Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - NHL SQUAD SHOW: Which Teams Will Get The Wildcard Spots?

Starting point is 00:00:01 The playoff races in both conferences are heating up, but who's going to make it to the finish line? We'll talk about that and a whole lot more coming up on this week's NHL Squad. You are Talking Puck with the NHL Squad Show, sponsored by game time. From the Oilers to the stars, Golden Knights, and the Panthers, the Rangers, Avalanche, and yes, even the Maple Leafs. The Locked-on podcast network brings together all its local experts to provide the scoops, breakdowns, and comprehensive looks at all the NHL, with plenty of trash talk to go with it. Don't miss the hard hits and love dropping hot takes on the Locked-on NHL Squad Show. It's time to drop the puck.

Starting point is 00:00:47 Here and welcome everybody to the NHL squad. Sit back, grab your favorite beverage, and join us as we get you ready for another wild week across the NHL. We are part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, use code Locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase. We have got a great crew here today. Seth Toople from Locked on Minnesota Wild. Kyle Carr from Locked on Anaheim Ducks and Tom Callahan from Locked on Utah Hockey Club. Again, I'm the only Eastern Conference guy here. This is becoming a trend. I don't know, but they're all stuck in traffic.

Starting point is 00:01:33 That's it. Guys, a little bit of news before we get to the playoff hunt, and this does affect the Western Conference, but your thoughts on the news that the Dallas stars may not have Miro Heiskenen to start the playoffs this year. That's a big loss for them. They're kind of all over the news with the Miko Ranton trade that happened at the deadline.

Starting point is 00:02:01 and then their record since has been a little abysmal compared to the teams that Mika Renton and used to be on. So he's such a great shutdown D for that team and can move the puck really well. So that's a big loss for the stars, especially if they've got Colorado for that first series. Yeah, this is going to be a tricky one for the Dallas Stars to say the least. And I made the adage and we're seeing him get,

Starting point is 00:02:31 close or at least closer to returning. Miro Heiskenen is one of those players similar to Gabe Landisg for the Colorado Avalanche where Dallas is still a very good team, but you're talking about taking a top tier player off the roster that just takes away kind of that different gear for this Dallas Stars team. And J.D. and I talked about this on the Tuesday episode of Lockdown NHL in that, you know, the Dallas Stars just had two big tests against Central Division rivals in Winnipeg and Colorado.

Starting point is 00:03:07 And those offenses were basically able to do whatever they wanted. And they controlled play for a large portion of those games. Heiskenen would definitely help in that regard to just get the blue line sorted out and back to where everybody is playing their natural spots. But not only defensively, and maybe even more so, just the offense that he brings to the table is just something that you're not going to be able to replicate on that back end for the stars. And you look at what has happened over the last couple of games, you know, just they had trouble generating shots. He can bring you that element as well.

Starting point is 00:03:45 Is it a Dallas team that's going to be able to win a series without him? Sure. Is it going to be much harder for them to do so? Absolutely. I realize that the season isn't over yet. However, I'm going to go ahead and just say it's going to be Dallas, Colorado in the first round. And if the game the other night was any kind of foreshadowing, I mean, look, Colorado's been a puck possession team. They hang on to it.

Starting point is 00:04:13 They move it around. They make you chase them. I'm a big believer in defense wins championships. And, you know, if you're not as able to take care of your own end, if you're not as able to, that's another thing he provides, this puck possession, right? can move the puck, can skate with the puck, make smart decisions with it most of the time. Jake Onger is still great, and I think that he can steal you a game if not a series, but if it is Colorado, which I'm pretty sure it will be, that's a really big hill for Dallas to climb.

Starting point is 00:04:44 And boy, they just went from one of the favorites to one of the, I don't know if they're getting out of the first round teams. Yeah, it does make a big difference. And, you know, there are certain players, especially at playoff time that you can't afford to lose. Another announcement that the NHL made, and I found this one interesting, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators will play in Sweden, a couple of regular season games. But they're not taking place at the beginning of the season. It's November 14th and 16th in Stockholm.

Starting point is 00:05:19 Is this a wise move to have this happen in the middle of the season? and how does it affect the two teams involved? No, it's not. And we are already in a situation where the schedule is truncated enough as it is. Think about the amount of travel. And I can speak to this because the Minnesota Wild did this two years ago. You're basically taking two weeks off to play two games. And you then, hey, congrats.

Starting point is 00:05:51 You got to go overseas to play a couple of. couple of games and now you're going to get stuck with a bunch of additional back to backs throughout the course of the season. My feeling on these types of games, if they're going to be international games, they have to be done at the beginning of the season. Like you have to do this as a showcase type event. You can get the teams out there earlier. You can get them back quicker if you give a little bit of a buffer between when those games start in the regular season. If you do this in the middle of the season, you are, you're just, you're throwing things out of whack.

Starting point is 00:06:29 And I'll just, I'm, I'm not a, I'm not hugely in favor. I don't think it's going to matter in the long run. And I'll tell you why. Number one, the reason the NHL picked these teams in my mind, they'll never say it, but aging star power. That's what they're going to send over there and some hometown flavor as well. well, but neither Pittsburgh nor Nashville figures to be a playoff team next year. And so I think you take these two teams, you ship them over, they're going to rebuild

Starting point is 00:06:58 next year. So is it going to matter as much? Are they going to grouse about it at the end of the year? We missed the playoffs by two points because we went to Sweden in November. No. So I don't think it's going to make a bit of difference. And that's that's actually a perfect choice of teams to send in November. I thought they just picked those teams because they're similar to the Swedish flag color wise. But it's going to be nice to see Philip Forsberg, at least in his home country. And there's a lot of, like you said, lost our power that's going to be going. A little easier travel out there. So people from Finland, Norway, a lot of exposure can happen with Sweden kind of being in the center there. So it's a very interesting move. And the fact that

Starting point is 00:07:42 it is in November when most people are saying, hey, like, you know, American Thanksgiving is the the time to kind of annotate where teams are within the league and kind of looking at who could possibly be in the playoffs. And it just kind of takes you out of the funk. And then we got the Olympic break that's going to be coming up soon. And it's like, it's just a really very interesting decision for them. Tom, would it bother you more if this was two teams that are viewed as contenders next year? Probably. It probably would matter to me a little more. Um, But even if it is, I don't know, even if you send Winnipeg and Edmonton, at the end of the day, yeah, it is going to probably give them a few more back to backs. But this isn't a minor league schedule.

Starting point is 00:08:30 You're not playing three and three, four and five, six and eight. You're going to have some time off. Plus, you'll have time off for the Olympics for most of the players. But the NHL wants to grow this game more in Europe. They want to grow it in different markets. They want to make more money in other places. And to do that, you have to sell the product. and really the product sells itself best in a live environment.

Starting point is 00:08:51 So maybe there is, and there could be other reasons, whether it's scheduling or just there's something about going to November, or in November as opposed to early October. I don't know. But, I mean, whoever they picked to go over, you know, you're still going to go over. It's seen as a privilege.

Starting point is 00:09:08 The fans get fired up about it. You know, they enjoy it. And again, I think right now you're trying to ring every last bit out of Crosby Molligan. And, you know, like I say, you've got Stamcoast on the Predators and Forsberg. And again, there's a healthy contingent of players who are from not only Sweden, but surrounding countries like Finland. And they'll draw well.

Starting point is 00:09:31 People will travel to see these games. They'll be a big deal. So I think it is a good choice of teams. We shall see. You do have the Olympic break and an All-Star break scheduled also for next year. So it's going to be a lot of compression going on for the. that schedule. But this is what the NHL has chosen to do. And hopefully it works out well for everybody. We have got a lot more to get to on this week's squad show. We're going to break down the

Starting point is 00:09:59 wild card races in both conferences because they are heating up. That and more coming up next on the NHL squad. Today's episode is brought to you by game time. There's nothing like watching basketball live, the energy of the crowd, the sound of the sneakers on the hardwood, maybe even a celebrity citing at Courtside. If you want to catch a game in person, Game Time makes getting tickets easier than ever. Game Time's new feature, GameTime picks, filters out the fluff and shows you only the best deals on great seats,

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Starting point is 00:11:04 Download game time today. What time is it? Game time. Today's episode is also brought to you by Monarch Money. Ever check your bank account and wonder where did all the money go? Well, between dining out, online shopping, and entertainment, it's easy to lose track. where Monarch Money comes in, your personal CFO, giving you full visibility and control over your finances. Monarch Money isn't just a budgeting app. It's a complete financial command center.

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Starting point is 00:12:29 Even though a couple of teams have kind of dropped out, you look at the east, the wild card teams right now, Ottawa, who has won six in a row, has a five-point cushion. But then right now, the Rangers are the second wild card, Montreal, Detroit, Columbus, they are all within two points. Boston is three points back, and the islanders are four points. back. Is there one team, first of all, let's start with this. The Montreal Canadiens,

Starting point is 00:13:01 how surprised are you that they are where they are right now and they have some games in hand as well? I mean, it's got to be a surprise that they continue to be in this fight. And honestly, almost as surprised as I am to see Montreal, just one point out of that second wildcard spot. good example of what can happen to you if you have a bad stretch of games in the Columbus Blue Jackets, who we have been talking about for weeks holding that second wildcard spot, they all of a sudden lose four in a row and now they're two points out. So it's like it is just musical chairs at this point in the east. They are definitely within striking distance.

Starting point is 00:13:44 I find it amazing that the New York Rangers continue to occupy that spot, considering everything that they've had go on this season. It is, it's going to be one of those last team standing, I think, that gets that second spot. I do feel pretty good about the Ottawa senators holding down that top spot, but that second spot is honestly, it could come down to whichever team wins on the last day of the season is in. You know, it shows you, so the good stretch of games, right?

Starting point is 00:14:19 Ottawa and Montreal have won seven to ten, and Ottawa's won six in a row. Good for them. Holy cow, Dilling Cousins. And you guys know I'm a Sabres guy born and bred from grown up in Buffalo. And so I do still watch the East and it just makes me shake my head. Yet another Sabre goes somewhere else and lights it up. But also the flip side of that is the bad stretch. Detroit has played their way out.

Starting point is 00:14:43 Columbus has played their way out. Boston has played their way out. Teams that if they kept it a little bit above 500 would be much more in the conversation, if not where New York is. But honestly, at the end of the day, I do think New York is that eighth team. And the reason I do is because they're so talented, they're so deep. They've been bad this year on and off. They've had their struggles. I mean, Seth, you talk about it.

Starting point is 00:15:06 But this is still a on paper really good hockey team. You know, this is not shocking. they've got good goal tending. They've got solid defense. They've got a really nice crop of forwards. So I think that New York, if they just, just our average, get in as the last team. As far as Ottawa is concerned,

Starting point is 00:15:32 they have missed the playoffs so many years in a row. What would it mean to that franchise right now, even if they get knocked out in the first round, just to get to the dance? in a word, everything. It's been, it has been so long for that senator's team. And you talk about just such a that it's not like we're talking about an up and coming franchise in the NHL that is is not having any success to start off their existence.

Starting point is 00:16:06 The Ottawa senators have a little bit of a history to, to their franchise. And it's been, they've had so many. instances over the last decade plus where they've come close and they just completely fall apart. And it seems like this senator's team of any that we've had in recent memory is going to be the one to buck the trend. And you want to talk about a community that is going to rally behind a team and embrace them and fill the arena and do everything that they can to give back for everything that the senators

Starting point is 00:16:43 have given this season. We're going to see some special stuff in Ottawa. I can guarantee that. I'm really interested to see too. Sorry, Gil. I'm really interested to see if here's always my concern is where I'm going with this. Teams that heat up now, how long do they hold the heat? You know what I mean?

Starting point is 00:17:06 Like I feel like they'll put themselves into a playoff position and they will get in. But then are they able to, is this a new Ottawa team? Have they elevated their play? The moves they made at the deadline is it made them that much better? Or are they playing on a motion? They're on a heater right now. Maybe they start to come back to Earth the last week of the regular season. And then the playoffs, I saw it when I was with Nashville.

Starting point is 00:17:29 We ended up being caught by and passed by the Anaheim Ducks. No one wanted to play Anaheim that year because Anaheim had won something insane down the stretch like, I don't know, 13 or 14 or something. It was crazy. I don't remember the number, but no one wanted to play the ducks. And we beat him in six because they blew everything they had down the stretch. And then in round one, it was almost like a letdown. So that's what I want to see what happens with Ottawa. Yeah, that's a great point, Tom, is you spend so much energy to put yourself in position to get there.

Starting point is 00:18:04 And then you get to get out of bed and give that much energy and then some to win a playoff series. Yeah. and you're facing, you know, the number one seed in one of those divisions, depending on which wild card you get. So it doesn't get any easier once you get in. What about the Columbus Blue Jackets? They have been such a sentimental favorite around the league. They're on a four-game losing streak as of now. Can they get back?

Starting point is 00:18:34 I mean, they're not far out of it. Can they regain their equilibrium and maybe fight for that last wild card? Well, this is this is something that's, you know, I was, I was curious and I was looking up the numbers of how the Dallas Stars have done without Miro Heiskenen in the lineup. And I scroll down in that exact same amount of time. And the Columbus Blue Jackets are seven, nine, and one in that span, that same span of 17 games. So they've lost four in a row, but they have been trending downward. and the offense has dried up a little bit. Their power play is in single digits in that span in terms of percentage.

Starting point is 00:19:18 So it's a Columbus team. I think as much as we have talked about them all season, obviously it was going to be a tall task for them to make the playoffs. They've been arguably the best story in the league all season with what they have been able to do, what they've been able to overcome. But it kind of felt like at some point it was going to be a tall task for them to keep that up. And it's looking like at least at this point that they're starting to settle back down a little bit. Could they light up again and go on a run at the end of March into April?

Starting point is 00:19:56 Absolutely. But what it's going to require is for them to kind of regroup and just get back to the to what they were doing that made them successful pretty much all season. It just, it's kind of a refocus point for them, that they, that they just come back together, get back to it, then then maybe they can get themselves back into one of those spots. Columbus has been a team playing on Emotion all year. And, and I think that shows in the disparity between their home and road record. At home, they're one of five teams in the Eastern Conference that's still in single digits in

Starting point is 00:20:35 home losses. They've got 20 home wins. They are pretty darn good at home. On the road, it's the opposite. They haven't played well on the road. And in this little stretch here, I mean, look, if you win at home and you're 500 on the road, automatic playoff team, right? We're seeing a lot of teams that are opposites this year. They're either good at home, bad on the road or bad at home, good on the road. I think if Columbus is going to put it together, the fact that they can't win on the road for them to get into the playoffs to me is telling. I think they do it based on emotion at home. They go out there and they get fired up and it's a great crowd.

Starting point is 00:21:12 It's a great building. And they really channel that well. But if they can't figure out how to do it on the road, I just don't see down the stretch, let alone getting into the playoffs how they're going to get back into the conversation. Going to be tough, but I know a lot of people will be pulling for the blue jackets to do just that. we've got a lot more to get to here on the squad show, the Western Conference tightening up. It was not so tight earlier.

Starting point is 00:21:39 It's getting tight now. It's going to be a fun stretch drive out west. We'll have that coming up next on the squad show. Today's episode is brought to you by Upwork. Scaling your business requires the right expertise at the right time. With Upwork, you can find specialized freelancers in marketing, development, design, and more experts ready to help you take your business. to the next level. Upwork gives businesses flexibility by connecting them with top freelance talent across multiple industries, including IT, AI, web development, and marketing. Whether you need

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Starting point is 00:22:57 The NCAA tournament is here, and so is the bracket breakdown. Locked on podcast network and Amazon Fire TV channels are teaming up to deliver. deliver NCAA tournament coverage like never before. Watch studio shows featuring former players and locked on's local experts as they guide you through every upset, buzzer beater, and bracket matchup. Stream it all for free on Amazon Fire TV channel. Search Bracket Breakdown to see it all for free. It's your team every day. All right, Kyle, welcome back.

Starting point is 00:23:32 Glad that everything is straightened out and you are able to rejoin us. The Western Wild Card Race right now. You have four teams fighting for that last spot separated by two points, Vancouver, St. Louis, Calgary, and the Utah Hockey Club. Let's start with Vancouver because they're in the spot right now, partially because of the fact that they've played less games. But, you know, can this Canucks team stop fighting with themselves long enough to win enough games to get into the playoffs? I'll tell you what, watching Utah play Vancouver this past weekend and beat them pretty handily at home, Vancouver at home, I mean, I don't know. The Canucks look like a team that was just, they were coming and going with momentum. They were there sometimes.

Starting point is 00:24:31 They look plugged in and engaged. And then all of a sudden they weren't. And I'm talking for half a period at a time. There's something clearly wrong in Vancouver. It's rattling. You know, the buggy is rattling, but are the wheels going to come off? And that's the real question right now. Can they hold it together?

Starting point is 00:24:48 I don't know. But I think with so many teams behind them playing well, knocking on the door, like St. Louis and Utah are playing well right now. Calgary is not playing as well, but the flames are still pretty good. And they have a game in hand, two points behind. I don't know. Vancouver might be the first team that falls out of this conversation. Vancouver is a mess,

Starting point is 00:25:11 um, offensively especially. Like you pull it back all the way to the start of 2025, which is a 31 game span. So it's not a small sample size. The Canucks are averaging 2.29 goals per game. That's that's not a great number. That's not a great number for a team that, that, uh, that has playoff aspirations.

Starting point is 00:25:35 And, you know, it is fascinating to me seeing what has happened to J.T. Miller since he went to New York, and he looks like he just has a completely new lease on life. And we still are waiting for Elias Pedersen to get going. And it feels like with this Vancouver team, until he does, they're just going to be stuck in kind of this just outside the playoff range. I mean, in that same 31 game span, they're 14, 14 and 3. So it feels like until he's able to elevate and get to that level that Vancouver signed him to be.

Starting point is 00:26:16 Now, it's certainly not, it's certainly not all on him. You've got to have that supporting cast to be able to step up and help take some of that pressure off. But it does really feel like as he goes, they go, which unless he really gets on a heater here, it might be tough sledding for them to make that final wild card. spot. I don't see how you keep looking at a guy who's been disinterested and clocked out for a major part of the year and saying, hey, buddy, you need to drive the bus. And you're all sitting there in the seats of the bus going, okay, let's go. Hit the gas pedal. Somebody's got to knock him out of the driver's seat. And someone has to step up and be the man. J.T. Miller was a great candidate to

Starting point is 00:26:56 do that. But he's in New York now. So what about Brock Besser? We thought Besser was going to get moved at the deadline. Didn't. Somebody's got to. step up. Honestly, not Pedersen at this point. They have to stop looking around that room and waiting for him to do it because I don't think it's happening. Guys, the Calgary Flames, you know, they almost seem like a one-man team. It's almost all goaltending. Do they have enough to get across the finish line or do they just lack the team around the great young goal tender that they have right now? Goal scoring is not their forte, right? I mean, they haven't scored enough. That's what it's going to come down to. I don't care how good your goal scoring is. I don't think they have

Starting point is 00:27:38 enough offense. Yeah. We're seeing the same problem with the Minnesota Wilde is that you can, you can lean in on defense and goal tending as much as you want. You still have to give the threat of goal scorers on the roster. And it's got to be more than just a couple of guys. If you've got two or three guys that are your primary scoring targets, the opposing team can lock them down. And until the cast of characters for the Calgary Flames, until a couple of other pieces start to jump in and help, you're going to see a lot of,

Starting point is 00:28:20 you're going to see two to one, three to two, one to nothing. Like they're getting great goaltending, but they are another team in that same span. They're averaging 2.41 goals since 2025 started. And again, small sample size. You got to do better than that.

Starting point is 00:28:37 The Blues, seven, two, and one in their last 10 games. Is this a hot streak or is this team good enough to get into the postseason? Shades of Stanley Cup run from not too long ago, right? We've seen the Blues do this before.

Starting point is 00:28:53 Little different cast of characters, but the same gold tender. Sure they can. They're a different team, but they play the same style. And if they're getting the goal tending and Bennington doesn't melt down, there's no reason they can't be that team, especially because, and look, obviously Utah is the team that I'm covering. And I felt like if they got into this conversation at this time of the year, that was exactly

Starting point is 00:29:20 where they needed to be. And if they overachieved, they'd make it into the playoffs. What I like about Utah is that they beat teams they should, but what I don't like is they lose against teams they shouldn't. And what I see from St. Louis is St. Louis is beating the teams they should and not losing points along the way they're playing their best hockey right now. It might be a little bit of a case of Ottawa. They'll play well now. They'll get themselves into a spot and then we'll see what they have once the playoffs hit. But I don't see why St. Louis couldn't be the answer to the question of who gets that last spot. Going to be interesting, Utah, St. Louis, Calgary, Vancouver. Only one can go unless the wild fall apart entirely, which I know Seth is hoping does not happen.

Starting point is 00:30:04 But stay healthy. We will have our finger on the pulse of this the rest of the way. So make sure you join us for the squad show and all across the locked on NHL network. I'm Gilmartin. Thank you to Kyle Carr, Seth Tuple and Tom Callahan for joining us today. Have a great day, everyone. And thanks for listening to and watching the NHL squad.

Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - NHL SQUAD SHOW: Which Teams Will Get The Wildcard Spots?

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