Avs Beat Flames, 3pts Behind Stars for Rantanen Reunion

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:11):
All right, bring well, this is a this is a
theme this evening for Colorado Sports. It wasn't pretty, but
you got the job done. And that's exactly what happened
in a four to two victory tonight for the Abs
up at the Saddle Dome in Alberta over the Flames.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Four two is the final. Parker Kelly has two goals
in this game.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Valan the Chushkin gets an empty netter at the end
for his sixteenth and the Abs get an ever important
two points on a night where they get help from
the Winnipeg Jets, who hammer the Stars for to one.
That thing was over early on as the Jets beat
Dallas this evening, and now they sit just three points
behind the Stars, awaiting maybe the most anticipated regular season

(00:55):
game that the Abs have had since they bounced back
from the forty eight point season and made the postseason
when Eric Johnson scored the empty netter. The Sunday matchup
against Miko Ranton and the Dallas Stars is everything for me.
It's the only thing I can think about, and it

(01:16):
feels like it feels like maybe something that the that
the Avs were thinking about.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
Tonight, well, you know, unlike the Nuggets who played Austin Reeves,
Dalton connect and some dudes. You know, the Flames were
mostly healthy, like Connor's Jari Jerry is suspended whatever, you know,
and I mean.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
You were missing your captain, Michael Backland.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
Backland was out Calgary. You know, hey, they're they're currently
occupying that eighth and final wild card spot. Uh. You know,
it's funny because Colorado they they there was a point
in the second period where they are out shooting the
Flame seventeen to three, and then they go up to

(02:07):
nothing on Parker Kelly's first goal, and then the Flames
to start the third period really maybe towards the end
of the second, and then to start the third they
came out of that intermission guns a blazing. They were
a blaze. Forgive the Flames verbiage there. And I'm sitting

(02:32):
there thinking and they cut it to two to one,
and I'm thinking, like, ah shit, like they look good.
They're buzzing. The Aps were getting blitzed. I was about
to tweet out something like, dude, bringing two tight ends.
Get Javonte Williams for pass protection in here. You're getting blitzed.
You gotta if you're not careful, you're gonna go from

(02:53):
out shooting these dudes seventeen to three. And I refrained myself.
I wanted to. I wanted to tweet about because I
got a tweet about it. I wanted to tweet about
that shot on gold differential, but I was like, no,
don't tempt the gods. The second you point out that
they're out shooting these jabbronis, seventeen to three is the

(03:14):
night that Calgary will win with ten shots on goal
when the Avs put up like thirty to thirty five
shots on goal. Now Calgary ended up, you know, erasing
that shot on gold deficit. And they erased the gold deficit.
They cut it in half. They made it two to one,
and then just one little four checking play from Ross

(03:34):
Colton feeding Parker Kelly in front of the net, and
hey man, it's the Parker Kelly game. You know, he's
from Alberta. He's from a town that is a little
northeast of Alberta, Canada. He had a bunch of family
in attendance. In fact, I'll get to the town name.
He's from Camrose, Canada. Camrose and Camrose that is not

(03:59):
an athlete is a team out is a city that
Parker Kelly is from, and man for him to have
that game tonight, he damn here had a hat trick
he had. He took a Nathan McKinnon sauce pass on
a rush, McKinnon on the left side, Kelly on the
right side. Kelly got all of that. And Dustin Wolf,

(04:22):
who might win the Calder this season, damn good young goaltender,
saves it with the knob of his stick. He was
a knob of the stick away. Kelly put it in
a great spot from getting a hat trick. But you know,
I love this for Parker Kelly. He starts the year
as the fourth line center. He's fourth line center all year,
and I like he grew on me. And then they

(04:46):
make some moves at the deadline and he's no longer
four seed. Now he's playing on the wing. And I
find that interesting because you know, they could have stuck
with Miles Wood, they could play Jimmy VC, but they
believe in Parker Kelly earned this spot. I think he
earned it with his play this season. Nothing amazing but
good fourth line play. And he has the game of

(05:07):
his career tonight.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
Yeah, And Jared Bednar said it in his postgame presser,
spring that on nights where the top line doesn't quite
have it, and that was that was tonight.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
They didn't quite have it.

Speaker 1 (05:21):
It's nice to have a bottom six that can keep
you aflow and that you're you're right.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
It's the Parker Kelly game.

Speaker 1 (05:27):
Not only did he have the opportunity to score on
the Nathan McKinnon pass, he had the two to on
one where he tried to slide a pass through. He
could have been a little bit selfish there. He decides
to try and go on the two on one, give
a sauce pass. I want to say to a cutting
Jack Drury gets broken up, goes to the corner. He
get multiple chances to complete a hat trick. It's his
second multi goal game.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
He is.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
Was he ever a center? I don't really know.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
He looks better and more effective as a winger now
and Jack Drury is clearly your fourth line center going
into the postseason. And I think Parker Kelly is a
lock to be a playoff.

Speaker 2 (06:04):
Forward on this team.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
I don't think he's in the conversation of when everyone
is healthy, because the Abs had four healthy scratches tonight.
We'll get to health in a minute. Josh Manson being
evaluated for an upper body injury. He did not return
to the game tonight. I don't think Parker Kelly is
in the conversation for one of those healthy scratches, like
Miles Wood is in the conversation, like do you play

(06:27):
him on a night tonight basis Joelle.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
Kiev Ronson not in the conversation. He will be in
this lineup.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
I'm trying to figure out how these other guys fit in,
Like how Jimmy Vezy gets into the lineup in the postseason.
I don't see it. And that's a really good problem
for the Abs to have. They never had this type
of depth.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
It was amazing. I was going over the injury report
before the game. They're healthy.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
Everyone on the team is healthy outside Gabelandeskag And now
we don't know what's going on with Manson, but for
all of their scratches this evening to be healthy scratches.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
When's the last time that happened?

Speaker 3 (07:02):
Well, it's you know, Jimmy vc he is who he is.
You know he's on a true contender. He's probably a
healthy scratch. The guy is Miles Would and you know,
obviously I've talked a lot about the back injury that
he was dealing with, and he came back from it
and he's been playing since. I had a setback from

(07:25):
it at some point this season. So it's something that
popped up again. He was out, comes back, and then
it pops up again and then he misses extended time. Man,
you ever hurt your back, you ever tweaked your back.
That sucks. I've done it. I hate it, so I
get it, man. But look, Miles would when he's healthy
and right. He's a damn good fourth line winger. But

(07:48):
maybe he's not right now. And in which case, okay,
you have Parker Kelly and shout out to Logan O'Connor
on Kelly's first goal. You know, talking about the wings
on that fourth line, and you know, Logan O'Connor, uh
deserves one of those spots. And there's no chance that
he wouldn't have one of those spots if he's healthy
and right. Yeah, he throws that little floater up into

(08:12):
the neutral zone that Jonathan huber Dough kind of has,
but that puck is bouncing and he can't corral it. Boom.
Parker Kelly streaking through strips it, but I love I
like that pass from OC. We saw Mitch Marner throw
a similar lofted dump in that leave Savs game, and
those are tricky and the Leafs capitalized on it led

(08:34):
to a Marner goal. This one was a Kelly goal,
so you know, I yeah, that fourth line and it
was the bottom six. It wasn't just the fourth line,
it was the bottom sixth tonight, they showed up yoelkivy
Ronta setting that screen.

Speaker 1 (08:51):
Great hockey player, man, he's a really really effective hockey player.

Speaker 3 (08:56):
Yeah, you know, there's a reason that he was the
one who got the nod up to the third line,
and he sets the screen on that Ryan Lindren goal,
the opening goal. Ross Colton has two assists tonight. Charlie
Coyle was active and noticeable, big body on that third line.
So yeah, production all over the place from the bottom six.

(09:20):
And then hey, Ryan Lindren, man, look he he does
not look like a guy who's beat up. He skates well,
he's active defensively, right. The ABS knew what they were
doing when they acquired Ryan Linger, and this is a
savvy organization, as we know. They would not have traded

(09:40):
for Ryan Lingren if they thought there were questions about
his body. I'm not seeing it so far. He looks
every bit the best version that we've seen of Ryan
Lindgren when he was with the Rangers.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
You know what the best part about tonight's hockey game was, hmm,
when Jonathan Huberto scored a goal by getting hit in
the face. It was the funniest It was the funniest
part of the hockey game. He takes a half clapper
from Rasmus Anderson off the side of the dome.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
It jumps up into the air.

Speaker 1 (10:09):
Scott Wedgwood gets ran into by his own defenseman and
it kareems into the goal. That was the funniest part
of this hockey game. And I was trying to find
a way to be like, is that goal interference? Nope,
it was just a weird, stupid, fluky play.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
Wedgwood was great, man. He had to be really good
for them.

Speaker 1 (10:27):
You mentioned there was a point in the second period
where the Abs were out shooting Calgary, like nineteen to seven,
and you were just waiting for that extra goal, that
backbreaking goal for Colorado that never quite.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
Came in the middle frame.

Speaker 1 (10:40):
But even when Calgary had seven shots and then eight
shots and nine shots and ten shots and.

Speaker 2 (10:46):
Still wasn't a large volume.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
I found that after the second period, six of the
eleven shots on goal high danger scoring opportunities, and Wedgwood
had stopped all of them up until the point where
Blake Coleman scores to start off the third period. He
was really good. He was coming off of a shutout
against Chicago. The game before that, he stopped thirty two
of thirty three against Pittsburgh, and you said it a

(11:09):
handful of shows ago. He evokes the same type of
confidence in a backup netminder that you got for many
years with Pavel Frances.

Speaker 3 (11:20):
Oh yeah, no, no, Wedgewood. You know, he has this
nice save in the in the first portion of the
game where there's kind of a kind of a broken
play that goes the other way and a little bouncing
pot towards Ned and Weggie kind of just fights it off.
But then in the third period a couple of moments,

(11:43):
one Wedgwood save where there was a look in the
slot with bodies in front. I can't remember the Flames
player who shot. It was a left handed shot, but
it gets through and Wedgewood is screamed. But he's just
positionally sound and he makes the save. That was his
Momoser said in that moment that that's got to be
his best save of the night, and it was. There

(12:05):
was a moment before that, though, too, where another shot
gets on Wedgewood. There's a little rebound out in front
and Rasmus Anderson is there and there's a wide open
net and I'm thinking, there's your time goal that's going in.
It's too too and I think Devon Taves, I think

(12:26):
he he does, in fact get the stick in enough
on Anderson to keep that puck out. I really am
crediting that to Devon Taves. I don't think that was
Anderson whipping. I think that was Taves making the place.
So once again, I mean you talk about a sound defenseman.
And there are a couple of shifts I noticed where
Lingren was playing with Taves. Dude, Lingern and Taves together defensively.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
It's a good one those two.

Speaker 3 (12:53):
They're not the biggest dudes, but they are fundamentally sound defensively.
I would and and and ben Nar talked about it,
you know, with the with the forward lines and with
the depairs, and I think mostly we're singing so far
with the depairs. The mixing and matching ability that this
depth is giving them to try new things out, especially

(13:14):
you know, a month out from the playoffs. Their playoff
position is secure. So try some things out, see if
you can, you know, find this or that that works.
And man lingering and Taves. You know, it's a couple
left handed shots, but my goodness, both those dudes out
there together. Those guys are tough. Those guys would be
tough to move in front of net.

Speaker 1 (13:32):
If they get to the point in the postseason where
like God forbid, there's a couple of injuries that happen
where you look at your at your talent on on
the blue line and you go, well, we can't afford
to handcuff Kale and Devon Tave's together because we don't
have the requisite D on our third pairing to get

(13:54):
it done. Like you don't want to run into the
issue that Dallas ran into in the in the second
and third round last year where or sorry, rather the
third round last year where you were only playing five
D men and everyone knew that you were only playing
five d It eventually came back to haunt them, and
then Edmonton gets through the West and they get to

(14:16):
the final you can't be that team.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
So God forbid.

Speaker 1 (14:19):
Something happens that does give you the ability to handcuff
cal mccarr to a lesser player, because Cale mccarr will
raise that other defenseman to some sort of an average level.
And then you can put Lindagrin and Taves together as
your second pairy can kind of be a shutdown pair,
and I'd be okay with it.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
I don't love playing a defenseman on his offhand.

Speaker 1 (14:40):
It scares the living crap out of me actually in
the defensive zone, in terms of being able to move
pucks like it's a real thing.

Speaker 2 (14:48):
Like people think that, oh, you know you can.

Speaker 1 (14:50):
You can swap guys on their forehands in their backhands.
You can do it to an extent as a forward,
as a dmon you have to be so freaking good
to play your off offhand. I can't tell you how
important it is to be able to play on your
strong side, which means lefty on the left side and
writey on or right.

Speaker 2 (15:08):
If you have to do that, you can. With Lindgren
and Taves.

Speaker 1 (15:12):
I don't want them to, but I think there was
a little bit of proof of concept tonight.

Speaker 2 (15:16):
The same thing happened with the first line.

Speaker 1 (15:18):
Bennar realized the first line kind of sucked today, and
you know what he did. He immediately blended it. He
put Drew An up top with with Nathan McKinnon to
give him a little bit of spark, and Drew and
Drew and had some jump to him for a couple
of ships there.

Speaker 2 (15:31):
I liked it. It was Drew en Na.

Speaker 1 (15:32):
Chushkin and uh and Nathan McKinnon at the same time
on the ice A couple of times today they're he's
at the chalkboard right now. I I think I think
Jared Bednar is just like he's he's fucking around a
little bit, which is kind of I kind of love it.
Like he's just saying, like on an any given day,
can I try this?

Speaker 2 (15:50):
Can I try that?

Speaker 1 (15:51):
And if something, if something works, he writes it down
in his little notebok. And Jared Bennar has this little
notebook where he he records every every conversation that he's
ever had, every note from every game. He's got this
little notebook. All of these things are going into the notebook.

Speaker 3 (16:08):
All right. Let me and with what you just said,
I'll put this comment from Kevin up here. Spring did
you say the ABS playoff position is secure. Yes, yes,
oh yes, considering the trade deadline moves they made. And
you know, one of the teams, you know, chasing them
for wild card position is the Calgary Flames, who they've

(16:30):
beaten twice in a row in Calgary now may have
beaten the more than twice in a row. I only
have the last two. Top of mind, I will do
an episode of between. I will do the season finale
show naked. If the Avalanche miss the playoffs. You don't
want to see that. I don't want to do that.

(16:51):
You're not gonna have to see that. I won't have
to do that. The Avalanche will make the playoffs. Minus
ten thousand on the line. That's where it's at for
the Avalanche to make the playoffs right now.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Yeah, there are.

Speaker 1 (17:05):
They're twelve points clear of the final playoff spot right now,
and they have what fifteen games remaining twelve points With
fifteen games, there's no way in hell that they're missing
the playoffs, Like, no chance. The only thing that we're
talking about right now is whether or not the Abs
will be in the three seed or in the two seed,
Like that's literally the only thing. It's whether or not

(17:27):
you play Dallas at home or you play Dallas on
the road. That's the only thing. So I suppose like
the playoff positioning could change. There is no chance in hell,
there is no shot whatsoever that the Colorado Avalanche will
miss the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (17:43):
And that's why you can tinker with some things right now,
you know, And you know, here's a nug life saying.
I said minus ten thousand last week, and I said
that the abs would be minus should be minus one
thousand favorites to beat the Blackhawks, and that's what happened.
They beat the bl Okay, So when I make a
guarantee nowadays, it's true and through. I'm talking about beating

(18:05):
the Blackhawks and making the playoffs. This is easy money, okay,
This is like playing a sixth grader in soccer right now.
I should beat the ever living crap out of him.
You know what I'm saying. These are easy money, free
money bets.

Speaker 1 (18:19):
We're saying easy things tonight too. And I saw a
Spring here. I'm at the studio, not back at my house,
because I was doing Network tonight and Spring obviously running Burdos,
Blitz and Crektman Lindahl is here into the the late
hours of the afternoon and the evening as compared to
me when I leave, you know, midway through the day
after the morning sprint. So I got to cross paths

(18:39):
with Spring for a little bit today. Did I not
call the score today?

Speaker 3 (18:45):
Holy dude, you did.

Speaker 2 (18:47):
It's an empty net.

Speaker 3 (18:48):
You called four to two, I said, because we were
talking like ten minutes into the game it was scoreless
and I was like, ah, this is gonna be like
a two to one game, which it was at one point,
and Roger said, the Abs win four to two. I
can confirm, hand to the heavens above me on my heart.
Alex Ryan Emmy called four to two Aves win tonight.

(19:12):
Receipts here.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
It didn't happen. But my wife has barred me from
sports gambling.

Speaker 3 (19:16):
So well, just I I her, I have my ears
were proof this is the thing that actually happened. Hey,
you mentioned funny Jonathan hubert Doo moments on that first
Parker Kelly goal where Huberdo initially has that puck and
Kelly kind of strips it for him, slash, Huberto loses it.

(19:36):
It's a bouncing puck. Kelly talked about it at the
intermission interview with I think it was Kyle Keith, and
you know, he said, like, look those bouncing pucks. You
know they're they're kind of a toss up as far
as to whether or not Kelly himself would be able
to corral it. He did. It was just his night.
And then in one fluid motion he goes top shelf

(19:57):
and huber Do breaks his stick on the crossbar, just
freaking torches that thing sound. I found that to be
rather comical as well. But speaking of Alberta natives, Calgary natives,
I mean, it was the Parker Kelly Knight. For a second,

(20:19):
I thought it was gonna be the cal mccarr knight.

Speaker 2 (20:22):
We got such an exciting moment tonight and it just went.

Speaker 3 (20:28):
But you know what, Cale has had so much and
has done so much, and he is the best person
in the world that he said, no, Parker Kelly, this
is your night. I don't need to steal your thunder
or your shine. This is your night. That's how great
of a teammate Kl maccar is. So Cale mccarr got
a penalty shot in this game, and this is a
six sequence because Cale makes the play defensively, stripping Sharon

(20:54):
Govich of the puck in the d zone and he's
hounding Sharon Govic. You watch Cale on that play like
he's such an underrated defenseman. He's gotten bigger too, you know,
he's he's coming to his man body.

Speaker 1 (21:07):
Now you try Did you see I think it was
the I want to say it was the first period.
Did you see him try and light up someone on
the half wall? I can't remember when it was. Cale
was coming up on the defensive half wall. There was
a pinching Calgary player on the left side. It was

(21:28):
to Wedgwood's blocker side on the half wall, and Cale
tried to throw a delete you type of hip check
and he missed by like a foot.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
You're you're talking about him getting bigger and feeling bigger
if he had on pospicle.

Speaker 1 (21:44):
Yes, that's exactly who it was on posple. He missed
by a millimeter from ending this guy's night.

Speaker 3 (21:53):
Yeah. No, I mean we were talking about Taves and
Lingern and you know, Taves and macr like it may
be he used to be like Taves carried that defensively
just to tick, But no, Kale's really starting to come
into his own defensively, and he was already pretty damn good.
But I'm talking like coming into his own but he
makes the strip he he he then passes it quickly

(22:15):
center ice to Natchius and they look, this is great,
this say, you know, and I know it wasn't the
best night from the top line, but this is how
you know the chemistry is starting to come together. Is
nat just knows. He immediately sends his lekenon flying on
his left side, feeds lekking in and Kale, you know,
Kale's Kale. He's gonna sprint all the way back towards

(22:39):
the you know the bend in the boards, uh near
that deep red line. He's gonna sprint all the way
up to the offensive zone blue line. And now Kale's
activated offensively and lekan In with a great little feed
pass to find him. Kale gets in deep, he gets slashed.
It's a penalty shot. Now here's the thing. We just

(23:00):
saw the shootout where the Avs lost in Minnesota, and
you know this hemming and hung on these shootouts, shots,
shootout attempts, these penalty shots. Let me weave over here,
let me weave over there. And Cale does that and
by the time he gets to the front of the net.

(23:21):
He has no idea what the fuck he wants to do,
and he does basically nothing. I'm telling you, man, just
go full ball, steam ahead, like it's like it's Parker
Kelly in game action. You know, when you're just going
and you just got a split second to be like, Bam,
here's my decision. When I see these skaters go in

(23:42):
and out and around and la da da, more times
than not they end up doing nothing.

Speaker 1 (23:49):
You remember Brian Ralston of the Minnesota Wild long time.
I believe he was the Captain of Minnesota for many
many years, Brian rawlstering War number twelve. Sure when the
shootout became a thing after the lockout, Brian Ralston every
now and again would whip out the shootout clapper. And

(24:10):
you know what I want to see out of an
ABS player the next time they're in a shootout.

Speaker 2 (24:14):
I want to see a shootout clapper.

Speaker 1 (24:15):
I want to see someone walk in and from between
the tops of the circles and the top hash just
let one fucking rip and if you miss the net whatever,
I would love.

Speaker 2 (24:29):
To see that happen.

Speaker 1 (24:31):
Brendan Goes, I'd imagine you'd rather want the power play,
not me.

Speaker 2 (24:37):
The percentages I would rather.

Speaker 1 (24:39):
Take, like one of the best players in the world
on a one on one situation because I take away
I take away variables like it in that situation. As
a coach, I want to remove the possibility of one
maybe a shot getting blocked and me getting scored on.
I know, for one one thing I can't get scored
on on a penalty shot I would rather have, especially

(25:02):
with very good players like kil mccarr, i'd rather have
them go one on one.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
If it's a lesser player and I would have the opportunity.

Speaker 1 (25:12):
I i'd maybe question it more times than not.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
Man, I'm just gonna.

Speaker 1 (25:19):
I'm just gonna take the penalty shots, the one on
one situation, go just go score.

Speaker 3 (25:23):
Well, you know I've been wanting, you know, and maybe
it's changed a little bit given some of the personnel change,
but certainly in years past there would be and you know,
this was a penalty shot tonight, but more often than not,
you're you're gonna see those attempts in the shootout nowadays
after overtime, and I had wanted Kale to get a

(25:44):
look over some of the guys that Jared Bednar would
choose in the past. Now and I'd have to go
back and look. But bet Bennar would put some guy,
give guys shootout opportunity. Like maybe it was like vlad
Namesnikov or maybe it was him who he was like

(26:05):
sneak No, it was uh Evan Rodriguez, Remember Evan Rodriguez.

Speaker 2 (26:12):
Evan Rodriguez was really good.

Speaker 3 (26:15):
He was like sneaking good in the shootout. But it
only lasted for like a little bit and there was
not even e rob but some other guys where I'm like, really,
just put Kale out there. I know he's a defenseman.
Like we all remember the goal that he had in
Chicago that the stick handling and going top shelf like.

Speaker 1 (26:33):
He scored against He scored against the best statistically, the
best shootout goalie of all time is Andre Vasilevski. You
remember the goalie scored against andre Vasilevski. It was like
I think it was like five years ago he did it,
but he he danced Vasilevski into the rafters.

Speaker 3 (26:49):
Yeah, so I've I've always now it's changed a little
bit given their personnel, but I've always wanted Kale to
get more of a look in in the shootout. But
you know, and you know. I think Nathan McKinnon is
a great example, and I'm trying to look up his
career numbers in shootouts now the I don't know if

(27:09):
I trust this, but Google's instant result with a you know,
an AI overview, like the first thing that comes up,
says that he's uh seven of twenty one in his career.
Uh with it anecdotally though, I dude, that's fit fine,

(27:34):
that is, but I okay, I'm not sure I trust that.
I need to. I need to. I need to try.
I need to. You know, as a journalist, I need
to triple check my sources. I need I can.

Speaker 2 (27:43):
Triple I can triple check for you.

Speaker 1 (27:44):
I have I have access to some some NHL dot
com stats that I will look this up for you
right now.

Speaker 3 (27:49):
Okay, Yeah, let me know Nathan McKinnon's career shootout percentage,
because anecdotally, just you know, off my memory. And we
saw Nathan McKinnon with a shoot attempt the other night
in Minnesota, and I didn't love the attempt too much.
Stick handling, got too close to net, didn't give himself
enough room and a good enough look. Too easy of
a say for Philip Gustinson and so just off my memory,

(28:13):
I just feel like Nate isn't great in shootouts, but
when he's on a breakaway in game, he is money.
I mean, he buries that thing more often than not.
When Nathan McKinnon is head esteem, you know, one hundred

(28:34):
miles an hour and it's Alex Petraangelo, oh boy for
the goaltender on the other end, Nate buries that thing
more often than not. Yet, when I see Nate and
shootouts and now look, maybe the numbers I saw on
Google are correct, and my memory is is doing a
disservice to me. But when I see Nate in the

(28:55):
shootout go wide and Lottie d he fails more often
than not. But when he's full steam ahead, putting the
pressure on that goaltender, he buries that thing. So yeah,
I like to see I'd like to see these players
try that more in the shootout.

Speaker 1 (29:12):
I'm trying to find these players because I'm going back
many many years here, dating back to two thousand and
nine through today. The highest shootout shot percentage, so this
is not including penalty shots, but shootout shooting percentage. Trevor
Zegris has thirteen goals on twenty shots for sixty five percent.

(29:34):
That's the highest in the NHL going back to the
year twenty ten.

Speaker 3 (29:37):
Well, and I've talked about Zegres in the shootout. He's like,
he's if there was a Hall of Fame for the
shootout Zegres' first ballot.

Speaker 1 (29:45):
McKinnon isn't on the top one hundred. Mccarr isn't on
the top one hundred. There's three pages of this. I'll
tell you where when I.

Speaker 3 (29:54):
Fin Okay, So there you go. McKinnon's not in the
top one hundred, and he's one of the two best
players in the league.

Speaker 1 (30:00):
Nathan McKinnon ranks one twenty six again dating back to
the year twenty ten, So twenty ten through now, McKinnon
has fourteen shootout goals on forty four attempts. He sits
at thirty one point eight percent. He has the same
percentage as Rich Peverley, Alex galchenyuk Yareforachek, but he has

(30:23):
but better than Vlad Tarasenko, Joe Pavelski, a guy who'd
think would be a shootout wizard, Sam Gangne. He has
a better shootout percentage than Daniel Alfredson. He has a
better shootout percentage than Alexandrovechkin and Miko Rantinen. So again,

(30:43):
it's not like a it's not a stat that tells
you whether or not you are good or a bad
hockey player, because like Trevor Zegris, for my money, is
not a real hockey player. He's supremely talented at what
he does with the puck on his stick, but I
wouldn't want him on my team. Nathan McKinnon statistically, he's
half the hockey player Trevor Zegers is when it comes

(31:05):
to the shootout.

Speaker 2 (31:06):
But Nate is a complete hockey player.

Speaker 3 (31:11):
Hey don't look now, but uh, coming into tonight, Trevor
Zegers has an assist in his last three games. See
what Zegers did tonight? Ducks beat the Predators two to one.
And there's actually a reason I'm bringing this up. Yeah,
another point, an assist for Zegres tonight. So four straight
games with an assist for Trevor Zegers. Did you see

(31:34):
that highlight that was going around a few days ago
of this Anaheim Duck shift with like just some pretty
beautiful passing and just really fluid and unique offensive zone movement,
And Trevor Zegres was a part of it. And the
reason I bring it up is, remember somebody threw some

(31:55):
NHL insider, was it Freedman? Someone throughout like Colorado could
have been interested in Trevor Zegris, and we talked about
it on between the pipes, and you know everyone hated
the idea. But don't look now, Zegres is uh yeah, Stone, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (32:13):
Not, absolutely fucking not. No, no, look, he was and
he was part of that.

Speaker 3 (32:20):
I hey, don't give up on Trevor Zegris is all
I'm saying. I'm not going to I.

Speaker 2 (32:25):
Will, I will, I will. He's he.

Speaker 3 (32:31):
Oh man, I can't. Let's go Trevor, Let's go Forrest
is in.

Speaker 2 (32:35):
Your last four you guys won you guys. You guys
were upset about how how.

Speaker 1 (32:41):
Lacking in physicality Miko Ranton was, And you guys want
Trevor Ziegres to play in this place?

Speaker 2 (32:49):
Are you fucking kidding me?

Speaker 3 (32:53):
It would have been funny.

Speaker 2 (32:54):
Absolutely, I will. I would stop doing the show, No,
I told you.

Speaker 3 (32:59):
Man. If if there's one team, one organization that could
resurrect the career of Trevor's egress, it would be the
Colorado Avalanche. Now look, man, it's so obviously didn't happen.
You're good?

Speaker 2 (33:13):
Why?

Speaker 3 (33:13):
All right?

Speaker 1 (33:13):
So you get to so you could watch one Midden
goal every seventy six games.

Speaker 3 (33:19):
I don't know. Look, maybe if the Avalanche had Trevor's egres,
they win the shootout in Minnesota. Who cares, I've already.

Speaker 2 (33:25):
Done the numbers. No one cares about the shootouts.

Speaker 1 (33:28):
Would you like to hear some some fascinating stats from
my pregame today?

Speaker 3 (33:33):
Oh, they should fire fire away? All right?

Speaker 2 (33:37):
I have to pull them up because I had deleted
them or X down.

Speaker 3 (33:41):
Close your window.

Speaker 2 (33:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (33:44):
So, as it stands right now, the Calgary Flames sit
at seventy one points. They trail Minnesota by eight points
for the wild card. The reason why they have stayed
afloat this season, sure Cadrew's got nineteen points in his
last twenty games. Dustin Wolf has been really, really good

(34:07):
for a rookie netminder, like excellent. He's one of the
main reasons. One of the reasons why Calgary is still
in a playoff spot as we speak right now is
that they've played in seventeen overtime games this year. That
is the fifth most in the NHL. Do you know
how many overtime losses that they have. They have eleven,

(34:27):
the most overtime losses in the National Hockey League. They
have eleven, and it's the reason why they're currently in
a playoff spot. The extra point doesn't matter. Just get
one pants. Party goes Since Raj as a boom er,
he just like old school stuff. There's no room for
fun young guys. No, I like fun young guy hockey.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
I do.

Speaker 1 (34:46):
It's really really impressive, but you have to pair it
with being an actual hockey player. Zeegrest doesn't defend. He
is not physical whatsoever. And I don't need you to
be a You guys know how I talk about the game.
I don't need you to be Scott Stevens, but I
need you to be quick to contact. And he is
contact of verse guys. He's in no world. Would I

(35:08):
touch that player in Colorado? No, absolutely not.

Speaker 3 (35:14):
Well, I mean just know Raj that you know when
I hear that Trevor Zegres is, you know, leading the
NHL and shootout percentage, that my my radar goes off,
and I see an opportunity to just fuck with you.

Speaker 2 (35:33):
I know, and I hate it, and I have an narrative.

Speaker 3 (35:38):
I have a narrative that I like that, dude, for
reasons that you know aren't necessarily about winning hockey games,
but just my own personal entertainment. I appreciate Trevor's Zegris. Now, look, man,
if the Abs win that shootout, oh, if the Flames
have more overtime wins or not, they don't have the

(36:00):
Canucks breathing down their necks. If the Avs win that overtime, now,
they would have needed more than one Zegers shootout goal
because freaking Blackwood was a black hole and allowed both
of the wild players Zucarello and Boldie to score against them,
So even Ziegers couldn't have saved the ass from that.

(36:21):
Had the Abs, though, gotten both points, then my scenario
I presented a few days ago would have played out true,
and through Sunday's Avs Stars game would have been for
a tie at eighty six points. Now, Dallas would still
have at least one game in hand. I don't know
the standings up right now, but I know Dallas has

(36:42):
at least one game in hand on Colorado. In fact,
they have two. They have two games on hand, but
the Avs would have tied him in eighty six points. Nonetheless,
we get the next best thing. The Avs can move
to within one point of the Dallas Stars. The Avs
can get to eighty five points as long as it's
a regulation win, and uh, the Stars would remain at

(37:02):
eighty six. The Abs would be one point back of
Dallas on Sunday. If they get that win.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
Fine, I'll give you that.

Speaker 1 (37:10):
I will give I will give you that, but we
could all you know the way that we can evolve
into this type of conversation. You know how this conversation ends.
You should be eighty two and oh, that's how this
conversation ends. It just spirals into that, well, if you
didn't get the one point, you didn't, you should have
gotten two points. And then if well you should have

(37:30):
gotten two points, you should have won in regulation or
you should have.

Speaker 3 (37:32):
Lost that game.

Speaker 1 (37:33):
You should add it ends at eighty two. Oh to
oh is how that conversation?

Speaker 2 (37:36):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (37:36):
Yeah, yeah, no, I was, you know, I was just
you know, it would have been fun if they could
have outright tied Dallas from a points perspective. Forget the
games in hand. I but no, I mean that either way,
it goes to show man. Then even with you know,
you know forget all of the bullshit that we've said
in the past. Stume odd minutes. It goes to show.

(37:57):
Then they have a chance. The Avalanche have a chance
to be one point back of Dallas on Sunday. On
Sunday evening, when that game is all said and done,
the Avs can be one point back of Dallas with
about a month to go. And you know I talked
about the Avs schedule a show or two a go.
It's it's it's an easier schedule for Colorado down the stretch.

(38:24):
Getting home ice in this two to three matchup with
the Stars is a very real possibility. And getting the
head to head win over Dallas, now it won't matter
for a tie break perspective, but to but to you know,
steal those two points from Dallas yourself and earn those
two points you know in your own right, that could

(38:46):
go a long way Sunday's game. Really, ultimately, when we
look back at the end of the season, who's home
ice in the two to three matchup, Sunday's game really
could be what what? What it comes down to.

Speaker 1 (38:57):
So Dallas has this remaining as their schedule, they have
Colorado on Sunday, they get Anaheim, who It's funny that
we were talking more about the Anheim Ducks again on
this show. Somehow Anaheim's creeping towards five hundred right now,
Like Anaheim's not gonna make the playoffs, but they're building
some really good things. I think Anaheim is going to

(39:18):
be a sneaky team to watch next year.

Speaker 3 (39:21):
That's our new Vancouver.

Speaker 1 (39:23):
It is Tampa Bay, Philadelphia outside looking in, they're probably done.
Minnesota playoff team, Edmonton playoff team, Carolt or Calgary as
of right now, playoff team. Two games at Seattle who
are not gonna make the playoffs this year. Nashville garbage,
Pittsburgh garbage at Minnesota playoff team against win or against Vancouver,

(39:46):
maybe a playoff team. As of right now, they're on
the bubble home against Winnipeg, who they just lost to
and had no chance this evening home against Utah on
the playoff bubble, just one win out of the eight seed,
and then act to try on the East Coast playoff
bubble and they finished the season at Nashville.

Speaker 2 (40:05):
It's a little bit harder for a road than Colorado's.
It's not.

Speaker 1 (40:10):
You don't have to go through the gauntlet. If you're Dallas,
but it is slightly harder than Colorado Spring. I have
an answer to your Cale mccarr question. It's gonna shock you,
it shocks me.

Speaker 3 (40:21):
All right, let's go.

Speaker 1 (40:22):
Cal mccar has played in twenty three NHL games that
have gone to a shootout. He has only participated in
four of them.

Speaker 3 (40:31):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
He has one goal in four attempts. Not bad. Take it.
I'll take it.

Speaker 3 (40:39):
Not bad.

Speaker 1 (40:39):
I'm fine with that. Twenty five percent is good. That's
a that's a solid power play.

Speaker 3 (40:43):
You know that that that remaining Dallas schedule, that it's
similar to the abs remaining schedule. So okay, okay, but
look man, this this Dallas Stars result tonight. And we
talked about this. The Dallas they last played on Sunday

(41:05):
in Vancouver, so they've been chilling in Canada, flying from
Vancouver to Winnipeg. That's not that long in a flight.
They had Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday off, they had four
days off, and they come out tonight and they trailed
thir three to nothing heading into the third period. In fact,

(41:25):
they were down four nothing and then Mason Marchman scored
a whatever goal to make it four to one and
thanks for coming goal. That's and I don't Winnipeg's had
a good regular season, but you had four days off
and you didn't do a damn thing essentially in this game.
So you know, their one win was in Vancouver against

(41:48):
the Canucks team that I think you know has just
had a lot of drama this year. I had a
trade JT. Miller. We'll see how this group gels and
how the chemistry comes along. Now. I think ultimately it
will because there's a lot of talent there. But it
would say it got off to a bat that's a
bad start sign. This really was the clean slate, fresh start.

(42:09):
You had four days off, here you go and you
laid an absolute egg in this game Miko Ranson in
just two shots on goal, played eighteen and a half minutes.
I don't know, man, We'll see.

Speaker 2 (42:24):
What are your thoughts on what's gonna happen on Sunday?
Do you think he gets booed?

Speaker 1 (42:28):
Do you think he do you think there's a couple
of guys that throw like that, throw a couple of
hits on him. I don't even Maybe it won't be
a guy who's played with him for a long time,
but it does Ryan Lindgren throw a hard hit into him,
Does Charlie Coyle or Brock Nelson try and put a
lick into the guy?

Speaker 3 (42:49):
Well, look, I've said I wouldn't boo him because.

Speaker 2 (42:55):
One don't think he's gonna get booed.

Speaker 3 (42:58):
One. The Avs I think won the saga. They won
the Mico Ranson and Saga. They're they're a better team
than had they had Miko. And two Miko is an
Avs legend. You know the fact that he he you know,
Correktman said today on on Crekman and Lindahl that you

(43:22):
know Ranson in he didn't score a goal in the
in the Cup final series against Tampa that wins six games,
but he led the abs and points I think with
eight assists. It was you know, he was an intrigal
part to a Stanley Cup run ten years, was on
the forty eight point team. You know, his teammates did

(43:45):
like him. So for all those reasons, I wouldn't boo
him now that being said, and also I just think
it's classy. You know, be the bigger man, be the
bigger person, tip your cap, take the higher road. That
being said, I understand how drunk fans get, especially hockey fans,
and much like these goobers I hate who start the wave,

(44:10):
there's gonna be one guy who thinks it's cool and
funny to boo Miko Ranson in, and there's gonna be
other goobers who are like, oh, that's fun, I want
to do that, and they're gonna boo too.

Speaker 1 (44:21):
I think most of I think most of the fan
based Apple Arena will give him a positive reception because
of and and people are thinking.

Speaker 2 (44:34):
Back to Rhyan O'Reilly and Matt Dushane. Rhyan O'Reilly and
Matt Ushane.

Speaker 1 (44:38):
While there are similarities right between O'Reilly wanting more money
and then eventually being traded and Matt Dushane not leaving
because of money, but leaving because he didn't see the
playoff future, in the championship future. Here in Colorado he
famously just wanted to play playoff hockey, and in bet On,

(45:02):
he just bet on the wrong timeline. Right he left Colorado,
gets to the playoffs, they go, you know, five straight
years and then three straight years of going out in the.

Speaker 2 (45:11):
In the second round, they win a championship.

Speaker 1 (45:12):
He never gets one up to this point in his career,
O'Reilly leaves, He eventually finds his way to the Blues.
They win a championship, he gets a con smythe So
the similarity between O'Reilly and ranson is right there. Between
Dushane and ranson In not so much. The one thing
that separates Dushane and O'Reilly from Miko ranson In and

(45:36):
they are here while Miko ranson In is here. Ninety
six brought you a championship. He was one of in
spring set it one of the most important reasons why
you won a championship and why you went sixteen to four.
He's the fifty five goal scorer. He will go down
as by the time he retires, likely the third best

(45:57):
finished player ever to play the hock the game of
outside of Temuslani and Yari Curry. There's a chance that
he could be regarded higher as Yari Curry because Curry
just you know, sat on the wing with Wayne Gretzky
for all those years. That remains to be seen eight
years from now. He is a shoe in Hall of Famer.
He was amazing while he was here. He and his

(46:20):
camp bet on himself and bet on his value. And
it seems as though they lost out on that, and
then they panic signed the same deal that they got
offered here in Denver. I think it will be overwhelmingly
positive because that's kind of what Denver is. They cheered
Nolan Ernado man when Nolan Aernado came back, he was
cheered Originally. Dushane still gets a little bit of booze,

(46:42):
but it's different. Dushane never delivered a championship. O'reiley never
delivered a championship. Miko ransonin did right. He gave you
what he wanted. There might be a chance where I
don't know, he might get booed when he touches the pot,
but I think when they show the highlight montage in

(47:03):
the first period for him, it will be a overwhelming
positive reaction to Miko Ranton and as it should be. Now,
if you want to boohim every time he touches the
puck after that, whatever you're a fan, go ahead.

Speaker 3 (47:16):
Well and y'all, I'll reference this comment here that I
put up on the screen, you know, and it will
will we be able to tell the difference between a
boo and a moose. Are you saying blu or boo? Earns?
I was saying Boo earns, Yeah, that's I. Let me know.

(47:38):
You know, Roj, you'll be there, let me know, and everyone.
I wants you to take a good look at your
neighbor's mouth, at your neighbor's lips. Do you see a
buh or do you see a muh? Because seriously, like
it could be either one. Those are going to be
like strikingly similar. Whether it's a boo or a moose.

(48:04):
I don't know. I don't know which one it's gonna be.
It'll probably be moose. I mean yeah, I think playing
a video package will help lighten the mood to get
people give him a good reminder like, oh hey, yeah,
this guy did some awesome things for us. Maybe I
should be supportive of this guy in this moment. Look

(48:24):
either the sad thing though, Like it's sad for Miko
because he wanted to stay here. He was shocked, he
was disappointed that he got traded. He thought that the
ABS would meet his and or his agent's number and
then he ultimately gets the same deal. So like, if
you're Miko ranton In, there has to be a part

(48:47):
of him. There has to be that is like, damn it,
I gambled, I trusted my agent thinking I could get
thirteen to fourteen million dollars, and I end up getting
the same freaking deal. Although I suppose the one thing
I can't explain is that Carolina may have offered him

(49:09):
somewhere around thirteen million dollars and he just hated Carolina
for some reason. I don't know, So its a weird,
weird saga. But nonetheless, like I said, AVS won the saga,
and he's an AS legend. He's an AVS legend no
matter what, and I don't.

Speaker 1 (49:25):
Think he's gonna he wouldn't turn into The only way
he turns into heal right, is if if he becomes
like the Matt Duchhane level of AVS killer. Right, Because
Matt Dushane, every time he plays the Avs, he finds
a way to score, and there was none bigger than
last year in double overtime, right the heartbreaker celebration. Matt

(49:45):
Dushane turned into a thorn in your side in big
time games. And that's the only way that I think
Ranton could become like a true true villain is if
he scores against Colorado multiple times, not just this game,
but he becomes a reason why the Avs don't advance
out of the first round this year. Like, if he's
the main reason why Dallas somehow beat you in round one,

(50:09):
then he becomes a villain. I don't know if he's
ever gonna become a villain, because he'll he'll do something cheap,
or he'll hit somebody or stir some stuff, or he'll
say some negative things in the media. I don't anticipate
that happening. I do think Miko likes to be liked,
and I think that's very clear from the offseason stuff

(50:31):
with archery Lecnon's dad, and like Miko enjoys being someone
who has a good positive report not only with the media,
but with his teammates and with the fan base as well.
I don't see him being a villain in that standpoint.
The only way that he could become a true villain,
true villain is if he is successful with Dallas against Colorado.

(50:51):
He can be successful with Dallas against anyone else, But
if he fails against the Avs, you'll just look back
at him fondly and you go, what could have been?

Speaker 3 (50:59):
Yeah? Uh, you know, he's not He's not gonna lay
any dirty or cheap shots because he's not that player.
We've talked, We've talked about this for years. Uh, he's
not that physical lay the hit players. So he's not
gonna lay any dirty hits or anything like that because
he doesn't want he he doesn't want the contact in
the first place. So you know what, that's not gonna happen. Now.

(51:21):
He's a little bit of a chirper, you know, he
he he, he got a little sassy with Ismo lekin In.
He chirped Keiorgyev. We remember that Miko's got some sas tool.

Speaker 2 (51:35):
Rightfully, so that.

Speaker 3 (51:39):
Miko will bark. I've seen him bark a number of
times on the ice. And if he scores a big
goal on Sunday, and maybe not even on Sunday, there's
gonna be a ton. We are gonna see a ton
of these Avs stars games Miko versus the Avs for
years to come. So it's just a matter of time,

(52:00):
whether it's Sunday or down the road, it's just a
matter of time until Miko ranson and scores a big
goal against the Ads. And a lot of times when
Miko scores, he's pretty nonchalant about it. But I have
seen times where he gets fired up, and I think
the first big goal he scores against the Ads, he's
gonna fist fucking pump will I can he is gonna

(52:25):
be juiced. I can see him now, and I I
could see some AVS fans being like, Okay, now it's on,
Now it's on.

Speaker 1 (52:37):
We'll have to see one thirty on Sunday one pm
pre game showing Altitude Sports Radio ninety two to five.
That game will be nationally televised on HBO, Max and
T and T as well. If you have the ability
to get a ticket and get into that building, man,
I I think it's just as enticing as a playoff game.
And you guys know how expensive playoff tickets can get

(52:59):
this one. While it will be expensive because a lot
of people will want to go to, it will not
be nearly as expensive as a playoff game. So if
you want to get that feeling this year, I would
hop on ticket Master and try and get yourself in
the building.

Speaker 2 (53:13):
Man. I really would.

Speaker 3 (53:15):
Hopefully it goes better, because now you're reminding me the
last the only other game we've had like that this
season in you know, in this fall winter spring Nuggets
Avalanche season was a couple ish weeks ago when Luka
Doncic came to town yep, and it was the hottest

(53:36):
ticket in town and the prices were insane. The result
was not good, So hopefully this one's better.

Speaker 1 (53:44):
I think it's gonna be hard hitting, physical, fast. I
think it's gonna be chippy and mean. It will be
as close to playoff hockey as any game that remains
on the NHL schedule, not just for the Avs, not
just for the Stars, for the entire day the National
Hockey League. I think this will be the single hottest
contested game until the playoffs start two weeks into April.

Speaker 2 (54:08):
Spring.

Speaker 1 (54:09):
It's gonna do it, man, Avs win four two over
the Flames. We'll see you guys sometime around four pm
or so, maybe a little bit earlier on Sunday. Enjoy
your Saint Patrick's Day weekend. Drink some green beer, have
a great time. Hug your neighbors. If you're drinking out
during the day. For the love of God, do not
get behind the wheel of a car. Call a uber,

(54:29):
call a friend, sleep on a couch. We can't wait
to see you guys out there at Paul Arena on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (54:34):
Spring.

Speaker 1 (54:35):
Good night and think about what you're gonna do when
Miko Ranson and shows up to town on Sunday afternoon.