Canada vs USA Four Nations Final Preview

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:30):
Can I quote. I'll be there in a minute, give
me a second. Time is relative, folks, Time is relative.
So hey, cheers everybody in the chat. Is there a
division rival? I don't care how many gets, how many
wins they get. Screw them. That wasn't the take I
was expecting to hears. I want to gush over watching

(00:52):
live Chris Tanda.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
I think that we completely underestimate that the you know
it takes to play defense.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
One highlight or several highlights does not call their trophy. Mate.
I'm stepping in here. I'm going to be the cross
of the old man here. They need to learn patience.
They need to understand the tention everything in the in
the drama. Oh Derek, look at this. How is mcdavi
of not getting the penaltygue? You guys need to calm
down with this. Okay, you guys need to calm down

(01:24):
with it.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
It is the most emotionally charged game between the Canada
and the US male game, because there's been actually some
emotionally charged women's games between the Canadian and the States,
but this is going to be the most emotionally charged
game in a long time. Coming off one of the

(01:49):
craziest starts in international hockey history. It's Thursday. It will
be on Thursday, Canada, US four nations turned to tune.
Welcome to the Shifts and Pucks podcast. You can follow
us on Twitter at shifts at Pucks, Facebook dot comshiftsid
Pucks YouTube dot Comshift sid Pucks YouTube, subscribe wherever year

(02:10):
get your audio. And yes there's a bit of a
technical issue. I get it if you're watching on the
video here. I'm doing all of this by myself, so
that's what we got going on, but joining me all
the way from Alaska, United States. So it's Canada versus US,
even in this very podcast. Jeremiah Maxwell sports beard, host

(02:35):
of Hot Take Hockey Daily nightly on Hot Take Hockey's
YouTube channel, developing a hell of a community there.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
How's it going? It's going great, keV? How are you doing?
How how are all the boys? I feel like, as
I always watch your intro, you guys seem like such
great friends, and I'm like, you know what, keV has
to have somebody with the big beard on that.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's got to be. It's like the waw,
I have to have the uh, I have to have
a a person with a beard on each podcast.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
So heads what go ahead? Sorry, go ahead?

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Hence you're here.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
Oh yeah, I was gonna say one of these days,
I got it. I've done a bunch with you, and
I'll always gladly come on anytime. I know you tend
to work nights and I can work around your schedule.
We're kind of on the same we live in the
same hemisphere, as they say, because you're a left coaster,
you live in the British Columbia area, right and so,
and I'm I'm only an hour behind you, so I'm

(03:40):
very used to it. And tons of family there in Seattle. Yeah, no,
this is you know what, This has been a real
pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to make of this
tournament when when they first started it. I was like, oh,
you know, no Russia, no Germany, no, you know, no Chechia,
you know, uh, you know, Latvia wasn't here. Obviously they're

(04:03):
they're in the mix. But it does it does point
to something very specific. This was run by the NHL,
and yes there's some mistakes. You and I were talking
about maybe roster size stuff. We could get into that later.
But it became a physical game. We had the three
fights I did not expect three fights. I thought one

(04:24):
fight was a stretch, maybe because I'm so used to
international play because I've watched it since the nineties. But
this has definitely been This is much more cut from
the ninety six World Cup of Hockey, right cloth we really,
I know, the last time we had that sort of
World Cup of Hockey, we had that sort of amalgamation
Team North America thing. So like some of the US's

(04:49):
younger players weren't playing with US, and obviously Canada didn't
have some of their younger players, not the Canada at
the time needed them. I would just say it's it's
it's been great for the game of hockey. I think
everything I'm hearing is a lot of I'm seeing a
lot of positive people, you know. I know that there's

(05:10):
always going to be some negative undertones because of the
political stuff that really doesn't have anything to do with
the hockey or the people. I think most people know
Canadians are great people. I don't, you know, there's no
you know, I've never once heard an American before say
that they would love Canada to become part of the US. Now,

(05:33):
if you're all if you're a big diehard hockey fan.
That makes for one interesting yeah, but I mean I just, uh,
you can't but laugh at it almost the ridiculousness of it.
I think the hockey stood for itself though. After we
got through the fighting, I thought it was an incredible game.
I mean, Canada made a just really one major mistake

(05:56):
in the game and a bad turnover and a kind
of time at the same time with a like unfortunate
line change, and you get a two to one basically
a two to one win. Obviously get the empty netter there.
But US played unbelievable. They played so well defensively. I'm
so impressed. I think this is a coming out party
for Jacob Slavin and Brock Faber just from the US perspective.

(06:19):
I mean, we all know, you know, we don't need
a coming out party for McDavid. We don't need a
coming out party for Sidney Crosby. There's nobody on that
team Canada thing that's a surprise to me. I like
that Brydon points playing with McDavid, Now, I think that's
a you know, I think McDavid is one of those
guys where it's hard to find people that can play
with his level of speed. But again. I mean, look,

(06:43):
Finland almost came back and won that game. The US.
Finland's pretty handily. Now we could argue Finlan's missing one
of the best defenseman top four tops.

Speaker 2 (06:51):
The t's in Miro Heiskin. I mean, that's the sad
part about it. This no Heskin, no mccarr in that
Canada US game, no Qui. Yeah, yeah, I think is
in the top five for sure.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
Yeah, and obviously it's triodge for the US right now.
I mean I kind of expect Canada to win this
game just based on where the US is. But with
injuries and stuff like that, seems like Canada has kind
of gotten their sickness and stuff over with and they
don't have. You know, obviously they lost Theodore, so I
don't want to take that away. There are other players

(07:26):
that could have played in the roster. Building. Hey, me,
being a Washington Capitol supporter, I was actually really surprised
Tom Wilson didn't make Canada's roster. He's had a great year.
He's a great player. I think his reputation is kind
of not earned as far as how smart a hockey
player he is. He kills penalties, he does everything for Washington.

(07:48):
I think he's got twenty goals this year too. I
think they're like half the team on Canada doesn't have
as many points. That being said, there's nobody on that
team I don't like. I think they're all great players.
It's going to be exciting man. And I don't know
about you, but from a US perspective, I've heard a
lot of criticism of like the like the the Tampa

(08:10):
Bay players being on there, But like I thought, Sorellie, Hegel, Point,
those guys have been some of the better lines for
Canada consistently. I know Points now looks like he's going
to be playing up with McDavid per the daily face
off line combinations they have that being the first line.
Farabelli and those guys are pretty on that. But they've

(08:31):
got McDavid with Stone and Point on the first line
and then Crosby, McKennon and Reinhart, which you.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
Know, I felt that Rhinehart looked too like Reinhart was
playing the left side with McDavid and Marner and he
just didn't look like comfortable, Like there's some players that
can play the left side as a right shot, and
he just didn't feel comfortable there. So I liked that idea.

(09:00):
I would have picked Mark Scheiffley over Anthony Cirelli. I
think that that, like, there was a lot of and
your friend John was one of them that pointed out
that John Tavares was a mess I I think it
was Mark Schifley was the biggest one of the big
I can't I don't.

Speaker 1 (09:16):
Think go ahead that no, that's okay.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
I just think he's got just a lot of skill
that you were going up and net, you can use
up and down the lineup, and I I think that's
for me one of the things that come that came
out of me from the Canadian perspective as a couple
of things. And this is gonna sound so weird to
say because he's one of the greatest players in the world,

(09:41):
but I actually felt they played McDavid too much. I
think there needed to be more Brandon Hegel Seth Jarvis
because they were not able to get to the front
of the net, and those are the type of players
that you can get in front of the net there.
You're the guys you can get to the through the
Favors and the Slavens, who are phenomenal. By the way,
A big unfortunate it's that Charlie McAvoy is not going

(10:06):
to be able to play, because yeah, for sure he was.
He laid an incredibly perfect hit on Connor McDavid.

Speaker 1 (10:14):
Yeah, you don't see him get lit up like that
very often.

Speaker 2 (10:17):
No, So that's a big miss. That's a big miss
for and I think like, let's get into the unfortunate
roster situation that has happened for really both teams. So
of course, yeah, for the Saturday game, Cale mccarr wasn't
able to play, so Thomas Harley was able to play
because Cale mccarr was sick. And then the rule was

(10:38):
that Thomas Harley couldn't practice if Cale mccarr was practicing.
And for the last couple of days, it's been sort
of like when the Blue Jays were recruiting show Hey
O TOI Jeremiah. We were kind of monitoring all the
airports to see if Quinn Hughes was flying to Boston
or not. He's not going to fly to Boston. He
has been declared, not medically cleared, although he was in

(11:00):
contact Jersey at Canucks practice today. I just think that
they're just trying to make this as simple as possible.
He's just not able to play, and they can't take
the risk of sending him over there if they I think,
unfortunately what happened here is they needed to expand the
rosters for some sort of taxi squad.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
I think that that's the.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
Conclusion when the next time they do this tournament, they
got there's gotta be a taxi squad.

Speaker 1 (11:29):
Yeah. I think some of the logic was they didn't
want to have players sitting around not playing, you know,
because it's such a short tournament. They felt like they
could have a smaller roster they probably underestimated. Also, the
flu thing seems to be like the biggest problem. Obviously
we've had some injuries here, but like McCart didn't play

(11:49):
because he was sick, not because he was injured. Yeah.
So yeah, No, I mean I feel like when Noel
McCarry kind of balance that out by the US not
having Quinn Hughes to begin with with this in tournament.
Obviously he was named originally. I don't really want to
speculate on why Quinn Hughes is not going to be
able to play. I mean, I heard he skated today

(12:10):
in a regular jersey. If he plays in the next
game for Vancouver it's gonna be really suspect. I think
there's gonna be a lot of criticism that he doesn't play.
I'll say this, I think it's gonna be really hard
for a guy who hadn't played at all in this
tournament to come fly across the country, get in the
game and play. I'm not saying he couldn't make an impact.

(12:33):
He's an unbelievable player. I mean Washington when they were
in Vancouver this year, they lost the game, I think
two to one. Both goals were Quinn Hughes. Like Quinn
Hughes is, He's phenomenal. H he's one A to probably

(12:53):
you know, we're one B to mccarr one a and
then you throw in Miro Heightskin and we had three
of the best OF's been not playing. Obviously, Alex Petroandel
did to play. I look at some analytic numbers and stuff.
Petro was kind of out of the top twenty five
the last few years, so I feel like but Canada
probably missed his physicality in that game. So and I

(13:15):
know he was a guy that they would have wanted
on the team for sure. So yeah, I just it's
it is what it is. I will say this, they
change the rules for Canada's injury with the Thomas Harley thing,
I think they should have allowed us to have whoever
had anybody. I think that needs to happen. They're obviously

(13:35):
it now looks like Brady Kachuck may not play, So
we'll see. I mean, you know who comes in the
lineup there. If it was me, if I was picking
any one player, it's tough, man, You're not going to
replace the Kachucks. Really, those guys are kind of cut
from a different cloth, you know. They're kind of like
a unique power forward. So it'll it'll be interesting. I yeah,

(14:01):
I just hope it's a really good game and we
get kind of a show for the ages and it
sells the game really well. And I want to see.
I mean, obviously, being a hockey fan, you know, as
you said, I'm I'm now with Hote Hockey. We're doing
NHL nightly five days a week, starting back up next
week because we took a two week vacation because of this.

(14:21):
But I'm a huge fan of the NHL. But I
know what these players are. I know what these the
Canadian players, all these guys are off the ice for
the most part, are class A human beings I've been,
you know, I think the NFL is a watered down
product there. They don't hit, they don't tackle, it's their

(14:42):
fundamentals are gone from the game. And to me, hockey,
especially what we saw against US Canada is played at
such an elite level and we need the game to grow.
And obviously it's a I think a lot of people
consider it a niche sport. It's a little bit pricey
to get into, but I want to see it become bigger.
So when we have events like this, I mean I

(15:04):
can't tell you, like before the internet was huge and
we had all these special podcasts, I would just pray
for two seconds a snippets on Sports Center to listen
to something about hockey. If you're in Canada, it leads
Sports Center there, you know. So it's just one of
those things where those of us that care about the game,

(15:26):
like Jeff Merrick said, he really cares about capital h
hockey like when it comes to this, and I agree
with him. I think, you know, regardless of what you
thought of this tournament, I mean, obviously we're missing some
of the best countries in the world and that sucks. Again,
I believe sports brings people together. I think you don't

(15:48):
have the end of the Cold War if the US
doesn't beat the Russians. You know, I really truly do,
because it's like, hey, look at what they're doing, you know,
and know you know this, this doesn't have that significance.
Obviously there's some political undertones, but I just feel like
that's secondary to the love of this sport. I want

(16:10):
to see the sport grow and I feel like US
Canada is bringing it out. Man. I mean we are friends,
but like we're rivals when it comes to hockey, you know,
and and you guys, it's your sport. Like it. It's
no question, don't I don't think anybody will say otherwise.
Canada for one hundred years has produced the best players,

(16:33):
and I think you could pause and say, hey, it's
a lot closer than it was. Do we have a McKennon, No,
do we have a McDavid. No. But you know Austin Matthews,
who I heard was sick and is still not one
hundred percent. He played an unbelievable defense. Oh he was great.
He was great. On Saturday.

Speaker 2 (16:48):
I heard people say he was invisible.

Speaker 1 (16:50):
I just cannot disagree. More like they don't know the game,
than I think they're not looking at the defensive game.
I thought us played maybe one of the best defensive
games I've ever seen, and and and and clean too,
stick on puck and just you know, between Faber and
slave and just unbelievable, you know. But I went back

(17:10):
since you were having me on, I went back and
rewatched Canada Finland because I kind of wasn't that interested
in the game. I was like, oh, Canada's gonna blow
Hi out and it was like four and nothing, and
I'm like, okay, I really didn't watch it. And then
I went back and rewatched the whole game, and I
was like, yeah, you know, I wanted to see who
was really stepping up for Canada and and stuff. I

(17:31):
I mean, I I think if I'm I'm Canada. The
biggest thing is you have to probably keep the puck
out of your net, and to do that, you're gonna
try to be as offensive as you can. It's gonna
be interesting.

Speaker 2 (17:48):
Well, yeah, so this is what, let's look at. The
goaltending situation in Canada becomes has been the topic of
conversation because look.

Speaker 1 (18:01):
It's your fault, because you guys grew up a nation
of players that wanted to be Sidney Crosby and not
Patrick Waugh. That's just what.

Speaker 2 (18:09):
Well that yeah, that's partly it. But Jordan Bennington made
some great has made some breaks.

Speaker 1 (18:15):
He made three ten Dolls saves in that game against USA.

Speaker 2 (18:17):
I thought, but okay, and he made in the In
the Sweden game, he allowed a pretty soft goal against
Adrian Kempe that allowed the Swedens to get back in
the game and really tossed Canada point. And that Jake
Gentsel goal. I think nobody liked that goal. And I
know I get that.

Speaker 1 (18:36):
I get that. Can I push back on that for
one second? Just to defend Bennington on this Adrian campaign.
I know you get to see him a lot. He's
a very good player. Oh right, And Jake Gnsel has
what been a part of one or two Stanley Cup runs.
That guy all he does is score big goals. I thought, okay, yeah,
it's a if you see the shot, I hear, you know,

(18:58):
I hear like Nick Kiprio said, if you see the shot,
you want to stop the shot. I get that, I
get that, But I think this guy is just nasty.
Sometimes you're just gonna be against a guy who has
a better shot and makes a and you're like, you know,
nothing you can do there? Like do I want Hallibuck
to save the shot on McDavid? Absolutely, But what is

(19:20):
he gonna do there? You know? I think I think
if you look at it that way, I feel like
Bennington's been fine. Has the US been better goaltending and
defensively throughout the tournament than everybody yet? Absolutely, But they've
played a great team defense together and that they know
what they have to do to win. I wonder with Canada,

(19:42):
and let me ask you this, because I feel like
the goaltending thing is a cheap way to go down this.
I think it's harder for Canada to find these rocket
ships that they have, you know, like players that work
with them from time to time. Like it's gonna be
interesting with mccarr and Taves because they play together. You

(20:04):
know they're gonna get that now, You're gonna have that
in this next game tomorrow. But like, as far as
the forwards we were talking about, they Cooper was really
trying to figure out who was gonna play well with McDavid.
You could, you said, Marner. They moved Marner to the
third line too.

Speaker 2 (20:18):
Like he didn't Yeah, you didn't really.

Speaker 1 (20:19):
Do anything other than that overtime goal. And I thought
he was invisible in that game against USA. And I'm
actually a big fan of Mitch Barner. I think he
doesn't get the credit for his hockey sense and what
he can do defensively on the ice, but he is
a slighter frame. I think that that. You know, I
don't know. It's Canada's always all about the big boys, right,

(20:41):
So I don't know, man, Like there's a there's some
combinations there that didn't make a lot of sense to me.
Like I like Travis Connecting as a player. I like
you know you you talked about Seth Jarvis. Seth Jarvis
is not going to play tomorrow. For what I've been.

Speaker 2 (20:54):
Telling you that that to me is that is a
kid that's an error unless he is injured and nobody
is saying anything, or unless he's sixty second. I don't
see a reason why says Jarvis is not playing because
he was one player that was able to kind of
penetrate that defense and get to the front of the net.
So but like for me, what the problem is is

(21:17):
their Bennington is he will either make a spectacular save
or he just won't like the Dylan Larkin goal, I
get it.

Speaker 1 (21:24):
I thought that was a great goal too. And that
was a turnover.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
It was a bad turnover. It was a bad line change.
But man, you would have loved to like it's that
wasn't a great like it wasn't like the end of
the world. But you sure the hell would have loved
to see Bennington say.

Speaker 1 (21:39):
But another guy, keV that doesn't get enough credit for
how talented and skillty is because Detroit's been irrelevant for
like a decade now, you know, I mean, you know,
he's very good. And that's that's the thing, man, That's
that's why I think we're what we're doing when we
crap on a guy like Bennington, who's a great goal

(22:00):
and look, is he the best goalie Canada's ever had? No,
would you rather have Marty Brodure in his prime? I
would argue, I don't know, man, Like I thought bro
Durr benefited from playing in the most defensive era in hockey,
with the two line off side pass and maybe the
best d pairing. That whole defensive core that the Devil's

(22:24):
had was unbelievable, you know, And and and I just like,
to me, a guy like Curtis Joseph in his prime
who faced a high volume of shots and made a
lot of saves, is a guy that you think you want.
But I mean, Bennington's a bigger guy. He makes a
lot of saves. I don't know, man, I I you know,

(22:47):
I don't think. I think if Canada loses this, yes,
you're gonna say the goaltending, but like, who's outside of
a car who's gonna wow you on your defensive corps?
Like who who's been knocking it out of the park
for you? Who have you said? Man? I mean, I
thought the pass from Dowdy was great to McDavid obviously

(23:10):
in that game. Uh, I think Morrissey Perreco have been solid.
But I thought Davonte's didn't look great when mccarr was
out obviously. Uh. I don't know, man, You tell me really.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
Looked good for his eighteen minutes coming off, Like.

Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yeah, I thought Hardy looked good by the way too.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
It's not a spectacular defense, You're right, I like, I
think it's a weird roster. It it was a it
was a weirdly constructed roster all along. And I think
that they had I think they kind of already supplied
mccarr Petroangelo and Dowdy and Penn on the right side,
and they had Tays and they kind of had this

(23:53):
defense pinned in, and there were some people that pushed Mackenzie.
Wieger gave a hell of a push to make the team.
And then you, of course you had the Drew Doughty injury.
But I think that they were always going to go
to the Drew Doughty at some point in time.

Speaker 1 (24:05):
And Drew Dowty for the record too, was he was
out for the year, like yeah, to start the season.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
So I did not think he played a bad game
on Saturday at all, and he played twenty three minutes.

Speaker 1 (24:20):
He's only getting better too, Like yeah, he could be
a difference maker for sure.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
I think the other thing that I think, I mean,
and the other thing that we're not talking about here though,
to give some credit, is Sidney Crosby's coming in with him.
Some came in with some sort of arm injury, whether
it was spring broken.

Speaker 1 (24:39):
Yeah, oh yeah. I thought there was a good chance
he wasn't gonna play. He's looked I think he's looked fine.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
He's I think there's an argument he's been their best forward.

Speaker 1 (24:49):
Which might be a little alarming. Thirty seven year old
forward that's not one hundred percent is your best forward?

Speaker 2 (24:54):
Just saying I think with McK david, I think that
one of the like, there's very few people that I
think that can that just have that chemistry and understand
like he's not I know this is a different era,
but hear me out, he's not gretz Ski in terms
of just like he's not going to pass the puck

(25:15):
as easily as Gretzki did.

Speaker 1 (25:18):
Like everything else in McDavid's game is based off his speed.

Speaker 2 (25:21):
It totally does everything.

Speaker 1 (25:23):
He does everything at such a high level of speed.
No one's ever seen anybody do that at a high
level speed. I wonder, I'm with you, keV, and I
want to say this, I wonder what his game's gonna
look like when he loses that speed, Like if he
starts having leg injuries, you know, because he has he
has kind of a freakish long legs too. That because
he doesn't look like until you see him in person,

(25:45):
which I've only had the luxury of seeing him playing
in an All Star game, Excuse me, but I feel
like he just does everything at a high rate of speed,
and I wonder if he's I'm not saying he's not skilled,
but like he had the season where he had almost
sixty goals, but like if you look a lot of
them seemed like it was very much the same move

(26:05):
type thing. And I think maybe teams have gotten a
little bit of a book on him and how to
play him too. Like, I mean, he didn't do anything
in the last two games in the in the Stanley
Cup finals him were dry sidle. That being said, I
wanted to ask you this because you're there. You have
your finger on the pulse of what's going on. I

(26:26):
feel like Team Canada is always too political when it
comes to these roster builds, Like why isn't heymen on
the team I'm in plays well with McDavid there, you
don't have that problem. You just need to find another
winger that's not going to do too much. I thought
Marner would be a great fit there, honestly because he's
a decent skater blah blah blah. But it sounded like
maybe just overthinking it too much. Everything I noticed in

(26:49):
Canada's game against the US two was they were dusting
the puck off. They were trying to be They were
trying to be too fancy. Look what we can do,
We're so much better, blah blah blah. I thought if
they played a simpler game, it might actually benefited.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yeah, that's why I wanted to see more. Brandon Hagel,
Seth Jarvis, Sam Bennett one of those guys that play
that simpler game.

Speaker 1 (27:08):
I think that, like then you need to like it.

Speaker 2 (27:13):
Felt like John Cooper had this to SA, had this
new toy named McDavid and just wanted to play it
because it was fun. And I it just you for
sure hate the game and well, and I.

Speaker 1 (27:24):
Think the US made a focus to shut McDavid down.
They weren't gonna let McDavid beat him. And McDavid did score,
but like they were like this, all the offense is
going to drive through him everybody else. I feel like
when you when you have best on best, the level
of difference between the guys, I mean that that is
over for Canada. They just aren't gonna be this much

(27:46):
better than the other teams anymore. You're not gonna be
this much better in Sweden. You're not gonna be this
much better in Finland. You're not gonna be this much
better in check you all. I mean, yes, the high
end talent, you may have more to choose from, but
you can't play thirty five guys on the hest at
the same time. So you like and with this roster,

(28:07):
I feel like, you know, if Philand's healthy, what are they?
I thought Sorrows was abysmal in this. He was not
even good for them. Kevin Lankinon actually played well until
he didn't play well. They started him against Canada, but
I you know everything. Look, Canada could have lost two games.
They could have lost to Sweden, they could have lost

(28:29):
to Finland. They did lose to the US, they could
have lost three times. So that shows you that the
talent is very much on par now. And yes, nobody
has a McDavid. But if you learn how to play
defensively and the focus your attention on a player like him,
you can shut them down. And like, this is my

(28:50):
one thing where I feel like the US might have
an advantage here. They didn't get last change against Canada
and Canada. Canada did. Now they do get last change,
so Canada did.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
You're right because it was a home game for Canada
and this will be a home game for the US.

Speaker 1 (29:03):
Well, and it's only a home game for the US
because they had have more points. And you know, they
lost to Sweden the last game. I mean, granted they
lost a lot of players in the game, but no excuses.
We lost to a team you guys beaten overtime. So look,
I mean, this is anybody's game, I think, and I
just hope we have a great game. I mean, that's

(29:24):
that's kind of the end of it. I also hope
the Boston fans show up in class and don't boo
the anthem because there's no been no political person from
Canada that said anything crazier outlandish. And I feel like
if you were an American and the Canadian said, well,
we'll just take over America, I mean, first of all,
everybody would laugh. But the second thing is what yeah,

(29:49):
But I'm saying, like what yeah, why would you Why
would you waste your time with any of this? Like
we know what this is, so just like it's not
about the hockey on the I so I would just
you know, for whatever reason. Now that being said, I'm
not gonna say it didn't. I think it made a
lot of difference for some of the US players. Obviously

(30:10):
they didn't care for it. They were asked about it again,
I thought, irresponsible reporting. What's a player gonna say, Oh yeah,
I really don't like it when people boo the anthem. Okay,
but uh, you know, I don't know. Man. For me,
I I'm all about just let's play the game. Let's
get to it. I I want to ask you, I

(30:31):
think this is actually I think if the US wins,
it doesn't change Canada's mentality at all. For the I
think they're they're gonna look at over We're this time
next year, keV. We're talking about the Olympics are happening.
There will be a bunch of teams in this right
there will It will obviously not be as physical because

(30:51):
it's the i HHF, which is a joke. But like, uh,
I almost prefer these NHL run. If we could just
get more teams in there and ignore the IHF and
play the North American hockey like we got, I would
I would rather this. Like to me this almost at
the beginning of this, I was like, I don't know
what this tournament means, blah blah blah. Now I'm like

(31:12):
almost like this tournament more than the Olympics, you know,
because I know what kind of hockey we're gonna see.
We're gonna get a more intense game. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
Yeah, I think for Canada, I think that the lesson
will be I think I I think there's a couple
of lessons that could come out of this if they lose,
and even if they win, I think they probably will
go a little younger. I think I don't think Connor
Bandar should have been on this team because I think
the celeb yeah well, I well both of them, but

(31:43):
but for Badar specifically, I just think that guy has
been through so much.

Speaker 1 (31:47):
I think he needed a hockey break. Yeah. I would
not have had him on this year man, just just
how he's played. But I totally agree with you.

Speaker 2 (31:56):
I think ability and I think Celebriti is on the team.
And that's a guy that I could see actually clicking
with McDavid just because he's got the speed, he's got
a little bit of that dry title in him, and
he's got some really good instincts that I wouldn't would
be interested to see how that works. Super compecient, like,
just to go back to what you were talking about.

(32:17):
I mean, this is a controversial opinion in BO will
be a controversial opinion in Boston here, but Brad Marshawn
probably would not have been a guy would have had
on this team. I think, yeah, I've forgot exactly to
but he's he's it's past his time. He he wasn't
effective in this game.

Speaker 1 (32:37):
In my last game. Yeah, I I could say you
could make an argument for having Mark Streifley over Brad
Marshawn right now, considering the rolling plays, I would have
had Seth Jarvis on, I would have had Travis Connecting on.
I like those guys as scoring wingers. Wingers. Connecting is
a real competitive guy. I think a lot of people
don't watch Philly because they have been great for ever.

(32:58):
But I don't disagree with that at all. I think
a lot of team look, they're like, oh, he scored
two big goals in the against Vancouver. Yeah that was
in twenty eleven. Guys, Yeah, we're talking about we're fifty
what is it, it's twenty twenty five. We're a decade
and a half removed from that. Yes, has Marshawn scored

(33:21):
big goals? Absolutely, he scored. I know again in the
World Cup of Hockey, didn't have two goals in that yet.
That was in twenty sixteen. That was like nine years ago.
So I think, you know, we were talking politics a
little bit. I think there's too much politics and roster
construction in Team Canada. Just take the best players. Just

(33:41):
go down the list. This guy's been good, whatever metrics
you're using. This guy, this guy, this guy. Bring them
all into camp three days mixed match, boom boom boom.
See what you got. Because you know, the US left,
A lot of people are like, I can't believe they
left Cole Kawfield off.

Speaker 2 (33:58):
Well.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
I like Field, but he doesn't. He's not gonna play defense.
He's not gonna throw body. You know, he's a power
play specialist in a tournament like this, which, hey, he
might have the second or third most lethal shot in
the NHL right now, but he's even lost some time
to Patrick Lyone this year, right so I I know

(34:22):
that's probably ending as lin A has, you know, shown
he can't really keep up with the NHL game anymore
as far as foot speed and stuff like that. But
I I I just wonder, why do we have every
time this same I heard the same thing keV in
the World Juniors. Oh we did bring this, We didn't
bring Michael me So we didn't bring Andrew Christall, who

(34:42):
I heard just went over one hundred points. He's playing
broke in, dude. That's because you always do this thing.
And it's like, well, that's you guys getting in your
way and not taking your best players, like what.

Speaker 2 (34:55):
Do you e f and doing what they want players to.
This is what happened. I think Canada wanted players to
play that played a specific role. The un has got
players to play a certain role. Like you look at
Austin like this, get back to Austin Matthews. Sure, Austin
Matthews is a sixty goal scorer in the National Hockey

(35:17):
League with the Toronto maple Leafe. Yeah, he's a but
he knew his role. He knows his role with the
US right he and it's his roles to play a
bit of a stronger defensive game.

Speaker 1 (35:31):
And if I'm a Toronto Maplie fan watching what Matthews produced,
I'm like, man, I don't mind if he doesn't score
in the playoffs, as long as you get that secondary
scoring because that's where you need it anyway. Usually your
top lines get shut down and you need those secondary
tertiary guys to come in and score right. That same
goes in these international.

Speaker 2 (35:51):
And you've got like you're you're the blue line played
a very physical game. I mean, Jacob Slaven isn't normally
a guy that throws a lot of body checks around him.
You know, I'm not saying he's not physical, and he.

Speaker 1 (36:03):
Wins The Lady Bingen could be up for the Norris
every year and he ends up leading the league in
plus minus. He's one of the best defensemen I've ever
seen play the game. You know what he's like, He's
like Lidstrom without the offensive tower.

Speaker 2 (36:14):
He's the best he's he is if he's not first,
he's the second best pure defensive defenseman in the game,
like it.

Speaker 1 (36:21):
Was better than him.

Speaker 2 (36:22):
Well, and the only one that I would put in
his category would be a Christanna.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
Yeah. I like Tanne but I don't even think he's on.
I don't think he could hold.

Speaker 2 (36:31):
I think you can make an argument slave and is better.
One thing that I don't think Tannem gets enough credit for.
And I think, you know, I think where your point
was what the blue line is.

Speaker 1 (36:39):
I'm not sure.

Speaker 2 (36:40):
The skating for the blue line for Canada was up
to is up.

Speaker 1 (36:45):
To where the US is and I imagine if Quinn
Hughes was there.

Speaker 3 (36:50):
Yeah, oh my gosh, yeah, I mean you're a Vancouver
Canucks fan, Like, he's unbelievable. Oh yeah, it's ridiculous how
good he is. Yeah, he could turn on a nickel,
you know.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (37:04):
I just I think that part of it too is
I think full credit for how the US like just
that feels to me, like, I mean, the another guy
we should talk a little bit about here from the
US is Jack. Jack Eichel doesn't enough credit for how
damn good he is.

Speaker 1 (37:24):
You can't spell elite without Ikeel's And I thought in
the Stanley Cup run that they had, I've never seen
a forward center play as good as defense. And I
saw him skate down, take the puck right off McDavid skin,
just sit it out of his own stuff like that.
I think he's incredible. And the thing is when he

(37:47):
finds his offensive game, he's as good as anybody out there.
The problem is he's a little streaky, but because he
doesn't have the offensive prowess that like a Matthews has.
But like Matthews, isn't one hundred percent the shot he's
not making, she's missing shots that he would make. He's
not clearly not one hundred percent, but I agree with

(38:08):
you one hundred percent. I'll tell you another player that's
gotten no play in this at all that we haven't
talked about today is zach Rowinsky. Zach Rowinsky hell of
a year.

Speaker 2 (38:17):
Yeah, and he's had a hell of a tournament too.

Speaker 1 (38:19):
Once they moved him to the power play, I mean,
get Adam Fox out of there. I like him. He's
a smart, cerebral player. He has no foot speed you
need to have like the right defenseman with him. I
don't mind him being on the second power play unit,
but uh no, he's been incredible. Look I it's like

(38:40):
I heard Canadians say the US had an advantage on
d I never once thought that because of my car
and stuff. But then I was like, oh, looking, yeah,
even like Hannafin, who hasn't been great for Team USA,
is still really really solid, and it's like, wow, they
do actually have depth and obviously goaltending too. You know,
I was gonna joke with you because I'm Alaska, and

(39:00):
I would have started swayming because I was gonna say,
like the Jim craigline you've seen him with his with
his game on, because I feel like Swayman in Boston.
I mean, didn't you beat Toronto blank him in Game seven?
Like that? That kid's already played big games, and I
don't know the Hellabuck. Hellabuck is usually not shown up

(39:22):
in big games for the Winnipeg Jets. So I honestly
hope that I'll tell you what, keV, I hope this
is a launching platform for Steiflee who didn't get there,
and it's gonna have a big chip on his shoulder.
And if hella Buck wins this game tomorrow, Let's say
he blanks Team Canada. Let's say it's a one nothing,

(39:43):
nothing too to one game or something and Winnipeg goes
on a run and wins the Stanley Cup and Hellibuck sites.
You know, I just gained so much confidence from this
because they have the team, right, Winnipeg has the team.
They might need a piece or two, but they could
win the Cup, right? Think? Are we are? We? Are
we off base? I just think no one's counting them

(40:06):
in even though they've been the best team all year
in the NHL, because they haven't done it. The best
they've ever done is get to the Conference Finals, and
that was like twenty eighteen and they lost to Vegas.
You know, I.

Speaker 2 (40:19):
Yeah, I think for Winnipeg, I think they do need
to find they probably need one. Just I don't think
they need to tear the roof off the place. I
think they're kind of in the same situation as Washington.
They probably can stay in the course and find one
minor one one other forward to help them.

Speaker 1 (40:40):
They're going to be well rested too, what's that. I mean,
Winnipeg's gonna be real lested that outside of Hellibuck and
Morrison Morrison more. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (40:48):
And it's also it's gonna be interesting to see what
their first round playoff matchup turns out to be, because
if you're if it's Vancouver, that's an interesting matchup. If
if Demco is healthy, it's an interesting match Yeah. I
just I agree with Quinn Hughes too. I just you know,
the one thing I keep coming back to is just

(41:09):
that guy's got to be just emotionally worn from the season.
He's been dealing with his own injury, he's been dealing
with this days of her live soap opera in this
locker room for the entire year.

Speaker 1 (41:23):
Kevin, I have to ask you about that, since you're
there and I've been wanting to talk to you about this,
so I'm glad that you asked me to come on.
Since you're there and you get all the and I
feel like Vancouver doesn't get the credit for being kind
of the toxic market it can be when it comes
to the hockey market. I feel like it's right up
on par with Montreal and Toronto. And I feel like

(41:45):
Toronto's right there, but I feel like Vancouver is right
there too. And do you feel like the market creates
some of that issue or is it just because I've
I've everything I've heard from guys who played with TJ.
Miller or JT. Miller. It's like, oh, he's just a
super competitive guy. And look, it doesn't look like he

(42:05):
was wrong. Peterson did nothing. He did nothing in his
poor nations. He didn't have a point. He didn't have
a point and Sweden played better, you know when they
moved him down the lineup because he just did nothing.
I mean, that would be alarming to me if I'm
a Canucks fan.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
Well, it's it's that's the conversation. Now, is you mean
this has been the process? Let me just go through
the process of what we're seeing now. So Miller's traded.
The expectation was Peterson would get going.

Speaker 1 (42:39):
Underwhelming return by the way I thought, and you know,
just my opinion. I like Heatle, but injury prone, had
a lot of concussions that would make me very nervous.

Speaker 2 (42:50):
Kind of Yeah, I know he does play.

Speaker 1 (42:53):
He the one thing I will notice.

Speaker 2 (42:55):
About him, like I like him, but I like he's
got to keep his head up.

Speaker 1 (43:00):
I'll say that. But and then so you get that,
and then you go, you.

Speaker 2 (43:04):
Got the four nations, and maybe that's going to re
juvenate him. I think he has been fine defensively. It's
the offense that's the issue. And I think I just
feel like there's no more scrutinized player in the hockey
right now than Peterson.

Speaker 1 (43:19):
And he's not one hundred percent healthy either. It seems
like like probably not right from like offseason.

Speaker 2 (43:24):
Then I'll say, I don't know about the physical condition.
I do think he's mentally exhausted. I don't know what
with all of this. I don't know what's happened. Yeah,
but like I.

Speaker 1 (43:35):
Think he's faced well and I have like allow.

Speaker 2 (43:40):
Him and it's like what I don't like is just
this pile on, like it's everything he's doing, everything is wrong.
It's like no, And I don't think that I would
actually argue he played better than Zavana Jad. Oh, Like honestly,
like if there's like, if I'm a Rangers fan, I
would be really concerned about Zavanta jadd Yeah.

Speaker 1 (44:00):
He only has like six years left on that deal
making nine million a year or two. So yeah, No,
I I my wife is a diehard Rangers fan, so
I watch a lot of their games too, And uh,
I have not been a fan of Zabina Jad's game
for a very long time. He disappears for a long
he's so street. He scored five goals against the Capitals once.

(44:21):
I remember I was like, but this guy will do
nothing in the playoffs. So I was like, okay, yeah,
and he's never proved me wrong.

Speaker 2 (44:28):
So yeah, So I think that there is some I
think there's some truth to what you're saying in terms
of this this market creating some some of this controversy.
But I also would argue I've argued that I think
that Petters, I think I also think that this this
organization needs Let's go back to December. Patrick Golvin is

(44:50):
asked by Ian McIntyre, are you going to trade Peterson?
And he says, never say you never like whit just
know just in this, like you know, people the controversy themselves,
but you're just adding to the spice when you're doing that.
And I think that they need to. I think that
the organization needs to do better, a better job of
protecting their players a bit. Yeah, even rather for going

(45:14):
on and seeing we're not a Stanley Cup caliber team.
We need to make a bunch of changes here just
before the four.

Speaker 1 (45:20):
Nation Well, and I think he would know, you know,
as the architect of three Stanley Cups. I don't mind
hearing that from him. But here's my issue. From the
outside looking in, you re signed JT. Miller when you
could have traded him. Everybody thought they were going to
trade him back then you resigned Peterson. You could have
I'm not saying you could have let him walk the

(45:41):
free agency. That would have been a huge mistake. But
like I mean, if these were players that you weren't
invested in, why didn't you look to re And I
get it, they didn't want to. They didn't want to
like restart a rebuild. But you could have, especially two

(46:02):
seasons ago, you could have gotten and listen, this is
what's frustrating for me because I enjoyed watching Vancouver so
much last year and I had them beating Edmonton. I
thought they were gonna win. I thought they had this
and I think we talked about this. I think they
had it in the bag if they had a healthy Brockbester,
they had a healthy Thatcher Demco. I think they walk Edmonton.

(46:24):
In fact, I don't think it gets to seven, but
they didn't. So that's what happened. It's so frustrating because
they were so good last year, you know, And that's
what and that's why I am like, man, this is
I will tell you though, I think on the thrust,

(46:44):
I don't think the New York Rangers getting the playoffs.
I don't think JT. Miller pushes them over the top.
Their problems are are way more entrenched than what Vancouver has.
The thing I would say is, if I'm a Canucks fan,
who do you have coming that can help this? You're
gonna if you don't freight Look, we're when we get

(47:07):
back from this break. We're ten days from the trade deadline.
These are not moves you want to make mid season now,
you've had a two week break to work it out.
But like, you probably need to move Besser because you're
gonna lose him. He's not resigning there. I mean, I
would you resign there if you're Besser? I wouldn't. Now
they could probably give him the extra year and more money,

(47:27):
but I don't. I don't know if it's me. I'm
not resigning there. I'm gonna test the market. Maybe you
go back afterwards, but I don't know. Man, you are
right though, go ahead.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
I guess if you're going to trade Peterson, like I'm
just gonna sky gown.

Speaker 1 (47:42):
We're gonna get back for him? Well you're not. That's
where I'm going.

Speaker 2 (47:46):
I don't know if you're gonna get it, you get
like I think that that there would be the argument
for me for trading Besser is you might be able
to get an overpaid You might be able to try to.

Speaker 1 (47:56):
Do really because people if you could get Dylan Cousins
and bow and Byram for Patterson, I would make that
meal deal right now. If you could get Dylan Cousins
from the Buffalo Sabers, Well.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
Why is Bowen Byram who was just traded from Colorado.

Speaker 1 (48:13):
He's an RFA and they're not going to keep them
because they have three left shot d in.

Speaker 2 (48:18):
Why did they Okay, but why did they acquire him
in the first place.

Speaker 1 (48:21):
They they didn't like middle stats game. And you know what,
from what I've heard the insiders I've talked to, Colorado
doesn't like middle stats game and they would.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
Like to move I mean, there were some Flame fans
at Wantie Casey Middleside. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no,
no no, because.

Speaker 1 (48:35):
Who would they get a trade for him, because Colorado
would take cadri back in a New York minute. They'd
be like, oh, yes, give us that NASA.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
Bad That would be a bad trade for Calgary in
my right.

Speaker 1 (48:45):
And look at where they're at that nobody expected him
to be. They're three points out of a playoff spot
right now in the Calgary Flames. They're one of the
best stories there is almost as good a story as
Vancouver was last year. The year that Vancouver. That's what
sucks for me is I really enjoyed seeing eyes like
Cannuck Clay and you know, these knuck fans that get
to enjoy these wins, they should be a good team.

(49:07):
It's they've got one of the best defensemen in the
league if he's healthy, They've got one of the best
goalies in the league. They had what looked like an
up and coming center pairing with Miller and Petterson, and
you dump off from that. To me, I don't know
what the rush was to get J. T. Miller out
of there was. It's so toxic, you know what I'm saying.

(49:27):
It just felt like it felt like the media made
more out to do with it than the thing itself.
That's what's frustrating for me. If I'm a Knucks fan,
you're still a playoff spot. Though, like you said, they
would be playing Winnipeg in the first round.

Speaker 2 (49:39):
I think that that you have an argument there for that,
for sure. I think that there has been some I
think that there's been some perception of you know, the
media has made more of this and not but here,
just hear me up on the Pederson part. You're not
going to get that if you don't, I don't. First ever, what's.

Speaker 1 (49:56):
That if you traded him now, it's the worst value,
would not get the return that maybe you should get.

Speaker 2 (50:03):
Yeah, I mean, and that's but there, then if you
trade Besser, you might get more to compensate that, and
that's a significant change. I don't know if I would
do it at this point.

Speaker 1 (50:13):
But how many teams can take on one. They're gonna
have to re sign bess or Best is gonna have
to agree to it right now where Peterson's no trade
kicks in after this year, So if you don't trade them,
you're stuck with them. So I think, to me, they're
in a rock and a hard place here to me,
a team like Buffalo who's going nowhere? Like if you
could I'm not saying Tage Thompson, and if you traded Besser, Like,

(50:35):
I just don't see Besser signing in Buffalo. What do
you see Dylan Cousins? I look, I think he's just young.
I think this is another example of these guys would
have benefited from not being inserted into the NHL when
they're eighteen or nineteen years old, go play in the
always hungry league. But with the Ohl kids, you know

(50:57):
that's an issue. So I think this is why I
think we're seeing a lot of these collegiate guys do
so well. They're going to US college, they're playing forty
to forty five games if they make it to the
Frozen Four, which I'm going to like. It's a great
eve benefy if you have. It's not expensive to go
if you ever get a chance. It's in Saint Louis

(51:17):
this year, which is a much better hockey market. Last
year was in Minnesota, the year before was in Tampa.
My argument is, always keep it in warm other places
because you'll get tons of people to come out. You know,
I got to. I talked to Joe Nuendike in Tampa
because he lives there. He's like there with Mike Richter.
It's just awesome. It's like it's you know, you don't
even have to be media. You'll just run if a

(51:40):
be U's there, Mike Ruzioni's running around. I didn't find him,
but I would have loved to have talked to him,
because I just want to. I just think, like, this
is such a horre. Like I like Rutherford for being aggressive,
like obviously what he did for Pittsburgh, he put them
over the top by making moves like like the fact
the league allowed that Phil Kessel trade still bothers me.

(52:00):
But like would when when he went to when he
went to Pittsburgh, man. He put him over the top.
The year they won the Cup with him, he scored
five game winning goals. That's like a playoff series and
a half, you know, Like he was a huge ad
for them. So, like I get, you don't get anywhere

(52:22):
by not being aggressive. So I don't want to be
critical of the Hall of Fame general manager. Obviously he's
not the general managers of the President of Hockey Ops.
But at some point you got to look back and go,
we need to be patient JT. Miller. There was no
rush they could have made that deal with the Rangers.
To me, I would have got lat year out of there.
That's where I would have gotten like, and I know
the Rangers don't want to trade him, but that would

(52:43):
have been the guy I would have wanted because you
don't know what he is, but he's got upside.

Speaker 2 (52:47):
Okay, oh yeah, he had a really good playoff last year.
I thought he took him.

Speaker 1 (52:51):
Ye, took a pretty big Yeah. He hasn't looked as
good this year though. That's that's been kind of a
problem for them too. But again another guy.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
Range are going through sort of some similar.

Speaker 1 (53:04):
They have a toxic media. Yes, I think he's I
think I think they're very Yes, they're in a very
similar situation as the Canucks. They let the igor sh
stirkin thing, they let the troop the Trouba thing. Why
they didn't have that result before the season started, Chris
Drewery massive miss for sure, like and they you know,

(53:26):
and and I'll tell you the Coppocco Like that's actually
worked out for them though, because Will Morgan couldn't crack
the lineup of the Seattle cracking and he's playing top
four for them. Then they resigned.

Speaker 2 (53:36):
Worked out for both teams really well.

Speaker 1 (53:39):
Like that's that's been the same with the Chitrin for Jensen.
Jensen's been the right shot, puck moving guy that that
that that Ottawa's really needed. He's a great first pass guy.
Like he's not gonna put up points. But they didn't
need that. They have Sanderson, they have Shabbat. They didn't
need that. So Chittrin again another they had over abundance

(53:59):
left shot guy. Tittran's played well for the Capitals. He
scored a bunch of goals. I think he has half
a dozen, a Baker's dozen, thirteen or so. That trades
worked out and the Darcy Kemper has played very very
well for La and Pierre Luke Dubois has looked unbelievable
for the Capitals. So yeah, I love seeing trades work out.
I think no risk at no biscuit. But I I

(54:21):
I'm really frustrated for Vancouver fans. I just wish they
were getting But look we're saying all this, and they're
three points into a playoff spot, and yes they will
match up against if they shouldn't.

Speaker 2 (54:33):
Be Like you look at the race between Vancouver and Calgary, Utah.

Speaker 1 (54:39):
They should get in.

Speaker 2 (54:40):
Like I know they're gonna get Calgary. That Frost Farabee
trade is a good was a good trade.

Speaker 1 (54:46):
But I like it for them. They didn't give up
anything like they didn't the Cusbanco was doing nothing for them.
And and I think Peltier that's a tough one because
he you know, he worked as you know, that guy
was on waivers though earlier in the year. So yeah,
but uh, I hope the kid has a long career.
I think he knows what it's gonna take to stay

(55:09):
in the NHL. I just think that they had to
get something back in return for Frost and Farrabee, but
they could afford to take on those salaries, and I
honestly think those guys are going to do well in
that environment. I feel like Calgary is a very positive
place for a lot of players to play. But you
still get taught how to play the game the correct way,
and they're gonna come from a background like Torch. You

(55:30):
ain't playing the game if you're not playing the right way. Now,
it's probably a little too much sometimes he's a little
bit too much in these guys heads. But you know,
you learn a two hundred foot game when you play
with John torrella Man and that, and that's never a
bad thing. You Yeah, oh, has he only won one
Stanley Cup? Absolutely, but look what he did with Vincent Lecavalier,

(55:52):
a guy who famously didn't want to play defense, so
he turned them into one of the best defensive forwards ever.
And you know it didn't hurt the ed Marty Sands
if you got to go, I know, I know I'll
ramble on, but I wanted to ask you about Vancouver,
so you're there, and well he's.

Speaker 2 (56:07):
Relevant, Yeah, a couple Well, just there's a couple of
other things that we'll we'll get through the three more
things we'll get through here. Just untorts. Yeah, I'll say this,
if hired in Philadelphia, if I am Mike Sullivan, I
am bringing him behind a bench because that knowes the
other thing. Just back to this, back to the four

(56:27):
dation thing. Yeah, have something. They know each other really well,
and they will.

Speaker 1 (56:34):
I think they. I think he coached under him when
he was with New York. I think it was the
other way around.

Speaker 2 (56:39):
I believe whether Vancouver as well.

Speaker 1 (56:41):
Right, So okay, yeah, well yeah, so well has it
been that long, because God, it feels like Sullivan's I
think he isn't he one of the longest. He's been
with the Penguins for a while now. I thought he
left the Rangers for the Penguins. So I don't know
if the time, but maybe he did. Win was towards
the coach in Vancouver. It feels ever ago. Uh, from

(57:04):
twelve to it was one season? It was, Oh, it
was only one year there. Oh, I thought he was
there a couple of years.

Speaker 2 (57:11):
He made the he he made the most controversial decision
of not starting Roberto Lawongo in a in the Heritage
Classic against Ottawa. He well with Corey Schneider and then
shortly after that.

Speaker 1 (57:24):
It's tough though because because Schneider was such a considered
to be such a good goalie for I mean, like
Vancouver kind of had that embarrassment of riches and then
kind of happened again this year on accident with getting
Kevin Lancer in. But no, here's what I'll tell you.
I don't disagree with you. I think Torch, but I've

(57:45):
been told from people in the know that Torch is
a little long and that he's getting ready to kind
of not do the coaching gig thing full time. I
believe what's gonna happen is after this year he's gonna
step down and Philly is gonna place him with I
think if it was my choice, if I was Philly,
you know who i'd try to get. I hate to
say this Rick Talckett, but I've heard that if talktt

(58:11):
ops out of his deal this year, he's a free agent.
So I don't know, man the headache he had to
Now this being said, though he takes his team to
the playoffs, he may stick. I hope he sticks it out.
He's done an unbelievable job there, especially second go round.
I actually was really sad when he got fired in Phoenix.
I know there were some other contributing things going on.

(58:31):
But I think he can coach. I think he's a
great coach. I would be. Uh so, from what I've
been told is Torch will move into some front office
role like assisted to the GM or assisted to the
president or something, or like you know, special whatever. You know,

(58:52):
it's all they figure out a way to give these
guys money until they die. Now, once you get in
the game, they don't want you to get out, so
they got for everything. That's why I'm like, get rid
of the off side review. Sorry, nerds, you get you
lose your job looking at an iPad. It's ruining the game, so.

Speaker 2 (59:10):
Well take it forever, like too much to just get
rid of it.

Speaker 1 (59:16):
If it's this far off side, who efing cares, it
didn't matter twenty years ago. Let's just go. You know, like,
if it's five feet off sides, the league can call
it in and go it was hugely off sides, reverse it,
but we're not reviewing it. Just you know, it's over,
the goal doesn't count or whatever. You don't even lose time.

(59:37):
I would even back the clock up. It's like it's ridiculous.
So but uh yeah, I'm just.

Speaker 2 (59:44):
Before so I just want to stay in the Eastern
Conference and then I we'll go back to the four Nations. Here,
I think you talk about the best story in the
hockey I would actually disagree with you. I think it's
the Columbus Blue Jackets. Did say it was the story, Yep.

Speaker 1 (01:00:01):
I didn't say anything. I said they're running oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
they're not going to. They're not going to. And I
know I am right there with you. I mean, look,
I got the Johnny Gudroau Columbus jersey right over my
shoulder here. I I'm such a fan of them. Every

(01:00:23):
time I've gone to an NHL event and I met
Columbus fans, they're the classest, nicest people. They're so down.
They don't have anything there except for college football, which
they obviously Ohio State won the national championship if you
pay potential to US college football, and so that's that's
huge for those people there. But we've got this, I mean,
you know what's crazy is in a week we've got

(01:00:45):
this big event between them and Detroit right there at
the Horseshoe in Ohio State, and that game means something
in the standings because Detroit is one ahead now listen.
I was a huge Derek Lolan fan. I really liked him.
I thought he got a bad rap. I think sometimes
if you don't look the part, people will just destroy you.

(01:01:05):
I thought he was a good coach. Look, there was
something missing. They bringing Todd McClellan again. I love how
these guys keep getting chances. Tod McClellan's been a head
coach three or four times now, but he's a good coach.
He maybe needed a little bit of time away he's
been under. Their penalty kill was abysmal, like it's I
think they were at sixty percent. It was not good

(01:01:28):
at the Detroit Red Wings. So but they look like
they're back on track. But Dean Evison, the former Caps
assistant under Bruce Boudreau, I was a huge fan of
when he was Minnesota. I love him as a coach.
I'm so glad he got this job. I think demark Chenko. Uh,
these injuries that they've just had as of recent are

(01:01:50):
what's killing them. Yeah, and they have a better goal differential.
They they have a better home. They're seventeen and six
at home and four. They just can't win on the road.
They're nine, sixteen and four on the road. So I'm
with you. I love the Columbus chap. I would. I
think there's not a writer, there's not a reporter, Aaron Portchline,

(01:02:11):
all those guys that cover that team that doesn't want
to see that team make it in here's the problem, keV,
Who's who you're taking out? Is Florida not gonna make it? No,
they're making it. Toronto not gonna make it. They're making it, Tampa,
gonna make it right, and so de Trent so that
they're not. Well, here's the thing. So it's only gonna

(01:02:35):
be an Atlantic team that gets dropped because the three
Metro teams that are the top three, Washington's at eighty points,
Caroline is at seventy, and New Jersey's at sixty eight.
They're not falling out. They're not gonna fall out. New
Jersey's already kind of went through their struggles because of
the Markstrom injury, This, that and the other. This break's
probably helping them a ton too. Ottawa they found their goaltender,

(01:02:56):
all Mark when he wants to play, is gonna play.
They're a plug team and goal differential. Finally, I know
you think, but Ottawa's played fifty six games. Are at
sixty two points. It's gonna be a huge swing. And
the thing is, this is why I think they won't
get in, because Columbus isn't gonna have a chance to
probably beat an Ottawa. They're gonna only have the Metro

(01:03:19):
games because you know, the second half of this schedule
is gonna be a lot more division heavy. I just
think it's gonna be tough with the injuries for the
Blue Jackets to get in. You also have the Bruins
sitting there at sixty and all the Rangers are at
fifty five fifty eight. So the Rangers are right there
trying to make it with J. T. Millerad And if
you look at those three teams, who do you trust?

(01:03:41):
I mean, I think the Rangers will be a nipping
at their heels pretty soon too. I ultimately don't think
the Rangers get in either, But I just think they
they're you know, they're missing something there, you know, but
if they get their secondary scoring going, the Rangers clearly
have the talent. You know, Boston's a minus twenty five.
They have missed Hampless Landholm badly, but they they made

(01:04:04):
Don sweety. Don Sweeney wrote the book on What Not
to do in the offseason. Two him Chris Drury should
compare notes because Don Sweeney trades all Mark before he
has Swayman's why not sign Swam into an extension before
you trade all Mark? I bet you didn't cost you
eight million? And then you know what I'm saying, like, hey, Jeremy,
we want we want to keep you. We got all

(01:04:26):
Mark on the team, we got to decide we got
to sign one of you. Here's seven five boom. I
bet Swayman signs it. No problem. Then they trade all Mark.
He does at the exact opposite. He trades all Mark.
Then he makes Swam and hold out only to give
him what he was asking for in the first place.
They watched that and Swam and missus campany looks terrible

(01:04:48):
this year. So yeah, I mean Boston's had rebuild mode.
If they should be trading players away, if they're smart,
but they're not going to. No, they've but they probably should.
Let's end.

Speaker 2 (01:05:02):
Let's end their conversation on the back of the four
Nations and let me let's.

Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
Do a question more.

Speaker 2 (01:05:09):
First question, Yeah, do you expect Brad more Shawn to
start the game for Canada?

Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
No? I think it will be that Bennett line. I
think they're going to come out with the toughness, and
I think we might see his fight to start the game.
You think, do you think we see Okay, let me,
let me, let me.

Speaker 2 (01:05:27):
This is something I was thinking about because Devin mentioned,
we talked about this on Sunday, that Matthew Couldchuck was
a genius to start this. Yeah, you does does he
start that if Cale mccarr is in the lineup, And
I'm not saying that he's going to fight kle mccarr,
But there was a risk of take putting the US
in a penalty kill situation.

Speaker 1 (01:05:46):
Well they did. They did after the third fight. They
gave Canada a penalty which was absolute horseshit. But no,
I don't think it matters at all.

Speaker 2 (01:05:58):
But the fact that the US killed that off was
it was an untalked about turning point in the game,
because if Canada scores on that, that does put.

Speaker 1 (01:06:06):
The I mean, David scored like a few minutes after.
I don't know, I yeah, I don't know. Maybe I
don't disagree with that.

Speaker 2 (01:06:15):
They were they were in Canada with the the firepower
that they had, were over to on the power play
and I do think that that was a significant not
talked about enough point in the game.

Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
What you talked about it, you can't. I if it's
six power plays, there's a problem.

Speaker 2 (01:06:35):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:06:36):
I thought the officials did a great job the f
out of it. I hope that's what we now. Look,
I'm not saying I want to see like dirty uncalled
plays and stuff, but like it better be like a
significant penalty. But yeah, no, I mean, look, the US
does not want to play shorthanded against Canada at all,

(01:06:56):
Like that's they cannot. No, I don't think it changes
their mindset at all. keV to be honest with you,
because I think I had more to do with the
booing and the anthem, just like you know, everybody in
Montreal is rooting against them, so they're gonna You're gonna
go out fired up. It's adrenaline. I think, you know,
we're not hearing Brady could chuck on the ice. I

(01:07:17):
think after that it was like a no, I don't
want to say it was just a way for them
to kind of inject all that excessive energy and just go, boom,
we're done, we're gonna fight. We'll sit for five minutes.
By then, we're in the flow of the game. I
actually thought it could have backfired notoriously on the US,

(01:07:37):
and it didn't. That's why I think if it does,
I think if Canada wants to fight to start the game,
it will be them that initiates, and the US will
oblige because Canada did, like Hegel, Look what if everyone's like, oh,
could chuck blah blah blah, you're so much bigger. I'm like, well,
he asked, Hegel, and Hegel agreed. Hegel could have said
pound sand So, like, you know, isn't that sounds like

(01:07:58):
he has no Well that that's I think half the
league does it. Like Matthew Kachuk he he does, he
give the Do you think he cares? He's got a
Stanley cupp ring dude, God forbid. If Ottawa screws this
up and Brady and him are on the same team,
well you know it's gonna be unreal. Like so, I mean,

(01:08:22):
those guys play a lot like their dad. I think
people don't remember how good their dad was. Like he
was a nasty son of a bitch too, man, Like
he would cross check you like he was. I mean,
he played in that Dead Puck era. Too, and that
guy was scoring fifty goals all the time. I think
a lot of people didn't know Keith game because some
of his better years were in Winnipeg and Saint Louis.

(01:08:43):
But you know, guy was a beast. I mean, he
had a nice runs with the those Arizona teams when
they moved out of Winnipeg. But yeah, you know, dude,
like yeah, I don't think it makes any difference. I
think trying to read what the kachuck others are thinking too,
it could kind of be maddening for anyone's Let's just

(01:09:05):
have a good hockey game and hopefully it's physical and
good and I hope it's a good game. I think
Canada is going to be you know, they're going to
be dogging for revenge. I expect them to win this game.

Speaker 2 (01:09:17):
So I'm expecting the US to win this game, to
be honest, but I hear here's my two X factors
for Canada. I've always said that brianon Hegel was going
to be the X factor. I think that this is
a guy that's going to do something important and for
the US. I'm watching it for Kyle Connor.

Speaker 1 (01:09:36):
He needs to do something as lethal as a goalscorer
as he is at times, I'd love to see him
get a potter or two, and I think he did. Yeah,
he he he. You know when we talk about underrated
players that nobody talks about, Kyle Connor gets mentioned. He
is so good and I just would love to see
him shine. That's why I was really happy with Dylan

(01:09:56):
Larkin getting a really beautiful goal. But yeah, I really
would love to I'm with you on that, Kyle Connor.
I think I think it's going to be if it's
the US, I think I'm right there with you. I
you know, Uh Jarvis was in I would have picked
him to maybe do something, but yeah, Hegel, Hegel's could

(01:10:16):
make a difference there on the third line for sure.
I I think for the US, I think it's gonna
come from the back end. I think it's I think
Jake Sanderson or somebody that's gonna come in and and
surprise and maybe get a That's where they you know,
I saw a lot of the talk where we need
to get traffic in front of hellbuck Well. The US
didn't allow Canada.

Speaker 2 (01:10:35):
They did not, Yes, that's what they needed to play more.
Hegel and Jarvis though, because they were able to at least.

Speaker 1 (01:10:41):
Those those guys aren't physically big guys though, Kevin, that's
the thing, that's where you.

Speaker 2 (01:10:45):
Need a guy like Mark big. But he's he he
has a nose to get himself in.

Speaker 1 (01:10:51):
Front of the net. But you don't need to be
But Mark Stone is your guy that you're gonna plant
in front of the net. I mean, that's the guy
that you he's he's that's the guy.

Speaker 2 (01:10:59):
He's going to be smart, defensively political people that shouldn't
have been in the lineup.

Speaker 1 (01:11:03):
Oh you you're not a fan of Mark Stone being there.

Speaker 2 (01:11:06):
I think he's playing too too high up on the lineup.

Speaker 1 (01:11:09):
I think that I could have had.

Speaker 2 (01:11:12):
Like he's he's been put together by duck tape and
voodoo as well.

Speaker 1 (01:11:15):
Yeah, he's had a lot of injuries. But but Kevin,
like we when we talk about Selky Trophy winning players,
I know he has not one one, but like to
be a winger and even be in the conversation is
imposed so but just been years.

Speaker 2 (01:11:32):
It's yeah, he's played too high up in this lineup
for me, Like, I think I would have used him.

Speaker 1 (01:11:41):
I could.

Speaker 2 (01:11:42):
There's probably a few other players I would have been
able to see in that position.

Speaker 1 (01:11:47):
Yeah, I think if Brady Kachuk doesn't play, it's probably
disastrous for the US because he is such a physical force.

Speaker 2 (01:11:55):
I don't know, such disastrous, but it is a disadvantage.

Speaker 1 (01:11:58):
It's I mean, it's already you disadvantage without Quinn Hughes there.
So I I you know, and you know that well
being there in Vancouver, so I yeah, you know, who
are you going to bring in? Who are going to
bring in to replace Brady Kachuck? You know, it's twenty
seven year old Alexandro Vetchkin. He's just not there, you know.
I know Kachuck isn't the goal scorer that Ovi is,

(01:12:19):
but he kind of play that same power forward type game.
You know, he's very much his dad left wing like
just beast. You know. So well, I've enjoyed it, man,
thank you for having me on.

Speaker 2 (01:12:30):
I just wanted to say one more quick thing and
then you want to plug your stuff. This is I
don't think we've talked. A lot of people are not
talking about this, which is actually kind of surprising. This
is only the This is the first time since two
thousand and two that Canada and US are playing on
US soil.

Speaker 1 (01:12:48):
Yeah, since the since the Salt Lake City Olympics. I'm
just kid.

Speaker 2 (01:12:52):
You know that we've talked a little bit about the
booing and stuff, and I don't want to I like
to put that in just aside for just a second. Sure, sure,
I wonder what kind of advantage and unique perspective that
this game is going to bring that Canada is on
the road and the US is the home team. Because
they were Canada the home team.

Speaker 1 (01:13:12):
There's not gonna be one player there that's played internationally
that it's experienced a game in the US to that magnitude.
And I couldn't have picked a better hockey team if
you ask me. The two best hockey towns in the
US are Minnesota, Minneapolis Saint Paul and Boston. Because Boston,

(01:13:34):
like they love their college hockey, they love their high
school hockey like and half the players I mean, like,
I was so happy for Chris Krider, who didn't get
to play earlier. He's a guy could step up and
really make a difference. And he scored that goal thirty
seconds in. I'm like, right on, Chris Krider's in the lineup,
you know, so uh, you know, he's a Boston guy.

(01:13:55):
He's a guy that could make a difference because he
goes to the hard places. That's where his game is.
The guy scores all his goals, you know, five feet
from the net, you know. So I do agree with that.
I do think that you're going to see I think
that that there will be so much. But look, Canada
gets up to nothing earlier or something. You take the
crowd right out of it. It totally the case. But

(01:14:17):
it's still nu situation. If the US gets up big,
like if they get up two to one or three
one real quick though, in that game and that building
goes nuts, like it's gonna be un I think it's
gonna be like anything no one's seen. I think everybody's
gonna be like, oh, we thought Saturday was great and
the because I think the one thing that a lot

(01:14:38):
of Canadian hockey fans do this is they discredit the
US because we don't have the hot bed. But that's
not true. Man, Like I'm not saying we have as
many hockey fans per capita, but we have as much
population wise. There's thirty five million people that love the
game of hockey in the US, just like there is
in Canada. They just don't live in the same cities,

(01:15:02):
you know, So I do think you know that if
you're a Canadian and you're there, you're gonna be like wow,
because look, I mean, this is different than you're a
Game seven where you've got it at this that or
the other and oh, I don't know if you know,
someone will sell their ticket because people have lives and stuff.
This is something where it's one game people play. I

(01:15:23):
could have been at this game. Like, we bought tickets
my friend Mike, my co host on the on the
College Hockey show that I do every Friday at two
pm Eastern. For thirty minutes, we just talked college hockey
and mostly gambling stuff, but he lives in that area.
It was two hundred and fifty bucks. Nobody was interested
in this. Now these tickets are going for like twelve

(01:15:43):
hundred bucks for the cheap seats and five grand for
the good ones, so like like uh yeah on the
resale market. So if you get on a lot of people,
if you just get on these things early, you could
get a reasonable price. I could have flown from here
to Boston for three hundred bucks if I'd have booked
it two months ago. No problems so, but I I
ultimately decided not to go because of the Frozen four

(01:16:05):
trip and stuff. But I regret it now because this
would be an amazing event to be at. Uh, regardless
who wins. Uh, I hope it's a great game. I
hope it's not a blowout. I hope it's an overtime
or a one goal game, you know. And and that's
the thing I I anticipate we'll get a pretty darn
good game. It's a little disheartening the US has had

(01:16:26):
like all their issues, but look, I mean Canada's had
to overcome a bunch of stuff early too, so you
know they're going to uh they're gonna be playing at
their best and uh they're they've seen what the US
can do, so now we just got to prove it again.
So you know, it's it is what it is, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:16:46):
Yeah, it's gonna be a great game. Thanks for coming on.

Speaker 1 (01:16:49):
We appreciate it. Yeah, can I can I plug? Can
I plug our stuff? Well? So John Viveros who runs
hot Take Hockey, you know John, he's a Canadian. Uh,
he will be doing the live stream for the game
tomorrow on the Hotake Hockey channel. And we've been getting
you know, probably close to a thousand people between X

(01:17:09):
and stuff. He'll be broadcasting on my ex at Beard
Underscore Sports, so you can watch the channel there and
he's gonna do play by play just him. Obviously he's
a Canadian fan, but he takes everybody. I just love
that community because it's a place for people that love
hockey can come talk hockey. I think a lot of
this has brought out some toxicity, so I haven't been
enjoying a lot of the interactions that we normally have.

(01:17:31):
I think we'll get back to a little bit of
normalcy after the stuff is over. But because when it's
just your team, I don't think it's you're invested as much.
But yeah, so I just wanted to plug that and
then me Rico and Perlo and the digital Bostonian Mike.
We do NHL nightly five days a week, ten pm
Eastern that I'll start back up next week Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,

(01:17:53):
and we just do about an hour talking about the
news and events. Sometimes it's less, sometimes it's more. We
do a little bit of gambling. So we're trying to
get two years now, we're trying to get the show
going just like you guys, scrimping and by doing what
you can.

Speaker 2 (01:18:05):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:18:06):
I love it because I get to talk about hockey,
which is the greatest sport in the world with I
think the people that cover it, the people that play
in it, the people that run it are great people.
And I haven't been convinced otherwise. So you know, I've
been fortunate, uh to do it, and I'm happy and
I'm always glad to come on and talk talk with you. keV.

(01:18:27):
You're great, You're great man. I've been a fan of
you guys from day one when you guys were the
Shifts and Pucks podcast so podcast, No, no, what were you?
The Hockey Pody podcast? Hockey podcast? Yeah, sorry, they convincied
it the name, but yeah, that's I did. Like, that's
I did the College Hockey Show. I was like, I

(01:18:48):
can't think of a name, We're just gonna call it
the College Hockeys Hockey. Yeah, that was pretty much it. Yeah,
I couldn't give it. You can follow us.

Speaker 2 (01:18:55):
You can follow Sean Beardy kind of zero three, Tyler
t NLB l E, Chris's s C h An E
I D s Ed. Devin doesn't spend a lot of time.
On Twitter, He's gordhouzero nine. I am k E v
O l E on Twitter and all the social media's
and Facebook, dot Com, Shifts and Pucks, YouTube dot com,
Shift in Pucks, Twitch dot com Shift and Pucks subscribe
wherever you get your audio. Thanks for watching, thanks for listening.

(01:19:18):
We will talk to you all very soon.

Speaker 1 (01:19:20):
Bye for now. Thank you,

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