Mike Benton recaps the road trip finale in Vegas with reaction from head coach Dan Bylsma and defenseman Adam Larsson, Brandon Montour's impending 600th NHL game, and a look into the St. Louis Blues with St. Louis radio play-by-play voice Chris Kerber.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Andre Burakowski.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
So it's holding it, hands it off to mon Tour
and it sleeps it far side the Shane right back
to the airside to holbeing it up top.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Welcome to Cracking this morning, a presentation of the Krakin
Audio Network Ken Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Here's Mike Benton.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
That man dude to playing game six hundred of his
NHL career. That's Brandon Montour already with a career high
seventeen goals. Welcome to Cracking this morning. On a Saturday,
April twelfth, the Cracking opening their final homestand of the
season and the last two games on the schedule against
the Saint Louis Blues face off little past seven pm
(00:42):
Pacific time at Climate Pledge Arena. Airtime at six point
thirty all the cross the Emeral Queen Casino Cracking Audio
Network EVERA fits you. Alkoniski in the booth. I'll join
you once again back by the cors light, landing in
section twenty, with our covers continuing all the way up
to an hour after the final horn. For Talking Cracking
on ninety three to three KJRFM, we'll hear from defenseman
(01:04):
Adam Larson, head coach Dan Biosma, plus a conversation with
Chris Kerber, He's the radio voice of the Saint Louis
Blues on the play by play side As this evening,
you'll want to be on the lookout for Green Knight
that's presented by Boeing. More information on specialty jerseys, auction proceeds,
stories behind the Night and more at NHL dot com.
(01:24):
Slash Kraken also all for a great cause. The celebration
is going to include performances by DJ Nature and the
Krack and Unity Fund, Honory Mountains to sound at Greenway
Transit who will look after the one point five million
acre landscape that stretches from Seattle to Ellensburg A long
eye ninety well as far as game matters, al Kaniski
(01:45):
said it best valiant effort after Thursday when the Kraken
fell to one to the Vegas Golden Knights. Here's how
it sounded in the final Kraken Road game of the season.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Hipped off their glass barberscheff, Let's it go for Howard
It left circle, Hana fit fires left down like Joey
Decord from the left side, and we'll go to a
time on the right wing. Got go down the slot,
but here puts it on turning a side, got his
awn rebound, had banged it off the crossbar, and we're
gonna have a stop its air as the fuck was
(02:15):
knocked down by a high stick. How about that played
for batt.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Emanere Oh they they dragged down the fly, they spent
his left side, drops it off, Carlson scores, Flinch Schwartz
right side, looking in front of again, it'll bounce up top.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
Larson in front, tipped on goal.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
They score, Adam Larsen a point shot from the right side.
Speaker 6 (02:38):
Every had Schwartz.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
We're in the blue paint that goes off the post
in Seattle cuts the deficent in half two on with
two thirty eight to play here in this.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Second period, Oh Jordan, everybody that started that holding play
down the right side, beating his biggest counterparts to the bucket,
the vegas end, getting to it and then getting.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
It back to the point.
Speaker 7 (02:57):
And when that big shot came, everybody had swung around
the back of the looking for a deflection and got
it and went off the post, and then it came
right back to him and just he in his body
and everything else got shoveled in the net. They're gonna
have to look at it to make sure there were
no skates involved. But I think this was a gonna
go back and.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Turn it over. Long range shot, far side, turn the
wide of the goal out, put back on by Brandon
Sad kicked out Why Joey to Gore. Sad gets it again,
shoots turn the side, rebound hurdle and he'll slide it wide.
Is to Gordon, sealed off the angle. Now fuck bouncing
in front. Joey to Gorn, trying to settle it down.
Vegas gets it back off the body, thrown in front,
(03:32):
point plank save wins a cord on Nick Laugh.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I want to save by him.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Shoot to Stevenson down the wall. Swore suddenly in front,
turn aside by door from his knees on the goal line.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Couldn't bury him.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Put stays out. Fifteen seconds to play. Here in the
third two to one Vegas, Seattle says the line Stevenson
left side shot that flecked it down on the corner.
Eight to go, putt to the Gage on the side
of the net. Seattle, stamming away at it circle for
the ears gets there. Just fuck it up in the
air there, it's the horn.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
So the Kraken road record finishing is seventeen twenty three
and one. They have a chance to finish above five
hundred on home ice if they can get two wins
in this last stretch, currently standing at seventeen seventeen and five.
The Crack had taken on the Blues this evening the
Los Angeles Kings then on Tuesday to wrap up the season.
(04:26):
So as far as the road trip, the Kraken is
settling for a three and two record in that run
with wins in Vancouver, San Jose and Los Angeles. They
didn't skate Friday, opting for rest instead, which leaves the
reaction to defenseman Adam Larson, who said the Kraken turned
their game around against a division title contending opponent.
Speaker 8 (04:44):
I thought this was way better effort from us. They're
a good team, dangerous off to rush. They did create
a little bit off the rush there, and but like
I said, like the overall a better better effort from us.
Speaker 9 (05:02):
You guys definitely had a lot of great chances, especially
the first two periods and even right at the end.
What what sort of was clicking for you guys? Tonight
after Tuesday beat.
Speaker 8 (05:12):
Set to roughly, I think we're just more engaged today.
That kind of just starts with with effort. I don't
know last game was I felt like we were on
stuff behind from puck drop pretty much. So yeah, just
overall better effort today, and the team looks faster, it
(05:36):
looks more more aggressive when we're starting on time.
Speaker 9 (05:40):
There's two games left. What what can you guys establish
in those two games just to get into the summer
feeling a little bit, a little bit bit better about
next year.
Speaker 10 (05:52):
I mean, we have a lot of guys here that's
gonna be back next year, and I mean we're obviously
the last month has been looking it's been looking pretty good,
and we want to finish strong, not only for for
ourselves but for.
Speaker 8 (06:07):
For defense as well. And now we have two long
games to to do that. So it's it's definitely it's
definitely a big game for us.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
ED coach Dan Bielsman told the media after the game,
the opening minutes made a difference in keeping the Kraken
in the thick of it much, you.
Speaker 11 (06:24):
Know, much more, uh more, Like you've seen our team
play here as of late, and especially in the first
I thought it was a really good start to the game,
had a bunch of a bunch of good shifts from
all lines, and you know it's getting much much better
from from our group.
Speaker 6 (06:46):
Another game where if the power play was able to convert,
that would have been a big difference maker for you.
What do you think has kind of been in trouble
the rest of the whole season with not being able
to have the power play be a real factor in
your success.
Speaker 11 (07:01):
Got to be able to score for it to be
to be a factor. You You know, I think the
power play can gain momentum for your team. But at
the end of the day, I mean this today was
a perfect game for a tight game, you know, one
which we needed a goal in the third period to draw.
Even in the power play we had two chances and
(07:24):
you know we went without opportunities to score. Canner in
the scene pass Riker in the scene pass I had
a second whack at a at a point shot. But
you know he's power playing penalty kills a factor or
has to be a factor in every game, And and
tonight the power play had that opportunity and wasn't up
(07:46):
to the task.
Speaker 9 (07:47):
Yeah, there was a bounce back game of course for
the whole team, but the first goal was pretty much
to spend punk lucks. Joey had a pretty good night.
Speaker 11 (07:55):
It seemed, yeah, we're the bounce back from the whole team,
but Joey in particular obviously gave us a back bounce
back game tonight. It is really good and really solid,
and you know it was it was an effort the
(08:16):
team needed.
Speaker 6 (08:18):
Before the Utah game, we talked about Ryan Winterton a
little bit and now you were hoping that he could
get a little more five on five time. Obviously not
a lot of five on five times in Utah, more tonight.
What did you think of how he was able to
what he's able to make with the minutes that he
did get.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
I thought, uh that.
Speaker 11 (08:33):
You know, the second period was probably a little bit
disconnected for me and and uh in terms of execution,
it was, you know, both both sides of the puck,
and uh, WinCE and John and Mikey were our best
line and being able to get to the offensive zone
and put some pressure on their their defense with their
(08:56):
skating and with their puck hound and and get some
get some positive off. It's his own time, all right.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Getting set here for the Kraken and Blues in the
penn ultimate game on the crake In Side for twenty
twenty four and twenty five and joining us good friend
of these zero Waves, Chris Kerber, the great play by
play voice for Blues Radio on one on one ESPN. Chris,
great to have you this team going on a twelve
game heater. I have this one pressing question about this.
Where was this team when they presumingly played Gloria again
(09:25):
again to about roughly six years ago.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Well, you know what, Gloria from that standpoint has been retired.
What I can tell you for fans of the movie
Major League is when the players showed up in the
locker room for the first practice after the Four Nations tournament,
there was a Joe bu statue in the one of
(09:49):
the stalls, and one of the trainers then put a
name plate, and they have traveled with him and he
has been there ever since then. So I don't know
if it's Gloria. I don't know if anybody was willing
to challenge and drink Joe Bo's room. Don't really know
if anybody's offended mine and don't care because it's a
great sense of humor. But I will tell you that
(10:14):
this team just went on a really good run and
everything clicked. It was and it was a matter of time. Look,
it was something even going way back into October. Like
what the Blues couldn't get done, Mike is they have
a really good couple of games defensively, but the offense
wasn't there. Then the offense had go, but they weren't
there defensively. And you have a good specialty of power
(10:36):
play game, but the penalty kail crapt out on you.
Then you already had a good penalty kill game, but
the power play couldn't get a key goal, you know,
And then maybe all that's going together and that's a
game that you had the rare wheat goaltending game for
the Blues. That was the scenario off season long. During
his twelve game win streak, though, everything was going at
the right level and you could see the difference in
(10:57):
the team. So I don't know, I don't know if
it's power related that's unforeseen, or if it's sometimes just
the way the hockey guns look at you. But one
way or another, it was a fun run to watch.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Well pardon my play on words here, but that is
a major league reference for sure. Well, this team going
on a twelve too and one run in March. Chris,
how is Jim Montgomery's influence really taking grip since he
came on board? And really how much has he had
to mitigate all the hazards that come with a stretch
drive being that this team is on the cusp of
a Stanley Cup playoff earth.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
I think a lot for everything you just said, you know,
first off, but I think you you know, it's not
just a just twelve and two and they're having lost
their last two in the last fourteen, but they're nineteen
four and two in their last twenty six. I mean
that's the last twenty five rather nineteen four and two.
I mean, that's that's a that's longer than just a
(11:53):
twelve game winstig. I mean, that's that's that's not a
blip when you're talking over a corner of the season
playing that way, right. So the coaches role in this,
I think Jim Montgomery has brought swagger. I think Jim
Montgomery has brought confidence. And the one thing that Jim
Montgomery said coming out of the break that I think
(12:15):
rings tall here is the fact that he said one
thing we need to do is be unflappable. And then
and Jim seems to be that as a coach. What
he meant is what he said is we need to
handle adversity better. Now. Adversity comes in different ways. Adversity
comes in do you allow a goal in the first
sixty seconds of a game? Do you have a two
(12:36):
goal lead and the other team come back and tie
it up? How do you react to the shoulders slumped
on the bench, do the chins drop, do the heads
hang low?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
You know?
Speaker 1 (12:45):
And or is it just something that you take in
stride and then you don't let that change your game.
And during these last fourteen to eighteen to twenty games,
we have seen all kinds of adversity, from leads get lost,
from a third period, come back, from losing key players
like Colton barreco now Dylan Holloway. We've pretty much seen
(13:06):
it all in this run and they have become unflappable,
and that to me is the biggest thing. So you know,
when you look at how they've overcome it, the coach
has helped them do it. When you look at how
they got there, the coach has helped show all the
way for them to get there and Mike. The biggest
thing that was tall to me was, you know, look
like Drew Banister cared about details. It's not like any
(13:28):
coach that doesn't get that, gets like go doesn't. I mean,
these coaches no details, right, But there is something in
the way that Jim Montgomery was communicating and harping on
those details that stuck differently. And that is just simply
the experience that Jim Montgomery has had now in his
third stop in the National Hockey League, playing and coaching
good players like Ben and Sagan and Bergeron and Pasternak. Right,
(13:52):
So you know, to me, the head coach has been
a huge, huge piece of the puzzle here.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
I love how you brought up Dylan Halloway, Culton Paraco,
and I move on to this because they're doing all
this for the entire season without Tory Krug and his
ankle injury issues and all the way missing lately, Culton
Paraco missing lately. So what do you think was revealed
about this Blues lineup in their absence?
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Well? I think what was revealed and it's something that
this franchise saw. Again, Hitchcock was brought in. You saw
it when Craig Berubi. What was here. There is a
style of play that helps you win in the National
Hockey League. There is an attitude that goes with that
style of play that helps you win game in, game out,
or at least win more than you lose. If you've
(14:36):
got good players in the National Hockey League, that keeps
you competitive. And that style of play is straightforward North South.
Let the creative guys be creative when the opportunity to
be creative is there, and when it's not, you put
the fucking predictable areas for your teammates to get to it.
And what's happened during this run, Mike is even with
(14:57):
Culton Perenco out, you know, and now we have I've
seen a little bit of a dip with Dylan Holloway out,
but that's also at the end of this run where
they played, you know, ten games in eighteen days, and
there's a little more to it than just a player here.
But like I'm telling you, if you took the numbers
and names off the back, you'd look at the style
of play and you couldn't tell the difference between what
(15:18):
line was what yeah, you know, I mean it was.
And that's the same thing with the defense, Tyler Tucker
has come in and it's just been fantastic. With Colton
Paraco out, Cam Fowler has stepped up, he's eating more
minutes and he and he's and he's supposed to, you know,
a dog on career year, you know, getting knocking on
the door of forty on the fourth time in his
career again and all but for them with the Saint
(15:38):
Louis lose. So you look at getting nick Letty back
in the lineup a huge ad huge. He got hurt
after four games, was gone basically part for sixty games, right,
I mean, I mean, so getting nick Letty back was massive.
So to me, the bottom line is is they are
playing a style of hockey that gives you a chance
(15:59):
to win. That style of hockey then allows the talents
of the players to come out and it's it's fun
to watch when it works. And man, I'm telling you,
we saw it when Ken Hitchcot gut here, we saw
it when Craig Marubi got here. We're seeing it again
with Jim Montgomery.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Robert Thomas also with a ten game point streak. That's
a massive heater that he brings in here to this game.
But I want to go back to even as far
back as last summer, Chris as Chris Kerber joining us
right now and cracking this morning. The offer sheet has
become louder in conversation with how teams do business these days.
And it seemed like Doug Armstrong really blew the lid
(16:33):
off of this and one hundred percent complimentary to him
when he grabbed haul away in Philip Broberg, what do
you think we learned from that shopping trip so to speak,
this last summer about the power of the offer sheet?
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Look, having talked to other people around the league two
on this, look, you know that teams have considered offer
sheets before. Well, what's been generally assumed is not this
gentleman's handshake that you don't do it. It's just that
more times than not, you're going to see them match.
I mean, look, nobody put an offer sheet on Swaymen,
(17:09):
not because you know they were worried about ticking off
the Boston Bruins. They didn't put an offer sheet on
Swaymen because they knew that you could for sway in
as much as nine million a year and Boston is
likely to match, or if they don't, you're going to
lose four or five first round draft picks, right, So
I think that's important. And I think also I'm like,
(17:29):
if you go back and you look at the history
of offer sheets and you know the ones that like
Dustin Penner that actually went through, right, But then there
are some smaller ones. There were ones like Vancouver offering
one to David Beckett, right blue was going ahead, and
then an offer and one on a Vancouver tonight, and
those were matched. You had I think San Jose offered
(17:50):
Nicholas Jalmerson an offer sheet, you know, when he was
with Chicago at one point in time, you know, But
then you had ones, big ones obviously that were much
more known than the offer sheet to to Joe Sacket, right.
And I believe Sergei Federals sheeted right, right. Okay, I've
always wondered. I've always thought that there's actually something fought
(18:10):
and broken with this system, right when a Chris Pronger
could become available and nobody wants to offer him, you know,
put an offer sheet together, right, or somebody like that,
And and and I think there was one point it
might have been Steve Eiserman. I might have that wrong.
There's another big name and You're like, Okay, if that
guy doesn't get an offer sheet, because that's the kind
(18:32):
of guy that's worked a five draft picks, right, then
this offer sheet stuff is blowing fast forward to this year. Look,
it really was a perfect storm. The Edmonton Oilers did
were not just cash strapped or a cap strapped because
of the sitution they're in, their own salary situation and
the unknown of Evander Kane, right, but they were also
asset strapped in the fact that they didn't have a first,
(18:55):
a second, a third, or a fourth or fifth round draftick.
One website had him with a fourth one I didn't, right,
So either way, they were missing four out of the
first five, and he's definitely the first three. So they
had no cap space. They had no capital to improve
their team with trafficks, at least in terms of the
upcoming draft. Right and and the Blues knew that the
Blues Men waited until it was the right time. They
(19:18):
waited until that second buyout window closed, right, So they
made it a lot harder for him. So there was
strategy to this. I don't believe that that means that
we're going to see more of these. I actually believe
what it means is that teams are going to be
a lot more careful to make sure that if they
do have some potential RSAs that could get offer sheeted,
(19:39):
that they somehow make sure that they've got enough cap
room to match, because I think having the cap room
to match, to me is as big a detern as
anything else. So that we'll see how it all plays out.
But yeah, it's not something that had been used very
often or that had been successful very often. Sure as
heck had never been successful with two players. Yeah, the
(20:01):
same one was Blues on the.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Way to get it done and they've been a big
motor here for their season. As we're not ready to
wrap this one up, Chris, appreciate your time, my man.
We'll see who's going to be a net for this one.
But if the Blues are in the playoffs, I mean
easy money on Jordan Bennington being the guy in net.
He's got a Stanley Cup after all. But what do
you think this hockey world saw from what he did
at the Four Nations As far as a kind of
(20:24):
goalie he is still all about.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I think if you listen to that micdup segment that
went viral after that game when John Cooper, who is
just a spectacular coach, bugs Jordan Bennington and says big
game moments are for players like you. You know, and listen, Mike,
I'm telling you. I know it's hard for people believing. Yes,
I realized that you can shoot a couple of holes
(20:48):
in this armor when I tell you this, right, the
reason the Blues have a chance to make the playoffs
and the reason that the Blues have been competitive through
a quote unquote retool or rebuild, right, I mean last
year they finished only six points out of a playoff
spot and lost three games to San Jose and won
the Chicago Right, it's because of their goaltending. And it's
(21:12):
because of Jordan Bennington. I mean, look, yeah, he's not
going to have that sexy two point one goals against average,
you know, but he's kind of like that last save goalie.
And everybody saw it with Team Canada. Everybody in Canada
saw it. Right, I was laughing, They're almost going to
be our starting goldfender. Oh, Tosa, It's not anywhere close
(21:32):
to it, Toossa and John Cooper proved that. So does
that mean you win every game?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
No?
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Does that mean you win every series?
Speaker 8 (21:39):
No?
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Mart tam Brodor, the greatest of all time, still lost
in the Stanley Cup Finals, right, okay, but he gives
you a chance to win. And even the last team
that the Blues played in Edmonton, he wasn't at his best.
I'm sure he'd be the first one to tell you that.
And yet then again, it was still a tag game
against the Edmonton Oilers who won the Stanley Cup Final
last year with twenty seconds to go. This guy just
(22:00):
gives you a chance to win. And trust me on this,
when you go into a playoff series against him, there's
no one been in my mind that every single team
is circling number fifty and saying if we're going to
beat the News, we're going to have to figure out
how to beat that guy first. He's just he's he's
a good He is one of the elite golfenders that
can win the big game for you and he's proven
(22:21):
it a couple of times.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Appreciate the view from your side looking forward to this. Hey, Chris,
thank you very much, have a great call, and that
we'll talk to you again certainly down the road here all.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Right, Mike, cheers to you guys, and we'll talk to
you so Thank you all right.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
You're a pro, a gentleman, a scholar as well. Chris Kerber,
thank you so much joining us here on Cracking this
morning once again radio play by play voice for the
Blues and Saint Louis holding down the final wildcard spot
in the Western Conference. Just two games left on their side,
but Calgary is now the last one chasing them up
to ninety points and the Blues with ninety three, so
(22:58):
that's massive as far is putting them in position A
to clinch A spots. On the krakenside, they're aiming to
avoid a sweep in the season series. They dropped the
seven to two lost to the Blues in their only
trip to Saint Louis this season, back on February twenty fifth.
It'll be the first time that Saint Louis c Seattle
since opening Day. The Blues won that game three two
(23:19):
at Climate Pledge Arena way back on October. Rave and
the Crack and trying to break a five game losing
skid against the Blues in this series and get their
first win head to head since February twenty eighth of
twenty twenty three. The Kraken knocked off Saint Louis five
to three. In that game, we'll see if Mounty Beneers
and Shane Wright have twenty goal seasons in them to
(23:41):
close this out. Veniers at nineteen right with eighteen that
could put them among the five Kraken players with twenty
goal campaigns. As a Crack and again going to see
Brandon Montur skate in his six hundredth career National Hockey
League game, presuming of course that he is in the lineup,
and we'll keep you post as well. Hope you can
join us additionally for the game this evening or as
(24:03):
well with us on the air, pug dropping a little
past seven o'clock Pacific time. Airtime coverage at six thirty
posts came up to an hour after the final horn.
Everett Al myself will be here for you all across
the Emerald Queen Casino Crackin Audio Network. Big thank you
to Chris Kerber for joining us. Enjoy the game. For
cracking this morning. I'm Mike Benton.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
You're home for the Kraken Sports Radio ninety three point
three kjr FM
Andre Burakowski.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
So it's holding it, hands it off to mon Tour
and it sleeps it far side the Shane right back
to the airside to holbeing it up top.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Welcome to Cracking this morning, a presentation of the Krakin
Audio Network Ken Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Here's Mike Benton.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
That man dude to playing game six hundred of his
NHL career. That's Brandon Montour already with a career high
seventeen goals. Welcome to Cracking this morning. On a Saturday,
April twelfth, the Cracking opening their final homestand of the
season and the last two games on the schedule against
the Saint Louis Blues face off little past seven pm
(00:42):
Pacific time at Climate Pledge Arena. Airtime at six point
thirty all the cross the Emeral Queen Casino Cracking Audio
Network EVERA fits you. Alkoniski in the booth. I'll join
you once again back by the cors light, landing in
section twenty, with our covers continuing all the way up
to an hour after the final horn. For Talking Cracking
on ninety three to three KJRFM, we'll hear from defenseman
(01:04):
Adam Larson, head coach Dan Biosma, plus a conversation with
Chris Kerber, He's the radio voice of the Saint Louis
Blues on the play by play side As this evening,
you'll want to be on the lookout for Green Knight
that's presented by Boeing. More information on specialty jerseys, auction proceeds,
stories behind the Night and more at NHL dot com.
(01:24):
Slash Kraken also all for a great cause. The celebration
is going to include performances by DJ Nature and the
Krack and Unity Fund, Honory Mountains to sound at Greenway
Transit who will look after the one point five million
acre landscape that stretches from Seattle to Ellensburg A long
eye ninety well as far as game matters, al Kaniski
(01:45):
said it best valiant effort after Thursday when the Kraken
fell to one to the Vegas Golden Knights. Here's how
it sounded in the final Kraken Road game of the season.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Hipped off their glass barberscheff, Let's it go for Howard
It left circle, Hana fit fires left down like Joey
Decord from the left side, and we'll go to a
time on the right wing. Got go down the slot,
but here puts it on turning a side, got his
awn rebound, had banged it off the crossbar, and we're
gonna have a stop its air as the fuck was
(02:15):
knocked down by a high stick. How about that played
for batt.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Emanere Oh they they dragged down the fly, they spent
his left side, drops it off, Carlson scores, Flinch Schwartz
right side, looking in front of again, it'll bounce up top.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
Larson in front, tipped on goal.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
They score, Adam Larsen a point shot from the right side.
Speaker 6 (02:38):
Every had Schwartz.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
We're in the blue paint that goes off the post
in Seattle cuts the deficent in half two on with
two thirty eight to play here in this.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Second period, Oh Jordan, everybody that started that holding play
down the right side, beating his biggest counterparts to the bucket,
the vegas end, getting to it and then getting.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
It back to the point.
Speaker 7 (02:57):
And when that big shot came, everybody had swung around
the back of the looking for a deflection and got
it and went off the post, and then it came
right back to him and just he in his body
and everything else got shoveled in the net. They're gonna
have to look at it to make sure there were
no skates involved. But I think this was a gonna
go back and.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Turn it over. Long range shot, far side, turn the
wide of the goal out, put back on by Brandon
Sad kicked out Why Joey to Gore. Sad gets it again,
shoots turn the side, rebound hurdle and he'll slide it wide.
Is to Gordon, sealed off the angle. Now fuck bouncing
in front. Joey to Gorn, trying to settle it down.
Vegas gets it back off the body, thrown in front,
(03:32):
point plank save wins a cord on Nick Laugh.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I want to save by him.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Shoot to Stevenson down the wall. Swore suddenly in front,
turn aside by door from his knees on the goal line.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Couldn't bury him.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Put stays out. Fifteen seconds to play. Here in the
third two to one Vegas, Seattle says the line Stevenson
left side shot that flecked it down on the corner.
Eight to go, putt to the Gage on the side
of the net. Seattle, stamming away at it circle for
the ears gets there. Just fuck it up in the
air there, it's the horn.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
So the Kraken road record finishing is seventeen twenty three
and one. They have a chance to finish above five
hundred on home ice if they can get two wins
in this last stretch, currently standing at seventeen seventeen and five.
The Crack had taken on the Blues this evening the
Los Angeles Kings then on Tuesday to wrap up the season.
(04:26):
So as far as the road trip, the Kraken is
settling for a three and two record in that run
with wins in Vancouver, San Jose and Los Angeles. They
didn't skate Friday, opting for rest instead, which leaves the
reaction to defenseman Adam Larson, who said the Kraken turned
their game around against a division title contending opponent.
Speaker 8 (04:44):
I thought this was way better effort from us. They're
a good team, dangerous off to rush. They did create
a little bit off the rush there, and but like
I said, like the overall a better better effort from us.
Speaker 9 (05:02):
You guys definitely had a lot of great chances, especially
the first two periods and even right at the end.
What what sort of was clicking for you guys? Tonight
after Tuesday beat.
Speaker 8 (05:12):
Set to roughly, I think we're just more engaged today.
That kind of just starts with with effort. I don't
know last game was I felt like we were on
stuff behind from puck drop pretty much. So yeah, just
overall better effort today, and the team looks faster, it
(05:36):
looks more more aggressive when we're starting on time.
Speaker 9 (05:40):
There's two games left. What what can you guys establish
in those two games just to get into the summer
feeling a little bit, a little bit bit better about
next year.
Speaker 10 (05:52):
I mean, we have a lot of guys here that's
gonna be back next year, and I mean we're obviously
the last month has been looking it's been looking pretty good,
and we want to finish strong, not only for for
ourselves but for.
Speaker 8 (06:07):
For defense as well. And now we have two long
games to to do that. So it's it's definitely it's
definitely a big game for us.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
ED coach Dan Bielsman told the media after the game,
the opening minutes made a difference in keeping the Kraken
in the thick of it much, you.
Speaker 11 (06:24):
Know, much more, uh more, Like you've seen our team
play here as of late, and especially in the first
I thought it was a really good start to the game,
had a bunch of a bunch of good shifts from
all lines, and you know it's getting much much better
from from our group.
Speaker 6 (06:46):
Another game where if the power play was able to convert,
that would have been a big difference maker for you.
What do you think has kind of been in trouble
the rest of the whole season with not being able
to have the power play be a real factor in
your success.
Speaker 11 (07:01):
Got to be able to score for it to be
to be a factor. You You know, I think the
power play can gain momentum for your team. But at
the end of the day, I mean this today was
a perfect game for a tight game, you know, one
which we needed a goal in the third period to draw.
Even in the power play we had two chances and
(07:24):
you know we went without opportunities to score. Canner in
the scene pass Riker in the scene pass I had
a second whack at a at a point shot. But
you know he's power playing penalty kills a factor or
has to be a factor in every game, And and
tonight the power play had that opportunity and wasn't up
(07:46):
to the task.
Speaker 9 (07:47):
Yeah, there was a bounce back game of course for
the whole team, but the first goal was pretty much
to spend punk lucks. Joey had a pretty good night.
Speaker 11 (07:55):
It seemed, yeah, we're the bounce back from the whole team,
but Joey in particular obviously gave us a back bounce
back game tonight. It is really good and really solid,
and you know it was it was an effort the
(08:16):
team needed.
Speaker 6 (08:18):
Before the Utah game, we talked about Ryan Winterton a
little bit and now you were hoping that he could
get a little more five on five time. Obviously not
a lot of five on five times in Utah, more tonight.
What did you think of how he was able to
what he's able to make with the minutes that he
did get.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
I thought, uh that.
Speaker 11 (08:33):
You know, the second period was probably a little bit
disconnected for me and and uh in terms of execution,
it was, you know, both both sides of the puck,
and uh, WinCE and John and Mikey were our best
line and being able to get to the offensive zone
and put some pressure on their their defense with their
(08:56):
skating and with their puck hound and and get some
get some positive off. It's his own time, all right.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Getting set here for the Kraken and Blues in the
penn ultimate game on the crake In Side for twenty
twenty four and twenty five and joining us good friend
of these zero Waves, Chris Kerber, the great play by
play voice for Blues Radio on one on one ESPN. Chris,
great to have you this team going on a twelve
game heater. I have this one pressing question about this.
Where was this team when they presumingly played Gloria again
(09:25):
again to about roughly six years ago.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Well, you know what, Gloria from that standpoint has been retired.
What I can tell you for fans of the movie
Major League is when the players showed up in the
locker room for the first practice after the Four Nations tournament,
there was a Joe bu statue in the one of
(09:49):
the stalls, and one of the trainers then put a
name plate, and they have traveled with him and he
has been there ever since then. So I don't know
if it's Gloria. I don't know if anybody was willing
to challenge and drink Joe Bo's room. Don't really know
if anybody's offended mine and don't care because it's a
great sense of humor. But I will tell you that
(10:14):
this team just went on a really good run and
everything clicked. It was and it was a matter of time. Look,
it was something even going way back into October. Like
what the Blues couldn't get done, Mike is they have
a really good couple of games defensively, but the offense
wasn't there. Then the offense had go, but they weren't
there defensively. And you have a good specialty of power
(10:36):
play game, but the penalty kail crapt out on you.
Then you already had a good penalty kill game, but
the power play couldn't get a key goal, you know,
And then maybe all that's going together and that's a
game that you had the rare wheat goaltending game for
the Blues. That was the scenario off season long. During
his twelve game win streak, though, everything was going at
the right level and you could see the difference in
(10:57):
the team. So I don't know, I don't know if
it's power related that's unforeseen, or if it's sometimes just
the way the hockey guns look at you. But one
way or another, it was a fun run to watch.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Well pardon my play on words here, but that is
a major league reference for sure. Well, this team going
on a twelve too and one run in March. Chris,
how is Jim Montgomery's influence really taking grip since he
came on board? And really how much has he had
to mitigate all the hazards that come with a stretch
drive being that this team is on the cusp of
a Stanley Cup playoff earth.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
I think a lot for everything you just said, you know,
first off, but I think you you know, it's not
just a just twelve and two and they're having lost
their last two in the last fourteen, but they're nineteen
four and two in their last twenty six. I mean
that's the last twenty five rather nineteen four and two.
I mean, that's that's a that's longer than just a
(11:53):
twelve game winstig. I mean, that's that's that's not a
blip when you're talking over a corner of the season
playing that way, right. So the coaches role in this,
I think Jim Montgomery has brought swagger. I think Jim
Montgomery has brought confidence. And the one thing that Jim
Montgomery said coming out of the break that I think
(12:15):
rings tall here is the fact that he said one
thing we need to do is be unflappable. And then
and Jim seems to be that as a coach. What
he meant is what he said is we need to
handle adversity better. Now. Adversity comes in different ways. Adversity
comes in do you allow a goal in the first
sixty seconds of a game? Do you have a two
(12:36):
goal lead and the other team come back and tie
it up? How do you react to the shoulders slumped
on the bench, do the chins drop, do the heads
hang low?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
You know?
Speaker 1 (12:45):
And or is it just something that you take in
stride and then you don't let that change your game.
And during these last fourteen to eighteen to twenty games,
we have seen all kinds of adversity, from leads get lost,
from a third period, come back, from losing key players
like Colton barreco now Dylan Holloway. We've pretty much seen
(13:06):
it all in this run and they have become unflappable,
and that to me is the biggest thing. So you know,
when you look at how they've overcome it, the coach
has helped them do it. When you look at how
they got there, the coach has helped show all the
way for them to get there and Mike. The biggest
thing that was tall to me was, you know, look
like Drew Banister cared about details. It's not like any
(13:28):
coach that doesn't get that, gets like go doesn't. I mean,
these coaches no details, right, But there is something in
the way that Jim Montgomery was communicating and harping on
those details that stuck differently. And that is just simply
the experience that Jim Montgomery has had now in his
third stop in the National Hockey League, playing and coaching
good players like Ben and Sagan and Bergeron and Pasternak. Right,
(13:52):
So you know, to me, the head coach has been
a huge, huge piece of the puzzle here.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
I love how you brought up Dylan Halloway, Culton Paraco,
and I move on to this because they're doing all
this for the entire season without Tory Krug and his
ankle injury issues and all the way missing lately, Culton
Paraco missing lately. So what do you think was revealed
about this Blues lineup in their absence?
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Well? I think what was revealed and it's something that
this franchise saw. Again, Hitchcock was brought in. You saw
it when Craig Berubi. What was here. There is a
style of play that helps you win in the National
Hockey League. There is an attitude that goes with that
style of play that helps you win game in, game out,
or at least win more than you lose. If you've
(14:36):
got good players in the National Hockey League, that keeps
you competitive. And that style of play is straightforward North South.
Let the creative guys be creative when the opportunity to
be creative is there, and when it's not, you put
the fucking predictable areas for your teammates to get to it.
And what's happened during this run, Mike is even with
(14:57):
Culton Perenco out, you know, and now we have I've
seen a little bit of a dip with Dylan Holloway out,
but that's also at the end of this run where
they played, you know, ten games in eighteen days, and
there's a little more to it than just a player here.
But like I'm telling you, if you took the numbers
and names off the back, you'd look at the style
of play and you couldn't tell the difference between what
(15:18):
line was what yeah, you know, I mean it was.
And that's the same thing with the defense, Tyler Tucker
has come in and it's just been fantastic. With Colton
Paraco out, Cam Fowler has stepped up, he's eating more
minutes and he and he's and he's supposed to, you know,
a dog on career year, you know, getting knocking on
the door of forty on the fourth time in his
career again and all but for them with the Saint
(15:38):
Louis lose. So you look at getting nick Letty back
in the lineup a huge ad huge. He got hurt
after four games, was gone basically part for sixty games, right,
I mean, I mean, so getting nick Letty back was massive.
So to me, the bottom line is is they are
playing a style of hockey that gives you a chance
(15:59):
to win. That style of hockey then allows the talents
of the players to come out and it's it's fun
to watch when it works. And man, I'm telling you,
we saw it when Ken Hitchcot gut here, we saw
it when Craig Marubi got here. We're seeing it again
with Jim Montgomery.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Robert Thomas also with a ten game point streak. That's
a massive heater that he brings in here to this game.
But I want to go back to even as far
back as last summer, Chris as Chris Kerber joining us
right now and cracking this morning. The offer sheet has
become louder in conversation with how teams do business these days.
And it seemed like Doug Armstrong really blew the lid
(16:33):
off of this and one hundred percent complimentary to him
when he grabbed haul away in Philip Broberg, what do
you think we learned from that shopping trip so to speak,
this last summer about the power of the offer sheet?
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Look, having talked to other people around the league two
on this, look, you know that teams have considered offer
sheets before. Well, what's been generally assumed is not this
gentleman's handshake that you don't do it. It's just that
more times than not, you're going to see them match.
I mean, look, nobody put an offer sheet on Swaymen,
(17:09):
not because you know they were worried about ticking off
the Boston Bruins. They didn't put an offer sheet on
Swaymen because they knew that you could for sway in
as much as nine million a year and Boston is
likely to match, or if they don't, you're going to
lose four or five first round draft picks, right, So
I think that's important. And I think also I'm like,
(17:29):
if you go back and you look at the history
of offer sheets and you know the ones that like
Dustin Penner that actually went through, right, But then there
are some smaller ones. There were ones like Vancouver offering
one to David Beckett, right blue was going ahead, and
then an offer and one on a Vancouver tonight, and
those were matched. You had I think San Jose offered
(17:50):
Nicholas Jalmerson an offer sheet, you know, when he was
with Chicago at one point in time, you know, But
then you had ones, big ones obviously that were much
more known than the offer sheet to to Joe Sacket, right.
And I believe Sergei Federals sheeted right, right. Okay, I've
always wondered. I've always thought that there's actually something fought
(18:10):
and broken with this system, right when a Chris Pronger
could become available and nobody wants to offer him, you know,
put an offer sheet together, right, or somebody like that,
And and and I think there was one point it
might have been Steve Eiserman. I might have that wrong.
There's another big name and You're like, Okay, if that
guy doesn't get an offer sheet, because that's the kind
(18:32):
of guy that's worked a five draft picks, right, then
this offer sheet stuff is blowing fast forward to this year. Look,
it really was a perfect storm. The Edmonton Oilers did
were not just cash strapped or a cap strapped because
of the sitution they're in, their own salary situation and
the unknown of Evander Kane, right, but they were also
asset strapped in the fact that they didn't have a first,
(18:55):
a second, a third, or a fourth or fifth round draftick.
One website had him with a fourth one I didn't, right,
So either way, they were missing four out of the
first five, and he's definitely the first three. So they
had no cap space. They had no capital to improve
their team with trafficks, at least in terms of the
upcoming draft. Right and and the Blues knew that the
Blues Men waited until it was the right time. They
(19:18):
waited until that second buyout window closed, right, So they
made it a lot harder for him. So there was
strategy to this. I don't believe that that means that
we're going to see more of these. I actually believe
what it means is that teams are going to be
a lot more careful to make sure that if they
do have some potential RSAs that could get offer sheeted,
(19:39):
that they somehow make sure that they've got enough cap
room to match, because I think having the cap room
to match, to me is as big a detern as
anything else. So that we'll see how it all plays out.
But yeah, it's not something that had been used very
often or that had been successful very often. Sure as
heck had never been successful with two players. Yeah, the
(20:01):
same one was Blues on the.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Way to get it done and they've been a big
motor here for their season. As we're not ready to
wrap this one up, Chris, appreciate your time, my man.
We'll see who's going to be a net for this one.
But if the Blues are in the playoffs, I mean
easy money on Jordan Bennington being the guy in net.
He's got a Stanley Cup after all. But what do
you think this hockey world saw from what he did
at the Four Nations As far as a kind of
(20:24):
goalie he is still all about.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I think if you listen to that micdup segment that
went viral after that game when John Cooper, who is
just a spectacular coach, bugs Jordan Bennington and says big
game moments are for players like you. You know, and listen, Mike,
I'm telling you. I know it's hard for people believing. Yes,
I realized that you can shoot a couple of holes
(20:48):
in this armor when I tell you this, right, the
reason the Blues have a chance to make the playoffs
and the reason that the Blues have been competitive through
a quote unquote retool or rebuild, right, I mean last
year they finished only six points out of a playoff
spot and lost three games to San Jose and won
the Chicago Right, it's because of their goaltending. And it's
(21:12):
because of Jordan Bennington. I mean, look, yeah, he's not
going to have that sexy two point one goals against average,
you know, but he's kind of like that last save goalie.
And everybody saw it with Team Canada. Everybody in Canada
saw it. Right, I was laughing, They're almost going to
be our starting goldfender. Oh, Tosa, It's not anywhere close
(21:32):
to it, Toossa and John Cooper proved that. So does
that mean you win every game?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
No?
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Does that mean you win every series?
Speaker 8 (21:39):
No?
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Mart tam Brodor, the greatest of all time, still lost
in the Stanley Cup Finals, right, okay, but he gives
you a chance to win. And even the last team
that the Blues played in Edmonton, he wasn't at his best.
I'm sure he'd be the first one to tell you that.
And yet then again, it was still a tag game
against the Edmonton Oilers who won the Stanley Cup Final
last year with twenty seconds to go. This guy just
(22:00):
gives you a chance to win. And trust me on this,
when you go into a playoff series against him, there's
no one been in my mind that every single team
is circling number fifty and saying if we're going to
beat the News, we're going to have to figure out
how to beat that guy first. He's just he's he's
a good He is one of the elite golfenders that
can win the big game for you and he's proven
(22:21):
it a couple of times.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Appreciate the view from your side looking forward to this. Hey, Chris,
thank you very much, have a great call, and that
we'll talk to you again certainly down the road here all.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Right, Mike, cheers to you guys, and we'll talk to
you so Thank you all right.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
You're a pro, a gentleman, a scholar as well. Chris Kerber,
thank you so much joining us here on Cracking this
morning once again radio play by play voice for the
Blues and Saint Louis holding down the final wildcard spot
in the Western Conference. Just two games left on their side,
but Calgary is now the last one chasing them up
to ninety points and the Blues with ninety three, so
(22:58):
that's massive as far is putting them in position A
to clinch A spots. On the krakenside, they're aiming to
avoid a sweep in the season series. They dropped the
seven to two lost to the Blues in their only
trip to Saint Louis this season, back on February twenty fifth.
It'll be the first time that Saint Louis c Seattle
since opening Day. The Blues won that game three two
(23:19):
at Climate Pledge Arena way back on October. Rave and
the Crack and trying to break a five game losing
skid against the Blues in this series and get their
first win head to head since February twenty eighth of
twenty twenty three. The Kraken knocked off Saint Louis five
to three. In that game, we'll see if Mounty Beneers
and Shane Wright have twenty goal seasons in them to
(23:41):
close this out. Veniers at nineteen right with eighteen that
could put them among the five Kraken players with twenty
goal campaigns. As a Crack and again going to see
Brandon Montur skate in his six hundredth career National Hockey
League game, presuming of course that he is in the lineup,
and we'll keep you post as well. Hope you can
join us additionally for the game this evening or as
(24:03):
well with us on the air, pug dropping a little
past seven o'clock Pacific time. Airtime coverage at six thirty
posts came up to an hour after the final horn.
Everett Al myself will be here for you all across
the Emerald Queen Casino Crackin Audio Network. Big thank you
to Chris Kerber for joining us. Enjoy the game. For
cracking this morning. I'm Mike Benton.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
You're home for the Kraken Sports Radio ninety three point
three kjr FM
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