Halford & Brough in the Morning - Good Thing They Didn't Trade Brock, Eh

Episode Date: March 21, 2025

In hour one, Jason Brough and guest host Jamie Dodd look back at the previous day in sports (3:00) including a painful OT loss for the Canucks yesterday despite some late-stage heroics from Brock Boeser (6:00), the boys discuss the other top stories from around the NHL (27:00), plus they do some Ask Us Anythings (40:00). This podcast is produced by Andy Cole and Greg Balloch. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da- To the right circle, Besser with a slam shot, he scores! Brock Besser ties the game! He gets hot, let go. You know, we know that they're gonna be coming all over us everywhere on the ice. Now leakin' in, shoots tipped in, score! It's Brock O'Clock! Watch out for the shark attack! Ladies and gentlemen, the weekend. Woo!

Good morning, it is Halord and Brough here, Friday edition of the show on Sportsnet 650. Once again, for the final time here, no Mike Halford, I'm Jamie Dodd. Filling in, Mike will be back on Monday. Good morning, Brough. Good morning, how are you? I'm doing alright. I'm looking forward to the weekend. It's the end of the week. It's catching up to me a bit. The time takes its toll, doesn't it?

It does, it sure does. I was going to say, even for just a week it takes its toll. Good morning, Adog. Good morning. And good morning, Laddie. Hello, hello. There you go, got your catchphrase in. Did I catchphrase? It's two words. I think it's a catchphrase. One time I said, what's up to you? And it threw you. Well, I think it's a catch. Well, one time I said,

what's up to you and through you so much. I can't respond with hello. Hello. Hello. He's like, who's a wuzzle? What do I say? Put me on the spot. Halvin and bruff is brought to you by the Delari family of Honda dealers experience to the Larry difference today. Visit your nearest Delari Honda dealer today. This hour of the show brought to you by North Star Metal Recycling. Vancouver's premier metal recycler pays the highest prices on scrap metal. North Star Metal Recycling, they recycle, you get paid 1170 Powell Street. We are coming to you live from the Kintec studio. Kintec footwear and orthotics working together with you in step. Big show on a Friday as always here on Halford and Bruff.

Well, we'll start with the guest list at seven. AJ from AJ's Pizza will join us, chat about what's going on at AJ's Pizza. Of course, it's a massive sports weekend with March Madness in full swing now. So great time to post up at AJ's for like 12 hours and enjoy some sports and eat some pizza. 705 Frank Ceravalli, NHL insider from the Daily Face Off joins the show.

Some things to get into specifically related to the Canucks, but also some interesting news items from around the league to chat about with Frank at seven 30, Bob the Mojmar, Johnovic joins the show and then at eight Rick Dollywall from Donnie and Dolly. So two, not one, but two insiders on the show and then at eight, Rick Dollywall from Donnie and Dolly. So two, not one, but two insiders on the show today. Yeah, we're going to talk to Dollywall about, well, a number of things, but did Tom Willander's team get eliminated?

So they did from their conference tournament. Oh, I see. Okay. They're going to be an at-large selection is my understanding to the national tournament. Oh, okay. So his season is not done yet. His season is not done yet, but we will talk to

Rick Dollyball about the plan for Tom Willander. Yes, correct. So that's, uh, among other topics that we'll discuss with Rick Dollywall at eight o'clock. Now, of course, it is also an Ask Us Anything Friday here on the show. So you can send your Ask Us Anything questions in to the Dumbar Lumber Text Line 650-650 and because it's Friday we're giving away a hundred dollar gift certificate

to AJ's Pizza for the best what we learned. Now are Ask Us Anythings eligible here as well? Yes they are. Alright so the best either Ask Us Anything or What We Learned send it in hashtag WWL what you learned in the last 24 hours in sports. Has to be a pizza emoji too. Include the pizza emoji people. Do not forget about the pizza emoji. There have been so many great ask us

anythings that would have won. Alas, no pizza emoji. Don't be part of that tragic story. Don't do that. Don't do it to yourself. Include the pizza emoji and you'll have a chance to win 650 650 is the Dunbar Lumber text line. So again, 8 o'clock, Rick Dollywall, 730, Bob the Mojmar, Johnovich, 705 Frank Zara Valley, 7 AJ from AJ's Pizza. By the way, we'll announce the winner of

the gift card at 830 while we're reading what we learned and ask us anything. But before we do any of that, let's tell people what happened. Hey, did you guys see the game last night? No. What happened? I missed all the action because I was... We know how busy your life can be. What happened? You missed that?

What happened? What happened? What happened? What Happened is brought to you by the BC Construction Safety Alliance, making safety simpler by giving construction companies the best in tools, resources and safety training. Visit bccsa.ca. And it was a busy night in sports yesterday on the ice, on the pitch as well. Of course we got to start with the Vancouver Canucks. They lose a wild one 4-3 in overtime to the St. Louis Blues and the Canucks started off slow. They were actually up in the third period.

They blew the lead. Brock Besser tied the game with a big slap shot with mere seconds left before Philip Broberg eventually won it in overtime for the St. Louis Blues. Yeah, that was a roller coaster. I, I, I don't know after all was said and done, whether it was a point lost or a point gained or just a point. It was just a point for the Canucks. Honestly, my big takeaway from that game was like, both teams should feel bad about themselves.

The Blues should feel bad for blowing it in regulation. Both teams should be disappointed after that game. That's more than anything. That's fair. I don't know how Besser got so wide open in overtime. Anyway, we'll get to that. The game did not start well for the Canucks. I guess their first two shifts were fine, but the first period clearly outplayed by the Blues, but managed to escape with a scoreless tie, thanks in

large part to Kevin Lankanen in goal. I wonder if he's getting tired yet. That could be a factor. The Canucks started the second much better, but they couldn't beat Jordan Bennington. And it wasn't until later in the second, I think about five minutes left in the second, Zach Bolduc, man, you just eat that guy's good.

Can't leave him alone. Can't leave him alone. It was an innocent looking shot. Alas, it was inadvertently tipped into his own goal by Quinn Hughes and the Blues held a one nothing lead after 40 minutes. So it was desperation time for the Canucks heading into the third. And that's when a solid four check led to Kiefer Sherwood taking a pass from Philipp Hronik and ripping one home.

The game did not stay tied for long, about five minutes after Sherwood tied it. Elias Pettersson made a really nice defensive play at his own blue line. He got the puck to Nils Hoeglund who upped it to Brock Besser and Hoeglund went hard to the net. With Hoeglund providing the screen, Besser fired a pass Bennington to give the Canucks the lead.

It was also Besser's 200th career goal and it was good to see Hoaglander go get the puck for him. So it was 2-1 for the Canucks. I don't need that at 6-07 in the morning. Thank you, Lydie though. It was. It's 200 goals. For the 2-1 goal and an eventual 4-3 loss.

I'm happy for Besser. I'm sorry for being happy. You're forgiven. Apology accepted. Uh, there was another two goal turnaround to come and, uh, not the good version. If you're a Canucks fan in the span of 24 second, the Blues scored twice to take a three, two lead halfway through the third period. And the enterprise center was rocking.

The corporate names really make it tough to say those sorts of things. Like, and the enterprise center. Down to the end last night, we had a great time. Over the next 10 minutes, the Canucks tried desperately to tie the game, but as the clock ticked down and down, it didn't look good. And I started walking out of the room, because I had to take the garbage out, and now there were fewer than 10 seconds remaining, and then this happened. Justin Falk battling for it down low. Canucks try to get it free, it's cleared out to center,

Queen, Hughes has it to the red line, 10 seconds left. Hughes makes a move, passed it off the left wing, it's sent to the right circle, Besser with a slam shot, he scores! Makes a move. Passed it off the left wing. It's sent to the right circle. Bessar with a slam shot! He scores! Brock Bessar ties the game with 2.7 seconds left on the clock. His second of the night. This one at 6 on 5 makes it 3-3. And the Canucks have grabbed this game back from the brink. So, a great play by Quinn Hughes at center to open up a passing lane. He did his dancing.

He has Quinn Hughes dancing, uh, opened up a passing lane to Petey at the blue line. Then a terrific cross-ice pass. Good vision by Petey to find Besser who was somehow completely unchecked. Uh, and then an awesome slapper by Besser to beat Jordan Bennington. Uh, so at the very least, the Canucks had managed to earn a point on the night but the Blues were the ones who came away with two points because this happened in overtime. All the way stretches it to center for chant Chen rather chance for two on one great and Shannon front for Robert to the back He scores The Canucks claw back to earn a point in st. Louis, but Philip Broberg ends it

With one 18 left in overtime and the Blues win four to three against it with one 18 left in overtime and the blues win four to three. So there's a lot to unpack from last night in St. Louis, but why don't we start with a winning goal for St. Louis? Jamie, what happened in overtime? So it's a great question. There is a bit of a, like a Rorschach test

element to this, right? Because Patterson does turn the puck over that leads to the Blues going the other way. Now you can dial it back a little bit and say, well, Quinn Hughes kind of puts him in a tough position there by passing to him in a spot where he doesn't have speed. You know, the Blues are able to converge on him and put pressure on him. And then Jake DeBrusk, I think compounds things as well by going off for a change. Roll them. And kind of just letting, letting the blues pick up speed and have a two on one the other way.

So I think the best way to look at it is basically three, three of your top players, we don't always include Jake DeBrusk in that mix, but he is, he's one of their highest paid players, highest paid forwards. Three of your top players made kind of compounding mistakes in the span of about five seconds. And you do that in overtime. But who do we blame the most? That's the most important thing. Hold on, hold on. We have to, but we have to have someone who

gets blamed the most. Honestly, for maybe, I don't know, I don't pick on Quinn Hughes very often, but you know, I think Quinn put Pedersen in a bad spot there. Um, saw that he was flat footed, but, um, one of the things I want to get into later on with you is, um, you know, whether or not Quinn just played too much in the game. And so maybe it was just like exhausted and it's not just your legs that go when you're tired, it's, you know, your brain goes a little bit too.

I agree that it wasn't a great idea by Quinn Hughes, but if you're at Leas-Peterson, you still have ample opportunity to make a better play. Like just because Quinn Hughes passes it to you there. You're always picking on me, man. This is kind of a pro-Peterson show in the morning. Yeah. What can I say? I know.

You know what I mean? It's like, it's not like, oh, well, I guess I have no choice, but to skate forward into pressure now, you could do something else. You could make another play. But that's what I mean. It was compounding mistakes. It wasn't a great read by Quinn Hughes, a soft play by Patterson, a bad read by

Debrusk. And when there's only three guys on the ice at a time and all three of them make a bad read in the span of about five seconds, you're in trouble. Well, let's hear what Rick Tauke at the head coach had to say about the play in overtime. Well yeah well we did a nice job in Calgary and I don't know we aborted the plan when you don't have speed just throw it back get some fresh people out there and I think we're making those short passes with nobody

standing still you gotta and then we don't, you know, obviously we gotta get back on that two on one that we don't play right. But hey, listen, we gotta clean it up. Gotta clean that stuff up. So earlier in the post game availability, Tuckett said, you know, it was good to get the point and they showed some resilience and grit, but overall a sloppy game by the Canucks.

That's what he deemed it. And I think a lot of that was about the overtime, which was sloppy. But I just wonder about, I really wonder about fatigue for Quinn Hughes. So I don't know how much we're going to talk about the Canada, Mexico game, but at the end of the game and actually for quite a bit of it, but mostly in the end,

Alfonso Davies just tried to play hero ball. Like I was yelling at the TV, you got to pass the ball, man. Please pass the ball. And we all know that he is the most talented player on that Canadian team and a lot is expected and Canada was down in that match real early and I think he felt that it was on him to get the job done.

Like he's not, like Canada has more talent than they used to, but they're not Bayern. Yes. Right. They're not Bayern Munich. And so when Davies plays with, with Bayern, he's surrounded with a lot more talent and he feels like he can trust his teammates a little bit more, probably. It didn't look like he trusted anyone last night, uh, down in LA against Mexico. And sometimes I get that vibe with Hughes and I really got that

vibe last night with Hughes. Yeah. And especially it's not so much the play in overtime for me that makes it stand out, but there were some shifts in the third period where, look, it's great. The Quinn Hughes is a shooting threat and he is, he can be really dangerous when he is using his skating to beat defenders, open up

shooting lanes and snap that wrist shot. I mean, we've seen him score a lot this year on that play. It can be a really good, dangerous, effective play for the Canucks, but there were moments in the third last night where it wasn't that. score a lot this year on that play. It can be a really good, dangerous, effective play for the Canucks, but there were moments in the third last night where it wasn't that. It was more just like, usually, you know, what's the Seinfeld line with the guy in basketball, a chucker, where you just get the ball and it's like, boom, you're chucking it up the

net. Who's this chucker? There was a couple of shifts where that was him, right? He's at the point and he gets it and it's just boom. It is off his stick immediately without doing the kind of setup work that he so often does to make it really a really effective chance. And I mean, it's pretty tough for us to come in here and like level any criticism at Quinn Hughes considering how absolutely ridiculous he's been and where this team would be without him.

I do think probably more than anything it's him. Cause if you're Quinn Hughes, like what's the message you've I do think probably more than anything, it's him. Because if you're going to use like, what's the message you've taken from this season more than anything? It's I'm so important to this team. Without like, without me, they're lost. I'm not saying that's an ego thing or anything. That's just, that's the facts of the matter.

So you're in this massive game, biggest game of the season. You're desperately trying to make the playoffs. How could you not be tempted to take it all on yourself? You know what I mean? The inbox is blaming Debrusk by the way, neither Pedersen or Hughes seem to be getting much flack, it's mostly been Debrusk. Yeah, all three of them made mistakes.

Debrusk should have stayed on the ice and pressured the D-man. Um, you know, in, in overtime it's basically if one person gets beat, then it's a huge advantage for the other team. And now Debrecht did get off the ice and Besser came on and was further, was closer to the Vancouver goal when he did get on, but Besser, I don't know

if Debrecht was gassed himself. I have no idea, but if he had stayed on and pressured the puck carry a little bit more, it wouldn't have been quite as easy to make that stretch pass, I have no idea, but if he had stayed on and pressured the puck carry a little bit more, it wouldn't have been quite as easy to make that stretch pass, I imagine. But listen, like I. Well, also hold on, hold on. The real person we should be blaming for the

OT goal is Rick Taukett for reprogramming Petey's brain such that he didn't feel comfortable regrouping. Here we go. Yeah. This is, it's, it's like, I almost regret having Rick Taukett. Having the interview. It's like, we are so Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This is, it's like, I almost regret having the interview. Having the interview.

It's like, we are so sorry about this. Yeah. We did not know. Yeah. We did not understand. I don't know. I think it's gotten to the point right now where it's just messy with everything.

Yeah. This has been a very, very messy season for the Canucks and going back to the JTPD thing, it's just been messy and everyone's dug in on their opinions and like you were saying, like some people don't even know if they're joking or not, when they're throwing out tweets on, on social media. Like, like East West now has become like this,

this, like this weird thing and, and, and talk. It is kind of not helping himself because he's using it constantly in the, uh, in his post game avail too, right? Like he said, yeah, I liked the tying goal. We got going north, right? Like, so he's like, okay, but there was an East West pass there. The PD made to Besser, right?

Like, so everyone's just like, we're just, I think, I think everyone has kind of lost the plot at this point. We're going to set the record in this market for most conversation about the cardinal directions on the ice like yeah Yeah, every play now is filtered through which direction was the but was that puck traveling north? Oh, I don't like that play That was a traveling East West. Oh, that's a good play then and so what about if it goes northeast? Sometimes I see why I like professional athletes might want to play in like a place like Carolina or something where yeah Don't care about this stuff. There's like why are we are we talking about this? Where nobody knows what North says.

Yeah, like who cares? Like, what are we doing here? Yeah. I heard, I heard people like Petey would have made a different play if his brain hadn't been reprogrammed. I was like, I don't know. He just kind of bobbled the puck. He just lost the puck.

I don't think anyone was programming to do that. No. Like, and that's, and that was also an element of, you know, the big question of what's going on with Pedersen skating, right? Like he just, he was flat footed and he, he had no acceleration there, like nothing. And you, you need to be able to, to, you know, not like he was going to beat those three blues, but to

make a better play helps if you can have a little bit of juice. Oh God, I used it from Drance in your legs. Don't worry. You'd only be like Drance if you then used it like six times in the next five minutes as well. Following up on that, Matt, the flower delivery guy at Surrey says all three of them looked

gassed in overtime. Quinn played five of the last six minutes of the third. And you know. He played 11 minutes in the third, two more minutes in overtime, logged over 30 minutes of the third and you know. He played 11 minutes in the third, two more minutes in overtime, logged over 30 minutes on the night and it brings up one of these good debates. Is that too much?

Maybe, but is a kind of gassed Quinn Hughes better than anyone else? Like Marcus Ped Pederson that you're putting out there? Yeah. Yeah. And to me, it's pretty much a simple question of, if you're not like risking long-term injury for Quinn Hughes by playing him this much, it's an organizational goal to make the playoffs and

you might need to play Quinn Hughes that much. Now you can see the slip, the slippage in his game, but I think still he's your best option so often to do something. Well look at the play he made on the tying goal. Yeah. Right? Like it all started with him at center ice.

I mean, there's no way where the Canucks were at that point in the game with the pocket center ice. There's no way that that should have led to a goal for the Canucks. Like the Blues had pretty much everyone back. Quinn Hughes does his dancing at center, finds Pedersen at the blue line, and then Pedersen makes a play, really nice pass to Besser and Besser scores. Now I don't know what the Blues were doing defensively. It's a great question.

On that, and if that was the the roles were reversed we would be killing the catcher. Hey why is everyone on the same side of the ice? The number of chances, I'm not trying to take anything away from the Canucks because it's a great series of plays from Hughes, Pedersen, Besser on that tying goal and they deserve credit, but the Blues left the door so wide open by having zero killer instinct and failing to put away that game and you're exactly right if this if we were a st. Louis Blues focused show Yeah, we'd be we'd be celebrating and giving them kudos for winning an overtime But we would also be absolutely carving them for that sequence

you know the wild thing is the Defenseman on the left side like the st. on the left side, like the St. Louis blues left side, which is where Besser ends up scoring that goal is Ryan Suter. And he goes all the way over pretty much to Patterson. It's like, he's the most veteran veteran in the NHL. Ryan Suter has played like a million games in the NHL. Buy me out again. Buy me out again. I'll find another two. He's getting made by like 16 right now. Completely do it, yeah. Um, I just wanted to read this, uh, from Ian McIntyre's post game column.

He, under the, under the title Demco update, uh, he writes, uh, goalie factor Demco out since February 8th with his third injury this season is on the trip for the Canucks and could play in the New York area as Vancouver visits the Rangers, New Jersey's, uh, New Jersey Devils and Islanders over a span of five days starting Saturday at MSG. Um, I, I, I wonder about Kevin Lankton and like

he's played so well, but he's gotta be getting tired. You would think so. But the risk too, like I know there's a risk of putting sea lobs in and I don't know how much upside there is. It's mostly downside risk. Um, there's also a risk in putting Thatcher Demko into this, right?

Like remember when he came back and I, um, and he was struggling early on and he said, yeah, I feel like I've just kind of lost touch with my game a little bit. And that one really stood out to me because it's not only recovering from the injury and making sure that you're physically ready to go. It's also just getting a feel for the game back. Has he lost his feel for the game in the last

little while that he's been out again, because you're going to throw him in this situation where Has he lost his feel for the game in the last little while that he's been out again? Because you're going to throw him in this situation where you've got some desperate teams. Now the Rangers lost again at home yesterday, so they may be desperate, but they're not playing particularly desperate. And I, and I don't know if they're going to throw

Demko in there for a 1pm start against the New York Rangers. Probably not, a 1pm start against the New York Rangers. No. Probably not, but maybe he plays against the Islanders and that's a desperate team right now and that's a desperate team that's actually winning some games. So if, when, and how they put Thatcher Demko back in is going to be really interesting to watch. Well, especially because you can't really afford a ramp up period for him, right? That's what I'm talking about.

Right? It's not like, well, it's going to take him a couple of games to get back to a, it's like that could end your season. A couple of bad games from your goal, they could end your season right now. But you also just can't ride Lankton and you can't, you have to give Demko at least a handful of games here. If he's ready to go, you have to play. You have to play him and you have to see what you get, but it's a big roll of

the dice for this Canucks team. 650-650 is the Dunbar Lumber text line. Some good Ask Us Anythings coming in. If we have time, we can get to some of those on the other side, but it was a busy night around the NHL as well. Lots to dig into from the world of hockey last night. So we'll do that after a quick commercial break. Here it is, Halford & Brough Sportsnet 650. It's Canucks Central with Dan Riccio and Satyar Shah, your destination for everything Canucks. Exclusive interviews, inside info, and even the post game show. Listen 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays and on demand through your favorite podcast app. I would have never guessed being a young kid that I'd score this many goals in the league. So it's definitely awesome and it's something that I definitely cherish.

Welcome back to Halford and Bruff here on Sportsnet 650. It's Jamie Dodd and Jason Bruff here on the show. Halford will be back on Monday. Halford and Bruff brought to you by the DeLari family of Honda dealers. Experience the DeLari difference today. Visit your nearest DeLari Honda dealer today. This hour is brought to you by Northstar Metal Recycling, Vancouver's premier metal recycler pays the highest prices on scrap metal. Northstar Metal Recycling, they recycle, you get paid 1170 Powell Street. 650 650 is the Dumbar Lumber text line, Metro

Vancouver's trusted choice for contractors and rental warriors for over 50 years. Visit them at one of their three locations to serve you or online at DumbarLumber.com and it is an Ask Us Anything Friday so send your submissions in for that. Send your what we learned submissions in as well, hashtag WWL, what you learned in the last 24 hours of sports, and of course we're giving away a $100 gift card to AJ's Pizza for the best, either what we learned or Ask Us Anything. If you want to be entered in that, you want to be eligible for the gift card, include

the pizza emoji in your text. We'll announce the winner at 8.30. Uh, there's some good ones coming in, in the inbox that we can get to in a second here, but first we should go through some of the news around the NHL from last night because it was a very busy night and not a great one for the Canucks on the out of town scoreboard either, Bruv.

Yeah, Calgary had a comeback win in New Jersey. That was a real statement win for them. Utah beat the Buffalo Sabres and I tuned into the end of that game and Utah had a 3-2 lead and Buffalo had the goalie pulled. And then, do we have the audio of this laddie? We don't? Okay. Well, long story short,

Buffalo scored on its own net. They put it into the empty net. It was a delayed penalty. So things were looking good for the Buffalo Sabres. And then, oh, you got it? Okay. Let's play what happened to the saddest of the sad, the Buffalo Sabres. Sabres throw it away and this is going to maybe go into the net off the boards. Oh my

goodness it did. So thanks a lot for that Buffalo. Utah won as well. So if you're looking at the standings for that final wild card, it's still really tight. The blues currently hold the second wild card spot, but they've played more games than the Canucks flames and Utah. They've played 70 games, only 12 games left for the St. Louis blues. They have 77 points. Canucks have played 69 games.

Alfred would say nice there. They've got 76 points. Canucks have played 69 games. Alfred would say nice there. They've got 76 points. Calgary's played 68 games. They've got 75 points. So the Canucks and the Flames based on points percentage have the same points percentage. Yeah.

And St. Louis is essentially there as well. It's 550 for St. Louis, 551 for both of the Canucks and the Flames. So basically a three way tie at this point. Yes. And then Utah is a bit behind, but you know, Geraint says they're the best team.

So they're obviously going to come back and win this thing or get the wild card spot. Uh, they played 69 games. They have 73 points. So they're four points out of a playoff spot and the blues have one, uh, and the blues have only played one more game than Utah. So it's tight.

Like I don't know what to say any more than that. We'll see how it's going to pan out. The rest of this road trip though is going to be tough for the Canucks, you know. It's a six game road trip. They played one of the games. They're looking, some of their top players are looking tired.

We just talked about Quinn Hughes. Now the good news is Brock Besser is starting to heat up, Pedersen is starting to produce points. He's making some key plays in the game. Um, we already talked about whether or not Thatcher Demko would get in during this road trip. It would be nice if he could. It'd be even nicer if he played well when he returns, but

Kevin Lankinen has got to be getting a little bit tired. Um, I just wanted to talk a little bit about the East race because the Canucks are playing the New York Rangers on Saturday. And just a reminder, that's a 10 AM start tomorrow, our time, 1 PM start for the Rangers at MSG. And you know, the Rangers lost again last night

at home. It wasn't quite as bad a performance as the other night against Calgary, but they lost to the least four to three and they are now two points out of the second wild card spot and the team that holds that wildcard spot. And the team that holds that wildcard spot, the Montreal Canadians have two games in hand on the Rangers.

So the Rangers are not looking very likely to make the playoffs. In fact, the team that beat the Montreal Canadians in overtime yesterday on a goal by Bo Horvat. The New York Islanders who the Canucks will also face on this road trip are looking the best of the two New York teams and they are tied in points with the Rangers with 72 points and they have two games in hand on the Rangers. So the Islanders have kind of come out of nowhere and they're

officially part of this race now. Even Columbus with their losses in a row, they're one point back of the Rangers with two games in hand. They've got a better points percentage than the Rangers. You can make the argument pretty easily of Montreal, the Islanders, the Rangers, the Blue Jackets, that the Rangers are in the worst spot of those teams. The Rangers actually have a lower points percentage than Detroit. Yes. They're in a very tough spot to beat out all of those teams. The Rangers actually have a lower points percentage than Detroit. Yes. They're in a very tough spot to beat out all of

those teams, especially just considering how they're playing and the state of that roster. Yeah, the Canucks have to jump on them. Yes, absolutely. Like they really do. They are there for the taking based on the way they've been playing the last little while. And especially at home, they've had this run of

playing Canadian teams at Madison square garden and it is not going well for them. And I think if you look at, you know, you start to do the things where you count kind of the games left for the Canucks and start mentally, okay, win this one, you can lose that one, win this one. These next four games, I won't include the last one on the road trip against the Winnipeg Jets, but against Eastern conference, playoffs driving teams or a playoff team in New Jersey. So Rangers, Devils, Islanders, Blue Jackets, you need to at a bare minimum is win two is two out of those four games. You'd love to win three. I think two, you're still very much alive because one of my takeaways

from last night and the Canucks and the Blues, and I made the joke about, you know, both teams should feel bad about themselves after that game. But I do think you saw why, like it's unlikely anyone is going to run away with this in the final 13 or 14 games of the season. These teams, like if these teams were capable of that, they probably would have already done it. They wouldn't be in this position. There's enough flaws on all of these teams. Totally. That everyone's going to stay in the mix here. And I think it's going to end up being close. So everyone always like, it's a turtle Derby. It's like, yeah, they're.

Yeah, they're all mid. They're, they are all mid teams. They're not. So like they're so inconsistent. Mm hmm. That's what, uh, I think mid teams do. Two out of four of these next four keeps the Canucks in the race and man, you would love to

start with a win against a floundering Rangers team on Saturday to put yourself in a better position. Um, so a couple other notes from last night in the NHL, the Washington Capitals clinched a playoff berth. They're the first team to do that. I don't know if anyone predicted that the

Washington Capitals would be the first team to clin that. I don't know if anyone predicted that the Washington Capitals would be the first team to clinch a playoff berth. And Alex Ovechkin scored again. By Ovechkin low here to Dubois. And then Reemstein gets the shot through, rebound, he scores! Alex Ovechkin on the rebound! Ershin went down! It's 8.88 for the great eights!

What a great game! Alex Olmetskin on the rebound. Ayrson went down. It's 8.88 for the great eights with 5.35 to go in the first. It's one. Nothing, Washington. So, was it seven goals away now? Yep. For OV and that's to break the record, not tie. Correct.

Six to tie, seven to break it. Um, the other bit of news that I wanted to pass along was that the Edmonton Oilers suddenly have some injury concerns. Um, they did manage a point off the Winnipeg Jets last night, but they played that game without dry sidle. Um, and I think Stuart Skinner got removed by the concussion spotters last night.

Is that Ladi, that yeah. That's correct. And also Connor McDavid had to leave the game. I think he got cross-checked in the ribs or they called, oh, the Oilers called it a lower body injury. I think it was Josh Morrissey. More of a mid-body injury. Right, a mid-body injury.

I, I, regardless, it didn't look super serious at the time, but McDavid did have to leave the game last night. So, uh, the Oilers have few injury concerns as the season is ticking down and getting close to the playoffs. Yeah. I mean, that's a pretty significant one with

Connor McDavid. And it's, it's not the kind of thing that is likely to keep him out of games, but you always just wonder about effectiveness and if it's bothering him at all. I mean, that Edmonton team needs those two guys at the top of their games every night, right? So if he's even a little bit off come playoff time, that could be a potentially significant

issue for the Oilers. Um, I want to go into the inbox and do some, uh, some ask us any things here. Uh, we'll start with a Canucks one. Adam, the former Bath Guy says ask us anything. You have to answer this one. I don't know. That's fine. Would you rather sign Brock Bester to a 6 by 7.75 million AAV contract or Pugh Souter to a 4 times 4.5 million AAV? You can only choose one. I'm going Pew suitor. Yeah, I think I might too. For the simple fact of it's shorter and less expensive.

And if you can avoid the like term, we so often focus on the dollar amount. Term is what screws team more than anything. Yes. Right? Getting locked into the long-term deals that aren't working out. And yeah, I know the cap is going up and that

lessens the risk a little bit, but term is the thing I'm most concerned about. And look. As long as he's not allowed to take defensive zone face-offs. Yeah. They can, if they find someone else who can do that job. God, could he have lost that cleaner? No.

No, he could not have. And it was not a, not a strong showing in the face-off circle for him. That's not his role. Of all of the things he does really well, that is not one of them, but he does another thing. That's another thing they lost with JT Miller, by the way.

Yep. Like he pretty good. And who's their best face-off guy now? Petey. He hasn't been great, but. Yeah. And he's lost some clean ones too. Even like Neils Amann, the guy they're plugging in,

like he's not a good face-off guy. You know what I mean? They don't have that option on the roster. That's clearly going to be a part of their to-do list in the off season. But I just think Pugh's suitor, like full credit to Brock Besser for turning it around. Two massive goals last night.

Great showing against Winnipeg. Great to see him back to scoring goals, feeling good about his game. And look, I don't think six by 7.75 is like a disastrous contract for Brock Besser or anything. I just think Pugh Souter, you're getting him significantly cheaper, significantly shorter. He's a center.

He can do so many different things for you. I like the deal, that deal and that risk much better than the, the Besser one proposed here. Okay. Let's do a few more, ask us any things. Sean from New West, ask us anything. What is your Mount Rushmore of places or times to drink a beer? Sean says mine would be the just woke up camping

beer, number two, airport beer before vacation. Well, that's a good one. Three golf course beer, four, just a patio beer, casual patio beer. So I love all those options. I don't camp a lot. I should camp more, but I don't. Post game hockey beer is got to be on there.

Post game hockey beer is number one on my list. Absolutely, clearly number one on my list. What do you drink? Like a heavy stout or what do you drink? Chocolate stout. Yeah. We have had some guys Yeah, but a rebel brought some ales to the room. Yeah, like all right get out

He joked a liquor store he joked get a longer, but I would do that. That's that's the thing We've had this discussion before so a nice heavy Yeah, but why would you do that to your teammates if they don't want that? Yeah. Well, I'm not a team player Clearly I'm selfish. We know that from this show. Yeah, I think the patio one is underrated They're coming in at number four just all the patio beer. We're just some buddies and talking. Yeah, you sit down It's a beautiful day. You're outside and I think it's just also I mean like the first Friday beer You know what? I mean, like it's Friday. Yes, you're done. You're it's the weekend. I know 5 a.m Like alright nice is the weekend a nice crisp lager right after you finish mowing the lawn I

Don't have in your in your hammock It's hard to drink in a hammock. I know. You know, it's hard to drink lying down. You got a giant pint. Yeah, good. Ballpark beer comes in the inbox. That's a good suggestion. I mean, pretty much any time it's hot, really. Also, it's like, I was going to say, I don't really discriminate. Just hit me with a beer. Oh, me too. It's a nice shower beer hasn't come up yet. Yeah, shower beers are pretty good. Like not but back in the day the shower beer before you went out for a night Like I don't have fun anymore. So but when I did it was great to have that warm-up shower beer. I like The you've done something beer though

Yeah, you know like you've rewarded yourself with a beer and there is a bit of a hydration thing Like I always forget my water bottle for hockey games. So my beers are actually like hydration too. I don't think it works like that. Oh, I think it does. See, I don't need, I don't need to reward myself. You don't? Yeah. The beer is the reward. I don't know.

Like I, you just, I don't need to earn a beer. I just need to want a beer. You know what? You earn it by being you. That's right. Exactly. You're a good person. All the time. Sean and Vernon ask us anything. You're a good person. I'm learning it all the time. Uh, Sean and Vernon, ask us anything. Sports are always about moments.

What sports moment was the last one to make you shed tears? Okay. I am not a crier. I'm not a big crier. Um, it's just kind of jam those feelings down. That's right. Yeah. You know, comes out on the golf course.

That a boy. I. And I snap hook one and that's when, that's when the That's running. Yeah. Comes out on the golf course. That a boy. And I snap hook one and that's when the feelings come out. The only actual time in my life, I think, that a sports game has made me cry is 1989 when the Canucks lost in overtime to the Flames. I was 12 or 13 or something like that and And I was like so upset because it was the first time that I had personally, like I was too young for 82, so I don't really remember that run.

And the Canucks were horrific until then and they still weren't very good. But they pushed the Flames all the way and they should have won in that overtime and they didn't win. And the Flames went on to win the Stanley Cup. So that's how big an upset it would have been. And yeah, I just like, it was the first time I ever felt that, oh, I'm so nervous.

And then it didn't go my way. I think my whole life has been affected by that. Well, like my whole life has just been like trying to avoid the trauma of. Think about how happy you could be if that hadn't happened. What a different life. It's like a sliding door situation for you. I've brought in, I brought this up before and I wonder if people that grew up in like

Edmonton in the 80s have a more optimistic view of life. Or like people who were born in Boston in like the late 90s. That gets canceled out by the fact that they live in Edmonton. Well, actually the one thing that gets canceled, no, but that's the way it would be. Nobody has more zest for life than Edmontonians. We can overcome anything. The only thing that would kind of the Steve Smith own goal might give them pause. Right?

But like, whatever. It was in the run of this incredible run of success where you're winning Stanley. Well, I had a friend who grew up in Edmonton and was a big Oilers fan. And, uh, the day after that happened, he was in elementary school. His mom had to come pick him up because the

teacher was telling him like, he's still very upset. So I was thinking about this question when it came in. I think I can remember three times that sports have made me cry in my life. The first, 94 Stanley Cup, game seven, I was eight. So very similar experience. I'm sure there's a lot of people in the inbox that can relate.

I remember going up to my room and just lying on the bed, closing the door and crying and getting mad at Marc Messier I think I cried or at least was like fighting back tears at the last Vancouver Grizzlies game. Oh really was my dad and I had season tickets and I remember I loved huge basketball fan Loved the Grizzlies despite everything and I remember after the game Sharif got on the mic and like addressed the crowd. It was basically like, listen guys, we don't know what's going to happen, but thank you. And I don't know if I was like full on crying, but it was definitely like an emotional moment. And then the last one that I can recall in 2015, not the Bautista bat flip, but when the Jays clinched

the playoffs. And that one was because that, Well, there's a reason, don't worry. Because again, my dad and I had been big Blue Jays fans together. My dad had passed earlier that year. So it had been, yeah, now don't you feel bad? I feel bad now. Jerk. So it had been, you know what?

Crying over the Jays? 23 years or 22 years since they had made the playoffs and that was a very emotional moment. Well for me, those are the only ones I can recall. The Jays are my only team and they didn't play a single high-stakes game through my entire childhood. So no I did never I never cried over the Blue Jays growing up. So were you alive when they won the World Series? I was born in late 1990 so I was alive technically. Right.

There's pictures of me watching it but I don't have any recollection of it. I just missed the great years. It's funny you say that the Joel Otto goal is so formative in that experience, so formative to your life, because I always think, like I've been a massive sports fan as long as I can remember. And when I look back on it, 92 and 93 at the Jays won the World Series,

I'm six and seven, and then the Canucks go to the Stanley Cup Final Game seven the next year, I'm eight. And I think part of me must have just been like, this is incredible. This happens all the time. This is amazing. Your teams are just constantly going on these great runs and in these massive games.

And then it's been, it was like nothing until 2011 and nothing since then for any of the teams I cheer for. Yeah. My childhood was pretty bereft of those moments. That's why I talk about the 87 Canada Cup so much. Yeah. I was 11 years old when that happened and that was incredible.

Okay, Kevin on the road, ask us anything, would you rather be financially set for life, but know the Canucks will never win a cup in your lifetime or have the Canucks win the cup this year? So you're basically asking me, if the Canucks win the cup this year? So you're basically asking me if the Canucks win the cup this year or be financially set for life. What's more important to you, financial stability or Canucks cup?

How set are we talking about here? Sorry Canucks, I'd pick the money. Name the number. That's what I need to know too. Are we talking like, you know, you gotta be, you have money and you're fine, but you're coupon clipping and scraping by, or are we talking like, oh yeah, I can go on a vacation. Like how set are we talking here? That's the question.

Am I above the law financially set? I would like to know that. Above the what? Above the law. Do you remember in Kingpin? Finally bigger and it's above the law. Do I have enough money to buy off the justice system that yeah that's my price then I'll take it I mean I lean towards I lean towards financially separate of course and it's that's pretty good yeah

nobody's gonna blame you for picking that one but the Connox will never win a cup in your lifetime yeah but if I my life hasn't really changed, but it has changed because I'm financially set for life. So I don't have to do my job anymore, which means I don't have to pay as much attention to the Canucks anymore. It becomes a less central part of my life. But where would you find meaning? Well, I don't find it in the money.

Yeah, that's true. Do the Scrooge McDuck. Make a bet out of money. Yeah, that's true. Do the Scrooge McDuck. Make a bet out of money. It'd be great. That's all the meaning I need. Before we go to break at the end of this conversation, you mentioned the Capitals clinching earlier. You're talking about a Vetchkens goal.

They're the first team to clinch this year. They were obviously the last team to clinch last year. Right. They're the first team to do that in 45 years in the NHL. Wow. To go from being the last team to clinch to the first team, the very next season. So that's pretty incredible. It's funny though, because a lot of people

are still like, I don't believe in you guys. Yeah. You know? Well, can you play on them? I don't believe in them. When you see a jump like that in one season, it's. Yeah. I believe they're a good team.

I don't believe they're the best team in the NHL. You know what I mean? I don't think they're in that category. They're a good team. But I don't look at them as a, a clear Stanley Cup connect. People were writing them off. Did you?

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Like they were in cap trouble. They didn't have any offense. I wrote them off. Yeah. Um. Fish is washed.

People were saying. Um, did you see what, uh, Colorado did to Ottawa yesterday? Yes. Colorado man. Pumped four goals past them in the first period. By the way, on that note, I don't think they will, but the Sens better not blow this. I would be stunned if they do.

Mostly because of the cushion that they've got and the teams that are chasing them, but they've now lost two in a row and they really did get handled by Colorado yesterday. I'm just saying the Sens better not blow this because that would be one of the great collapses of the last little while because the Sens have tried so, so hard over the last little while to break through and make the playoffs. And it was always Ottawa, Detroit, and Buffalo.

Which one of these teams is going to finally get into the playoffs? Buffalo definitely won't. Not Buffalo. Detroit pretty much, they're, they're almost in, definitely won't territory. Um, you know, they're only four points back in the playoffs, but they just, they just don't

look good right now. And there's so many teams that they'd have to jump. Um, Ottawa, like they got 77 points, so they got a five point playoff cushion over the New York Islanders. So they pro they obviously probably won't, but they better not. All right.

We'll take a break here. We got AJ from AJ's Pizza and NHL Insider from Daily Faceoff, Frank Sarvali on the other side here on Haliford and Bruff Sportsnet 650.