OverDrive - Strudwick on Canada's battle against the USA, McDavid's massive impact and the goaltending's performances

Episode Date: February 19, 2025

Got Yer Back Podcast Host and Former NHLer Jason Strudwick joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, Canada and USA playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game, Connor McDavid's big impact for Canada, the construction of the roster, the goaltending in the focus and more.

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Here's our boy Jason Strudwick. Are they flying you into Boston Struddy or what? No, no, no, they're not going to, but how's your tan? Do you get some tan or do you like noodles or do you just hide in the room? I got too much on i'll be honest i'm fighting it really i don't know if you look like the colors a little too tight on his neck right now stride is a very specific yet

it's a struggle i don't like curly fries in every meal and i would you like with it was honestly the one of the most Fear-mongering moments of your life is when the scale is staring at you when you get home I do nuts on the food department. I was not really because the food the food wasn't wasn't the greatest food to be Perfectly honest. It was Florida food Well, you just kind of you pick your spots you do your thing and you know it was more just kind of drinks and just the lifestyle of your just you're kinda taking it easy

uh... and as you can't yet i deserved it them strut i mean that's ultimately what you do i think so you're going to your grinder i'm a grinder yeah i'm a grinder and uh... it's good to hear from you and and I'm sure you're jacked for tomorrow night. Everybody seems to be. Do you have a read on the game tomorrow night?

We know what happened on Saturday. Does that, in your opinion, mean the Americans are the clear-cut favorites? Is this a coin flip? Where's your head at? Yeah, you know what? I was blown away by the start. I didn't see that happening Saturday night at all, the three fights. And I loved it.

I mean, those Kachaks, I think they're great for the game. They brought a lot of eyes to that game, they'll bring eyes to this game tomorrow. Anything that brings eyes to hockey, I'm all for. I think that the challenge for Team Canada is to get to mill the ice and get past that deep. They built a wall around their net. So I think trying to get through there is going to be tough. It's a tall task. So I'm looking at, you know, the Stones, all those Tampa guys, you know, Connor, McKinnon, Scrozzie, drive that air, get in there because they were satisfied with staying on the perimeter in the third period. And I don't really think they had an A grade chance in that third

period. You know, when you look at Connor's game, he had that first goal against the US, he just exploded. But I think a lot of teams have done a pretty good job of trying to limit him. It's tough, Dry Sido was talking today too about playing with Connored. Is the narrative in Edmonton that they missed the boat and not having Hyman play with him, given that Hyman had come on in the last six weeks to two months? Yeah, much like Lee's fans, the others fans are very reasonable in their takes. So they're just very calm, but I do think that the instant chemistry makes sense.

If Hyman was there, there would be chemistry with he and McDavid, there'd be the McKinnon Cosby and then you'd have the Tampa guys. There'd be some, every line would have some chemistry, at least your top three lines that off the top of my head. Because it took them a while to find the right chemistry. And I said before the tournament that Reinhardt and Marner weren't the right guys for for McDavid He plays, you know kind of like a fourth-line pace and you know Marner that's not his style I play he wants to slow it down then he have I think Reinhardt was probably caught the wrong place the wrong time But I think you know, it didn't fit right away with him

so now they have brain a point who is Super high hockey IQ and plays fast and then Stone who other than the skating is not maybe at elite level, he does everything really well and he works hard and drives the net so I think they got that right. But the fans haven't been pushing too hard about Hyman. I think it's easy now to look back but I do think that it would have been the right move for instant chemistry in more duels or trios in the life

well in terms of the david we we were just having a chat like how much is on the line for him tomorrow night and you know this is a going to bring you back to the spring and if he plays great they win all the sudden that means it makes up for what happened is for whatever but in edmonton i'm curious what that you is because the rest of the country looks at a marker i'd finally we get the root for this guy but he's on our team get we have a big david planned for our team

or if you're an oiler fenn you've had that luxury for for ten years now uh... if he plays great and they went to moral what do you think it means for the david in his legacy and i don't have this up there with the senate cup for the olympics and that's united it's probably somewhere around the world championships below the spangler cup

and when you're when you're trying to you know to look at it it's not because look at it from his legacy uh... i think it's it's better to obviously the wind than to lose, but I think an Olympic gold or Stanley cup ranks way above it. Then, then what, um, this is like, we think back to, you know, Wayne Gretzky that 87 kind of cup, that was a pretty big one. Um,

but he had a few Stanley cups kicking around also in his back pocket. So I think it'd be nice if they won, but I don't know if this is just Connor McDavid having to win it. I think, I think it'd be nice to be one by i don't know this is just car mac david having to win it i think i think how to support for them to win right there's a little bit doubt right now you know that can a lot to u f and u f talks a lot about how good they're getting how much better they are and that's kind of americans do

uh... so i think it's an opportunity for canada prove that we are still the better hockey nation at the highest level. Yeah, big time. I think the pressure is totally on the Americans, like almost 100% on the Americans because of what you just said. I don't know Hazy, it's like the blowback of the World Junior performance the last couple years and it's like the idea of the US overtaking Canada as the top hockey nation, you think

the players want to deal with that? Well, it obviously wouldn't be ideal, clearly, but I think if you're Canadian and you have perspective, the Americans have not won anything ever. They won the 96 World Cup, and now maybe they'd win this. They've never won Olympic gold. Their juniors, they come and go. Canada's always won that tournament clearly.

So, I just, I think this is for the Americans, now it's on home soil, it's in Boston. They've set the tone, they're talking a big game, they're claiming it's all about them and they're bet, they gotta go prove that. Like, I think if Canada wins tomorrow, people will be relieved and it will be awesome and that's cool, but it's not gonna change pressure or to change pressure or change anything in terms of the landscape of the sport. Or if the Americans do it, this is where the pressure comes into play. They can actually puff their chest out and say, see, we told you.

We're legit here and now we're going to the Olympic Games and we're going to do it again. So for me, they're the ones without the hockey history. Canada has all the history. We're the hockey country. They they got approved that they have caught up can't just talk about it you can't just wait group stage games you know what a big one the biggest more right you know that that's as big as it's gonna get for them in terms of this generation because they have a net best on best

in a long long time. I agree with you there. But I think that there'd be reaction if Canada loses. There'll be a reaction within our country for sure. And there'll be someone who may be a scapegoat. And I think that probably people look at the netminding. Will probably be one area that, not to pick on binghamton But you know be like why is our goaltender not as elite as what the americans can bring or if the russians were here or

I know sweden even though they didn't have mark strom like There's some pretty good goaltending and and I don't know that we have an elite goalie right now And and maybe he is in washington, but he didn't come Um, at least for this year So I think that would be something that the conversation will be around if this doesn't work, especially if he lets in a week, one or two tonight, and his halibut doesn't.

You know, Stretty, when you look at it, I mean, we're talking, this is a, we call it best on best, you know, there's still some nations missing, but when you go back to your club team, we call it, there's got to be some general managers that are sweating on this because this has not been just a friendly match here. There's injuries. There's guys that are banged up.

And you look at the standings now, it's go time starting Saturday. McDavid's playing Saturday at 1 o'clock in Philadelphia after playing Thursday night for the Four Nations. And a lot of these teams are battling for position and you've got Shea Theodore injured, the Kachuk brothers, we don't know what's up with them. McAvoy with Boston. There's been some significant players

that are banged up here. And you gotta think that the club teams are a little bit stressed about that. Yeah, and those are just the members of the players. Imagine some of the members of the media like Hayes dealing with the Sunburn. You know, these guys have to dig down and find another gear. You know, you think about it too, like for Team Canada, if they are USA, whoever teams wins, I'm guessing they're gonna have more than one Michelin of Ultra light after the win.

You might have a pretty good night Thursday and then roll into an afternoon game on Saturday. That's a pretty tough turnaround even for an elite athlete. But you're right, it is go time. You can't hit it softly. They have five games on the road and there's some really good teams they're playing. I remember when we, with Hanle Koenigquist's rookie year, he went off to the Olympics and he won, they won the Olympic gold.

And I think, if I remember correctly, I think they went back to Stockholm and partied and I had a great time. He came back and he was slashed. You know, like, I'm like, are you okay? You know, and he was tired and it was his rookie year, so he played more games than ever. It was a lot to take on.

Now, that was a rookie and maybe a little bit bigger stage than the Four Nations, but it can take a little bit out of you. So the other guys on the team have to be ready to go. There's still a lot of players that aren't there that are elite that can help out their teammates, but you cannot ease your way into this last stretch of the season because it's so tight. Either you're at the top fighting for top spot or you're a team in that 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, especially in the east spot trying to hang on to a spot or to capture a playoff

spot. Strati, quickly before we get you out of here, can you take us back to the Spangler Cup? Did the European fans warm up to you like the Russians did to Rocky Balboa when he fought Drago over in Russia? You know what? The first couple of games, no. Then I decided to take a warm up without a bucket. Oh man, it was like instant fans.

They loved it. They loved it. They loved it. They got what they want. Too sexy, boys. Too sexy. Yep. I love it.

We'll leave it there. Thank you, Strudy. We'll do it again soon. Heal up, Hayes. Heal up, buddy. I'm trying, buddy. I'm trying. There he is.

Jason Strudwick. This February, IHER Radio celebrates Black History Month by amplifying the voices that define Black excellence. Select upon and celebrate history and culture. From curated playlists, celebrating iconic Black artists, to powerful podcasts, My grandmother marched with Martin Luther King. and Black History Month Radio, we're shining a light on the music, stories and culture that inspire us all. Black history is our history. Celebrate with us. Listen on the free IR Radio app.