Halford & Brough in the Morning - Things Are Going Great For JT Miller's New York Rangers

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

In hour one, Mike & Jason look back at the previous day in sports (3:00), plus they discuss the top hockey stories of the day with Sportsnet NHL host David Amber (28:17). 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.

You're listening to Halford and Brough. Set up to Warren Fogel. I mentioned looking inward to yourself. You're just not doing enough. To a man, we don't do enough. Today you should have a firelight under your ass to go play for your teammate. Need a Meyer. What a great game.

Good morning, make her 6-1 on a Tuesday. Happy Tuesday, everybody. It is Halford and his Brough. It is Sportsnet 650. We are coming to you live from the Kintech Studios in Beautiful Fairview Slopes in Vancouver. Jason, good morning. Good morning. Adaw, good morning to you.

Good morning. Laddie, good morning to you as well. Hello, hello. Halford and Brumbram for the morning is brought to you by Sands and Associates. Do you have payday loan debt? If you do, Sands and Associates could cut your debt by up to 80% with no upfront fees. Visit them today at Sands-dustee.com. We are an hour one of the program.

Hour one is 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. Visit them at 1170 Powell Street in Vancouver. We are coming to you live from the Kintech Studio. Step Strong with Orthotics and Footwear from Kintech. Let's go now to the Duick Morning Drive.

It's our morning guest list brought to you by the Duick Auto Group. It begins at 6.30 this morning. It's a four guester today on the Halbro show. David Amber is going to kick things off at 630 this morning. Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada, NHL host. Quiet night in the NHL last night. Just one game on the slate. Massive night tonight in the NHL. 15 games on the docket tonight. Several of them with massive playoff implications, as we are now, get this, just 23 days away from the end of the regular season. David Amber is going

to join us at 6.30 this morning. 7 o'clock, Brighton Bachelor is going to join the program. Canucks play-by-play, SportsNet 650. Canucks are back in action tonight. The seventh of this season high and wildly entertaining eight-game homestand. Tonight, it's the Pacific Division leading Anaheim Ducks in town,

pre-post in the actual game all right here on SportsNet 650. Batch is going to join us at 7. 8 o'clock, Jeevan Bodwell is going to join the program. He, of course, whitecaps and Canadian men's national team midfielder. Good local kid, born and raised in Surrey. now plying his trade for the local soccer squadron.

He's become a really important part of the white caps lineup this season. Also a tremendous story. Played his youth soccer in Surrey, came through the academy, now doing the business for the white caps. He's going to join us at 8 a.m. Is he a candidate to make Team Canada? He was called up in January for that one game camp that they had against Guatemala. And that was his first senior cap.

He's been capped at every other level before. I'd say he's on the outside looking in. He's not involved in this most recent recall that's going to happen during these March friendlies. But he's holding out hope, the young man. He's only 20 years old. He's still pretty young. So Jeevan Bodwell is going to join the program at 8 a.m.

Another local product joins us at 8.30. You heard his name in the intro. Scott Niedermeyer is going to join the program. In the normal place where we do what we learn is at 830, the hockey hall of famer currently working as a special advisor in hockey ops from the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks are, of course, tonight's opponent, obviously. So we thought we'd get.

gets Scott on to talk about the team's progression, how they went from being, let's be honest, miserable, ending a now seven-year playoff drought and... Well, not yet. They're going to end it, I think. Yeah, they're going to end it. I feel like the chances are pretty strong. And here's the thing. Never know in this division.

That's true, actually. They could be out by tonight. They have not won a playoff game since 2017, because the last time they went to the playoffs, they got swept. So Scott Niedermeyer is going to join us at 830. I want that as my job. Special advisor. It's like, are you responsible for anything?

Just give an advice. About what? Like, do you make the final call? Nope. I just give my advice. Did you read his full bio? It sounds like he's done like eight different jobs in the Ducks organization. He's been there pretty much since he retired.

Just kind of working. I think he was on Bruce Boudreau's staff when Boudreau was stole. You know what? I think you're right. Yeah. So Scott Niedemar is going to join us at 830. In the place of what we learns, those will go, update your wall charts accordingly. at 7.30 this morning. What we learns at 7.30. So when we play the music and read your submissions, don't get freaked out.

You're not like an hour early or an hour later, however you would figure it out. We're going to do what we learns at 730. Scott Niedomar is going to join at 8.30. A lot of people use their watches to tell time and not the jingles on sports radio show. You will be surprised, my friend today, how many texts we get in at 730 when we do what we learn. Yeah, one guy like, who I'm really late. Okay, so we got a lot to get into on the program. Not going to run it in reverse. Without further ado, Laddie. Let's tell everybody what happened. Hey, did you guys see the game last night? No. 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 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 them online at BCCSA.ca.ca. You know, the Kinecks were back at practice yesterday.

Vancouver, as Halford mentioned, host Anaheim tonight at Rogers Arena, where they can at least play a role in the Pacific Division playoff race, aka a pillow fight. The word from practice is that they were working on line changes.

And they were like, okay, guys, if two of you come off the ice, how many are allowed to come on? And the answer, of course, is two. And Here's another trivia question. That was trivia?

If the, it's not trivia necessarily. Yeah, it's like this is Adam Foote coaching. If the other team has the puck and it's like, it's at like the center ice. Should you make a change then? And then a couple of the guys were like, we're not sure. Yes. And Adam Foote is like, no, we've gone over this so many times. so many times.

Got it. Don't make the change when puck is it centriced. Cool wet sack. Yeah. It does look like based on line rushes. Garbage and garbage can.

It does look like based on line rushes yesterday that Nils Holglander could be headed for another healthy scratch. He hasn't done much since returning to the lineup.

We'll see if he is indeed a scratch tonight. Max Sasson sat out Saturday's loss to St. Louis with Curtis Douglas replacing him. Just four games remaining for Evander Kane to reach 1,000. He's back on Piedy's line. That's the second line now. Pedy's line is the second line, remember. I was looking at Evander Cain's Hockey DB page yesterday.

He broke into the NHL on Atlanta, which tells you how long he's been playing for. He was actually a teammate of Chris Chelyos. It's amazing. With the Thrashers. Chelyos was 48 years old and Evander Kane was 18. Yeah. Chellios did that comeback thing where he played for the Chicago World for a bit and then eventually got signed by the Thrashers.

But I just jump in. I don't realize it now until I'm 46, how wild it is that Chalios played at 48. It's insane. It blows my mind that he was able to do it. I can barely get out of bed. I've seen some 48-year-old. I play master's soccer. I've seen some 48-year-old guys move.

The fact that one of them, And I know Chelyos is kind of a freak of nature. The fact he was able to play in NHL games, and he played a handful of them that year. One of the more remarkable things we don't talk about enough. Assuming Kane stays in the lineup, he'll play game number 1,000 next Monday in Vegas, which is appropriate.

And he, that's also the place where he enjoyed a running feud with Ryan Reeves. So I'm sure the Vegas Golden Night fans will wish him happy 1,000. I don't know how, How they do the ceremonies for a thousand games? Do they wait until they get back home? Usually, yeah. It's kind of a dicey proposition doing it in someone else's arena,

especially in Vegas with VanderKane. Can you imagine the silver stick ceremony there? That would be, you know what? That would be hilarious. The Ducks, tonight's opponent, are coming off a wild 6-5 OT win over Buffalo on Sunday. Anaheim is first place in the division, and they have just 23 wins in regulation this season.

Shootout merchants. Other teams with 23 wins in regulation, Winnipeg, Calgary, and New Jersey, three teams that will not be in the playoffs, let alone winning their division. The Ducks added John Carlson ahead of the deadline in a surprise trade with the Washington Capitals. He joins two other veteran defensemen,

Jacob Truba and Radco Gudas, all three of whom are pending UFAs. So we'll see what the Ducks do with that in the offseason. Jackson Lecombe is the only D-Man they've got locked up long term. I know there's been a little conversation on, I've heard it on the station about Pavel Minchikov. Yep.

I think he was the 10th overall pick a few years ago and he hasn't really, he hasn't popped yet, Alfred. He hasn't popped. Has it panned out quite yet. Anyway, we can ask Niedermeyer about all this because I should get him back. I bet he could still play.

The Ducks Blue Line is something that they're going to need to work on not just because it needs improvement but just because they've got some big decisions to make going forward.

Okay, so that's the Kinnock story. They're going to play Anaheim tonight. Any questions or comments? Text into the Dunbar Lumber Text line at 650-6-50. It was damage control time in Edmond. after Connor McDavid's love fest for John Cooper,

and everyone was like, does this mean that you don't feel the same way for your head coach? And I know Mark Specter wrote about it, and the insinuation in the Mark Specter column was that Connor McDavid is well aware of the weight that his words carry. So there's no way he was just saying that to be nice about John Cooper. And yet, Connor McDavid yesterday said, hey, I was just being nice about John Cooper.

Do we have that audio? We got it. We've got a couple of questions here for Connor McDavid. Here's the Connor McDavid scrum from yesterday. I know it was a short spin for you today. Everything okay? Yeah, no, good. Just hips and growing stuff.

It's all good. So when you talked post game the other night, you made a lot of complimentary comments about John Cooper, who was just your coach at the Olympics. When you couple that with the stuff Leon had said earlier this year, some will jump to conclusions about how you guys are feeling about your staff. Can you just clarify where you're out on that? No, no, we're not taking shots.

It's just everybody can be better, myself included. Everybody can be better. It's not, it was more just complimentary of a great team in this league that came in and played a good game. Nothing more than that. You guys have been, you haven't had a lot of long stretches just to feel great about your game as a group, right? It's been pretty up and down.

Is that kind of taken its toll the amount of time you've spent in a frustrated headspace this year? Yeah, it's been, you know, there's been, as you said, it's been up and down. It's been a trying year for sure. You know, with that being said, we're 71 games in. Still in a playoff spot, still with a chance to win the division. When you look at it that way, that's a lot of positive things. So it doesn't really matter how we got here. It doesn't really matter the division you play in.

We're 11 games left with a chance to get in, not only get in, but even to win our division. So you got to look at the positives there. You were a little surprised yourself in the backlash. He just complimented coach and suddenly becomes a backhanded indictment on your own coaching. Yeah, I'm not sure how it was taken that way. It wasn't supposed to be that way. You know, but I understand obviously it's understand how people could look at it that way, but it's not what I was intending to, to, you know, but it's not what I was intending to, to, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's not what I was intending to, to, it. to do it all.

It's that damn media. Always twisting my words. Like when I praise the head coach of another team. All I wanted to do is compliment future, hopefully future Evanston Oilers head coach John Cooper. And when I did it, I'm probably.

Or just future Connor McDavid coach. This is what Pedersen's afraid of. It doesn't have to be in Edmonton. Do they have any openings to Tampa? He's right. Pete, he's always worried about making a headline. I don't want to give you guys a headline. This is a exact situation.

I can't even talk nicely about another coach in the National Hockey League without you guys turning it into a headline. So we can talk later about the I mentioned another is maybe when David Amber joins us, or we're going to talk tonight about the busy schedule. But I do want to look back to what happened, you know, what happened last night at Madison Square Garden because I'm not sure if it was good news for the Ottawa senators because they got

a much needed win or if it was bad news for the Ottawa senators because they lost maybe two more defensemen, at least one. One of significance, anyway. One of significance in Thomas Shabbat, and they're already missing Jake Sanderson. And then, of course, there's the Rangers angle. It was game number 1,000 for Mika Zabanajad yesterday. And they had a great ceremony. And then they set a record for least number of shots in a game with nine.

That's a team record, not the NHL record, a team record. And they actually made the game kind of close. Somehow. Somehow. Forcing James Reimer to make eight saves in the process. I mean, it was the only game on last night, and I watched it, and the senators just stifled them. And they had so many odd man rushes that they couldn't convert,

and Schoasturcom was really good in goal for the Rangers, but offensively, man, they just had nothing. The only goal they scored was Connor Sheary, and Shane Bento was out to lunch checking that. Did you know the New York Rangers hold the NHL record for few shots on goal in the in national history? They have zero shots on goal. That one's actually incorrect. Somebody found a news article clipping where they announced that Terry Sautchuk had 26 saves in that game or something.

So that was a misprint. You're telling me the internet's lying to me? That never happens, though. Okay. Adag would never get fooled by something that he read online. To be fair, other people got fooled. But I've seen that one floating around before. The record is seven. Yes.

And the Rangers got nine last night. And, okay, so Rangers lose two one. Senator's third straight win. They are now just two points back of the Islanders for the second and final wildcard spot in the east. So that race continues to heat up, but you mentioned the Rangers. You also mentioned earlier in the show

that Evander Kane is soon to play his 1,000th game. I hope for his sake that his 1,000th game is followed by a better performance than the one that the Rangers put forth for Mika Zabin, because apparently in the aftermath. I think it could probably be about equal. I mean, for everyone's sake involved. Everyone involved.

Because here is the captain, J.T. Miller, after the game yesterday, talking about how embarrassing it was for the team to go out and tie a franchise record, nine shots on goal, which hasn't been done since 1955 on the same night. They were celebrating Mika Zabinajad's 1,000th NHL game. Here is a very dejected and disappointed captain, J.T. Miller. after a 2-1 loss where they put just nine shots on goal against the Ottawa Senators. A few times, just how much does that add to the frustration that it was a big game for him and the team didn't have a good night?

It's not that we didn't have a good night. We just got out-competed. Like, it was, that's the part that you just, it's hard to live with that stuff. You know, you look at, like, I mentioned looking inward at yourself. Like, you're just not doing enough. Like, to a man, we don't do enough. Today you should, you know, have a fire lid under your ass. go play for your teammate, a guy that feels like a cornerstone of the organization.

And we go out and have, what, four through two at home, a place where we haven't been desperate enough this season. Like, that doesn't sit well. So I told you about finding a way to find energy for tomorrow and the next day. But, you know, it's hard in moments like these. Like today, we had every reason to, you know, we knew exactly the game we were going to get. And they went out and executed and out executed us and out competed us and just out played us. And some nights you leave here feeling good.

and about the gateway you played, and tonight's not the one where we should feel good. So a couple of... Yeah, that was going to be my second point. My first point was, this is a team that despite all signs pointing to, not unlike what the Canucks are doing right now,

just tear the whole thing apart and move in a different direction. I've never seen a team run it back night after night complaining about the exact same things with zero change from game, I think this is about game one or two, in the season where Sully came in after a, like, very disappointing loss, really dejected and being like, we're not playing the kind of hockey, we need to play.

And now we're at game 70 whatever in the season. And they're saying and doing the exact same things. It is a absolute mess in New York. I don't understand how Chris Drury is going to keep his job. I mean, I can't understand why a lot of people are going to keep their jobs in the NHL. But, you know, I also do think that it is, somewhat funny that there were two guys that had this really publicized rift.

Okay? And one of them had to be traded to New York where he became the captain of an original six team. Real quick, too, I might add. And that was, and that was a decision. Like, Chris Jerry was like, you know, I can feel it like, we need a guy. We need this guy. We need, we need a guy that wears his heart on. sleeve and he's just a take charge leader. That's what we need.

Worst team in the Eastern Conference, nine wins at home. The other guy, part of the Rift, he was left as the highest paid player on the Vancouver Canucks and eight wins at home this season. Like they are the two most dysfunctional teams in the NHL, and I don't think it's even close. No. I was actually going to have the debate. It's amazing, really. I know the answer is Vancouver,

but I was actually going to embrace debate and ask who's had a more dysfunctional season. And it's crazy that the answer is Vancouver because the Rangers have had a very dysfunctional season. They're in the therapy, like, office waiting to talk to the therapist, just looking at one other, like, you're messed up too, a tip of the cap because the Canucks have had by everyone's measure. An absolutely awful season.

But the Rangers are right there. It's been a disaster also. I don't know you've got the audio already, Laddie. J.T. Miller also audibly said fart during that clip, which is always good times. Can we hear it? That's the fart, that part that's hard to live with that stuff. Like, damn it. He said it.

This captaincy stuff is harder than people said it would be. You can't take him seriously as a captain. He's like, he said fart. Anyway, I will be very curious to see what the Rangers do this off season. You know who else I'm really curious about? Mike Sullivan. I am getting in a major way, John Tortorella,

Vancouver Canucks vibes with Sullivan in New York. It hasn't been suspended for going into the other room. He hasn't been suspended yet. Yeah. They're not going to fire him, though. No, no, no. They're not going to fire them, though. I'm talking about the vibe that you bring when you've been on a job

in a certain place for forever. And then you make a pretty quick decision to go to another organization. With the money. also inheriting a team that's pretty veteran-laden, its best days were past it, and you come in expecting things to maybe go a certain way, and they don't. I remember when there was talk that Sullivan, or maybe it was after he left the penguins,

I was like, oh, there's two things that I wonder about because the Connox didn't have a coach either, right? And I was like, I don't know if Conucks ownership would shell out for what Mike Sullivan is making now with the Rangers. And also, I didn't know if it would be a good idea because of exactly what you just said.

After you've been with the same team and had a lot of success, and then it just ends. But you're still kind of a hot commodity because people want your experience and you are a good head coach. You've got to be really careful about the next job you take

and make sure it's the right one. Now, Sullivan's going to get paid, so maybe he's like fine with it all. But I doubt it because it's embarrassing what the Rangers are doing on home ice. It's just as embarrassing as what the Canucks are doing on home ice. Maybe even more so because MSG has that. You know, it's just, it's Madison Square Garden. Yeah. It's one of the most famous rinks on the planet.

And watching that game yesterday, you see all the empty seats down below. And you don't blame people for either not showing up or going home. Okay, another team I am really curious about is the Detroit Red Wings because they've got a huge game tonight. It's in Detroit and it's against Ottawa. Yep. And the Sends just came off a big win in New York, but they're going to be missing some guys.

They are short-handed. And if the Red Wings don't win this one, and I think Dylan Larkin is going to return to the lineup as well, then I mean, the Red Wings have to win this one. I know Ottawa will look at the standing and say, we have to win this one as well, but the Red Wings really have to win this one

because if they fall out of the playoffs and they already have, but if they end the season out of the playoffs, man, like, do you know how frustrated that fan base is going to be watching Buffalo host playoff games, maybe win the division, and then they still can't get in? I thought it was interesting yesterday, and perhaps this was to make room for Dylan Larkin, I didn't look into it that far, but Axel Sandine Pelica, the young defenseman,

who the Red Wing selected with the draft pick they got from the Canucks in the Philip Horonic trade, they sent him down to the HAL. Grand Rapids. And that's not, that's not like, so it's not a disaster for the player, right? He's a rookie, he's finding his legs in the NHL. He's only 21. There's still a ton of talent there. He might be fine, right?

He might even be more than fine. But I threw it out on social media yesterday. Does Steve Eiserman take heat for that trade? I mean, he had to give up significant draft. What did he give up for Falk? A first and a third? Something like that. And he brings in a far lesser player, in my opinion,

because he needed a veteran right-shot defenseman. it's like you had you had Heronic and I know they were scared about the contract extension that Heronick was going to need but that contract extension

looks fine now what is the general reaction because I waited on to Twitter yesterday and I saw a lot of people were saying like preach patience it's gonna be okay he's only 21 he's going to be fine

but I'm freaking out but I'm like it's not it's less about that and it's more just about you know why did you trade him I mean he's exactly what you need right now and I would have thought

that Red Wings fans would be kind of impatient and just like hey let's get this going here I don't know I don't think they're going to fire Steve Eisenman or anything like that but I mean that or it's way better when the Red Wings are in the playoffs really and I was looking forward to them

being back in they still could get in but man like they could that's the player then they wouldn't have had to trade for just fault because they would have had Philiparonic. Yeah. So they've got a huge matchup tonight as Jason mentioned Ottawa and the second of a back-to-back. Apparently Ottawa was scrambling to get to the

airport last night because I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but airline travel in the U.S. is a bit of a disaster right now. And they had to get from New York to Detroit as quickly as possible because they've got a big game tonight. Drive. And they may be without the services of Thomas Shabbat, as you mentioned. And

Lassie Thompson, not to be confused with Laddie Thompson, who of course is your alias when you're going under cover. So they could be down a couple defensemen and they could be in a lot of trouble tonight taking on a Detroit team that will be very desperate. Anyway, we got to go to break. We got a lot more to get into on the Halford

Improv Show on Sportsnet 650. David Amber is going to join us next. Before I go to break though, I do need to tell you about Jan Pro. If you're tired of miscleans or unreliable service, Jan Pro has you covered. They deliver consistent cleaning and responsive support you can count on.

Start clean, stay clean. Visit them online at janpro.ca. David Amber coming up next. You're listening to the Halford-in-Bruff show on SportsNet 650. That's the part that you're just, it's hard to live with that stuff. Canucks Talk with Jamie Dodd and Thomas Drance. We'll dive deep into all that's happening with the Vancouver Canucks. Listen 12 to 2 p.m. on Sportsnet 650 or wherever you get your podcast. It is time for David Amber. He is on the hotline baby. It is time for David Amber. He will talk some hockey maybe. It is time for David Amber. He is on the hotline baby. It is time for David Amber. He is on the hotline, baby. It is time for David Amber.

He will talk some hockey maybe. I'm on the hotline, baby. I write it in the shrooms talking. I remember what I was doing at 23, pooping in my pants. There's a massive butt coming here, guys. No one's fighting Rick talking. No one wants to fight Rick talking.

I'm on the hotline, baby. It is, it's David. It is, it's David. Amber, it is, it's David. He's on the hotline. 634 on a 2.4 on a 2. Happy Tuesday, everybody, Halford Brubbs, Sportsnet, 650. Alfred and Brubb of the morning is brought to by Sands and Associates.

Are you getting collection calls? If you are, Sands and Associates could cut your debt by up to 80% and stop those calls. Visit them today at Sands-Trustee.com. We are in Hour 1 of the program, Midway Point of Hour 1. David Amber, Hockey Night and Canada SportsNet NHL host. It's going to join us in just a moment here. Hour 1 of this program is brought to by North Star Metal Recycling. Vancouver's Premier Metal Recycler pays the

the highest prices on scrap metal, North Star Metal recycling, they recycle you get paid. Visit the Middle 1170 Powell Street in Vancouver. To the Able Auctions hotline we go, our next guest, David Amber, Hockey Night Canada, joins us now on the Halford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650. Morning, David, how are you? It's a big night. Big night, 30 teams in action. Playoffs less than a month away. Here we go.

Yeah, it is 15 games tonight, as you alluded to there after just one last night. There's also only two tomorrow night. I don't want to turn this into a complaint about the NHL schedule makers. So we'll just focus on all of these playoff battles that are at hand. And no rest. Let's start with Ottawa because we were just talking about them. Big win last night at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers. Another huge one tonight against the Detroit Red Wings.

Ottawa has 83 points. Detroit has 84 points. The playoff bar is 85. So this is like pretty much a must win for both teams, David, which usually means there should be some fireworks tonight in Detroit. Yeah, but the big storyline out of last night's win, which was an epic win in New York, they allowed nine shots the senators did on their way to that victory. In fact, they'd only allowed four shots through two periods.

It's actually remarkable how bad the Rangers are on home ice. That was an NHL record. It tied an NHL record getting just four shots through the first two periods. Ottawa won the game. It's great three straight wins. They're locking it down defensively, but they lost Thomas Shabbat. J.T. Miller gave him a little cross-check. And you know that space between the gloves and the elbow pad?

He caught him right there. And you just saw Shabbat dropped his stick and left the ice basically immediately. And post-game, Travis Green said he's gone long term. He said, you know, out for a significant time. So who knows, you know, it's some type of arm injury, wrist injury. But that's bad news because they already have Jake Sanderson out. and Shabbat had been playing 28 minutes a night. And then later in the game, Lassie Thompson,

another defenseman got hurt. So Ottawa won that game with just four defensemen. So the big question tonight is no Thompson, because he's out significant time as well, according to Green. No Shabbat. I'm not sure when Sanderson's coming back. Who the heck's going to play defense tonight in what you've described pretty aptly

as arguably their most important game of the year? One of the teams they need to climb past, you can't have a regulation loss, you know, based on how few games are left here. So that's the big question, Mark. What's going to happen when the senators tonight, what their blue line's going to look like? I know deserves got nothing to do with it, but it feels to me like the senators deserve to make the playoffs. When I watch them play, they're usually pretty fundamentally sound. They've got talent up front.

I guess the goaltending has let them down at times, and now they're battling the injury bug. Yeah, I mean, pardon me. The metrics say if they just had, you know, average goaltending this year, they wouldn't be, they'd be cooled out. They'd be sitting there fighting with Buffalo for top spot in the division. That's how poor their goaltaining was earlier in the year. Linus Allmark left, you know, had mental health issues, came back, has been a lot more like the Vesna, Linus Allmark,

that they traded for from Boston. And he's been very good. and James Reimer, when he's filled in, has been good as well. They used five goalies guys in the first 40 games. I mean, it was a revolving door and none of it was working. And, you know, had they gotten some of those saves that they should have gotten in the first half of the season, they wouldn't be in this predicament. So I'm with you, and I've said, you know, on your show and I've said on our TV show,

I think if Ottawa makes the playoffs and the Shabbat injury does maybe change this a little bit, but I did say if Ottawa makes the playoffs, I really felt they could win the East. really just think they're going to be a tough out. And they have a really good core group, and they're playing a great defensive brand of hockey. And they would be heading into the postseason with all sorts of momentum. I think they would be a real nightmare matchup for whoever would get them. So I'm with you. They deserve to be there, but, you know, often in sports, it's not the team that deserves it.

They get to where they should be. It's other factors get involved. So we'll see. Tonight is a really big one, though, for the senators. Well, I think if you ask Connor McDavid, he would say that nobody is going to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning

because they've got such an amazing coach in John Cooper. Just an incredible, incredible, they're so well prepared, they're so well organized, so well rehearsed. What did you think of the hubbub after Connor McDavid's

comments about John Cooper? Well, listen, I mean, they have a special relationship between the four nations and the Olympics. John Cooper to me is the best coach in hockey, and I know that's not a big stretch, but he has such a good EQ with how he deals with his players. You know, you talk to the players, and they just have so many, it's not just McDavid, and yes, a lot was made of the timing of the comments because it was coming off a loss to Tampa, and, you know, immediately people take the compliments to John Cooper and relate them to, is he kind of sticking the blade into

Chris Knoblog by saying those nice complimentary things about John Cooper. He was asked about that yesterday, guys, and he said by no means was that meant as a slight at all. Like he said, we all need to be better. But yeah, of course, when Connor McDavid speaks, people

listen and it's going to be met with a lot of interest because he has such a powerful voice in the game. But John Cooper is a special coach, and the Tampa Bay Way and are a special team. And I don't want to make more of

Connor McDavid's comments than than I should. But like everyone else, you kind of hear it and you go, okay, you know, what exactly,

you just don't generally hear a player give that type of effusive praise to an opposing head coach. You don't hear it too often, but I can tell you in talking to players, I was at Four Nations last year in talking to the players, and they were like,

man, John Cooper just gets the guy's attention. and every guy in the room sitting there, whether they've been in the league 10 years, 15 years, it doesn't matter, they're, like, glued to what he's saying, they're buying into what his game plan is. He's just an incredible motivator and his incredible high EQ to deal with players, and I think that's something that's probably resonated

quite strongly with Connor McDavid. So, listen, if the others don't make the playoffs, there's going to be big changes in Edmonton, right? Like, it's just, there's going to be because it's Stanley Cup or bust there. and, you know, that's not me saying someone's going to fire. I'm just making the point that when expectations aren't met in professional sports, things happen.

So, you know, we'll just have to see how this all plays out. And, you know, the Oilers, you know, we talked about the Senators guys. The Oilers, this is a big one for them tonight at Utah, you know, based on where they're sitting. They're not all locked into their playoff situation either. So they have some work to do sitting currently, what, third in their division with, with a few teams behind them. They're lucky they're in the Pacific Division, the pillow fight that is the Pacific Division,

because, you know, L.A. and Seattle have been doing... Seattle's trying to make the playoffs. They've lost three in a row. They've only won three of their last 10 games. I mean, it's really a snail's race to make the playoffs in the Pacific this year. Now, you might have some Eastern bias in your answer here, but I'm going to give you two teams,

and both of them were in a playoff position earlier in the season and have spent quite a bit of time in a playoff position. Which one would be more disappointing if they missed? Seattle, who you just mentioned, or Detroit?

Well, first of all, I'm very offended that you think I have Eastern bias. Come on, now I'm on this show every week. That's true. I watch the West. I love the West. I'll be at the intervisions for the Canucks tonight.

Come on, guys. You're going to say Detroit, though, right? I think it's probably Detroit anyway. I am going to say Detroit. Look at those lineups, guys. I mean, Seattle does not have a star-studded lineup at all. Like, they really don't. And, you know, they're a very nondescript team.

Jordan Everley, I'm just pulling this up right now. Jordan Everly leads the team with 49 points. So their leading score at the end of this year is going to have somewhere like 57, 58 points. You know, that's rare. That's Calgary Flames territory. Like, that's not where you go, okay, well, I can understand. And, you know, with that lineup, how could they miss the past? Now I'm clicking on Detroit here.

And 49 points would rank fourth, a point ahead of Mo Sider, a defenseman. You know, they have like legitimate De Brinket, Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin. You know, that blue line is very good, led by Mo Sider. They went out, they got John Gibson. They'd missed a playoffs nine straight years. Like Detroit was in a playoff spot from December 7th until now. So they not just held the spot for a week or two. We're talking three months ensconced in a playoff position.

So no eastern bias here, but Detroit's the only correct answer there, whether you ask someone from the East Coast, West Coast, North Pole, whatever you want to do. Like it's Detroit. It's just nine years without the playoffs, a much better lineup than Seattle, and they have no business missing the postseason this year. I think our analysis of the Cracken is perhaps colored by the fact that you know, we're pretty close to Seattle.

We've been very curious to see how the Cracken would do in Seattle and if Seattle was a hockey market. And one of the things that we've kept harping on is what you basically are saying is that they have no star power. What do they have to sell? And regardless of whether or not the Cracken make the playoffs or not, and I think they're probably going to miss, but who knows, in the pillow fight,

you know, they need to add something interesting to their team because there's a very good chance that the Sonics are going to be coming back to that market and it's already a crowded market. And I just, listen, I've heard from people, I haven't been down to a game in Seattle, but I've heard from people that go down that's a good time and the fans are into it. But I also know Seattle as a sports market and they don't have a ton of time for losing teams. Yeah, it's kind of like Vancouver.

Like there's a lot of other options. There's a lot of other things to do. And there's a lot of different options where to spend your money and how to spend your time. So I don't disagree with that take at all. I think they've tried to address their lack of star power. You know, they've drafted eighth overall the last couple of years. And they've picked centers. Berkeley Caton's a high-skilled center out of the WHL.

But he's not ready yet. You know, they weren't getting a celebrini or even a Beckett Seneca. They weren't getting someone who is ready to go at 18, 19, maybe even 20 years old. So it's been a more patient game for them. But I agree they've been a really nondescript group, you know, good enough to win some games and not good enough to win enough games and do it in a fashion that is not that pleasing either. You know, one thing is if your team's bad, but they're exciting, Sometimes, you know, just hockey fans will be like, well, I want to watch.

Even though we're going to lose 7-4, I know there's going to be a lot of back-and-forth action, there's going to be a lot of goals. That is not Seattle. It's low-event hockey. It's not the most exciting brand of hockey. And you're right. They need to inject some energy there. The Seahawks just won the Super Bowl, right? And you're bringing the Sonics up, and there are a lot of options.

So Jason Boterole and that gang, you know, they definitely, you know, this is one of their things that are going to be maybe in the murky middle. They don't want to be picking 14. this year, and that might be the case. They'll just miss the playoffs potentially. So they're in a bit of between a rock and a hard place a little bit, and I'm with you. I just, there isn't a lot of star powers there. And Maddie Baneers, they, you know, their first ever draft pick, good player, but, you know, I don't think he's moving the chains on an excitement level at this stage in his career yet.

So that is one massive issue, you know, in Seattle at this point. We're speaking to David Amber, Hockeynank, Canada, Sportsnet, NHL host here on the Halford and Breff Show on SportsNet 650. The antithesis of the Seattle Cracken, right now anyway, might be the Montreal Canadians who are maybe the most exciting team in the NHL to watch, got tons of offensive firepower, great young talent across the board. We were toying with the idea of adopting them for the playoffs yesterday.

We're still having a hard time figuring out if we can do that with another Canadian team if we need to go south of the border. I'm not sure, but I do know that as we get closer to the playoffs, my intrigue level around this team rises more and more. And I mean, Cawfield's amazing. He's having such a great year. Imagine a series with Tampa Bay. All the talent on the ice at that.

And in Montreal, oh, my God, it would be amazing. And Martin Salisleine too. What do you do if you're with the goaltending there? Because I know that there's a nice syrupy narrative to be written about Fowler. But, I mean, it would be an awful lot throwing that on his shoulders going into the postseason. would it and the only reason I don't know that is you know something about Montreal and rookie goalies

I know that's true that's the Serbian narrative yeah it is it is a sweet art narrative and they are a very likable team they're the youngest team in the league they just seem to really enjoy playing and of course winning is part of that if they're losing every game it'd be a different narrative but Kovsky's just 21 years of age

You know, I've said this before. We talked about this Corps 4 in Toronto for the last decade that's now been broken up. You know, they've got, this is, you know, Demadov, Slavkovsky, Lane Hudson, Caulfield, Suzuki. There's your Core 5. They're all locked up. You know, Demetov's in his entry-level deal. The other four are locked up at great value. They're going to have Lane Hudson guys for $8.85 million from age 22 to 30.

Think about that. And think about where the cap's going to be in. years. I mean, that might be the best contract in hockey five years from now or three years from now when other defensemen, you know, Kell McCar is going to make $50 million probably, right? Lane Hudson's not Kail McCar, but would you rather Lane Hudson at $8.85 and another $6 million player or kale McCar? That's what you have to have. They got those other guys locked up too to great deal. Suzuki, Kofield, Slavkowski, they're all locked up long term under $8 million. Yeah, so get used to Montreal being a good team.

And if you want to adopt them this year with the Canucks sliding the way they have, and I'm sure there's some fans in some other Canadian markets, they're hard to cheer against. They're a good, you know, group of guys. They have a very likable, affable coach in Martin San Luis. Have that it. I mean, they're, you know, we talked about Seattle in sort of the nondescript style they play and, you know, the low-event hockey.

Well, Montreal's different. And they're not a perfect team. They're a flawed team in many respects, right? Like, they give up a lot. but they'll go out as we saw last week against what was it San Jose and they won seven four or whatever like they will they will score some goals uh against it wasn't san Jose but you get the draft they'll they'll they'll score some goals they'll give up some goals uh they're very entertaining yes what they'll do in that and and i do think if the playoffs were

to start today 21 year old jacob fouler would probably have as good a shot you know it's not going to be sam montamboe the way things are going dobbish has been very good this year but i think they love Fowler and they might give him the first crack at it. I mean, there won't be a ton of pressure on them. I think there's going to be a lot of pressure on Tampa Bay this season just because Florida is not in the playoffs anymore. And they've gone out three straight first rounds. So for all the love that John Cooper is getting

and Kutrov, who's just been incredible, like they need to get some results soon in the postseason. 100% Yeah, there's some distinct pressure on Tampa and I think they recognize you know Montreal it's this fun storybook

you know they're the youngest team in the league Tampa's not that I mean they've been through it you know for that core group the Kuturavs the headman the Vasiliski they remember winning the cups but that seems like a long time ago

right it was COVID when they were winning the two Stanley Cups they haven't won in the post COVID era it's been a while and I think they recognize where they are in their careers and that this could be their best chance at a cup. No Florida have to worry about.

And even like, think about the teams that were, it's not just Florida, like Toronto, Florida, New Jersey, the Rangers, the Capitals are your bottom five teams in the east. Most people picked all five of those teams to make the playoffs. So it's a total, you know, like Buffalo, it's going to be their first sort of feel of things. If Detroit makes it, that group, it'll be their first feel of the postseason. Montreal, it'll be, you know, their second feel of it, but just a very young team. Tampa will go in, you know, for a lot of people,

it's the odds on favorite to come out of the east based on, you know, not just their roster, but the fact they have guys who know how to push through four rounds in the playoffs. So, yeah, I think there's going to be some pressure there. I think Montreal could play that underdog role to a T if they start on the road going up against the, you know, big, brutish Tampa Bay Lightning. It would be a fantastic series, though. I'm really pumped for the playoffs because even though there's not as much Canadian

content as we'd like, There's some compelling storylines when you look at Buffalo, you know, reentering the picture. This Columbus Blue Jackets team, there's something there that's happening. It feels a little St. Louis bluesie from 2000, what was that, 19, you know, it has that feel and that sentiment with Rick Bonas and everything they're doing. So there's a lot of good stories. If Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders can make it, like how cool would that be? He's must-see TV. So Tampa would go in as the prohibitive favorites, but there'd be a lot of excitement and electricity around them and some of these other teams that they're going to have to go through.

David, thanks for joining us today. I'm getting excited for the playoffs too. I mean, it's the storylines that always get me. And there are some great ones this year, as there are every year. So enjoy all the games tonight, 15 games. So you're going to be busy watching all the games. So enjoy that. And thanks, as always, for taking the time to join.

us. Yeah, my pleasure. Y'all be in our missions for flames, oilers, and Canucks tonight, and look forward to it all, and I'll see you soon. Thanks, David. Appreciate it. That's David Amber. Hockenang, Canada, SportsNet NHL host here on the Helford & Brough Show on SportsNet 650. We're going to turn it over to hour two now.

Brennan Batchelor is going to join us on the other side. Before we go to break, I do need to remind you that this segment of the show was brought to you by the Doick Auto Group. Find out why nobody beats a Duick deal and why nobody has since 1926. Visit Duke GM on Marine Drive. Visit them downtown. Visit them in Richmond and visit them online at the duacadogroup.com.

Hour two on the horizon. Brendan Batchelor is going to join us at 7.30. We're going to do what we learns. Hashtag him right now, WWL. Text them in. Dunbar Limer text line is 650, 6.50. The reason we're doing what we learns at 7.30 this morning is because at 8, Jeevan Bodwell from the Vancouver Whitecaps is going to join us.

And then at 830, Scott Niedermeyer, hockey hall of famer, and now a special advisor in hockey ops for the Anaheim Ducks is going to join us. So the 8 o'clock hour loaded with guests, batch is going to be at 7. What we learns at 7.30. That's coming up in hour two. You're listening to the Halford & Brough Show on Sportsnet, 650.