Steve Levy is ready for Round 2: Two crazy Game 7s, second-round previews and Clooney on Broadway.

Jason Demers and Adnan Virk respond to the wild series finales in Dallas and Winnipeg before breaking down four awesome upcoming series in the second round. Then legendary broadcaster Steve Levy talks about calling historically long playoff games, appearing in the movies and a special commercial he made with Alex Ovechkin. Finally, Adnan offers his review of George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck on Broadway before Jason brings out his harmonica to play us out.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
That's right, folks, we did it. First round is over
of the NHL Playoffs. As we're here on Unscripted breaking

(00:25):
down all that you need to know, we.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Will give you our second rim previews in.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Addition to talking about Maddy Cash getting paid by the
Calgary Flames and Little Cel File and sixty more theater
for you. George Clooney Tony Award nominated for his working
good Night, Good Luck, which is an outstanding show on
Bobway show is able to see. But we're recording this
Sunday night after just watching that thrilling double overtime win.
Of course, it makes sense because our special guest this
week is Steve Levy, who is known for calling the

(00:49):
longest games in NHL claff history. So JD. Caley is
going Levia here. We're definitely going DOUBLET and that indeed
was the case. We'll talk about all that this means
for Winnipeg moving forward. But first off, JD, you're watching
it in a slightly different environment than me and Tal
who're watching it in our basement respectively.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
You were with a Howard Chuck tell Us about that.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yes, I was, no, we had I went to meet
up with some buddies at a bar just to watch
the game and kind of just enjoy the atmosphere. And
of course in Arizon, I'm in Phoenix, Arizona. So in
classic Arizona fashion, it's a game seven, and there's about
seven people.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
In the bar.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
And meanwhile, if it was like the Panthers versus the Falcons,
it would be you know, it'd be jammed on a Sunday.
So so yeah, so it was it was US seven.
And then all of a sudden, you know, Eric Howard
Chuck Deal Howard Chucks then walks in and sits down
with us. So I didn't know he lived in the valley,
but you know, we started chatting and he had his
Howard Chuck gear on and from his family's foundation, and

(01:48):
he had his jets hat on and and it was tense.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
He came in.

Speaker 3 (01:51):
It was like they're down to nothing, and I mean,
what a crazy game, what a crazy comeback. But as
I was like two minutes left in the game, and
I'm like, hey, I gotta leave, like I gotta go
get ready for this podcast. The game's over. So I
start walkouting. I start walking out of the building and
as soon as I walk out, they score. So I
run back in and I'm celebrating with all of them
and cheering, and they're like, you can't leave. Now, you

(02:12):
can't leave. I'm like, I gotta get back. They're probably
not going to tie it up. So I walk out
at with like thirty seconds left, get in my car,
and as I start pulling away, they're facetiming me and
they're like, here, we did it.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
It's I gave one second left. And I'm like, are
you you fucking crazy? I'm like, oh twice. So yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
So came back here, watched the game, and I mean,
he's just elated. And what a crazy, crazy game, and
what a resilient team in Winnipeg. I mean both Dallas
last game down their top demon, top forward, Winnipeg down
their top demon, top four, and guys just stepped up
and they just hung with it. And and two, I mean,

(02:49):
you got to say these two pretty big collapses by
Colorado one and then Saint Louis. So that's it's it's crazy.
And it's what's so amazing about the Stanley Cup playoffs
is it's just so unpredictable and just you. You never
can take your foot off the gas for one second
because somebody will just call their way back into the game.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
But what a game. It is a good point.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Did Winnipeg and Dallas win or the Blues and the
Avalanche choke?

Speaker 2 (03:16):
You can have that debate as much as you want.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
What is inarguable is the home team wins every game
of this Blues and Jets series.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Thanks for our friends with NHL.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Never with this research, twelve series down hockey history have
seen the host go seven and oh rost. Recently, in
twenty twenty two, Hurricanes beat the Bruins.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
I mean, the one thing I have to say, you
know about the resilient not only about the resiliency of
Winnipeg and Neil Pionk who had a monstrous game, but
Cole Profetti had a breakout game and a breakout series.
I think he has arrived. If I'm a Winnipeg Jets fan,
that is a young kid that you know. It makes
Winnipeg a lot more comfortable to let Nicolai Eilers walk

(03:55):
after this season, because you know, he is everything they
kind of wanted him to turn into when they drafted him.
And he's homegrown and it's fun to see. Yeah, I
mean that tip played down low was Sydney Crosby esque
and then he gets another tip goal to tie up
with one second left. He was out in the biggest moments.
Young kid just played hard on pucks and you know,

(04:15):
for him to have some weird contract issues with Winnipeg,
I mean, I think he's just done a tremendous.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Job of developing and and.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
It's it's fun to see, you know that, just that
building in Winnipeg, and you know there's a franchise that
deserved a first round win, which they haven't had one
since twenty eighteen. Yeah, I just think that it was
so deserving to see that fan base get that and
the way they did, in the fashion they did it
is just it's it's very heartwarming to see that.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
I'm with it.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
Nothing quite like the white out I had four games
it was sound problem like that crowd is the electric
when you're seeing the go bananas like that, it's you know,
the entire city is rooting for that team. That Francis. Yes,
you like your stay goss there in Winnipeg. I would
to further the point because it's so great with you
being a defenseman one of My favorite parts of playoff
hockey is especially if there's an injury something happens, which
unfortunate half for Josh Morrisey.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
One of our favorites top de defense from the league
is you and I have agreed.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
Is you start to see the total ice time of
the remaining five defensemen. Yeah, and Peok forty six point fifteen,
Sambri forty four, Damello thirty six, forty forty thirty three
oh two.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
Like again, you can speak to this, I can't.

Speaker 1 (05:19):
That's insane to these guys are playing two hockey games
out of the greatest pressure imaginable.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
I think my first or second year against the Kings,
we went to two overtimes and I think we lost
the demon in that game as well. I think I
played thirty two to thirty three minutes. And it's an
interesting I had like pools of water in my skates,
like my socks were just completely soaked, and you're trying
to skate up ice, but you seem to get kind
of into a little bit better of a flow and

(05:46):
your the rhythm and you take shorter shifts, but the
rhythm of the game just seems to kind of fall
in place for you. It's it's hard to explain. It's
you know a lot of the times you kind of
heard the guys, the guys on TNT were talking about it,
and they're like, it seems like they're gonna be more
and more comfortable. And when you're a demon like that,
you just kind of keep it simple. You keep the
puck moving north, you wait for your opportunities, and you

(06:09):
almost play a little bit better. As a unit of five.
There's a lot of chatter on the bench and yeah,
it's it's something that's hard to explain why, but guys
just step up in the right times, in the right moments.
And I thought that decor as a whole just can't
say enough good things about them. And Neil Pionk has
really developed, Dylan Samdberg. I mean a ton of credit

(06:29):
goes to all five of these guys.

Speaker 1 (06:31):
Just a thought on the Blues, how do you evaluate
this because the one hand, you say, well, guy, I
who was expecting the Blues to do anything. They had
an amazing second half up particularly in at home ice.
If you just go like gold differential, like they really
hammered Winnipeg at home, whereas the Jets barely speakpot home.
But I'm with you. You can also look at it
and go your gag. A three win lead in game seven,

(06:52):
that's a tough build, A swallow.

Speaker 3 (06:54):
Yeah, there's I think there's more positives than negatives in
this series. I don't think anybody had this going seven.
I think everybody was very bullish on Winnipeg. You got
to think too. You know, Saint Louis was missing Dylan Holloway.
That is arguably their best player down the stretch. They're
missing him, and you know, I thought the only tough
thing for me is moving forward. They do have an

(07:15):
aging decorp and now they're all a year older, a
lot of guys with a lot of miles on them.
I don't know if you can run it back. I'm
sure Ryan Soudor will be not coming back to that team.
I just can't see it. In a world They'll probably
bringing a young kid, but everybody gets a little bit older.
They do have a youthful, you know, top nine, top
six up front, So I think they're good. You know,

(07:39):
you have a great coaching staff, you get a great
front office, you got a lot of good talented studs
up front. I think they're not far off to making
another run, but I think the windows, like now, especially
with that decor, you want to keep as much of
that veteran decor there. And with Jordan Bennington, who's kind
of shown how good he can be in these moments
and nothing he didn't, I don't think he. I think

(08:00):
he outplayed Connor Hellibuck for that series. Majority of that series,
they just one or two lucky goals was the difference.
But you know, I I'm bullish on them moving into
next year, like a lot of these teams, you know.
I saw Brad richardson yesterday and fan of the show,
and we were talking and we both kind of said
the same thing. I was like, this year is like

(08:21):
the most parody there's ever been in the league per team,
Like every team I feel like in the West could
have could win the Cup. And in the East maybe
you know minus injured New Jersey Devils in the Montreal Canadians,
like same thing in the East. Like there's a lot
of teams that can that can win, and so it
was very tight, and I thought it's a lot tighter
than everybody thought. But you know, great first round, but

(08:42):
in Saint Louis and Minnesota as well, I'd say I'm
bullish moving forward, so I don't think they lost anything
from getting knocked out in the first round.

Speaker 1 (08:50):
As I've said on this podcast, I've christened you no
strech Demurs, but it might have to be no stra.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
What the hell were you thinking?

Speaker 1 (08:56):
Because you have the Avalanche going all the way my bracket,
you're talking. You kept talking about their speed and now
their speeders at a different level. They expred their way
speedily out of the playoffs after gagging once again choking
against the Dallas Stars.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
Again.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
You a lot of company here who picked Colorado to win.
But what the hell happened to your avalancheer?

Speaker 3 (09:18):
Oh, I don't, man, It's tough. I think the Decorps
really let down the team as a whole. I think
they brought in some veteran guys that did not play
great hockey in that series. Overall, I thought the decor
of Dallas missing Miro Hayskin, outplayed them categorically. They're more physical.

(09:39):
I just think Colorado needs to get a little bit
more physical in the back end. The only guy that
hits is Josh Manson. And listen, their top guys got
outplayed in the biggest moments against the top guys of
the Dallas Stars. You know, you look at Why Johnston
and Miko Randon who had just Turkey Lee in Game seven,

(09:59):
but you know Why Johnston was unbelievable once again. You know,
Jamie Benn, you look at Rupe Hints, like those guys
just kind of over that sixty minute hockey. They just
outplayed them. And I thought they all played the top guys.
They had some flashes Colorado, but you know, it just
it's interesting. I you listen to Nate McKinnon after the game,

(10:22):
and you kind of watched him during that series, and
he's kind of yelling at Charlie Coyle. He looked frustrated
the whole series, and after he goes, well, he just lost,
you know, to a team missing their best forward and
best team manse I don't know where we go from here,
and seemed a little defeated, and it's just tough because
you know, I don't know if man, it's hard to

(10:44):
say where Colorado goes from here because they they retooled
mid season and they didn't get it done. So you're
gonna lose a lot of guys. You're gonna lose brock Nelson.
You mortgaged your quite. You know, you're I like the
trade initially, but him not scoring in the playoffs and
then losing Callum Richie Anna first is gonna hurt them
because he's Brock Nelson's going to Minnesota. He's gonna get

(11:05):
overpaid in Minnesota, which good for him. But then you
got Charlie Cole. You got some older guys on the
on the bottom six, you know, man, they could have
used Miko Ranton, and though.

Speaker 2 (11:15):
Jesus well that one. Oh, you're right because it's it's
one thing you're no, you're right.

Speaker 1 (11:20):
No, you're right, because it's like it's one thing you lose,
but you lose with the guy who you had just
a few months ago, and.

Speaker 2 (11:25):
He just torches you. He starts the season.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
In Colorado, played thirteen games in Carolina, feels like a
blip on the radar. He takes over for Dallas, and
specifically late in the series first four games he was
quiet like, oh, they're doing a great job shutting down Ranson.
But eleven points in games five, six, and seven, a
hat trick in the third period of Game seven, going
along with the assists on Wyatt Johnson's game winner, first
ever hat trick in the third period of a game

(11:48):
seven in hockey history. I mean again, people loving Colorado's
the front row. They haven't won a game seven now
since two thousand and two. And Pete de boor your
boy improves his record in game seven is to nine
and oh, I mean props to Ranson, but also props
the coach tevot nine and oh, you can't be even
in a game of seven.

Speaker 3 (12:07):
I listen, you could probably say, like you know, two
and oh, three and oh, you know it's on the players,
on the players, but nine and oh, you're you're doing
something and you're getting that team to believe in a
way you know that's not luck and and versus. You know,
same thing with Bedner. I think he's a great coach,
but they panicked way too much. You know, they they're
up to fifteen minutes left in the game and it

(12:30):
they just shut their brains off. And no lead is
safe in the new NHL. But I just feel like
you have to shut it down a little bit again.
They're missing their top four and their top team, and
and you let Miko ran and run rough shot all
over you guys, which he did the previous two games.
But I just thought that, Yeah, too much space on
the penalty kill on the one, they allow Miko to
walk down the middle on the first one, and then

(12:53):
you know it's it was just I kind of was like,
you know, I thought Mackenzie Blackwood had a great game,
but I just think all those goals, he couldn't do
a thing. The penalty kill I thought was atrocious at
that point of the game. You can't give up that
back door tap in to Whi Johnston. But yeah, it's
it's man like Miko's in, didn't I ask U tal

(13:13):
what's that stat of him with playoff playoff scorers. I
know he's like top five in the all time in
the NHL with eighty games played minimum.

Speaker 4 (13:23):
Right now, Miko Rantinen is averaging one point two eight
points per game in the playoffs for his career. The
only players in NHL history who have played a minimum
of eighty career playoff games who are ahead of him
are some guys you may have heard of named Wayne Gretzky,
Mario Lemieux, Connor McDavid Leon, dr Dryseidle, and Nathan McKinnon.

(13:46):
Those are the only guys in the history of the
game ahead of him minimum eighty playoff games, and he's
just ahead of a group of guys named Messier Or
and Bossy.

Speaker 2 (13:54):
But like, how crazy is that?

Speaker 1 (13:56):
Ad Net like the greatest players ever in your rightcord,
you'd never think of that. The guy's a great player. Store,
he's not like Bossy. You nuts, it's not Bobby Or
it's not Eithan Kennon. Again, that's why I keep thinking
I'm Colorado. Im like I got McKinnon in my car
and I couldn't win around.

Speaker 3 (14:09):
For two hundred and fifty thousand they traded him. Is
the stories we're hearing hundred and fifty k. That's like
us being underpaid for this podcast. Thank you for bringing
it back to us, Miko Ranton and of the podcast.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
We are hoping to get a big bump going into
season two.

Speaker 1 (14:24):
We'll drop that now early and often the second round preview,
and again JD will be very humble about the fact
the bracket hasn't gone the way he wanted to.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
But I think we start fresh now. Screw the bracket.
Now we're going for three three of eight.

Speaker 3 (14:35):
Three p K better than PK su Man PK doing
two of eight, so I got beat by one. Hey,
you know what's the best I was gonna say, I
wanted to ask you. Yeah, we we got to be
kind of celebrating a bit because we predicted is no,
well Mike Sullivan won. Yeah, we'll take our flowers. But
we we talked about a Canadian team winning the cup.

Speaker 2 (14:57):
So we got three out around one. Not bad. Hey,
that was a bit we needed.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
I don't know if Winnipeg, but Edmonton surprised us and
we're we're we're kind of cooking here.

Speaker 2 (15:08):
We are got three and a round too, so we're
still good. That is a good point of redempt if
we're waving the flag right now. Trew with the Tariffs Stars.

Speaker 1 (15:17):
Jets Winnipeg win three or four against Dallas during the season,
including a big four nothing statement win last month. Dallas
maybe the favorite after his South Hayes Gonn and Jason
Robertson expected back for Game one. No update on Mark
Scheiffley or Josh Morrison again recording this Sunday night. We'll
see what happens. First playoffs years between these two teams
and the Jets. Two point zero Era Ranson's exploits amazing,
Kyle conn are great, twelve points against Saint Louis that

(15:40):
ties Ranton and for the tops the NHL this playoff season,
my listen, I think it's Stars and six United. Said before,
the winner of this series wins the Stanley Cup. So
I can't go against the Stars. Maybe Winnipeg has some
fight them. Obviously be nice to get back Morrisy and Shiffley,
but I would be hard pressed to see winning this.

Speaker 5 (15:56):
You.

Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, I'm gotta rock with Dallas because I took I
better not go against the team that knocked out the
team that had winning the Cup. So I have to
say I have to go down. I gotta ride with
Dallas all the way. And I think if Robertson comes
back and Miro and Shiefley's on one hundred percent and
more season, I don't see a world in which Winnipeg
that that series against Saint Louis. Regardless who won that,

(16:21):
that took a lot out of both of them. Like
that was the most physical series by far. You watch
that overtime, they were still fucking running each other in
overtime and I was like, it's boys, we're trying to
score a goal here. It just was dirty and I
think a lot of guys are gonna be banged up,
and man, Dallas just looks fast. And Dallas's back end
even you know you're gonna have Mirro back. But they're

(16:41):
big on the back end too, and they're very you know,
I think the thing that Colorado didn't realize was how
physical they were gonna be on the back end. That
that lean, that lean bischel is is a big boys
the fridge, the Drome Bettis of the NHL. Yeah, so
they're gonna they're gonna have their work cutout from.

Speaker 2 (16:57):
And Jake Gotteners.

Speaker 3 (16:58):
It's it's gonna come down to hellabuck and what Connor
can do. But I haven't seen enough to to make
me confident in any aspect of this series. And if
I'm Dallas watching this, you know exactly how to get
to him. It's it's traffic to the net and shoot
it high.

Speaker 2 (17:15):
Yeah, hellibugs performance certainly uninspiring. So if you're looking at.

Speaker 1 (17:17):
Goaltending, I don't know how you wouldn't be really raving
about Atten during Dallas in this series Hurricanes and Capitals.
She made a good point. Both of those teams were
very much tested here. The Jets and the Stars, the
Kaynes and Capitals. Neither of them are very tested as
you did correctly predict Monreal will get one game at
the Bell Center. So the Capitals move on and the Devils,
you know, marks me thought might be better than he was.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
I missed. I missed that one. They were under me.

Speaker 3 (17:38):
You're looking for this walk. They lost seven guys in
the first game.

Speaker 1 (17:42):
Correct, So they split their four meetings this season. They
closed up their season by splitting two games eight days
apart in April. Take that for what you will. Ovechen
scored four goals and Washington's five game win over Montreal.
Sebastian Ajo Carolin, his top guy in the first run
against Jersey, led the team eight points in five games,
including the double ot winner in game five to close
up the series. If I'm just going by talent JD,

(18:03):
I will say Capital Since what do you got?

Speaker 2 (18:06):
Wow?

Speaker 5 (18:06):
You went?

Speaker 2 (18:07):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (18:07):
I I don't disagree. I have Oh man, Jordan Martino's
gonna want to kill me.

Speaker 1 (18:14):
By the way, Jordan MARTINOK is responsible for the highest
rated episode of Anchelling scripted so far.

Speaker 2 (18:18):
So we love Marty and.

Speaker 3 (18:20):
The problem is is I took Jersey. He texted me,
he said, keep my team's name out of your mouth.
And then I'm I'm flirting with taking the capitals, but
I honestly go bold. I think I'm gonna go as
much as I was talking with EJ. Raddick, you know,
another fan of the show, Nice he you know, we
kind of talked about and he goes. Eventually, the issue

(18:42):
in net for Carolina is gonna come to a head
because Freddie Anderson cannot play when if he's not rested,
he needs to be rested. Co check off is good
at times, but I don't think he'll be good enough
to stop when it stop washing it Washington, But I
just think Carolina matches up better. I think, you know,
Washington likes to really play a little bit cute coming

(19:03):
out of their own end, and we saw Montreal really
get to them of the Ford check. I think Carolina's
four checks on another level. And I do think if
Svechnikov stays on this scoring pace that you know, they've
needed him for years, they've needed a game breaker, and
you know he kind of did that last series. I
think they get past Washington. Wow, and then you know,

(19:24):
so I'm gonna go Carolina in seven.

Speaker 2 (19:28):
Third is Marty give it a little push, Marty, clip
that and send it to him.

Speaker 1 (19:33):
Tell all right, we'll get to the rest of what
to expect you in the second room. But first, Steve Leeve,
he's been the face of hockey out of USPN for
so many years, he'll tell us, but his distinguished career
not only calling hockey and all those overtime games, but
also take us behind the curtain on Alexander Vetchkin and
this is sports and a commercial.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
That's next after this.

Speaker 1 (20:04):
Our special guest, ESPN's main man in the studio throughout
the Stanley Cup playoffs as the second round opens across
ESPN's family of networks. He's been on the air for
the World Wide Leader since nineteen ninety three, Wow, thirty
plus years at the mothership on the best in the business.
Since that time, particularly covering the NHL, he's been the
voice somebody and at football he's been a MAINSTAD sports center.
And of course he and I were both little league
coaches in West Harford, which is a story we'll be

(20:26):
telling you in a minute.

Speaker 2 (20:27):
Ladies and gentlemen. Steve Leavy leaves, it's great to see
you man.

Speaker 5 (20:29):
Hey, how you doing, guys, good to good to be
with you. Thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1 (20:33):
First off, it's great to work at ESPN with your longevity,
But how envious were you the last time I saw
you in New Jersey Amazon Prime invading the turf. We
had a studio which was the size of Ben Hurr.
I mean we have we have a cast and crew
that put you in PK.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
Subant to shame. How inferior did you feel? That was?

Speaker 5 (20:49):
Like Fox's pregame for the Super Bowl. You guys had
like twenty five on air people. Talent if you will,
but a lot of on air people. I looked around, like, oh,
we don't even have our producer with us. They were
in Bristol. I'm lucky Eve a truck, you know so.
But you guys are a big deal. If you're a
big deal, it's a big deal, it's a big show.

Speaker 1 (21:10):
The best person we did the scrub would talk it
and we thought we were We just made it for
you to leave, Like, well, now you guys have your
own separate scrub.

Speaker 2 (21:16):
What is this?

Speaker 5 (21:16):
And if you guys each have two or three questions,
I mean, ale, it's an our press conference. Craziness.

Speaker 3 (21:23):
How are those scrubs in the preparation for that? Do
you find like over the years, it's it's you've gotten
more comfortable or is there something a nuance in a
certain way to take it that allows you to get
more from the coaching staffs.

Speaker 5 (21:35):
It's really I found, it's really about relationships, you know,
and some guys you know, right, some guys you know,
some guys you know that you have really they're not
gonna They're not gonna burn you, and I'm not gonna
burn them.

Speaker 1 (21:48):
You know.

Speaker 5 (21:48):
It's sort of a trust factor, right. And then you
get into some older guys who are old school, who
probably you know, super tight lipped, and they don't want
to play it all, they don't want to joke. I
found Lobbyoletta was extremely straight, you know, and really hard
to get anything from. And then you get new guys
who aren't sort of sure how this is gonna go,

(22:09):
you know, and a sort of trying to figure it
out themselves. So I just we just did the game
in Minnesota with John Hines, and there was all these
rumors in the press room, Hey, Marc Andre Fleury's gonna play.
It's gonna be flurry starting tonight, and so we asked Hines, Yeah,
you know, I just want to make sure Gus is
good to go ton is yet Gus he's one hundred percent,

(22:29):
and I'm like, John, yeah, you're giving it to me
straight right, I'm hearing a lot of buzz. So I
followed up with him and he goes, no, I wouldn't
do that to you. I'm like, okay, cause some guys
have and I won't name names, but absolutely, next time
you get Sean and ray On you can ask them
they have absolutely been misled by a head coach ninety
minutes before puck drop. I'm a starting goalie on an

(22:50):
ABC game, and that is flat out wrong. You know,
you don't want to tell people publicly, that's fine, but
at least you tell the broadcasters, Hey, don't say it
before puck drop, or just save it for the open.
You know, we're all trying to work together on this thing.
Let's not try to make somebody look foolish. But I
really enjoy him. I get a lot out of them.
But I'm like a three question guy, you know, and

(23:12):
I've written it down. I know exactly what I want
to ask, and I find it can be very helpful.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
We've had mcdone on the pod.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
You're right, it's not suffer full as gladly as you
and I both know, a great guy to go drinking
with it him a late night diner because Sean lets
it fly. We can talk with this year's playoffs leaves
me well a little bit, but you know, for me,
I'll always think of you, Flyers, Penguins, Marathon Man, Keith Primo.
I know you told the stories before, but kind of
like how Joe Tess our buddy has become snaymous with
these great college football finances, the guy and he tell's

(23:38):
an overtime game. Steve Levey was on the call first off,
how did your bladder hold up? And tell me about
that Flyers game with Primo Scord.

Speaker 5 (23:45):
So it's really an experienced thing, like I got better
at it doing more of them, right, because you never
know how you're going to react. And so I believe
I have two five overtimes and a third game that
was forty five seconds from a fifth overtime. And I
think Gord just recently passed me two years. I still

(24:06):
have the longest game ever broadcast, and I think I
had the top three. Maybe I have three in the
top four, two of the top five, something like that.
I'm still number one. Nice for those for those who say,
you know, records are made to be broken. That's bullshit. Okay,
I want that longest game, man, are you kidding? Like,
I want to be known for something. I want to
hang my hat on something. I'll be pissed if somebody

(24:27):
beats me out on the longest televised game. But so
the first one I had was at the Old Cap
Center in Landover, Washington, Pittsburgh. Guys were Daryl Ray and
Peter Nedven wound up ending that game. So this gets
back to the experience part of it, because I found
in the first overtime my excitement level at xuberant's voice

(24:48):
volume is already up here, right. This is videos people
can see here, right, Okay, but if they're on, say
on radio, see here, really is not gonna help anybody.
And then so it gets ratcheted up. Okay, now we're
in the second overtime. By the third overtime, I've got
nowhere to go, right, I've got nowhere to go. My
heart is in my throat now on you know, icing's

(25:11):
you know, like it's just insane. And so now we're
in the fourth overtime. Now we're into the fifth overtime,
and you know, you get to a double overtime. This
is a call that's going to be replayed. You really
don't want to blow that call. You don't want to
miss the name. It looked like an eight, it turns
out to be a nine. And you know that old
Cap center was really dark, and I think we're in

(25:33):
a corner when I didn't center ice and so I
wound up getting the ned bed call. But I just
remember being totally out of gas to the point where
I had I went out of words right, like it
was just strictly last names, you know, Lemieux, Jones, Smith,
ned Bed score and it was it was what Mario

(25:57):
got kicked out of the game, kicked out of that
game there. I think he ran into the goalie, got
in a fight. It was a I mean, how Mario,
you'll get kicked out of a five overtime stay like
a playoff game. What referee is doing that? Right? But
that was all way So yeah, and the other story
about that, I'm always from Kevin Kaminski. You remember Killer,

(26:18):
He didn't play a single shift. He might not even
played in regulation, okay, and so Barry Melrose and he
you don't lose Saskatchewan guys, they are like cousins or whatever.
I remember Barry saying, hey, you had the best seat
in the house. But a five overtime game. I don't
think he ever saw the ice, which is hard to
do so anyway, So fast forward. Then I got another
one of those games. I was much more relaxed in

(26:39):
the third period. This could be overtime now, I'm okay.
First overtime, second and ratchet up to a normal level.
That was in Pittsburgh with Panger. That was Keith Primo
that you're referencing. The funny story about that is we
had a runner who would try to find us, you know,
cold pizza or a stale popcorn. The igloo ran out

(27:00):
of everything at that point. The runner even left us
mid game. It was a school night. His mom took
him home. Like that's that's what we're dealing and who
can blame him? Right, Like, you know, people are sleeping
in the crowd. Uh, there's all of that. Hangar. I
believe I think he's okay with me telling the story.
I know thirty years later, he of course was in
Mario suite at the time. Pierre LaRouche, probably enjoying some

(27:23):
red wine, you know, between overtime periods while I'm drinking
you know, diet coke without any fuzzy visited so and
then I the last one was, uh like I think
it was close to five more times with Dallas Anaheim.
I think it was an afternoon ABC, Peter Soakora and
my game. And so those are the three games. Listen.

(27:44):
There's no skill like to get those games right. That's
totally fluky to be in the building at that time.
But when you get there then you really want to
nail them. And I've been fortunate. I feel pretty good
about the calls there.

Speaker 3 (27:56):
So you know, talk about these these Stanley Cup playoffs
so far, and you know what a wild turn of
events in a lot of these games. Do you have
a moment that's kind of because you've been at the
forefront with PK and MESS that's really kind of stood
out to you as like a great storyline.

Speaker 5 (28:10):
So yeah, I mean last night, I just you know,
Dallas had no chance to win that game. They're just
they're just not They're not winning that game. And McKinnon
scores thirty seconds into the third. You know, PK and
I get into it, and the intermission going into the
thirdies like Dallas have been the better team, Like, they
just went ten minutes without a shot, How could they
be the better team? They have ten shots through forty
minutes and a lot of time, a lot of hockey

(28:33):
left that we all joke about that, right, it's only
twenty minutes and at that point they're only down one nothing,
and now it's down two nothing and there's a penalty.
You know, for Colorado, it felt like them they might
have three minors the Abs last night, two on fourth liners,
one on their six defensemen, like some odd players who
don't see a lot of ice. We're taking penalties last night,

(28:55):
and I couldn't object the call we watched on replays.
Those were good calls. Those were real penalties, and that
sort of turned it. And then all of a sudden
they get the puck luck right, it goes off the
skate of Girard and goes into the net, the same
things that but happened to the Blackwell and the Stars
going off of Dallas into their own net. Now it's
sort of flipped. But that's an all time, all time game.

(29:16):
And I got I got some heat post game because
people wanted to draw comparisons to Rantman's hat trick to
the messier hat trick, uh added with an empty net,
and I'm like, hey, one guy guaranteed it, the other
guy didn't. This is the first round, not the conference final.
Like everybody relaxed a little bit, okay, but it was.

(29:37):
It was an all time moment, certainly in Dallas Star's
hockey history. And I love that building. It's not Reunion Arena,
Jason Reunion arenas where they used to play. Okay, you're so,
I do.

Speaker 3 (29:49):
Know that, but I listen. I love that building that Dallas.
When the fans stand up and you can't see really
really good, it's just an amazing atmosphere.

Speaker 5 (30:00):
Loud. Yeah. I ask Adman about the old Stars Club
at Reunion a post.

Speaker 2 (30:05):
Sure Mart took there. He said, you worked at Darryl
Ray too.

Speaker 3 (30:09):
Do you have a great I mean that guy lives
with the Tasaurus in his back pocket or something, because
the ship he brings up is incredible.

Speaker 5 (30:16):
He is, I mean, he might be the best local
analyst in the game. Like he is so good at
his job. And quite frankly, I loved Ralph with him.
This is back in the day. It's a long time ago.
I always thought they were the top and I've pushed with,
Like when the ESPN bosses asked me, you know, hey,

(30:37):
maybe we're looking for the guy. I'm like, let's call
Darrel Ray. You know. Now, maybe Razor doesn't want to
do it. You know, maybe he's got a cushy thing there.
He's beloved in Dallas. He's kind of a god there.
He's done play by play, he can host, he can
do it all. But for my money, he's among the
very best local analysts. And believe me, if he wanted
a network job, he'd have it. He's he's great and
everything because he can do he can do it all right.

(30:59):
He's got the sense of humor, he's got the fun,
He's obviously got the the great vocabulary. The goaltender is
a critical part I think of the analyst role, so
he obviously checks that box too. But but he can
do it all. And I love him personally. I think
he's hysterical to be around.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
I still have a bone to pick with him because
he he It was a viral moment on Twitter where
you know, I was with the stars and and I
love him. I think he's great, but I was I
had my hand on Jamie Benn and then just during
the broadcast, he just goes, what's Jason de Murz gonna
do to Jamie Benn And then everybody posted it.

Speaker 2 (31:32):
And I was like, Daryl, come on, man, like give
me a break.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
But you know, going in that, did you ever have
a moment when you were calling games like where guys
would come up to you when they saw you were
you maybe had to toe the line to not chirp
guys and kind of adjust to that situation because it
happens a lot. And I mean you have to be
honest as well. You can't just sugarcoat it because fans
are smart.

Speaker 5 (31:53):
Absolutely, you have to be accountable. I get I get
this all the time because I've been lucky enough and
I'm one of the few guys who can do studio
and remote. And when I say do it, I don't
mean the ability. I mean bosses allow me to do both.
And so I think it's really important. And I've said
this my entire career, Like it's really easy to sit
behind the Sports center desk in Bristol, Connecticut and be

(32:14):
all clever and cute and fun and make fun of athletes.
Look at this guy, he can't make that play. What's
he doing? What was he doing last night? You know,
that kind of thing in all the sports, and then
it's a different story to have to be in the
dressing room there. You know, again in all the sports,
go out to training camps, either there's NFL guys and
have the hockey guys walk up to you. So you know,

(32:34):
we do run that fine line. Look in the studio,
we're trying to entertain and inform. You know, we're look,
we're trying to have a good time. It's a lot
of laughs and at some point, you know, we're taking
some shots. My rule of thumb's always been if a player,
I think would admit to making a mistake himself, then
it's okay for me to say it was a mistake,
but it was a gray area. I wouldn't go there.

(32:55):
So I try to sort of stick to that. But
I make it a point now when I'm on the
road to go see the coaches and players, I'm right
there in the hallway if anyone wants to say something
to be now. Sometimes they come up to me, they
talking about PK and mess I'm like, whoa way, that's
that's their business. I'm just sorry about leaves right here.
You got the issues. The leaves. I'm right here in front.

Speaker 1 (33:13):
Of you, all right, so bag of leaves, not sending messages.
A couple more from me. Let's talk a little movies.
Of course, along with a brilliant career at ESPN, you
have been a successful actor and still getting residuals and
royalties for such films. A million dollar arm of John Hammond,
of course. The Fairly Brothers hooking up in favorite Pitch.
You've told me the story, Bobby Fairly, pretty good goalie.
How did you get the flies?

Speaker 5 (33:32):
Yeah? So the Fairlies happened. I've been in quite a few.
It's hard to remember all of them. And then you know,
John ham won't stop calling me. I'm gonna put him
on blast, Okay, I'm serious. When the Blues play, he
texts me, not like once, like I mean like six
or seven times during the game, my hammer time. I'm

(33:53):
trying to watch the game over here. Okay. But he's real,
he's he's hard and all the Fairly Brothers. I was
in the Boston area and I was I was dating
a girl at time again all the time, and she
was sort of a part time actress. And then got
had a couple of roles in uh, oh you love
What was the first big hit for the Fairlies.

Speaker 1 (34:14):
Uh she was in something about Mary, Yeah, pink Pin, which.

Speaker 5 (34:19):
Was what was with the weight the weight issue shallow
that's the one, okay, yeah it was. So she had
a relationship with the Faarilies and must have introduced me
at some point to them and they were like, you know,
and I joked, so, hey, you got anything is sports canister,
I'm your guy. I'm in the neighborhood, that kind of thing.

(34:40):
And that's how fever Pitch happened. And they put me
in a few other things, and then I got friendly
with the Rock. I bumped into the Rock a couple
of places, the game Plan, tooth Fairy, don't sleep on
a tooth fairy, ad Man sneaky right. What's the other one?
Special Olympics.

Speaker 2 (34:57):
You're a lad, I think the most.

Speaker 5 (35:02):
I'm in that way too much. I mean, that's that's
how you know about the movie. I am in the
Ringer way too much. I feel for sure some of
those scenes would be cut out. I get that one
all the time. People come up like a cult following
for that. Again, I'm not there for my acting ability.
I asked for a sex scene in one of these,
you know, a cop chase. I promised my mom, no nudity,
but I could take my top off if that would

(35:24):
work for somebody. Can I have a gun like Adam
Sandler at least gives Dan Patrick other than he's Dan Patrick.
You know, I always play sportscaster X or whatever.

Speaker 2 (35:36):
So I had a couple of really quick ones. But
one thing I had to ask you about.

Speaker 4 (35:42):
We talked about the sort of the the Heyday that
you I mean, You've been a part of so many
great eras of ESPN, but for me that this is
Sports Center ads through the years are just so incredible,
so iconic, and you, of course star and a great
one with a younger Alexandra Ovechkin where he kind of
plays a Russian spy. So I can't speak to how

(36:05):
well the ad has aged over the years, but it's
a classic. I'm sure you get asked about it frequently.
I'd love to hear any stories about being on the
set with Ov and Semyon Varlamov of course.

Speaker 2 (36:17):
Yeah, make that ad.

Speaker 5 (36:18):
So that's been uh, that's gotten controversial by the way, Yeah,
because of what you mentioned. Yeah, what's going on in
the real world and We did run it back a
few times recently, you know, after he went for the chase,
going for the chase and gets the goal. So the
two quick stories about that and man, were you on campus?
Would you have been on campus that day?

Speaker 2 (36:35):
Now, well, the day I did see avetch in the
one day. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (36:38):
So they wound up building the set on our basketball court.
It looks like it's a copy room right with the
copy machine and files and stuff like that. But because
of the goof of having to have him go through
the roof the ceiling there, they couldn't do it in
a real building. They had to set make a set
outside and rig the contraption there. And because of the

(37:02):
contraption and building a set out side on the basketball court,
I was told it was the most expensive This is
Sports Center promo ever made because of all those things
and the other really cool thing and this will not
surprise anyone. We had a stunt double for Ovi. We
had a real stunt double, full Uni pad, same height, weight,

(37:22):
with color hair at the time, all that stuff standing
right there, and OVI refused to let him in, ob
I do my own stunts. He's Tom Cruise. He figured
that out, you know that kind of thing. So those
were the two really cool parts about that commercial. And
and people still come up randomly, like I got a
text from Neil Everett out of the Blue Gian Perderson

(37:44):
and the only line is late night filings. You know,
like it because that's what he says. He adds the
s for some reason, you know, like it's just it was.
It was a classic. Those are fun to be in.
Guys anchors like myself, not like myself. Other anchors would
jump over themselves to get in the building when they
knew they were filming. Eyes would come back from vacations early.

(38:08):
I don't care there was their day off. They don't care.
They're coming to work because they wanted to be in
these things. It was such a big deal. And the
last one I'll tell you about this the athletes did
not get paid. Ladanian Tomlinson through flew coast to coast
on his own dime because he wanted to be in one.

(38:28):
And that would be really cool. With the mailbox, you
gotta talk about the story about.

Speaker 2 (38:31):
This one hit it.

Speaker 5 (38:32):
Yeah, that's a goof with Ladanian Tomlinson. Is we're in
the mail room and he wears the shaded shield the
visor in his helmet, okay. So he's putting the mail
in all the wrong places and all the wrong slots.
So I'm like, hey, lt, you know, what are you doing.
That's not for me, that's not me, that's not me,
and that's oh he's sorry. And they keeps putting it
in the wrong thing. So that's how it ends. But

(38:54):
his PR person is right there, as they often are,
and the PR person's a young person, I guess, and
they don't really get the goof, and they're pleading with
director and the producer he can we do one with
his helmet off? Okay, And everybody's like, well, then he's
just an idiot. Why would he be putting the mayor
the whole goof is because it's the shaded shield right

(39:17):
that he can't see if he has no helmet on,
Why would he be putting it in the wrong Then
he's just an idiot. And so the producer, to try
to please this PR person does a whole other spot,
you know, just at that second. It's not funny. It
never aired. I'll be surprised if it was even filming
the camera at the time, just to sort of appease

(39:39):
that PR flack at that moment. But those who are
blast to do and again same deal, I'm not funny.
Like they gave us the words to say everything is
everything is less right because sports said today big bag
poo want to play, Oh my god, and everything is
taken down and understated and less words and less and
that was the genius behind Widen and Kennedy. That was

(40:00):
the firm.

Speaker 2 (40:02):
Shout up to Neil Ebrett.

Speaker 1 (40:03):
Obviously you know how much I left bet Or he
was in that commercial with Neil, which is one of
the all time.

Speaker 5 (40:06):
Yes, I'm in the top ten, right, I'm in the.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
Top all right.

Speaker 1 (40:11):
Last day with Steve, theyve been a personal note. We
did one Watch Game seven.

Speaker 2 (40:16):
It's fun. You're in the game on it right now,
get a live stream.

Speaker 1 (40:18):
Mode, do one Sports Center together. Clearly was well of
the highlights of your career.

Speaker 2 (40:21):
Along with me.

Speaker 1 (40:22):
As we're walking outside afterwards and I said, leave's any
advice for me and he said, no, you're a professional anchor.
I said, come on, you gonna have something you go. Okay,
I'll give you two things. One you said when you
toss in the sound he said, most guys just.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
Go what's the role?

Speaker 1 (40:33):
You meaning, what's the first thing Jason Demurr says, hey,
we gotta get the fucking deep. Here's Jason Demurr speaking
about the importance of controlling the puck. He is, I
listened to the whole sound bite because he goes there
might be something more interesting later the bite.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
So you say, hey, demurs.

Speaker 1 (40:43):
For this, but also did this, and I go, that's
just a slight attention detail. I don't know any other
ankle that actually did that, So I appreciate that advice.
And another one you said, don't make fun of names.
He said, it's an easy one, a quick joke. And
every time I see asker Off the goalie, I want
to say, kiss my asker off.

Speaker 2 (40:57):
And your point was you don't know what a name
means to someone, and you go specific for yourself.

Speaker 1 (41:02):
Adnan Urk is not a common name, and I'm made
for me to add me on the bad of it.
I don't know what that means for your culture in
your background. So pretty good advice for your leaves.

Speaker 5 (41:09):
So ay, I don't remember doing your show with you
at all, quite frankly, and then I'm gonna I'm gonna
have the schedule or fired. Okay uh And that came
from my dad. My dad is in the other room
right now, and I'll tell him you brought that up.
He said it to me. He told me, Uh, you know,
guys have nicknames, and you never know what a nickname.

(41:30):
It came from their grandmother who's no longer with us,
and she meant the world to him. It's just it's
not worth it, right, Whatever you say is not gonna
be funny enough to overcome the potential hurt or pain.
And so I just stayed away from the name's first name,
last names. I can't I can't believe I told you that.
I can't believe you remember it. And that's but I
know it's very true. Those are two good things. And

(41:52):
I love the throat of the sound bite. I live
for that stuff. That's such an important piece to me
to this day. I still do it. I want to
hear the whole bite, and I want to find a
way to the smoothest throat to to make people stick.
Let's do it because de Mayor's is gonna go for forty
five seconds in a sound bite, and his last five
seconds might be the best.

Speaker 2 (42:12):
That might be the only good thing there.

Speaker 5 (42:14):
So gott to keep it around the whole time.

Speaker 1 (42:17):
Love it man, Steve Leeby, I tell you one of
the best things about Leaves is his humility.

Speaker 2 (42:20):
You've heard him say a couple of times this interview.
I'm not the funny thing. I'm not this.

Speaker 1 (42:23):
And one time you said to me, I've made a
career of being the second band. I said, what are
you talking about? He said, no one ever watched it
for me, either watching it for Stuart Scott or Scott
van Pelt or Neil Evert. And I'm just the other guy.
But you know how I feel. Nobody thinks of you
as just another guy. You are a great guy, and
you're a tremendous at your job and have been a
great friend to me and obviously just love watching every
time talking to hockey talk whatever it may be.

Speaker 2 (42:41):
So thanks so much, Leeves. Appreciate you man, very kind.

Speaker 5 (42:43):
I hope to see you guys a stay in the
Cup final or someplace soon.

Speaker 2 (42:45):
Okay, yeah, I didn't know I Nan could be that sweet.
So that was beautiful.

Speaker 5 (42:50):
You should hear what he tells me about you, man,
It's not the same.

Speaker 2 (42:54):
It's oh junker. So more hockey talk here in just
a second.

Speaker 1 (43:07):
At once again thanks to Steve Levy but Little Cinephi
in sixty more theater for you your boy hitting broad
Away again, this time for the star power of George
Clooney and good Night and good Luck.

Speaker 2 (43:16):
I love the film when it came out. When asked
on a podcast.

Speaker 1 (43:18):
By Scott Finberg for what's the favorite way of his
own career this is two years ago, Clooney said, oh,
it's gonna be a good Night and good Luck. His dad,
Nick Clooney, was a broadcast for years in Los Angeles.
Cloney grew up in Cincinnati slash Kentucky that areas. Had
always dreamed of being a broadcaster and it didn't work out,
became an actor.

Speaker 2 (43:33):
It seems I have worked out well for George, but.

Speaker 1 (43:34):
Wanted to make a movie called good Night and good Luck,
which is all about Edward ar Morrill, the fame broadcaster
who took on McCarthyism back in the day. The play
and the movie both very relevant today, the whole assault
on journalism, what's real, what's not, vast, etc.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
But I'll tell you JD.

Speaker 1 (43:47):
As a play, I thought it was phenomenal because of
and Jill would appreciate this. The depth of the set.
It's two levels, so up top you have the jazz band.
They have these jazz interludes, jazzing they're playing. And on
the bottom you have the TV studio, which you and
I are f well familiar with, So you have these
gigantic cameras as if back in the fifties and sixties
and Edward Armour was broadcasting and the move.

Speaker 2 (44:07):
The play was nominated in fact for the Best Set Decoration.

Speaker 1 (44:09):
They're up for Best Lighting for the Tony Awards, and
of course Cloney is up for Best Actor. And in
the original movie played Fred Friendley, who's the producer. David
stretheraorn who's incredible actor, played Edward Armour. To be honest,
think Edward Murrow, Stretharon Nail that Cloney couldn't do it
any better. But what's been getting a lot of notoriety
along with George's Tony Wward nominated performance is the fact
he died his hair. And because George is so charming,
he's been making fun of it, saying, you know, people

(44:30):
are making fun of me.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
You know, my wife's good. It's a bad look. Listen,
tell this is why George Coloney is George Clooney. Because
he's sixty three. It looks like he's fifty.

Speaker 1 (44:37):
Three, He's so smart, his aeradite, he's charming, his handswer
and he can still be self deprecating. How can George
Clooney pull this up? I still think he looks like
a million bucks. And I gotta tell you the play
was fantastic.

Speaker 2 (44:46):
Tal go ahead, he looks phenomenal.

Speaker 4 (44:50):
He played in a recent I'm sure I'm gonna get
some of the details wrong, but there is video of
him playing in some sort of like Actors Equity softball game.

Speaker 2 (44:58):
I just was gonna say that. I just was gonna
say that.

Speaker 4 (45:03):
This guy is one of the biggest stars in the
world and he's still playing like a union guy. Basically,
he's playing softball with the boys, you know, during an
off day from from the This like one of the
biggest shows on Broadway. It's pretty impressive. I'm a huge
Clooney fan, Yeah, big Clooney head. The fact that he's
been so deprecating about the die job is it just
makes me love him even more. He had an interview

(45:25):
he may have been with CBS News where they brought
up they brought up his hair, his die job, and
the reporter said something like, oh, it's not that bad.

Speaker 2 (45:33):
And he immediates like, no, no, it's bad, It's okay.
What he laughed?

Speaker 1 (45:36):
He said normally in New York, he goes, I wear
a happy people still know it's me. This diesis be
unblieable because nobody knows it's me. I'm walking around New
York City. That's how bad this touch up is. All right,
let's get back the second round previews and dive into
the Vegas gold Knights taking on the Edmonton Oilers. All
of us pretty much fell at Grere picking the Kings
on home ices. They couldn't possibly lose to Edmonton four
straight years in a row, but well they did. Edmondon's
won the last two games between these two teams, including

(45:59):
with Vegas. Vegas elimited Edmonton in six games the second
round two years ago, Golden Knights won the whole thing.
Connor mcdavi in the first round eleven points in six games.
He's one point behind Ranson in most points in the
plast Vegas pretty balanced offense, and there's six game dance
in Minnesota. Five points for Hurdle and Ikele, four points
for Stone in Theodore. I see ikle by left for
the lady bing nice Vegas and the Oilers. I will

(46:21):
say Vegas in six, but I don't feel great about
because I picked against the Oilers and I'm loaded to
do it again.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
But I like Vegas's balance a little more.

Speaker 3 (46:29):
Yeah, and then you know what, did we hear Mitia
Satcomb's not gonna be ready for round two? So you know,
I can't go with that, Mintonnage, I can't. I personally think, listen,
they it's amazing resiliency for them to win. And that's
my word of the day. I've said about nine thousand
times in this podcast today.

Speaker 2 (46:46):
But then bullish word of the day.

Speaker 3 (46:48):
You said bullish, Yeah, bullish, resilient, Yeah, yeah, yeah, very
it's like emphatic for you, resounding, resounding was resounding and emphatic.

Speaker 5 (46:57):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (46:58):
But yeah, I just think it was more LA blowing
that and bad coaching decisions than Edmonton winning it. I
feel like LA just shot themselves in a foot when
they had it.

Speaker 2 (47:10):
I don't think Vegas will do that.

Speaker 3 (47:12):
And I think, listen, Calvin Pickard, we're gonna have them
on the show eventually. I love them, but you know
they're eventually going to lose a game in this series.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
And do they stay with him?

Speaker 3 (47:23):
The whole playoffs or do they go back to Stuart
Skinner and how is Stuart Skinner? And they kind of
do what they did last season and bounced around. But
I just think Vegas their top guys. They beat Minnesota
in six, and their top guys did not play good
until like the last game or so, so I think
they're kind of cresting, and you know, I just go
back to kind of history repeats itself, and I think

(47:44):
in a seven game series, I think Vegas overall will
play more solid, better games. And you know, you obviously
it's hard to bet against Leon and Connor because they're
just absolutely electric. And I do love what Evander Kaines
brought to this team, but I just can't with no
Matias Ekoma once again have to go against the Edmonton Oilers,

(48:06):
and if they win this round then I'll probably take
them to win the Cup. But yeah, I gotta bounce
back and go Vegas, and I'm god, I'm sweating it
too right now, But.

Speaker 1 (48:16):
I like that logic. You'll go against the Oilers twice,
but you want to it a third time.

Speaker 3 (48:19):
If indeed, let's check to you fool me twice, you're
not gonna fool me again.

Speaker 1 (48:26):
The series of the second round. I cannot wait for
Panthers Leaves. This is gonna be awesome.

Speaker 2 (48:30):
Florida to really oh. I think it's gonna be fantastic.
I think it's gonna be I think it's gonna be
like you think Florid's gonna push him around.

Speaker 3 (48:35):
I think it's gonna be like hot knife through a
butt through warm butt.

Speaker 2 (48:39):
Ha.

Speaker 1 (48:40):
Florida took three or four from Toronto and the season
series split their last two things, which they played in
the final two weeks the regular season. Panthers knocked out
the Leaves in five games. In the second round. Two
years ago, Florida made it all the way to the
Cup Final. They lost to Vegas. Leaf fans were hurt,
chanting we want Florida during their first round series against Otto.
Would be careful you wish for Florida scored nineteen goals
in five games against Tampa. Ryd hurt, Chuck Bennett Barkoff,

(49:03):
Brad Marsham buzzing, and for Toronto, they need to win
this series otherwise we know what's.

Speaker 2 (49:08):
At if they can look at themselves. J D and
go hey.

Speaker 1 (49:10):
We went final four Eastern Conference Finals been a while
there for the Leafs.

Speaker 2 (49:13):
Marty and Taveras both unrestricted free agents.

Speaker 1 (49:15):
Matthew Downs, You've spoken about how good he's been so
far restricted free agent. I just think Toronto played such
a strong game against Ottawa, particularly win of those two
overtime games. Propably look good early on, and they're able
to study the ship after looking vulnerable that I do
think they'll get Florida test. I like the Panthers and six,
but I think it'll be hard fought. Why are you
more skeptical?

Speaker 3 (49:35):
I mean, other than I'm very excited to see Anthony
Stolar's versus Babrovski.

Speaker 2 (49:40):
Nice. You know, the student against the mentor and the teacher.
Yeah yeah, take yeah there. You know.

Speaker 3 (49:46):
I think it'll help. They have a couple of the
ex Panthers guys, you know, Eckman, Larson, Lorenz kind of
helped them get ready. But I just don't think they're
physical enough. I think Florida is going to kind of
bully him around. We saw what Florida can do against
the Tampa Bay team that a lot of us had,
I know, didn't add an end. A lot of us
had to win the Cup in this Tampa Bay team

(50:08):
that was very good down the stretch. They handled them
like it was nothing. I and listen, I wasn't bullish
on the series Toronto had. I think, out of that
whole series, I think Toronto outplayed Ottawa on maybe one game,
and I thought overall, Ottawa was a little bit faster, better,
quicker to pucks. And you know, I don't think Florida's

(50:32):
gonna give him that many chances as Ottawa did to
kind of get back. And Bobrovsky looks unbelievable, that decor
looks great. You know, ek Blad's going to be back again.
I know he was. He was out because that hit
on Hegel, but he's gonna come back after Game one
and they've proven they can play without him. And up front,
Sam Bennett looks looks incredible. Brad Marshan is playing like

(50:54):
the Brad Marshan that's won a Cup and and that's
been just dominant for so many years. He looks rejuvenated.
And I just don't think they have enough answer. And
I just don't know if that core four can handle
the physicality that's gonna come their way. And I just
think it's gonna be Florida and five.

Speaker 1 (51:15):
I love it, love the aggressive prediction. It'll be the
worst series of the second in terms of games played.
Taal which series are mostly going forward to Stars Jets,
Kane's Caps Oilers, Golden Knights or Panthers leaves.

Speaker 4 (51:27):
I think I I think JD said it before. I
think the winner of Stars Jets is the favorite to
win the Cup. After that, I think both those if
they're if they're both healthy, assuming they're both healthy coming
out of that series. The idea that Dallas just went
through that ridiculous series. Nico Rannon looked like Mario out there,
and they're getting heiskin In and Robertson back for game

(51:48):
one of the next series.

Speaker 2 (51:50):
Think of that. I mean, that's the worst two one
I'll be watching.

Speaker 4 (51:52):
That's the one I'll be watching. I think there's there's
so much talent Ottinger versus Hellibook. I mean, hey, Helly
needs to show up and show out in these playoffs.
I mean, it's if it's not happening now in this series.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
I don't know when it's happening.

Speaker 4 (52:07):
I think there's so many fascinating narratives, so much talent.

Speaker 2 (52:12):
That's the series.

Speaker 4 (52:13):
And maybe it's because those two teams just played, so
we're still fresh in our minds. There's a little recency
bias there, but that's the series I'll be watching for show.
But I thought Florida was the most impressive team in
the first round to go to take on a team
like Tampa that a lot of people were taking them
as a potential Cup front runner coming in that series,
and they just wiped the floor with them. Really, I

(52:35):
mean they really, they really took it to them in
that series. And I wouldn't say they made it look easy,
but they beat a really really good team.

Speaker 2 (52:44):
They beat them good.

Speaker 3 (52:45):
Oh you can say it that they made it look
about as easy as you could make a series look
for like two Juggernauts and yeah, it's I just it's
gonna be. And again nothing on Toronto. And you know, here,
I am sounded like an idiot because we just did
all our predictions at and then I picked every Canadian
team to lose this round.

Speaker 2 (53:07):
But I know what you're doing. It's like the reverse curse.
You're like lou Holts, like chance, I want.

Speaker 3 (53:12):
I want a Canadian team to win so bad and
then just we'll go back to that initial one, say
this is the year but never take a Canadian team
to get to the finals, not one.

Speaker 1 (53:22):
Which jd prediction came true the first one when he
said the Canadian to win the Cup.

Speaker 2 (53:26):
I like it.

Speaker 3 (53:26):
I'm at where, everywhere, where, everywhere, So then we can
just cherry pick.

Speaker 1 (53:30):
All right, I'm gonna be called it on Sullivan. Do
you think Selly can turn the Rangers around?

Speaker 2 (53:35):
Yeah? I think so.

Speaker 3 (53:35):
I think he's got a you know, winning pedigree, and
you know, I always like to talk to people that
kind of around that organization, like you know, Brian Boyle
and Mike Rupp, and they're very both very high on
Mike Sullivan and what he could do for this team.
And I think the biggest thing is accountability. That is
what this team needs. That is what these top guys need.

(53:58):
They need accountability, folks. No, not the accountant with Ben
Stiller accountability.

Speaker 2 (54:04):
No Bet Affleck, not Benn Stiller. But yeah, oh that
would be great tho. I'd love to see Benn Stiller
in that.

Speaker 1 (54:11):
I can't believe they made a sequel to the account
Like it wasn't like that was a juggernaut of a movie.

Speaker 2 (54:15):
Or particularly well received. I thank you all right, one
more for it. Matty Cash.

Speaker 1 (54:19):
Congratulations coming back to Matt Coronado, Back to Calvary, seven
year extensionportably worth an average annual value of six point
five million dollars. He's twenty two years of age, breakout season,
twenty four goals, forty seven points in seventy seven games.
Mackenzie Wiger, by the way, referred to as Matty Cash
on social media. Freddie Anderson also got an extension signed
for one year and two point seven five million dollars.
Secures what happens there in around two But Coronado excellent

(54:41):
season there for Calvary, and I see they're building that
core with a good young player.

Speaker 3 (54:45):
Yeah, I thought he you said it exactly hit nail
on the head break through season, and I think he's
a little water bug that's got a hell of a
shot when he utilizes it, and just a good power
play forward. So I think it's good. It's a good
contract at a good price, and CAP's going up. I
think it's going to look really good in five years
and you're gonna be really happy Calgary Flames fans, so.

Speaker 1 (55:07):
And you'll be even happier NHL and scripted fans again
twice a week We're coming at you with all of
our opinions and flair.

Speaker 2 (55:13):
And speaking of flair, JD play us out.

Speaker 6 (55:27):
Good Night Yeah.

Speaker 1 (55:44):
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart Podcasts.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.