Skid has made
it very clear he's a Pittsburgh Penguin and wants to
retire there, so he'll have like he has the final
say and all of that. I don't I think if
Kid was going to leave, he would have left this
(32:13):
year because his contract was up. I think this would
have been the time he knew he was going to
become an unrestricted free agent. This summer he signed an extension,
So that tells me he wants to stay in Pittsburgh
and finish his career.
Speaker 4 (32:25):
If they're having a bad start next year and it.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
Doesn't look like they're going to make the playoffs again,
that may change his thinking altogether.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
We're gonna shift gears a little bit now. Bones. You know,
we're watching you on tn T now and I'm really
enjoying you on here. Have How how has it been going?
I mean, I know, I'm a young, a young and
up and coming guy trying to get into business as
well and watching you and learning and seeing you on
the TNT panel. How's that been going so far?
Speaker 4 (32:51):
Then?
Speaker 5 (32:51):
Listen, those guys are been and as you guys are
the TV guys. I'm just an old coach man. I
just got to fit in here. Their care of the show.
There's a great crew. Tn T does a phenomenal job
they do, and they've made it a lot of fun
and going in there, like I don't have a lot
of the TV experience. I don't know what the hell
I'm doing, but they just say, listen, have fun. It's conversation,
(33:13):
it's hockey. So when you're talking to them, you kind
of forget the cameras are there and you're just talking
like you and I pretty much are talking hockey right now,
and that's all you try to do. And I try
to get them a little insight from a coaching perspective,
because I think talks is going on this weekend. Maybe
they you know, they want to get a coaching perspective,
so I try to give it to them. But more important,
(33:33):
they're fun group and they're professional, and they make it
easier for you to go in there and be comfortable
and again just talk hockey. So uh yeah, it's been fun.
We'll see where it goes. I'm not looking to I'm
not looking for a new career. I'm quite content where
I am right now. But I do have fun with
it because it's the first class operation they do with
(33:54):
tremendous production, and there are just a lot of fun
to be around.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
You've done such a great job and watching you on
there with the guys you mentioned that they make it fun,
they may get conversational, and I think they've really changed
the way hockey's being broadcasted and in the way that
you can have personality. You know, you can mess up
and you can kind of be real, and I think
one of the things we see is them really leaning
(34:19):
into there's there's multiple different personalities. Of course, by the way,
Anson Carter says, hello, I told him you were coming
on today. He's kind of like, you know, he's always
the rock there. That's sort of the same, like he's
the straight man of the show. We've got, like you know, biz,
that's just on another planet. What's it like working with
with with Paul Bisonette.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
Yeah, Well, like I tell them, I'm not acting like that.
He's wonderful. He does a great job and that's his personality.
And when you talk about going on air and having fun,
he personifies that and that's what he wants to do.
That's his personality. And give him a ton of credit.
Man's mad. He's done very well for himself with his
(35:00):
podcast and doing the TNT and other things. He didn't
have the greatest playing career, but he's certainly making the
most of his post career. And he is fun. But
that's him, that's his personality. And give them credit TNT
for letting him be himself and letting him do those things.
But I keep telling him, I'm not doing that stuff.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Man, I'll talk.
Speaker 5 (35:20):
I'm not doing some of the stuff that's going on here.
But it's just for fun. And Ace is wonderful to
work with. A very intelligent guy, has great insight to
the game. So I enjoyed listening to him as well.
And so SODA's busy. He's got some really good insights
in the game. He sees it, he knows the game,
he studied it enough. So it's such a great crew
(35:41):
to be part of.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
And Liam does such a good job just with all
of you guys as the point guard. I you know,
as a host myself, I always watch him think, you know,
he's one of the best, if not the best, of
course hockey broadcaster. I think just being able to deal
with all the different types of personalities and making sure
everyone gets their point across too. So glad that you've
enjoyed your time there with them.
Speaker 5 (36:02):
I agree with the Liam's the standing. He's got a
great finger on the pulse. He knows when to interject,
he knows when the Okay, that's enough, let's move on,
and in the right tone, in the right expression. He
does an outstanding job. He's a lot of fun to
be around. But man, you talk with a guy with
a stringer on the pulse for that staff every night
and what's going on with the games and what's being
(36:24):
described like, he's outstanding.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
He's a true professional.
Speaker 5 (36:27):
He's got a great fancy humor, and I think he
makes that whole thing go. He does because he's just
again the finger on the pulse. He knows when to
let the personalities come out, knows when to blow the
horn and say, okay.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
We're moving on to something else.
Speaker 5 (36:40):
But Liam's out standing, a true professional, great sense of humor,
and he makes the job for everybody else a lot
easier just because he is so good at what he does.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
Well, Bones, you're you're a natural watching it. You're very
very good at it. And you know at the same time,
I get it. No, you're you know, want a coach,
always a coach, And so I guess I ought to
ask you, what do you what do you miss most
about coaching now that you're with it?
Speaker 5 (37:04):
Honestly, I missed everything I do. I miss everything about it.
I knew I did.
Speaker 4 (37:10):
At the end of the last year. I was tired.
Speaker 5 (37:12):
I did, probably, you know, because you know, Judy and
I had some health issues last year, and I think
that was the most important, main reason why we stepped
down and just we said we were retiring, but we're
just stepping away to get our health back in under it.
You know what I really missed the most is the
relationship with the players.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
I do.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
I love the games, the practices, the preparation, the flights,
the travel never got to me after forty nine years.
The thing I missed the most is those relationships guys
like you and Adam and the guys in Mark and
Chid like I really missed that, that connection with the players.
And I'm still texting players all over the leagues that
I've coached it, So I do miss that the most.
(37:50):
But I honestly I missed everything about it. People say
I don't miss the pressure, man, I never looked at
it like that. I enjoyed it. It was carver behind
the bench and the pressure of the noise around the
team as.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
You know, right, what's the puck drops? That's the best
thing in the.
Speaker 5 (38:05):
World, right, players and coaches, and that's when the fun starts.
But I missed everything about it. But I'll see the
most important thing I miss is the interaction with the players.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Well, you can just really see like your excitement and
passion for coaching, and obviously a lot of the players
have felt that being a part of the teams you've
been on. And you just mentioned right there. You know
you didn't you didn't retire, but you just stepped away.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Is you know, I know, could you see yourself ever
coaching again?
Speaker 5 (38:35):
Well, let's put it this way. Am I actively going
after a coaching job. Absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
I'm not.
Speaker 4 (38:42):
So. But again, the health issues that Youdy and I
faced last year, we got them under control. Feeling good
about ourselves.
Speaker 5 (38:48):
We've never had a winner where it's just the two
of us that I wasn't running with the door, grabbing
a plane or a game and being distracted at home
because of games and everything else. So we've really enjoyed this.
I'm not going to pursue another job. I guess my
answer to you, if someone calls, then I would have
that conversation. But I'm seventy years old now, so weve
got to live with that too, right, That's all part
(39:10):
of it. But if someone called, I'd listen. Doesn't mean
I'd be interested in taking a job, but I'd certainly
have the respect for where we're called to listen to
what they had to say, and we'd go from there.
So but again, am I actively going to go after
a coaching job.
Speaker 4 (39:24):
No, I'm not.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
I want to say one more thing, Julie, I want
to go back. And I was thinking about this when
I played for Bones. There was one instance, I guess
where I wanted to play defense, and it was because
during the season Bones would take out all the deed
for an adult beverage on the road. You know, he
would treat them. And Bones also ran the penalty kill,
(39:48):
so you know, I was I was on the penalty
kill and he helped me so much with the penalty kill.
But there wasn't it there. Those were the times where
I remember d being like, Yeah, We're going out for
a beer with Bones, and I'm like, what the hell?
I I kind of want to go, and at the
time I was drinking then, but I was like, man,
I want to I mean, how do like, how does
he take the p K out? So those are some
things that I think. And you bowed you talk about
(40:09):
your communication. I mean I'd never seen that before and
when I saw that, it was just it just goes
to show, uh, you know, the type of person and
the coach you were. So it was a pleasure. Bones,
thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
You know what it it's funny.
Speaker 5 (40:21):
And brought that up on the air the other night
and I got a text and breaking Cobra and Kobe,
Kobe brings up I missed the game, but man, I
missed those confidence coaches theears after the game, like right
out of the blue I get from Kobe so and
I love Kobe as well. But yeah, I know that
was fun. But that's the whole part of It's the game, man,
(40:43):
Let's enjoy it. Let's have some fun with it. Yeah,
we're all under the gun, we're all under pressure. That's
what we sign up for. But that doesn't mean you
can't enjoy it. You can't go out and have some
fun and get to know people away from the rink.
So my mistake I should have been closing guy.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Well, Rick, we appreciate your perspective.
Speaker 1 (41:02):
I mean, it's just wonderful having someone on who can
give us the insight but also the joy of really
having been behind the bench and been on the ice
and giving us that insight.
Speaker 2 (41:12):
So thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Good luck with everything that you have going on for
the rest of the postseason. And we'll have to see
if one of your former teams ends up hoisting the
Stanley Cup this season.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
We're hoping it's a pleasure great to see again.
Speaker 5 (41:25):
They'd love it, man, Missya and good Luck have to
show you guys.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
All right, what a lovely, lovely, lovely manner. Bonus.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
See, I wish he was like my coach in life.
I don't know, like a mentor, I guess, because he
just seems like a lovely guy and it seems like
you guys have a great connection there. So let's go
into not that series, but when we didn't touch on yet,
but Kane's Caps on Tuesday night, who you got.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
I think I'm gonna take the Caps in this series probably,
I mean in six or seven games, I think it'll
probably go. We know these teams have some history, They've
had some rough stuff in the regular season playing against
each other, so I mean this This series is gonna
be great. I just don't think I don't know if
Carolina can match the physicality of Washington. Tom Wilson via
(42:23):
Tom Wilson, and I think too that Washington I think,
I mean, just because of the injuries that Carolina has
had in their goaltending question marks, I just think that
Washington has the edge in goaltending as well. So I mean,
but like like you said, though Carolina is obviously they're
in it every year, I just don't know if they
can get over the hump against Washington. Washington seems a
little bit deeper to me.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Yeah, Washington's also seems to be riding some cider sort
of magic this year too, with Tovie and everything. They
seem to be on their way to the promised Land.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Okay, Oilers, Golden Knight's coming up right after that? Who
you got?
Speaker 3 (42:57):
Oh wow, I'm gonna stop betting against Connor. Connor McDavid
and Leon dry Sidle. You know, they obviously did what
they did to the Kings. They just kind of took
over and obviously the rest of their team too. I
thought the depth really showed up for the Edmonton Oilers
in the second part of that series against the Kings.
(43:18):
But at the same time, you look at the Vegas
Golden Knights and you see their depth and I cannot
wait for this series, especially because you're gonna have Jack
Eicele and Connor McDavid going against each other. You know,
I think that's just must watch TV. But I am
going to take the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. I
just think that there was a there was a switch
that was flipped in that team during the King series
(43:40):
that you know, it was a lot of what we
saw last year in the playoffs and the Edmonton Oilers
and how they were able to play defensively. That that
really jumped out at me. And I think, you know,
them starting Calvin Pickard too, you know, and how he
played the rest of that series. I do think that
I think they can beat Vegas this year. I really do.
And I think if they do, it's it's off for
(44:00):
the races. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
I think you make a great point there at them
coming back against the Kings, and I think when we
see like the character and resilience of a team on
show and on display, and like how they don't crumble
under certain circumstances, and I liken that then to Toronto,
who was up three to nothing in their series against Ottawa,
and then it looked like.
Speaker 2 (44:18):
Oh no, this is gonna go down south and then
it didn't.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
And I was unfortunately out of dinner with a friend
and I think we talked about that last episode and
I'd just be like looking at my I was just
like on my phone at this nice restaurant, like a
fucking idiot. Anyway, So talking about Toronto, there's a lot
of discourse over the fact that Okay, so Anthony Stolars
gets sort of like elbowed in the head by Sam Bennett,
(44:48):
leaves pukes into the benches during the timeout or during
the periods, I forget exactly that moment, and he leaves
he on a stretcher to the hospital. That does not
sound good, not good for the Leaves. Wool comes in
and was not very It was a real shaky time
for the Leaves, but they managed to win this one.
(45:09):
But everyone's looking now, like, I know, there's no penalty
called on the play. Chief wanted one. He said afterwards,
there should have been a penalty. What do you think
about this issue?
Speaker 3 (45:21):
Yeah, I agree with Chief and I do think there
should have been a penalty on the play. Anytime you
run into the goalie, usually it's a penalty no matter what.
It was a bit of the all accidentally on purpose,
I think, you know, but it's tough. And I understand
the side of not giving him any suspension or games
because it is the playoffs and we all know that
(45:43):
you know when you do get when you do get
a suspension the playoffs, one game is like almost two
or three games, right, And I know you're going to
be angry when you hear this from me, Julie, but
I just think that there's not enough. It's tough, right
because he doesn't lift his elbow, he keeps it tucked
and he kind of just skates into him, and you know,
bones top about it. In his interview he said, you know,
(46:05):
the players are gonna address this themselves. And unfortunately, you
never want to see a player get hurt, and you
don't want to see Stolers and don't want to see
what happened. But at the same time, you know, Joseph
Wall was the guy at some point for them. You know,
at some.
Speaker 2 (46:20):
Point that was because Stolars was injured.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
I know, but I think that he is he's he's
he is capable of being the guy and capable of
winning some games for them, and hopefully Stolers comes back.
But this is tough. I mean, as Sam Bennett we
all know, has a reputation. I think though, for the
Toronto Maple Leafs, they can't get sucked in to what
the Florida Panthers are doing. Yeah, you know, like like
(46:44):
that's the way the Florida Panthers play, That's not the
way that Toronto Maple Leafs play. Yes you may address it,
Yes you may go after Bennett one of the guys,
grab him, you know, settle it, be done with it.
But play hockey. The most important thing right now. For
the Toronto Maple Leafs, it's not worrying about Sam Bennett
and what he did. It's about winning the next game
and winning this series. I think that you know, this
is part of the playoffs. This is what it is.
(47:05):
I've been through it. You know, guys get hurt and
you know this is you know, this is it's a
game within a game. You know, guys, guys are going
to be going at each other and this is all
part of it. So I hope Stolers is okay, like
I said, but you know, the Leafs have to stay
focused here. They can't get distracted with Sam Bennett.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
Yeah, okay, so without getting distracted by Sam Bennett, but
still sending a message. Do you drop the midst in
the in the next game to send a message with him?
Speaker 3 (47:37):
I think so. I think it has to be the
right time, you know, like you have to find the
right timing of it. You have to make sure it's
the right part.
Speaker 1 (47:44):
Of the game and can't be like Canada Usa off
the face off.
Speaker 3 (47:50):
I mean maybe if he's starting, I think it has
to be a dress.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
I mean he has experience doing that.
Speaker 3 (47:56):
Yes he does, He definitely does. He absolutely does. I
don't know. I I think you know, this is playoff
and you want to you know, this is this is
how we police the game. Hockey does please the game itself.
The players police it, and I think it will get
settled at some point. It just have to find the
right time, the right place. And but the most important
thing is the Leafs. You gotta stay focused. I mean
(48:18):
we saw, you know, we saw a Leafs team, and
I think that you know, they they can play with anybody.
I mean, they showed it. Lastly, everyone's all worried about
all the Leafs are playing in the Florida Panthers. You
know they're gonna get gosh, this is because you know whatever,
But no, the Leafs are fine. The Leafs are this
is this is the best Leafs team I've seen in
a long time. You know, they have all these weapons,
but they're so good defensively. Their sound guys are buying
(48:39):
in and I don't know if it's gonna make much
of a difference. I hope it doesn't make much of
a difference with wol coming in the net. But I
do think that the Leafs, you know, they have to
they gotta stay focused in the next game because if
they win game two, they are in a driver's seat.
Speaker 1 (48:53):
Yes, And I think you make a good point. And
I think if Wolf starts and everyone's sort of like
ready to go and rock, and that's going to be
the team. I know commentators here, I think it was
Ray Ferraro was saying, you know, when you are a
backup goalie, you kind of and you see a guy
getting scored on, like, you know, four goals on ten
(49:14):
shots or something, you're like already kind of warming up
mentally to be able to go in. This was a
bit of a freak accident's surprise, so we'll kind of
had to just like jump on in there.
Speaker 2 (49:24):
Maybe it wasn't necessarily and that was just oh my gosh.
I oh it was ten minutes into the game. I
said it like on the other podcast like last week.
I was like, oh, I'm sure we'll.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
See wool in like the first ten minutes of the game,
which is not which is a good prediction by me,
but not one that I want on my record. But yeah,
me and Sam Bennett over here, I mean king Ctity,
you play for the front next.
Speaker 2 (49:50):
Okay, So yeah, I think that I think they can't play.
Speaker 1 (49:54):
And I think seeing like Morgan Riley playing free and
being able to jump in on the rush up there
and go all the way that was like a great moment.
And then also seeing Chris Tanev score like who come
on when we're seeing everyone's score, like what?
Speaker 3 (50:10):
And then what about Willy Styles Like wow, Like this
guy is just like it feels like the bigger the game,
the better he's been getting. And uh, he's making me
look like a just the beginning of this season. Before
you know, I went on the Empty Envers podcast and
I told those guys that I think that this is wild,
I know, but I think that Willy like just pure talent.
Like I'm not saying the best player, because we know Matthews, Marner,
(50:33):
all those guys, nice everybody, but like pure talent, Like
Willy I think has the most pure talent on that team,
just with the way he skates, the way he handles
the puck, you know, all these things. And now he's
like with these big games, it's like he's just he
wants to be the guy. Yeah, you're seeing it in
these big moments and it's so fun to watch. I mean,
(50:54):
I'm a I'm a giant Willy Kneelander fan. I think
he's incredible and he's he's been huge.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
For the Leaves, Yeah he has, and he just he
always seems like that guy. But I mean that you
can kind of rely on in a way, like if
I had to pick Marner, Matthews or Nilander to be
like who's the most consistent that I want to take
throughout the entire playoffs, I'd take Neelander for sure.
Speaker 3 (51:15):
I think I think a lot of people would say
the same thing, Julie, A lot of people.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
And maybe also that could be matchups that could be pressure,
that could be you know, a whole lot of various
different things before we go, and I don't, and I
wanted to say it, but like I saw PK. Suban
took it, I mean not took it. Everyone said it,
but Max patch Ready Patches o'hulahan.
Speaker 2 (51:37):
Of course I heard that.
Speaker 3 (51:38):
I heard that.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
I wanted to text you being like, oh, he's listened
to the podcast. But obviously people have said called in
Patches o'hulahan before Patch Adams, whatever anything you want to say.
He has had this like interesting re emergence in the
playoffs and not for nothing. He is wearing number sixty
seven the last time that Leaves won the Cup nineteen
sixty seven, and there feels something ominict like it feels
(51:59):
not ominous. It feels like something good brewing their thoughts, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (52:03):
Yeah, yeah, I think well, Max Pectready has a ton
of experience in the playoffs. He's an older guy. He
we know he can score goals, and good good on
Chief to put him in the lineup last last series.
And now you're seeing the you're seeing how it's working.
He's been so good for them and this is this
is what the Leafs need. You know, if if Matthews
(52:24):
and Martyr and those guys aren't scoring. You have those guys,
those guys contributing. It makes a huge difference the Leaves.
The Leafs really haven't had that in the past. You know,
they've always kind of just you know, relied on the
core four uh to do the big scoring. And now
they're getting contribution from other guys and it's great to see.
And I love what Chief did last game. I love
that he's starting, you know, he just goes up Matthews
(52:46):
versus Barkoff head to head. Yeah, where where we're going
best on? Yeah, we're going best on best. Let's go.
I mean, that's that's what you want to see from
the Leafs. No, no fear, No, let's get away from
this matchup. No, let's go head on against the Florida
Panthers and let's beat Let's beat them at their own game.
Speaker 1 (53:02):
I saw Mark Messi mentioned that too on the broadcast,
who also mentioned the importance of the bottom six guys,
which have been really what you just hit on such
a key factor. All Right, we hear your dogs are
barking back there, and we know it's sound of wrap things.
So thank you guys all for listening to episode sixteen
of the Energy Line.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Would They Just Be?
Speaker 1 (53:23):
Energy Line is a production of the NHL and iHeart
podcast Thank you to Rick Bonus for joining us. Thanks
to Jake Brown, excuse me for producing the show. Subscribe
to the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get
your podcasts, or listen to the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Give us a five star rating. Please write a nice review.
I'm Julie Stuart thinks he's Nate Thompson.
Speaker 1 (53:41):
Nate and I will be back in a few days
on Friday as we continue breaking down the second round
of the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
Thank you so much for tuning in to the Energy Line.
We'll see you Friday.
Speaker 1 (53:54):
Energy Line is the production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or We're where ever you get your podcasts.
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Nate Thompson
Julie Stewart-Binks
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